https://www.scmp.com/rss/521995/feed The latest news and top stories on Reform UK party. A prominent United Kingdom-based right-wing populist political party, Reform UK is dedicated to championing common-sense pro-British policies and reforming governance. Headquartered in Millbank Tower, London, its main areas of focus include significantly reducing immigration, implementing tax cuts, scrapping net-zero targets, and promoting British culture and values. Formed in 2018 as The Brexit Party and rebranded in 2021, it has gained... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters When US President Donald Trump ⁠asked countries to join a global effort against Iran and deploy ships to prise open the Strait of Hormuz, whose near closure has held the global economy in a vice, he was rebuffed by some of America’s closest allies. Using unusually blunt language, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told his country’s lawmakers on Wednesday that he agreed Iran must not be allowed to pose a threat to its neighbours but expressed doubts about the rationale behind the US-Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347086/europe-says-no-trumps-iran-demands-not-our-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347086/europe-says-no-trumps-iran-demands-not-our-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:12:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters The British government is looking to provide “targeted” support for ⁠poorer households to offset the impact of ⁠surging energy costs due to the conflict ⁠in the Middle East, finance minister Rachel Reeves has said. In an interview published on Saturday, Reeves told the Times newspaper the government was looking at options to help those vulnerable to sharp rises in energy prices, especially those who relied on heating oil, but ruled out universal help for all households, saying it would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346616/uk-eyes-targeted-support-households-amid-rising-energy-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346616/uk-eyes-targeted-support-households-amid-rising-energy-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:35:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Documents released on Wednesday by the British government show officials believed there was a “reputational risk” to appointing Peter Mandelson as the US ambassador because of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The concerns were raised in a document sent to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in December 2024 before he appointed Mandelson to the role, seen as vital to establish a good relationship with the administration of US President Donald Trump. The document also spelled... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346267/uk-pm-starmer-was-warned-reputational-risk-appointing-mandelson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346267/uk-pm-starmer-was-warned-reputational-risk-appointing-mandelson?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:50:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party suffered an embarrassing election defeat on Friday in an area of Greater Manchester that it had dominated for almost a century, a loss that underscores the breakdown of Britain’s two-party ‌politics. The loss of one of Labour’s safest seats, in the biggest electoral test in almost a year, puts further pressure on Starmer to prove that he should keep his job following weeks of political turmoil and calls for him to resign. The left-wing Green Party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344829/starmer-reels-greens-seize-labour-stronghold-uk-special-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344829/starmer-reels-greens-seize-labour-stronghold-uk-special-election?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:31:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UK’s top civil servant resigned on Thursday, the third senior aide to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to quit in a matter of days in fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. “Chris Wormald will stand down as the cabinet secretary and head of the civil service by mutual agreement from today,” said a joint statement released by the government. His departure came after two top aides quit earlier this week over the row triggered by the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343379/uks-top-civil-servant-quits-pm-starmer-tries-calm-epstein-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343379/uks-top-civil-servant-quits-pm-starmer-tries-calm-epstein-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:10:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A defiant British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to move on Tuesday from fevered speculation about his future after fighting off strident calls to resign over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Following a day of drama on Monday, the Labour leader told a meeting of government ministers that they were “strong and united” after he vowed not to depart office just 19 months into a five-year term. Starmer’s position had looked precarious on Monday when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar demanded his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343103/starmer-claims-uk-government-united-amid-calls-quit-over-epstein-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343103/starmer-claims-uk-government-united-amid-calls-quit-over-epstein-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:48:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration will ‌fund efforts to promote free speech within Western countries allied with Washington, a senior State Department official said ‍on Monday during a visit to Europe focused on pushing back against European regulations that US officials have branded censorship. US officials have forcefully opposed online rules such as the EU’s Digital Services Act and Britain’s Online Safety Act, which Washington says stifle free speech, and in particular criticism of immigration... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342981/us-fund-free-speech-initiatives-europe-state-department-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342981/us-fund-free-speech-initiatives-europe-state-department-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:16:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Keir Starmer never met Jeffrey Epstein. But the British prime minister’s job is under threat because of the fallout from the late sex offender’s global web of relationships. Friendship with Epstein has already brought down a British royal – Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew – and UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson, fired by Starmer over his links to the financier. Now, new revelations have plunged Starmer’s centre-left government into turmoil. The prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342613/epstein-haunts-number-10-creating-crisis-uks-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3342613/epstein-haunts-number-10-creating-crisis-uks-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:34:54 +0000 Reuters Reuters British ‍lawmaker Suella Braverman, a former home secretary, became the latest prominent Conservative to join Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK on Monday, and she accused her former party of lying to voters over immigration. Opinion polls put Reform UK ahead of both Prime Minister Keir ⁠Starmer’s Labour Party and Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives, the two parties that have dominated British politics for more than a century, though a national election is not expected until 2029. For now, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341307/ex-conservative-lawmaker-suella-braverman-defects-right-wing-reform-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341307/ex-conservative-lawmaker-suella-braverman-defects-right-wing-reform-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:50:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters British Labour Party politician Andy Burnham was on Sunday blocked from trying to return to parliament, with lawmakers on the ‍left of the party accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his allies of a political move to keep out a potential leadership rival. Burnham said he was disappointed at the decision and, while he called for unity in the Labour Party, criticised the way the situation had been handled. One of the party’s most high-profile politicians and an elected mayor in the ⁠northern... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341182/row-erupts-within-uks-labour-party-after-manchester-mayor-blocked-coming-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341182/row-erupts-within-uks-labour-party-after-manchester-mayor-blocked-coming-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 16:50:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s former ‍Conservative Party leadership candidate Robert Jenrick became the biggest-name defector to Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK on Thursday, saying the nation was broken and its two mainstream political parties rotten. Sacked by the Conservatives when his potential switch was leaked, Jenrick appeared alongside Farage at a press conference, the latest of 21 current ⁠or former Conservative lawmakers to join Reform. Farage’s anti-immigration party was ahead of both Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340067/uk-conservative-lawmaker-robert-jenrick-defects-farages-reform-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340067/uk-conservative-lawmaker-robert-jenrick-defects-farages-reform-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:34:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former British finance minister Nadhim Zahawi defected to ‌Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK Party from the Conservative Party on ‍Monday, saying the country was broken and needed Farage as prime minister to fix it. Zahawi, who had a short spell in charge of the nation’s finances under former prime minister Boris Johnson ⁠in 2022, becomes the latest in a long line of former Conservatives to switch to Farage’s populist Reform UK. Reform is currently leading the polls in Britain, far ahead of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339647/former-uk-finance-minister-nadhim-zahawi-defects-nigel-farages-reform-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339647/former-uk-finance-minister-nadhim-zahawi-defects-nigel-farages-reform-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:32:36 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned his governing Labour Party that removing him in 2026 would plunge Britain into “utter chaos” and open the door to a far-right government. The turmoil wrought by the constant chopping and changing of staff under the previous Conservative administration is “amongst the reasons that the Tories were booted out so effectively at the last election”, Starmer told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Sunday. Any repeat of that instability “would gift Nigel Farage”,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338692/uks-starmer-says-ousting-him-would-lead-chaos-far-right-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338692/uks-starmer-says-ousting-him-would-lead-chaos-far-right-government?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:21:53 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police in Britain will be able to require illegal migrants to remove their coats and allow mouth searches at British ports so officers can look for mobile phones or SIM cards and gather intelligence on their journey, the government said on Monday. The Home Office (interior ministry) said the new powers would support investigations aimed at dismantling criminal gangs suspected of smuggling migrants across the Channel. It said the gangs frequently use phone contacts and social media to recruit... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334824/illegal-migrants-face-clothing-and-mouth-searches-phones-uk-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334824/illegal-migrants-face-clothing-and-mouth-searches-phones-uk-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:14:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters British finance minister Rachel Reeves on Sunday denied she misled the public over official forecasts ahead last week’s budget, saying she had been honest about the need to build up a bigger financial buffer. In a speech on November 4, Reeves appeared to lay the groundwork to break the Labour Party’s promise to voters before the 2024 election and raise income tax rates, citing a “weaker than previously thought” productivity performance. In a letter published on Friday, the head of Britain’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334693/uks-rachel-reeves-says-she-did-not-mislead-public-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334693/uks-rachel-reeves-says-she-did-not-mislead-public-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:39:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Britain’s unpopular centre-left Labour government sought to seize the political narrative on Wednesday with a tax-raising budget that it hopes will boost economic growth by fostering a stable debt outlook, reduce child poverty and ease cost-of-living pressures. But the entire contents of the budget were leaked half an hour before Treasury chief Rachel Reeves delivered the budget statement in the House of Commons, in a sign of the chaos that has engulfed the government during weeks of mixed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334265/uks-reeves-unveils-tax-plan-amid-embarrassing-budget-leak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334265/uks-reeves-unveils-tax-plan-amid-embarrassing-budget-leak?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:30:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Plans for a new nationwide UK digital ID are sparking widespread public concern, but some critics including far-right politicians are fuelling fears with unproven claims that it will be used to boost government control over people’s lives. They have warned that a digital ID would be used to store data on vaccinations and carbon footprint and limit access to flying and food, which the government has vehemently denied. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September said the ID card would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333899/uk-digital-id-plan-fuels-conspiracies-government-denies-it-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333899/uk-digital-id-plan-fuels-conspiracies-government-denies-it-control?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 05:27:23 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Britain’s crackdown on immigration accelerated last week with the unveiling of radical reforms which will make it more difficult for those embarking on a new life in the country to settle there. The sweeping changes will apply not only to asylum seekers but to migrants who have entered the UK lawfully since 2021. The goalposts are moving. Tighter restrictions for people who relocate to the UK through legal routes, such as for work or study, are the subject of a 12-week consultation. The aim,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3333813/bn0-visa-holders-deserve-clarity-pathway-new-life-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3333813/bn0-visa-holders-deserve-clarity-pathway-new-life-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 15:43:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A hard-right British politician and former ally of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was sentenced Friday to 10½ years in prison for accepting bribes to make favourable statements about Russia in the European Parliament. Nathan Gill, 52, pleaded guilty earlier this year to eight counts of bribery between December 2018 and July 2019. Police have estimated that the former leader of Reform in Wales took at least £40,000 (US$53,000) in bribes. Prosecutors said Gill, a member of the European Union... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333753/hard-right-uk-politician-jailed-taking-bribes-make-pro-russia-statements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333753/hard-right-uk-politician-jailed-taking-bribes-make-pro-russia-statements?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:45:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain on Monday said it would make refugee status temporary and speed up the deportation of those who arrive illegally, in a major overhaul aimed at stemming the rise of the populist Reform UK party and tackling abuse of the current system. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined changes to how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) should be interpreted by UK courts to give the government greater control over who can remain in Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former human... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333164/britain-toughens-asylum-policy-major-overhaul-anti-immigration-sentiment-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333164/britain-toughens-asylum-policy-major-overhaul-anti-immigration-sentiment-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:28:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain will drastically reduce protections for refugees and end automatic benefits for asylum seekers, the Labour government announced late on Saturday, under new plans aimed at slashing irregular immigration and countering the hard-right. The measures, modelled on Denmark’s strict asylum system, were announced as Prime Minister Keir Starmer comes under pressure from surging popularity for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party. “I’ll end the UK’s golden ticket for asylum seekers,” interior... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332956/uk-says-its-ending-golden-ticket-refugees-asylum-overhaul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332956/uk-says-its-ending-golden-ticket-refugees-asylum-overhaul?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 22:32:49 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday a strong and independent BBC was needed in a time of disinformation, but he said the broadcaster must get its “house in order” after US President Donald Trump threatened legal action. The British Broadcasting Corporation has been plunged into its biggest crisis in decades after its two most senior staff, its director general and head of news, quit following criticism over standards and accusations of bias at the BBC, including over how it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332542/starmer-bbc-must-get-house-order-amid-trumps-us1-billion-lawsuit-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332542/starmer-bbc-must-get-house-order-amid-trumps-us1-billion-lawsuit-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:09:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters British health minister Wes Streeting denied on Wednesday he was plotting to bring down Keir Starmer, after allies of the prime minister briefed newspapers that they feared an attempted coup could come later this month after the budget. Starmer steered his Labour Party to one of the biggest election victories in British history in 2024, but just 16 months later it is languishing in the polls and poised to break one of its main election pledges to increase income taxes for the first time since... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332478/uk-health-secretary-denies-plot-topple-pm-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332478/uk-health-secretary-denies-plot-topple-pm-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:55:58 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press British police said on Saturday they were scouring hours of closed-circuit TV recordings to find an asylum seeker sentenced for sexual assault who was mistakenly released from prison. Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was “last seen in the London area”, Essex Police said on Saturday, adding that officers from three separate forces were working together in the investigation. Kebatu came to national attention after his case triggered a wave of anti-migrant protests in London and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330324/uk-police-search-london-asylum-seeker-after-mistaken-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330324/uk-police-search-london-asylum-seeker-after-mistaken-release?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:58:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain’s justice minister on Friday said he was “appalled” after an Ethiopian asylum seeker and convicted sex offender whose crimes sparked protests was released from jail in error. The high-profile case earlier this year ignited demonstrations which swiftly spread to other towns where asylum seekers were believed to be housed, as well as counter-protests. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was jailed last month for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman. Justice Minister David Lammy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330284/uk-asylum-seeker-jailed-sex-assault-freed-mistake-instead-being-deported?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330284/uk-asylum-seeker-jailed-sex-assault-freed-mistake-instead-being-deported?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:55:54 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The British government, desperate to ease rising concerns about illegal immigration, has announced a radical new plan. It is one that would not be seen as remotely controversial in Hong Kong, or many other parts of the world. But in the UK, the initiative is viewed by many as a sinister threat to the country’s cherished freedoms. The proposal, announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month, envisages the introduction of identity cards to the UK. The idea, fiercely resisted by British people... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3327892/digital-id-may-be-bridge-too-far-those-brits-wanting-stop-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3327892/digital-id-may-be-bridge-too-far-those-brits-wanting-stop-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 15:08:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A pep talk from Australian leader Anthony Albanese kick-started UK Labour’s annual conference on Sunday, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer struggling to convince nervous members that he can lead the “fight of our lives” against the surging hard-right. Although the ex-lawyer led Labour back to power in Britain in July last year after 14 years in opposition, scandals and policy missteps have already raised doubts about his future. The four-day gathering in Liverpool, northwest England, comes amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327167/starmer-warns-uk-labour-fight-our-lives-party-meets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327167/starmer-warns-uk-labour-fight-our-lives-party-meets?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:55:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday announced plans to introduce free digital ID for both nationals and those living in the country in a bid to curb illegal migration. The government said the drive will also make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records. The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones and there will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it, said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326996/uk-launch-mandatory-digital-id-curb-illegal-migration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326996/uk-launch-mandatory-digital-id-curb-illegal-migration?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 09:10:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump kicked off his historic second state visit to Britain on Wednesday amid unprecedented pomp, intense security, technology investments and protests as King Charles and other royals welcomed their nation’s closest ally. Trump and his wife Melania are being hosted by the king at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and family home to British monarchs for almost 1,000 years, where he is being treated to the full array of British pageantry from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325785/trump-arrives-uk-unprecedented-second-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3325785/trump-arrives-uk-unprecedented-second-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 22:18:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned “dangerous” comments by Elon Musk after the X and Tesla owner told an anti-immigration rally that violence is coming to Britain and they must fight or die. But the UK government resisted opposition calls to sanction Musk for the remarks. Starmer on Monday denounced the violence that took place on the fringes of Saturday’s 100,000 or more strong “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration in London organised by far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson. Police said 26... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325732/uk-pm-condemns-elon-musks-fight-or-die-comments-during-london-anti-immigration-rally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325732/uk-pm-condemns-elon-musks-fight-or-die-comments-during-london-anti-immigration-rally?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:25:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Monday that he would never have appointed Peter Mandelson as his ambassador in Washington if he had known the full extent of the diplomat’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The comments, Starmer’s first since he sacked Mandelson last week, come as the prime minister faces growing questions about his judgment, including from his own Labour MPs. Starmer, whose popularity has tanked since taking office in July 2024, has endured several days... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325645/embattled-starmer-defends-himself-over-ex-diplomat-peter-mandelsons-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325645/embattled-starmer-defends-himself-over-ex-diplomat-peter-mandelsons-epstein-links?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:53:29 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Britain has endured another summer of discontent, with concerns about immigration sparking protests, court challenges and shifts in government policy. There has, thankfully, been no repeat of the riots which spread across the country last year. But there is much frustration and anger about the government’s inability to prevent thousands of asylum seekers arriving on small boats, with many housed in hotels at public expense. Populist politician Nigel Farage, whose anti-immigration Reform UK party... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3324618/britain-must-prove-its-commitment-bno-scheme-hk-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3324618/britain-must-prove-its-commitment-bno-scheme-hk-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 14:26:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters British Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought in a new deputy and foreign and interior ministers on Friday in a sweeping reshuffle intended to restore his authority after the resignation of his deputy, Angela Rayner. Starmer moved foreign minister David Lammy to become deputy prime minister and replaced him with interior minister Yvette Cooper. She was in turn replaced by justice secretary Shabana Mahmood. All are loyal, trusted hands. After reshaping his Downing Street team last week to bolster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3324535/uks-deputy-pm-rayner-quits-over-property-tax-error?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3324535/uks-deputy-pm-rayner-quits-over-property-tax-error?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:34:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters British police said they arrested five people on Saturday after masked men tried to force their way into a hotel used by asylum seekers, a day after the government won a court ruling on the use of another hotel to house migrants. Two groups of anti-asylum protesters marched to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow Airport before some demonstrators tried to break in, London’s Metropolitan Police force said. Two police officers suffered minor injuries, it said. “We understand strength of feeling on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323789/uk-police-arrest-5-men-hotel-near-london-during-anti-asylum-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323789/uk-police-arrest-5-men-hotel-near-london-during-anti-asylum-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 20:27:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s anti-migration Reform UK party, announced a plan on Tuesday to repeal human rights laws to allow for mass deportations of asylum seekers, action he said was needed to prevent “major civil disorder”. Farage said his party, which is leading in national opinion polls, would remove Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repeal the Human Rights Act and nullify other international treaties that have been used to block the forced deportation of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323259/uks-nigel-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3323259/uks-nigel-farage-unveils-plan-deport-asylum-seekers-warns-civil-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:04:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A UK judge on Tuesday blocked asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in a town which has witnessed violent protests, dealing a blow to the government. The High Court judge approved a request by the local authority in Epping, northeast of London, for a temporary injunction to stop migrants from being housed at the Bell Hotel. The ruling, which came after the interior ministry was unsuccessful in trying to dismiss the case, raises questions about the government’s ability to provide... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3322425/protest-hit-uk-town-wins-bid-empty-asylum-seeker-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3322425/protest-hit-uk-town-wins-bid-empty-asylum-seeker-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:42:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A deal between London and Paris under which Britain can return some migrants who cross the Channel in small boats back to France will come into force on Tuesday, the UK Home Office announced. The agreement, which was struck between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron during the latter’s state visit to the UK last month, involves a “one in, one out” scheme to curb record levels of irregular Channel crossings. The two governments signed the final text last week, with the EU... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320742/uk-france-one-one-out-migrant-returns-deal-comes-effect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320742/uk-france-one-one-out-migrant-returns-deal-comes-effect?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 22:53:43 +0000 dpa dpa The British government defended the Online Safety Act after US tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech. In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators. The government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech and said it is not designed to censor political debate. Under rules that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320544/uk-defends-online-safety-act-after-x-claims-it-threatens-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320544/uk-defends-online-safety-act-after-x-claims-it-threatens-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 10:25:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg UK living standards are no higher than when Labour swept to power a year ago, highlighting the problems piling up for Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he struggles to contain the rise of Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party. Discretionary incomes tumbled 4.2 per cent in April after a wave of bill increases and tax raises, and failed to improve in May – the worst two months for households since the spring of 2022 when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices rocketing, according to Retail... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318035/starmers-labour-promised-boost-uk-living-standards-year-not-much-has-changed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318035/starmers-labour-promised-boost-uk-living-standards-year-not-much-has-changed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 07:48:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The British government said on Friday it welcomed footage showing French police stopping a small boat carrying migrants from setting off across the Channel. The UK and France have been rowing for years about who should be responsible for dealing with many thousands of migrants who make their way from Africa and the Middle East to the northern coast of France in a bid to get to Britain by boat. The BBC on Friday broadcast footage of French police puncturing a boat with a knife as it was about to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317046/uk-welcomes-french-police-puncturing-boat-prevent-migrants-crossing-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317046/uk-welcomes-french-police-puncturing-boat-prevent-migrants-crossing-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:43:31 +0000