Nicola Sturgeon brands Nigel Farage 'odious' and claims Reform UK leader has 'very fragile ego'

Up to 400 people detected in small boats on Monday 

The number of small boat arrivals under Labour has eclipsed 50,000.

It comes after 400 people were found crossing the Channel in small boats on Monday.

It smashes the barrier in a record 401 days.

However, under Rishi Sunak the 50,000 number was passed in 603 days.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick wrote in the Daily Express that people deserved "so much better than this useless Prime Minister".

Keir Starmer warns Donald Trump 'don't trust Putin'

Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted "as far as you could throw him", according to Downing Street.

It comes ahead of Donald Trump's upcoming face-to-face meeting with the Russian President in Alaska on Friday as the US pushes for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Keir Starmer was asked on Monday whether he thought Putin could be trusted with an official spokesman for the Prime Minister saying, "never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine".

"We will obviously support President Trump and European nations as we enter these negotiations,“ the spokesman said.

"But it is exactly why we’ve been leading this work on the ‘coalition of the willing’, because any ceasefire, as I say, cannot just be an opportunity for President Putin to go away, re-arm, restrengthen, and then go again.

"So we're not going to leave it to trust. We're going to ensure that we're prepared such that we achieve a ceasefire."

Prime Minister won't describe shoplifters as 'scumbags', No 10 says

While acknowledging that the Government took "shoplifting seriously", Keir Starmer would not label shoplifters as "scumbags".

Police officers on Friday told a shopkeeper to take down a sign calling shoplifters "scumbags", the Telegraph revealed.

However, North Wales Police clarified it was not illegal to put up the sign.

Starmer was asked whether he held the same view as the shop owner of Rum Ragged retro store in Wrexham, but the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was not "language I would directly use".

"But we have been very clear through our actions we take shoplifting seriously, we understand the blight that shoplifting has on our high streets and local businesses," the spokesman said.

Kemi Badenoch suggests 'camps' as migrant hotel alternative

Kemi Badenoch has suggested setting up "camps" as an alternative to using hotels to house asylum seekers.

In meeting community members in Essex, the Conservative Leader said it was time to "turn things around very quickly".

"We cannot use rules from 1995, or 2005, or even 2015 or 2025," she said.

"Our world is changing very quickly, and we need to adapt to it."

Badenoch added: "Is it possible for us to set up camps and police that, rather than bringing all of this hassle into communities?"

"As a party, we need to also hear from the community about what you think the solutions are. We don't have all the answers; it’s important that we make sure that the community is part of the problem solved," she said.

Labour forced to admit Chagos 'surrender' costs 10 times what Keir Starmer claimed 

Labour has been forced to admit that the true cost of the Chagos Islands "surrender" deal is 10 times higher than what the Prime Minister claimed.

Announcing the giveaway earlier this year, Sir Keir Starmer said the deal would cost £3.4billion - but new figures from the Government Actuary's Department shows the cost is far higher.

The total sum, at first, was estimated at 10 times Starmer's figure - £34.7billion.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Palestine Action is a 'violent organisation' - Downing Street

Downing Street has said Palestine Action is a "violent organisation" that has committed "serious injury".

When asked about people arrested as part of protests linked to the group, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We’ve said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear.

"This is a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury, extensive criminal damage, and as I say, it has met the tests as set out under the Terrorism Act to be proscribed.”

A protest held in Parliament Square, London, on Saturday, August 9, led to 522 people being held by police for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, out of a total 532 arrests.

Donald Trump 'clearly does respect women' but is 'possibly a bit of a chauvinist' - Reform MP 

Donald Trump “clearly does respect women” but the US president can sometimes appear as a “bit of a chauvinist”, Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin has said.

Asked about whether Reform UK had found itself “aligning” with Trump, Pochin said: "This party is not aligned with Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump does what he does over the pond and we do what we do.

“And when Nigel [Farage] becomes the Prime Minister in 2029, then you will see a Reform government which is committed to the safety and the protection of women and girls in this country.

“And the other thing I would say is, Trump certainly comes across at times, when I look at him through the television or the media, as possibly a bit of a chauvinist, or whatever.

“But look at his team. I mean, his press secretary [Karoline Leavitt] is awesome...he has a lot of very senior women in his team.

“So actually, he clearly does respect women and promotes women in his team, as Nigel is very much doing, as you’ve seen today, with four senior women hosting this press conference.”

'Reform is incapable of putting forward any kind of credible policies' - Labour Party 

Labour has said Reform UK is "incapable of putting forward credible policies" to challenges faced in Britain in a scathing response to the party's press conference held today.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "If Farage’s Party wanted to be taken seriously when it comes to tackling the scourge of violence against women and girls, they wouldn’t have tried to block Labour’s new laws to crack down on perpetrators of such vile criminality and get justice for victims.

“It’s shameful that Reform voted against crucial new measures to make women and girls safer on our streets, and have promised to scrap vital protections for women and girls online.

"Yet again, Reform is incapable of putting forward any kind of credible policies to the challenges this country faces.

“Only this Labour Government has a serious plan to halve violence against women and girls and make our streets safer, through our Plan for Change."

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier vowed to repeal newly introduced online safety laws if the party was to come into power.

In response, technology secretary Peter Kyle last month accused Farage of being on the side of "people like Jimmy Savile".

'Sadiq Khan is living in his bubble' says Reform UK's Andrea Jenkyns

Reform UK's Andrea Jenkyns said Sadiq Khan is "living in his bubble" after the Mayor of London shared figures to show key crimes are reducing in the capital city.

Khan posted the figures to social media this morning which he said showed crimes including robbery, theft, residential burglary and knife crime "are down" in London.

"But there's still a long way to go before I’m satisfied, the Mayor wrote to X.

"Backed with record funding from City Hall, the Met is putting high-visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime."

Mayor of Lincolnshire Jenkyns said Khan needs to "get out on the streets and talk to real people" in response to the figures.

She told GB News: "I've got loads of friends who live in London and they don't feel safe so it is how does it feel - do you feel safe?

"When you go to the Tube late at night or back from the studios, do you feel safe? No.

"I would say Sadiq Khan is living in his bubble and he needs to get out on the streets and talk to real people."

‘They're clearly not small boats': Reform MP Sarah Pochin slams Channel crossings and urges people to stop calling them 'small boats'

Reform MP Sarah Pochin has urged people to stop calling vessels carrying migrants across the English Channel "small boats", saying they are "very large boats".

"I hope people stop calling them small boats, because they're clearly not small boats, Pochin said at a press conference today.

"They are very large boats. Officially, there are 210 registered asylum hotels currently housing migrants in the UK.

"Yet, despite the Government to promising to close all of these hotels by 2029, we see the exact opposite happening.

"Even more being opened."

Reform UK council leader branded 'racist' after calling for end to Channel migrant chaos

Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said she was accused of being a racist after calling for an end to the Channel migrant crisis.

She claimed that opposition councillors walked out of a meeting and shouted profanities at her.

She added: "That's not just utterly disgraceful behaviour from elected officials, but a total pig-headed refusal to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth.

"I wondered if their anger stemmed from all these pesky women complaining about being raped and sexually assaulted."

Reform MP Sarah Pochin says 'daily influx of people' arriving in Britain is 'matter of national security' 

Reform MP Sarah Pochin says there is a “daily influx of people who do not share our values” arriving into our country.

Pochin also claimed that people from Afghanistan hold different views on women due to the culture of their country, adding that “the data has been covered up for too long".

She added that “it’s no wonder” there are now guardian-angel style street patrols and “mass protests” by mothers “who are afraid for the safety of their daughters.”

Pochin said if it is to come into power, Reform UK will "stop the betrayal" of women and girls in Britain.

"We will deport every illegal immigrant that sets foot on our shores. We will deport all illegal immigrants housed in hotels in this country, she said.

"We will do everything we can to ensure those dispersed in HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) are found and deported.

"We will deport all foreign national offenders in our prisons, ensuring that when they do get out, they are not free to walk on our streets."

Reform UK Andrea Jenkyns slams NHS for replacing 'breast feeding' with 'chest feeding'

Dame Andrea Jenkyns has criticised the Tory government’s record on the NHS, pointing to changes such as replacing the term “breastfeeding” with “chest feeding".

She said women and girls have endured “decades in which police and politicians ignored the grooming of our children” and noted a rise in domestic abuse.

She also warned that police risk becoming “thought police,” adding that the UK is now living in an Orwellian nightmare.

Labour 'does not recognise' estimated £34.7billion cost of Chagos Islands deal - minister

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones has told GB News that Labour does "not recognise" the initial estimated cost of the Chagos Islands deal.

While Sir Keir Starmer said earlier this year the deal would cost £3.4billion, new figures from the Government Actuary's Department shows the cost was at first estimated at 10 times this figure.

Speaking to the People's Channel this morning, Davies-Jones said: "I want to be very clear with your viewers today that we do not recognise that figure at all.

"The Prime Minister has been has been forthright in saying that the true cost of this is that £3.4billion figure, it is less than 0.2 per cent of the defence budget, which is less than the cost of a of an aircraft carrier and all of that in order to keep national security safe.

"The United States are on board with this agreement to make sure that we can maintain that military base on Diego Garcia for national security. And we think that is that is what is needed in order to protect our British citizens."

Mel Stride blasts Labour for 'not being straight with British people' as true cost of Chagos deal uncovered

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Mel Stride said he does not think Labour is "being straight with the British people" as the true cost of the Chagos Islands deal has been uncovered.

The Devon MP said his party would be "pressing the Government very hard" on the issue when Parliament returns in the autumn.

He told GB News: "What has now materialised as we've got this information through the Freedom of Information request is not only has a discount been applied because of an assumption around inflation, but also a further discount applied because of the long term nature of this arrangement.

"Now, Angela Rayner, when she came out and told everybody how much the Labour government would be spending on social housing going forward, did similar kind of calculations, but didn't use the same methodology at all.

"In that case, the Government, of course, wanted to inflate the numbers to make them look bigger.

"On this occasion, they've used a different methodology to try and make the number look substantially smaller. And we don't think that's being straight with the British people."

Labour minister says a prison place will 'always be available for someone for public protection' amid recent protests

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones has vowed a prison place will be available "for someone for public protection if that's required" amid a number of recent protests.

"We have put in place all of our contingency plans for this, Davies-Jones told BBC Breakfast.

“We are prepared, as we always are, to take action, and I want to reassure the public that there will always be a prison place available for someone for public protection if that’s required."

It comes as a number of demonstrations have been held across Britain including in support for banned group Palestine Action in central London on Sunday, August 10, which led to 532 arrests.

Protests have also recently been held outside hotels housing asylum seekers, including in Epping in Essex, Canary Wharf, London and in Newcastle.

'It is up to that country of origin what they do', says minister as scheme to deport foreign criminals is expanded  

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones has suggested she can't guarantee foreign criminals will be deported into prisons in their home country and not be released as the Government expands its "deport now, appeal later" scheme.

"All of the information will be given to their country of origin, the Welsh MP told Sky News.

"But ultimately it is up to that country of origin what they do with that individual.

"But what is important is that they will not be costing the taxpayer £54,000, which is what it costs to house a prisoner here in England and Wales."

A total of 23 countries are now included in the scheme, which allows Britain to deport offenders who have had a human rights claim against their removal rejected, with any appeals heard from abroad over a video link.

Reform UK's leading ladies to rival Robert Jenrick at landmark conference

Reform UK's top-ranking female politicians are set to speak later today at a landmark press conference on women and girls' safety in Britain.

Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Sarah Pochin MP, Laura Anne Jones MS and Councillor Laila Cunningham are all expected to attend.

It comes after Reform's outspoken Tory rival Robert Jenrick warned of how British women and girls have been made less safe by the small boats crisis.

The Shadow Justice Secretary, writing for the Mail, said he fears for his own three young daughters, aged 14, 12 and 10, as illegal migrants with "deplorable attitudes towards women" cross the Channel...

Foreign criminals prevented from 'gaming system' as Britain handed new powers to deport convicts before appeal

Britain has been handed new powers to deport Foreign criminals before appeal to prevent convicts from "gaming the system".

The latest attempt by the Government to restore order to the UK's immigration system enables more criminals to have their appeals heard from abroad, preventing them from gaming the system to delay their deportation.

The "Deport Now Appeal Later" scheme will include three times as many countries, going from eight to 23 under new plans.

Foreign nationals from India, Bulgaria and Uganda will be included as just three of the 15 new nations where provisions will now operate...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Bridget Phillipson: White working-class schoolchildren 'written off by society'

White working-class children have been "written off" by society, Bridget Phillipson has said, ahead of a new White Paper containing a series of interventions to tackle the crisis.

The Education Secretary said it was a "national disgrace" that so many white working-class pupils were not able to gain the exam results needed for university.

And with A-level results day just three days away, she said: "Far too many young people, particularly white working-class British students, don’t get the exam results that they need at GCSE or A-level to allow them to continue onto university."

Under her reforms, the Government will publish data showing soaring school suspension and exclusion levels among white working-class pupils for the very first time.

Ministers are also considering expanding an "AI-powered" attendance tool which will show schools how they stack up against those with similar demographic make-ups.

Just 18.6 per cent of white British pupils eligible for free school meals achieved at least a grade 5 - a "high C" under the previous marking system - in their English and Maths GCSEs last year.

This compares to 45.9 per cent of all state school pupils in England, according to Department for Education (DfE) data.

Foreign Office doubles down on '£3.4billion' Chagos giveaway cost claim

A Government spokesman said: "The Diego Garcia military base is essential to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping British people safe.

"The average cost is £101million per year, and the net present value of payments is £3.4billion - this is less than 0.2 per cent of the annual defence budget.

"The deal is supported by our closest allies, including the US, Canada, Australia and Nato. The costs compare favourably with other international base agreements, and the UK-US base on Diego Garcia is larger, in a more strategic location and has unparalleled operational freedom."