Rwanda opens door to resurrecting Sunak-style migrant deal with Nigel Farage - on one condition

Tony Blair to attend Gaza meeting in Washington 

Former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair is taking part in a meeting at the White House to discuss the future of Gaza.

Sir Tony is joining former Trump Middle East envoy Jared Kushner to discuss all aspects of the Gaza issue, including escalating food aid deliveries, the hostage crisis and post-war plans

The official described the session as "simply a policy meeting," the type frequently held by Trump and his team.

Mr Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, was a key White House adviser in Trump's first term on Middle East issues.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said: "It is a very comprehensive plan we are putting together on the next day (in Gaza) and many people are going to see how robust it is and how well meaning it is and it reflects President Trump's humanitarian motives here."

WATCH: Lee Anderson swipes at Kemi Badenoch over deportations row: 'It’s nonsense!'

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has launched a sharp rebuttal against Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch after she suggested his party was plagiarising Tory immigration policies.

The Ashfield MP dismissed Ms Badenoch's claims with evident frustration, saying "dear oh dear" in response to her assertion that Reform had been "copying our homework" on immigration proposals.

Mr Anderson firmly defended his party's position on withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, emphasising that Reform would proceed with its plans regardless of opposition criticism.

Conservative MP cleared of 'Cash for Questions' accusations

A Conservative MP who was accused of a 'Cash for Questions' scandal has been cleared by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman referred himself to the watchdog back in June after it was alleged he inquired to a company that paid him £5,000 per month as an advisor 'what to ask about' in Parliament and to 'help him get the wording right.'

Now, the Standards Commissioner has given Freeman, the former Science Minister, the all clear, concluding there were no grounds for a formal investigation, reports The Spectator.

Sir Ed Davey says he will boycott state dinner with Donald Trump 

Sir Ed Davey has said he will boycott a state dinner with Donald Trump to protest against the US failure to intervene on the war in Gaza.

The Liberal Democrat leader, who was invited to the event, said he wanted to take a stand over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the lack of pressure on Israel from the White House.

Writing in The Guardian, Sir Ed said: "The lifeless bodies of children killed while queueing for water. Emaciated hostages, still held captive by Hamas almost two years after those appalling terror attacks.

"These images and countless more have horrified us all in recent months. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza must stop. The famine must end. The hostages must be returned home.

"Boycotting the state banquet is not something I ever wanted to do, but I believe it is the only way I can send a message to both Donald Trump and Keir Starmer that they cannot close their eyes and wish this away."

WATCH: Army veteran who fought the Taliban backs Nigel Farage’s Afghan deportations plan: 'Britons are SICK of this!'

An ex-SAS officer who fought the Taliban while serving in Afghanistan has backed Nigel Farage’s plan to strike a deportations deal with the Islamist regime.

Mr Farage unveiled plans on Tuesday to deport 600,000 illegal migrants, and striking a deal with countries like Afghanistan would be a part of that.

Such a move would likely require the British Government to pay the Taliban to incentivise them to accept returns, something other countries like Germany have already done.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

UK borrowing costs surge to highest level since 1998 as global markets spooked by Donald Trump's Fed overhaul

Long-term UK borrowing costs have climbed to levels not seen since the end of the last century, with the yield on 30-year gilts touching 5.64 per cent earlier this morning.

This marks the highest point in four months, approaching levels last recorded in 1998, adding further pressure to Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she attempts to bolster the economy.

This surge comes amid growing anxiety among global investors following President Donald Trump's attempt to dismiss US Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook from her position.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Labour insider dismisses Reform UK as a 'party of vibes'

A Labour insider has described Reform UK as a "party of vibes" as they suggested Nigel Farage has been too quick to rush out policy proposals.

One insider told The New Statesman: "Reform are a party of vibes but they’re putting a bigger and bigger target on their back."

Meanwhile, Europe Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told The Spectator: "Nigel Farage can’t bring himself to have any relationship with the EU.

"Unable to recognise what is actually the best choice for working families across Britain but also because Nigel Farage wants Britain to fail.

"His model of politics feeds on it. When British businesses fail, when family bills go up, he offers the easy answers, dividing communities, stoking anger.

"We reject that. Emphatically."

Kemi Badenoch says she is 'not concerned' about dire polling situation for Tories

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she is "not concerned" about recent polling which has the party within one point of falling into fourth place.

The YouGov poll put Reform in the lead with 28 per cent, followed by Labour on 20 per cent, the Tories on 17 per cent with the Lib Dems just one point behind on 16 per cent, and then the Greens on 11 per cent.

When asked about the numbers, Ms Badenoch told Sky News: "No, I'm not concerned about that.

"What I am concerned about is what Labour is doing to our economy. We had an historic defeat last year, everyone knows that, and I picked up from there, the party is now under new management.

"But look at what's happened since Labour took office.

"Unemployment has grown every single month since they came into office, today we hear that energy bills are rising by £200 when they promised that energy bills were going to go down by £300.

"What we're seeing with Labour is what we're going to see with Reform.

"People campaign with all sorts of promises, they have no idea how to deliver them, then they get into office and everything gets worse."

RECAP: Keir Starmer under pressure as senior Labour veterans side with Nigel Farage over leaving ECHR

Sir Keir Starmer should "decouple" British laws from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to allow more small boat migrants to be deported, a former Labour Home Secretary has said.

Jack Straw, who oversaw the incorporation of the ECHR into British law during Sir Tony Blair's premiership under the 1998 Human Rights Act, warned it was now being "misused" by British courts.

Mr Straw is now the third figure from the New Labour era to urge, following the Brexit-backing ex-Cabinet Minister Graham Stringer and former Home Secretary Lord Blunkett.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Nigel Farage accused of 'whipping up anger, hatred and disorder' over deportations plan

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been accused of "whipping up anger, hatred and disorder" over the party's deportation plan by the Greens.

The party's foreign affairs spokeswoman and Herefordshire North MP Ellie Chowns said: "[This is] more inflammatory rhetoric from Farage at a sensitive time in many communities.

"This dangerous toxic bluster is clearly aimed at whipping up anger, hatred and even disorder. The way he talks about asylum seekers, our fellow global citizens, is reprehensible.

"The policy proposals themselves are unworkable. They rely on ripping up swathes of international law and would likely face many legal obstacles in the UK courts that could use British common law to block such cruelty."

WATCH: Kemi Badenoch faces GB News grilling over asylum hotel legal battle

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the onus will be on Labour to “solve the problem” should Tory councils launch successful legal challenges against asylum hotels.

She was asked by GB News presenter Alex Armstrong whether urging Tory-led councils to press ahead is a wise move.

Alex told Ms Badenoch there is a good chance migrants evicted from asylum hotels will likely be moved into HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation), which could present areas with an even bigger problem.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

New Reform MSP denies bullying female member of Tory staff 

Newly-minted Reform MSP Graham Simpson has denied accusations from his former party that he bullied a member of staff.

Within minutes of the announcement that he had left the Scottish Conservatives to join Reform, a source from his former party briefed journalists that there had been a complaint made against him by a female member of staff.

When the accusation was put to him, Mr Simpson said it was “absolutely untrue”.

The Tory source had said: “Graham Simpson is a pathetic, nasty little man who won’t be missed.

“Just last year, he had to apologise to a young female member of staff for acting in a totally inappropriate, bullying and intimidating way towards her.

“The way he spoke to her was so bad that he was forced to sit down and say sorry in person. He’ll be more trouble than he’s worth for Reform.”

Mr Simpson had earlier said he expected his defection to “spark anger, disappointment and probably some sheer nastiness”.

Responding to the accusations at the press conference announcing he was joining Reform, he said: “That’s the kind of nastiness that I was alluding to earlier, they’ve come out of the traps sooner than I thought.”

Lib Dems slam Reform's 'Taliban Tax' claiming it would cost taxpayer £267 million per year

The Liberal Democrats have slammed Nigel Farage's "deal with the Taliban" which they claim would cost taxpayers £267 million a year.

A party source said: "Nigel Farage would rather do a deal with the Taliban than stand up for the values that British soldiers fought and died for.

"He'd even charge the taxpayer to do their dirty work. The public can see right through his plastic patriotism."

It comes after Mr Farage said his party plans to return migrants back to countries including Taliban-run Afghanistan if it is to come into power.

A senior Taliban official told The Telegraph in response that it is "ready and willing" to work with the Reform UK leader.

Scottish Government 'haven't wanted to debate immigration', says Reform leader

When asked about how Reform UK's approach to tackling illegal immigration in Scotland compared to the party's approach in England, Nigel Farage said: "Well clearly there are some areas that need to be dealt with differently but there is also a lot of commonality.

"There hasn't been a great debate about immigration in Scotland because frankly none of the parties in Holyrood have been wanting to have that debate. So we have not really been having it.

"Over the last few weeks there is a growing awareness of the issue and I predicted from the podium a few minutes ago it will get bigger inevitably. It will get bigger."

'Economic madness': Nigel Farage slams Labour's push for renewable energy contracts 

Nigel Farage has slammed the Government's push for renewable energy contracts and says Scotland stands to benefit "far more from oil and gas" than other parts of the UK.

The Reform UK leader said: "What Scotland gives England an example of is the sheer stupidity of not aiming to be self sufficient in energy because clearly the Scottish economy is going to benefit far more from oil and gas than other regions or other parts of the UK.

"I think it's absolutely tragic and self-defeating and stupid what we're doing to the North Sea.

"It just makes no sense at all. It is absolutely crazy on every single level. Economic madness.

"The argument that wind power makes us less reliant on other sources of energy around the world just is not true.

"The National Grid is not fit to deal with intermittent renewable energy and frankly if you look at what has happened with energy costs with wind, one of the biggest lies we have been told is that it will give us cheaper energy - it does not."

Tory MSP defects to Reform

Conservative MSP Graham Simpson has defected to Reform UK.

Graham Simpson has become the party’s first MSP with his defection.

Announcing his defection at the party's press conference held in Edingburgh today, Mr Simpson said: "Leaving the party that I first joined when I was 15 is an enormous wrench and I have been through a lot of soul searching in the past few weeks."

He added: "I honestly thought the most likely scenario for me would be to move on to the next stage of my life and find a job in one of the sectors that really interest me such as housing or transport.

"And although finding a job may not have been easy, I think I have enough respect out there to have got something that would have excited me.

"But I have watched Reform with interest and I see the opportunity to help them create something fresh here in Scotland and it is clear the voters agree in increasing numbers."

He went on to say the decision had "really not been easy".

Back in June, the Central Scotland MSP denied claims he has held talks with Reform and is considering defecting.

Martyn Greene, Reform UK’s Scottish director, said he had met with several Tory MSPs who were interested in joining the party including Graham Simpson.

But when asked about the meeting by the Sunday Mail, Mr Simpson denied it had taken place and said he “wouldn’t even know how to contact” Greene.

Number of arrivals into Britain is 'an invasion', says Nigel Farage 

Nigel Farage has described the number of arrivals into Britain by illegal immigrants as an "invasion".

"It is an invasion as these young men illegally break into our country, the Clacton MP said.

"I did my best in 2020, I warned everybody unless we deport the crisis will worsen considerably but I'm afraid the Conservative Government for the first few years did literally nothing.

"And then belatedly they put in place a Rwanda plan, they put in place legislation but none of it could work because they hadn't got the courage to face up to the legal obstacles that made sure - despite spending huge amounts of money on these plans - that nothing was actually going to happen."

'Mood in Britain is mix between total despair and rising anger': Nigel Farage discussing illegal immigration and small boats 

Nigel Farage said there is a "genuine threat to public order" as he discusses illegal immigration and the small boats crisis in Edinburgh.

The Reform MP said: "650 people yesterday arrived into Dover and last I heard this morning there are many more boats on the way today.

"That will take us up to about 52,000 since this prime minister came into power the mood in the country around this issue is a mix between total despair and rising anger.

"I would say this: that without action, without somehow the contract between the Government and the people being renewed, without some trust coming back, I fear deeply that anger will grow.

"In fact, I think now as a result of this, there is a genuine threat to public order."

Nigel Farage due to make 'special announcement'

Nigel Farage will make an announcement shortly in Scotland.

The Reform UK leader wrote to X: "I will make a special announcement in Edinburgh this morning.

"Watch it from 11am in all the usual places."

'If we can't deport foreign paedophiles then we must change things': Labour MP says ECHR being 'misinterpreted'

Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure from members of his own party to assess the ECHR, as Labour MP Mike Tapp says it is being "misinterpreted".

In a video posted to X, the Dover and Deal MP said: "We are not a nation to be walked over and some judgements of the ECHR are abusing it.

"Article 3 [prohibits torture] and Article 8 [right to respect for private and family life] are being misinterpreted and that needs sorting.

"We are firm but we are fair, but if we can't deport foreign paedophiles, something is going wrong."

The Labour politician wrote alongside the video: "If we can’t deport foreign paedophiles then we must change things to ensure we can. That’s what legislators do."

Keir Starmer blasts Nigel Farage as 'not serious' for wanting to leave ECHR which would put Britain 'on par with Russia and Belarus'

Sir Keir Starmer has said anyone who is proposing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) are "not serious" after Nigel Farage revealed plans to do exactly that.

After the Reform UK leader outlined a series of legal changes his party would make if it was to come into power in a bid to tackle illegal immigration, Mr Starmer's official spokesman said: "Anyone who is proposing to renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement is not serious."

"We’re focused on the very serious policies to address this issue rather than a return to the gimmicks, the slogans, the chaos of the previous government," the spokesman added.

Instead of leaving the convention, the Government has stood by the fact that it should instead be reformed.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

'Nigel Farage produces unrealistic promises', says Labour minister

A Government minister has said Nigel Farage produces "outlandish" and "unrealistic promises".

Speaking to GB News, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for EU Relations, referenced a speech delivered by the Reform UK leader yesterday about his party's plans to tackle illegal immigration.

He said: "We saw yesterday from Nigel Farage he likes to stow grievance then produces completely outlandish, unrealistic promises to solve them.

"We heard from him bout detention but he wont tell you where people are going to be detained, he is asked abut women and children but he isn't able to give you an answer and frankly the idea of him seeking to negotiate with hostile regimes [like the Taliban] when he can't even negotiate the politics of a parliamentary party that would fit in the back of a taxi I find quite difficult to take seriously."

Tories could 'potentially' strike deal with Taliban-run Afghanistan over migration - party chair

The Conservatives could “potentially” strike a deal with Afghanistan over migration, the party’s chairman has said.

Asked directly if the Tories would set up a returns agreement with the Taliban-run country, Kevin Hollinrake told Times Radio: “Well, potentially, yes.”

The former minister added that his party’s deportation plan, which was published in May, is “far more comprehensive than the one we’ve seen from Reform, in that it dealt with both legal migration and illegal migration”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had refused to say whether she would consider seeking such an agreement when pressed on the issue on Tuesday.

A senior Taliban official meanwhile told The Telegraph it is "ready and willing" to work with Nigel Farage after the Reform UK leader said his party plans to return migrants back to countries including Afghanistan if it is to come into power.

Nigel Farage will 'do nothing' says Elon Musk as he publicly backs Advance UK

Elon Musk has publicly backed Ben Habib's Advance UK party - just months after turning away from Reform UK.

Mr Habib, whom Nigel Farage replaced as Reform's deputy leader with Richard Tice last summer, launched his own party in late June this year.

Speaking to GB News at the time, he billed it as a new "political force on the British political landscape" - but denied it would "split the Reform vote".

Now, Mr Musk has endorsed it on his social media platform X, saying: "Advance UK will actually drive change. Farage is weak sauce who will do nothing."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

'Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage would shackle Britain to dirty fossil fuels' - Sir Ed Davey 

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has hit out at Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, saying the party leaders would "shackle" Britain to "dirty fossil fuels" in response to the energy price cap rise.

Sir Ed Davey said: "The last thing struggling families and pensioners need is higher energy bills this winter.

"The Government should cancel this rise and take up our plan to halve energy bills instead.

“Ministers should be cutting bills by making sure energy firms pass on the benefits of cheap renewables, not putting up bills yet again.

“Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage would only make things even worse by shackling us to expensive, dirty fossil fuels, pushing us into the arms of Vladimir Putin."

The Liberal Democrats have previously revealed plans to halve energy bills for a typical household by 2035.

Labour blasts Nigel Farage's 'unpatriotic war on clean energy' as energy bills set to rise this winter

Energy bills are set to rise by two per cent this winter - double the rate that was expected.

Regulator Ofgem has increased the energy price cap even further to £1,755 - a hike of £35 from the current level.

The price cap regulates the maximum amount which can be charged per unit of gas and electricity and affects 21 million households in England, Scotland and Wales.

In response to the energy price cap rise, a Labour Party spokesman said: “Energy bills soared under the Conservatives because they tied our country to the fossil fuel rollercoaster and working people are still paying the price.

"From banning onshore wind to failing to deliver new nuclear, their reckless decisions left Britain exposed to wholesale gas prices that are still 75 per cent higher than before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“That’s why Nigel Farage’s unpatriotic war on clean energy would be a total disaster for families, businesses and our economy.

"His destructive plans would push bills higher, kill nearly a million jobs and scrap billions of pounds of vital investment across the country that will strengthen our energy security."