Author: Fatimah Idera

The Home Office has confirmed that an army barracks in Kent that has been used to house asylum seekers has officially shut down. Napier Barracks in Folkestone, a former military site, began accommodating migrants in 2020. Since then, it has faced sustained criticism over poor living conditions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a major outbreak occurred among residents. The site closed on Friday and is expected to be fully vacated by the end of the month before being handed back to the Ministry of Defence. The Home Office said the barracks will later be transferred to a property developer…

Scotland police have seized drugs worth nearly £14 million in the lead-up to Christmas, describing it as a record-breaking week for drug recoveries nationwide. The largest single haul was made on 11 December in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, where officers recovered more than £8 million worth of cocaine during a targeted raid. A day later, police uncovered ecstasy, amphetamine and mephedrone valued at over £3.5 million in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. Additional operations across the country led to further major seizures. In Perth and Kinross, officers recovered £1.2 million worth of cocaine in Dunning, while another £560,000 worth of the Class A drug…

The Society of Editors has criticised plans by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government to reduce daily media briefings at No 10, warning the move could weaken transparency and democratic accountability. The organisation, which represents major news outlets, said regular and robust questioning of government was essential to a healthy democracy. Its concerns follow the announcement by Downing Street’s director of communications, Tim Allan, that the traditional twice-daily lobby briefings would be cut to one per day, with some replaced by press conferences. The changes were unveiled on Thursday without prior consultation with the lobby of political journalists who routinely…

The Vatican has announced the appointment of Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster, making him the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. He succeeds Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has stepped down at the age of 80 after serving in the role since 2009. Archbishop Moth has spent the past decade as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, having earlier served as Bishop of the Forces. In his new position, he will also become president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, leading an estimated six million Catholics across the country. Cardinal Nichols reached the…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to set out the next stage of his government’s plans shortly after May’s major elections, with the King’s Speech scheduled for mid-May. The speech has been pencilled in for 12 or 13 May, according to BBC reports, just days after voters go to the polls on 7 May. Those elections include contests for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd, thousands of council seats in England and several directly elected mayors. Labour is preparing for difficult results, and some MPs believe a poor showing could prompt questions over Sir Keir’s leadership. One government source…

Welsh ministers are being humiliated by the UK government’s approach to devolution, a Labour Member of the Senedd claimed. Alun Davies criticised Westminster’s handling of funding and disputes over devolved powers, saying Wales was being treated unfairly. His comments highlight growing tensions within Labour between the UK government and the Welsh administration over where authority should lie in devolved areas. The row centres on the UK government’s Pride in Place scheme, which will fund town centre regeneration projects by allocating money directly to local councils in Wales, bypassing the Welsh government. The policy relies on legislation that allows Westminster to…

According to a report available to New Daily Prime, the UK government has announced an independent inquiry into the influence of foreign money on British politics, following growing concerns about attempts by hostile states to undermine democracy. The review comes after Nathan Gill, a former senior figure in Reform UK, was jailed for 10 years for accepting bribes from a pro-Kremlin agent while acting on behalf of the Russian state. His conviction has intensified scrutiny of foreign financial interference in domestic politics, particularly from Russia and China. The government-commissioned inquiry will examine whether the UK’s political finance laws are robust…

A Home Office minister has rejected a request from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for a meeting to discuss the worsening health of eight remand prisoners linked to the protest group Palestine Action who are currently on hunger strike. Corbyn raised the issue during justice questions in the Commons, warning of deep concerns for the detainees, five of whom have already been taken to hospital. The activists, accused of offences connected to Palestine Action, are being held on remand, with some not due to face trial until 2027. Recall the group began their hunger strike in October, demanding immediate bail…

The Home Office has unlawfully failed to protect vulnerable migrants held in immigration detention, a High Court judge has ruled. Mrs Justice Jefford found that the systems meant to safeguard detainees from inhuman and degrading treatment breached Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. She said the failures had persisted for years and could affect thousands of migrants at risk in detention. The ruling followed a legal challenge brought by two men from Egypt and Bangladesh who were detained between July 2023 and March 2024. Both were held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick. Brook House…

Resident doctors in England will proceed with a five-day strike from Wednesday after voting to reject the government’s latest proposal aimed at ending the long-running pay and jobs dispute. Doctors, previously known as junior doctors, voted against the deal in a survey conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA). The offer, put forward last week by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, focused on expanding training places to allow earlier access to specialist roles but did not include a pay rise for the current financial year. The proposal was rejected by 83% of those who voted, with a turnout of 65%. A…