Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has admitted that the Home Office remains not yet fit for purpose, even as new figures show arrests for illegal working have reached record levels across the UK. According to the latest Home Office data, immigration enforcement visits rose to 21,858 in the 12 months to September the highest since comparable records began in 2011. That figure represents a 38% increase from the previous year, while…

Santander UK Chief Executive Mike Regnier has urged the government to weigh in over a car finance pay out plan following a landmark supreme court ruling in August. He said the level of industry concern warranted material changes to the regulator’s proposals, which are currently under consultation. “Without such change, the unintended consequences for the car finance market, the supply of credit, and the resulting negative impact on the automotive…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has suspended its child benefit crackdown after a major data error wrongly halted payments to 23,500 families across the UK. The suspension followed an investigation revealing that incomplete Home Office travel records had falsely flagged parents as having left the country and never returned. The affected families included many who had simply gone on holiday or travelled for work. In one case, a Belfast mother…

Asylum seekers housed in two London hotels have taken part in a football match organised by Southwark council as part of its efforts to promote inclusion and build a culture of welcome for migrants. The Labour-run council, which is working to become a “borough of sanctuary” by 2027, has introduced several initiatives aimed at improving housing, education, and health services for refugees and asylum seekers. It also plans to lobby…

A 49-year-old man has died and two others have been injured in a triple stabbing incident in Uxbridge, west London, prompting a murder investigation. Police were called to Midhurst Gardens at around 5:00 p.m on Monday following reports of multiple stabbings. Officers found the 49-year-old dog walker with serious stab wounds; despite efforts by paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. A 45-year-old man was rushed to hospital with…

By Eniola Amadu The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has revealed that funding cuts for housing associations to build new social housing will not lead to a reduction in the number of homes built. According to her, she said “it would be for each individual housing association to decide themselves how much private finance they can borrow, and how much risk they can take on”. “Housing associations…

By Eniola Amadu A group of Palestinian children who are sick and injured have been moved from Gaza to Ireland for medical treatment. This will be the third medical evacuation from Gaza, approved by the Irish government after its response last September to a World Health Organization (WHO) appeal to address the health needs of people in the region. Working with the WHO to select sick and injured children who…

By Eniola Amadu New Zealand’s former prime minister, Dame Ardern, will visit Glasgow next month for a talk following the screening of a new documentary about her. After the Scottish premiere of the new film Prime Minister, she will speak at the Glasgow Film Theatre on November 21. The movie, which won the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, will mark Ardern’s only in-person appearance outside London. READ…

Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson has dismissed allegations that a quote from Labour’s manifesto was responsible for derailing the high-profile China espionage case. The claim circulated by Conservative critics suggested that referencing Labour’s stance on China in a witness statement undermined the prosecution. Parkinson, appearing before a parliamentary committee, said nothing in the evidence supported that theory, instead backing the government’s position that outdated espionage laws caused the collapse.…

King Charles has laid flowers at the UK’s first national memorial dedicated to LGBT members of the armed forces, paying tribute to veterans who suffered under the military’s former gay ban. The memorial, titled An Opened Letter, was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in what marked the King’s first official engagement in support of the LGBT  community. The event brought together serving personnel and veterans, including many…

Reform UK has expelled two Kent councillors, Robert Ford and Bill Barrett, following allegations of misconduct and internal disputes exposed in a leaked video. The pair were formally removed via email on Monday, with party headquarters accusing them of undermining Reform UK’s interests and bringing the party into disrepute. Ford, who represents Maidstone Rural West, had been suspended after an unofficial complaint from several female county council staff alleging misconduct.…

The latest crime figures paint a worrying picture for the capital as new data reveals that London’s overall crime rate rose by 11 per cent over the past year, with the City of Westminster emerging as the borough with the highest number of reported offences. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and police.uk, nearly 100 crimes occur every day in London, ranging from petty theft to violent…