Author: Fatimah Idera

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…

King Charles has said he is appalled and saddened by what he described as a most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. At least 11 people were killed and 29 others taken to hospital after a shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday, according to police. In a statement, the King said that he and Queen Camilla’s “hearts go out to everyone who has been affected so dreadfully”, adding that the light symbolised by the Jewish festival “will always triumph over the darkness of such evil”. Among those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a London-born rabbi and…

More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, bringing an end to a four-week pause in small boat arrivals, according to the latest figures from the Home Office. A total of 737 people arrived in Dover on 11 boats on 14 December, marking the conclusion of the longest period without any Channel crossings in seven years. The previous arrivals were recorded on 14 November. The latest figures push the number of migrants who have crossed the Channel so far this year to 40,029, exceeding the 36,816 recorded throughout the whole of 2024. December is usually a quieter period…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency, unveiling plans to overhaul how such crimes are investigated and tackled across England and Wales. Under a long-delayed government strategy due to be published on Thursday, every police force will be required to establish specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams by 2029. The move forms part of Labour’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. Speaking with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mahmood said the criminal justice system too often fails women, describing current policing as a postcode lottery. She said the new…

Badenoch described the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a “well-meaning but ultimately destructive” policy that could damage the UK’s car industry.

The UK has recorded its longest stretch without small-boat migrant arrivals in more than six years, before crossings resumed this weekend, according to Home Office figures. No migrants arrived by small boats between 14 November and 12 December, marking a 28-day pause the longest uninterrupted period since autumn 2018. However, Border Force activity returned to the English Channel on Saturday, with around 160 people believed to have been picked up from two small boats. Despite the recent weather, the total number of people crossing the Channel in small boats this year has reached 39,292. That figure is higher than any…

The UK government is set to place boys and young men at the centre of a new strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to unveil the long-delayed plan next Thursday, describing the issue as a national emergency. The strategy, delayed three times in the past year, will focus on three key goals: preventing the radicalisation of young men, stopping perpetrators, and improving support for victims. Ministers say early intervention is critical, as abuse is increasingly affecting younger age groups. Nearly 40% of teenagers in relationships experience abuse, according to domestic…

Reform UK has claimed it is now the largest political party in Britain by membership, overtaking Labour following a reported decline in Labour’s numbers. According to reports, Labour’s membership has fallen below 250,000. Reform UK says it now has more than 268,000 paid-up members, which, if accurate, would make it the biggest party in the country by size. Labour has declined to confirm or deny the figures, saying its membership numbers will be published in its next annual report. Political parties are not legally required to publish verified membership figures, and there is no independent body that audits them. Reform…