Keir Starmer Sidelines Rachel Reeves

Keir Starmer sidelined Rachel Reeves as he strengthened his hold on economic policy through a significant reorganisation of the government.

The Prime Minister recruited the Chancellor’s deputy and senior tax adviser to join his staff, and he appointed his own economic expert as a sign that he intends to oversee the autumn budget personally.

The move is designed to stop the PM being ‘blindsided’ by the Treasury again after U-turns over winter fuel payments and benefit cuts, which helped to drive Labour’s poll ratings to record lows.

But the Tories accused Sir Keir of appointing a string of ‘tax fanatics’ to advise him as Labour tries to plug a black hole of up to £50 billion in public finances.

Downing Street insisted the PM and Ms Reeves will continue to work ‘in lockstep’.

This week, the Chancellor will attempt to gain the upper hand by claiming that the secret to economic development is increasing Britain’s declining productivity through investment and training.

But Sir Keir’s decision to establish his own economic team brings to an end his earlier approach of subcontracting economic policy to Ms Reeves.

Former Tory cabinet minister Sir James Cleverly suggested the changes signal that the PM is ‘getting ready to throw Rachel under the bus in the proper reshuffle that is inevitably coming’. 

Conservative business spokesman Andrew Griffith said: ‘A stronger Prime Minister would have gone the whole hog and fired [Ms Reeves], not just created his own shadow chancellor.’

It comes as Sir Keir is said to have appointed Darren Jones, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Baroness Shafik, former Bank of England deputy governor, and Dan-York-Smith from the Treasury to help shape the Chancellor’s upcoming autumn budget, according to The Telegraph.

But a Labour MP insisted that the decision is bound to erode Reeves’ authority, telling the publication that it signifies she is already ‘in a weak position and it’s deteriorating.’ 

Sir Keir insisted the changes were not another reset but marked the Government moving into its ‘second phase’, which would focus on ‘delivery, delivery, delivery’. 

Asked if it was a reflection of frustration that he had not brought about the change he had promised, he told the BBC: ‘I do want to go further and faster, and yes, I’m frustrated about that.’

His Svengali-like chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, was also seen entering No 10. He masterminded Labour’s election victory but has been criticised for the party’s handling of its recent problems.

Economist Paul Johnson, former head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, told Times Radio: ‘It’s extraordinary, more than a year into this Government, they’re only just working out that they might need some senior economic expertise within No 10, both at a political level and at the adviser level.’

Former Bank of England deputy governor and economist Minouche Shafik will assume a new role as the prime minister’s chief economic adviser.

In the past, she and Treasury Minister Torsten Bell co-chaired an investigation that recommended numerous new tax increases.

She has supported wealth taxes in the past, writing in 2018: ‘Because wealth has grown even more unequal than income, we should explore taxing wealth such as inheritance, land, and real estate.’

Recently appointed Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson has also made the case for a wealth tax and for a higher capital gains tax, saying in 2022: ‘Our tax system is unfair to most working people, leaving those who pay capital gains and other taxes paying less.’

The Tories described Mr Tomlinson, who has opposed cuts to fuel duty, as a ‘tax fanatic’. 

Former Treasury chief secretary Darren Jones, who has emerged as the big winner from the reshuffle, will now serve in a newly created role of Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, responsible for driving delivery of the PM’s priorities across government.

Mr Jones was captured on tape before the last election, making the case for higher council tax on valuable properties and arguing the need for inheritance tax to ‘ease intergenerational inequality’.

His successor as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, has likewise advocated for a wealth tax.

Sir Keir has appointed a third new communications chief in a year – bringing back Blair-era spin doctor Tim Allan, a former sidekick of Alastair Campbell.

All they are really doing is arranging the deck chairs, like on the Titanic, and they’re sinking fast – crikey – iceberge ahead!

Rachel Reeves is inept, but Starmer is worse. The kind of people he has appointed to advise him on the economy speaks volumes about Labour’s distaste for hard-working taxpayers. Now there is no motivation to work or thrive because you just can’t leave that legacy to your family anymore.

They should all be sacked because they have cost the economy billions of pounds plus. Killed off thousands of pensioners. Forced the highest taxes onto us and regularly demonstrated that this is not the UK we once knew.

It doesn’t pay to work in this day and age.

Keir Starmer needs to realise that he can reshuffle his cabinet as much as he likes, but if you shake a barrel full of rotten apples, you’re still left with a barrel of rotten apples.

‘Eunuch Maker’ Castration Ring Member Jailed

A former vicar who was part of a ‘Eunuch Maker’ castration ring has been jailed after using nail scissors on a man’s genitals.

Reverend Geoffrey Baulcomb, 79, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent after the video of the shocking procedure in January 2020 was found on his phone.

He also admitted to seven other charges, including making and distributing pictures of children and having extreme pornography, and has been given a three-year jail sentence.

Baulcomb had 31 indecent photographs of a boy as a child, as well as other sexual pictures of children, both male and female.

The vicar had 182 extreme pornographic photos showing serious injury to a person’s private parts, five pictures portraying an act threatening a person’s life and eight photographs showing a person performing a sex act on an animal.

Some of the material included moving images which appeared on the Eunuch Maker website, run by Marius Gustavson, 47.

Norwegian national Gustavson received a life sentence, with a minimum of 22 years, last year after a court heard he earned almost £300,000 from the site where thousands of visitors paid to view sick clips of procedures, including castrations.

He had his own penis cut off, a nipple removed, and his leg frozen so it had to be amputated.

Baulcomb and Gustavson were said to have been ‘acquaintances’, exchanging more than 10,000 messages over four years. 

At the Old Bailey on Monday, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, the Recorder of London, said: ‘With any extreme body modification procedure, there has to be some positive planning and pre-organisation. 

‘The procedure involved the use of scissors, which in the circumstances are highly dangerous.

‘You undertook the procedure in conditions far from sterile and did so without any medical skills or training.

‘The procedure and the resulting injury is one that is serious; it is a permanent, long-lasting procedure that will have serious effects on the victim.

‘It is an aggravating feature that the procedure is filmed. Bearing in mind the obvious sexual nature of this offence, it is something that adds seriousness.

‘Those who have written about you speak warmly and highly about you and your many qualities.

‘It is clear many have been assisted by you over the years, and I suspect many who knew you will have been deeply shocked by what they have heard in this hearing.’

Judge Lucraft said he had reduced the sentence because of the victim’s consent to the procedure, Baulcomb’s health, age, and character and his guilty plea. 

The retired clergyman was still ordained at the time of his offences, but a disciplinary body expelled him from the Church of England last year.

After being seen on camera widening a man’s urethral entrance in a nine-second footage of the event, he entered a guilty plea to causing grievous bodily injury with intent at the Old Bailey in June.

The footage, which was discovered on the vicar’s mobile phone, is said to have been filmed on January 4, 2020. He was later arrested in December 2022.

Baulcomb previously confessed to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, namely one Category A image, four Category B images and 37 Category C indecent images.

Three additional charges against Baulcomb related to possession of extreme pornography, one of which related to eight shots of a person committing an act of intercourse with a live or dead unknown animal.

Another involved ‘182 images which portrayed in an explicit and realistic way an act which resulted or was likely to result in serious injury to a person’s anus, breasts or genitals and which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character’.

Police ransacked Baulcomb’s £25,000 cottage near Eastbourne in December 2022 and discovered a cache of heroin along with the tranquilliser ketamine.

He received a police caution for having the substances and told church officials he had been purchasing and using drugs, including heroin, ‘periodically’ for 20 years.

The Church of England’s (CofE) disciplinary tribunal had ‘utterly rejected’ his assertion that taking drugs ‘assisted him in carrying out his pastoral mission’.

Baulcomb, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was ordained as a priest in 1970, according to the Church of England website.

He withdrew from the historic St Mary the Virgin church in Eastbourne in 2003, but was still ordained at the time of the crimes. 

The diocese said Baulcomb’s permission to officiate was immediately removed after being contacted by police.

A statement said: ‘The Diocese wishes to put on record our gratitude for the Metropolitan Police’s pro-active approach to information sharing and partnership working, which has enabled us to manage the risks Mr Baulcomb has presented whilst under investigation.’

After his plea, Baulcomb was given conditional bail, ordering him not to attend any Church of England premises or functions and to have no contact with children under the age of 18. 

These individuals are operating their sinister secrets through their faith, which appears to be the only function of religion these days – just goes to show that there are some serious oddballs out there masquerading as agents of the church, but this has been going on for centuries.

Some people might say that this man is going straight to hell, but actually, all he has to do is repent, and he will be accepted into heaven, which is all extremely convenient.

How many more like him lurk behind the inner sanctum of the church? It must be quite distressing for parents whose children were held by him during their baptism.

We are all aware that the church is rife with paedophiles and deviants who lurk in plain sight.

The devil hides in plain sight and has numerous recruits, but he mostly likes clergymen.

Trials Planned For Miracle Tooth-Growing Drug

Early next year, human trials for a medication intended to promote tooth growth are scheduled to begin.

If the drug proves effective, it could be a game-changer for millions of people who wear dentures.

Researchers in Japan expect the treatment, yet to be named, could be rolled out to patients by 2030 if successful. 

The medication increased tooth growth in mice and ferrets, according to early experiments.

The drug is designed for those who, due to genetic factors, do not have a complete set of adult teeth.

But the scientists described it as ‘every dentist’s dream’, suggesting it may be used more widely in the future. 

Japanese media reported clinical trials are set to begin in July 2024.

The drug, an antibody treatment, works by suppressing USAG-1. 

The gene limits the growth of teeth, studies have shown.

At the time of their initial breakthrough on rodents in 2021, scientists from Kyoto University and the University of Fukui admitted they didn’t know if blocking USAG-1 ‘would be enough’ to work.

However, their experiments were a great success.

The process is hoped to spark a ‘third generation’ of teeth in humans, who begin with their baby teeth before developing their permanent set.

Speaking about the human trial, Dr Takahashi told the Mainichi newspaper: ‘The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist’s dream. 

‘I’ve been working on this since I was a graduate student.

He added: ‘I was confident I’d be able to make it happen. We hope to pave the way for the medicine’s clinical use.’ 

Anodontia is a genetic condition in which teeth are missing.

Although studies have indicated that women are more likely than men to have it, the precise number of affected individuals worldwide is unknown.

According to the latest Government statistics, some 73 per cent of people in the UK have one or more missing back teeth, while 7.6 per cent have one or more missing front teeth.

Meanwhile, in the US, over 25 per cent of adults aged 65 or older have eight or fewer teeth, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said. 

Dentures and other artificial tooth replacements are the only available treatments for tooth loss at this time.

However, they are inferior to natural teeth, are not permanent, and are frequently costly.

Scientists have described it as ‘every dentist’s dream’. In the US, it would be every dentist’s nightmare because it would kill the cash cow, and it would be the same for those who have to pay for private dentistry.

Furthermore, because they need to maintain the industry’s revenue flow, they will make it unaffordable for the general public, particularly for those who are most in need, even if it is inexpensive to produce.

Of course, there is an alternative scenario: will the FDA approve this medication or, like so many previous medicines, will they ban it? And of course, you never get something for nothing. What will the side effects be of this new drug?

Even if all of this sounds fantastic, cancer still has no known cure. Pharmaceutical firms would profit from making us sicker, not from finding a cure for cancer, so perhaps they have already discovered one and are keeping it a secret.

But hold on a second—don’t mice’ teeth regrow? Indeed, a rat’s incisor teeth grow continually throughout its life. If an incisor tooth breaks, the tooth bud and reserve crown will stay in place, allowing the incisor to grow again.

Rats must gnaw on suitable things to wear down their teeth because of this constant growth; otherwise, the teeth would get enlarged, which could be painful and lead to serious health issues.

Furthermore, how many people actually purchase mouthwashes? They all think they can somehow prevent tooth decay, but they don’t, especially mouthwashes with alcohol or acidic compounds that might erode tooth enamel or create dry mouth.

Also, some antibacterial mouthwashes can destroy beneficial bacteria in the mouth, disrupting the oral microbiome and leading to corrosion.

It is preferable to use a mouthwash with fluoride, but only in small amounts. These are the most important variables in maintaining dental health, along with brushing, flossing, and eating a balanced diet.

Actually, all of this medical science sounds fantastic! The last thing I want is to resemble a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Rachel Reeves’ Plan To Raise Landfill Tax

Rachel Reeves plans to increase landfill tax, which could slap £24,000 onto the cost of new-build homes, which will have a new impact on struggling first-time buyers.

Industry chiefs fear the Chancellor’s ‘insane’ proposal could see a 36-fold increase to the levy, causing construction costs to soar. 

Critics have even claimed the ‘development killer’ scheme could lead to firms either stopping construction of new homes or demanding higher prices from buyers. 

Worries over the tax hike come after Labour pledged to build 300,000 homes a year to tackle the nation’s housing problem.

The significantly higher standard levy is what Ms. Reeves wants to replace the lesser landfill fee that was previously applied to debris like topsoil, pebbles, and clay.

Presently, landfill tax is split into two bands, with waste generated by housebuilders – like topsoil – attracting the lowest levy of £4.05 per tonne. 

However, the Government is proposing to roll out a singular flat rate by 2030, which would see charges for inert or inactive waste rising from £126.15.

According to waste management firm Business Waste, the plan would see landfill costs per home explode from around £690 to a staggering £24,820.

Other estimates have warned it could be even higher, though, with the Mineral Products Association saying the hikes could see waste disposal costs swell to £28,000 per home. 

The hike comes amid years of growing costs for building supplies, which have seen the price of wood increase dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Graham Matthews, of Business Waste, told the Telegraph: ‘Builders may treat the increase as a permanent cost, which could ultimately be reflected in the prices paid by homebuyers.’ 

The latest Land Registry figures from April show the average new-build sold for £368,354 – 43 per cent more than an existing property.

Rico Wojtulewicz, of the National Federation of Housebuilders, warned: ‘Builders are just going to be leaving the industry entirely because they can’t make the numbers work.

‘House prices will theoretically increase. I think there is a chance in some regions that developers may absorb some of it, but it’s more likely that development will be made totally unviable.

‘Fewer homes will get built, which means high demand and lower supply, and that causes house prices to rise. It could be a complete and utter development killer – it’s insane.’

Meanwhile, Mark Russell, of the MPA trade association, said the proposal ‘risk[s] shutting down’ much of the aggregates sector, adding that taxing inert materials like chalk, clay or soils at over £125 per tonne ‘is as damaging as it is absurd’.

The tax was first rolled out in 1996 to encourage recycling.

Ministers worry, however, that rogue builders are abusing the reduced cost by unlawfully disposing of rubbish.

In 2022-23, waste crime cost the Treasury about £100 million to deal with.  

A consultation on the revamped plan claimed the change would spearhead innovation in recycling, with many of the materials subject to the lower rate – such as rocks and soil – having the potential ‘to be recycled and reused’. 

But critics worry the move will not only affect housebuilding but could also harm necessary infrastructure projects like roads and drainage schemes.

For instance, one 619-home plan – which would also see a school being built – could see its landfill bill balloon from £135,448 on the lower end to £4.2million under the new plan. 

Mr Wojtulewicz said: ‘This is going to create such a nightmare. It’s more than a 3,015pc uplift on the current price.’

The Treasury defended the plan, with a spokesman saying: ‘We are delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, backed by £ 39 billion investment and planning reforms, driving UK housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years as part of our Plan for Change to build 1.5million new homes and end the housing crisis.

‘No decisions have been made on changes to landfill tax, and we remain committed to working with businesses to understand the impact of the proposals.’

I fail to see how this additional tax is a forward-looking move to reach the goal of £300,000 to build new homes each year, or am I missing something?

For whatever reason, they’re asking for the construction of millions of homes while also attempting to drive home builders out of business. Is this woman insane? Sadly, they never think of the long-term consequences.

The worst chancellor in history must be Rachel Reeves. The next government will be left with the highest debt in history by this party. In other words, whoever wins the next election will not recover in a single term but rather across several years.

Watching Reeves is a bit like watching a tree surgeon straddling the end of a long branch, chainsawing the wrong end.

Rayner: We want to build 1.5 million houses. Reeves: Let’s increase costs by 24 grand. Reeves: We want economic growth. Reeves (again): Let’s increase National Insurance to scupper it at the same time. Streeting: We want to improve the NHS. Reeves: Let’s pay 22 per cent increases with no guarantees so they strike again next year. Starmer: We want economic growth. Ed Miliband: Let’s make the UK THE most expensive place to buy energy in the world. Any of you Labour voters getting the picture yet? You’ve backed a bunch of bumbling fools.

Our government is a thief; therefore, it’s not a single plan to increase wealth; rather, it’s a series of schemes to diminish what we already have.

Gavin Newsom Suggests Trump Has Dementia

As their public spat intensifies, California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused Donald Trump of having dementia.

The dig by Newsom, viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate, comes after Trump repeated a string of widely-debunked assertions about help sent to Los Angeles during the catastrophic wildfires in January.

In a cabinet meeting, the 79-year-old president said the federal government had to force California to ‘turn a valve’ of water back on’, claiming Californian leaders refused to provide critical water supplies.

‘We sent hundreds of millions of gallons of water per day into the Pacific Ocean,’ he said.

‘They turn a valve. The valve heads out. We turned the valve back. I actually had to do it using force.’ 

Referring to Newsom as ‘Gavin Newscum’, Trump said he told him ‘to turn the rest of the water on’.

Newsom, who has been California’s governor since 2019, hit back at Trump, using Grok, X’s AI chatbot, to suggest that the president has dementia. 

Reposting a video of Trump’s attack on him, he added a screenshot of his interaction with Grok, where he asked it if ‘people with dementia repeat false things over and over again’.

‘Yes, people with dementia can repeat false statements or beliefs, a behaviour often linked to memory impairments and cognitive changes,’ the chatbot responded.

‘This can manifest as confabulation, where they create or repeat false memories to fill gaps in recollection, or perseveration, where they fixate on a particular idea or statement.’

Newsom’s social media remark prompted a response from the White House.

In a statement to the Daily Beast, a spokesperson said: ‘Newscum will say anything to distract from his terrible handling of the California wildfires that President Trump had to come in and clean up.’

Trump also branded Newsom as ‘incompetent’ in the cabinet meeting, adding: ‘he’s got some strange hand action going on, I don’t know what the hell his problem is.’

The Democrat governor shared the clip, responding: ‘You really want to have the conversation about hands?’

Since Trump continued to make false statements about California state officials and their refusal to supply water to combat the flames, the two have been engaged in a heated battle.

Newsom has also come under fire from Trump for opposing mass deportations.

Newsom sued Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in June for using the National Guard to put down demonstrations protesting immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Newsom has garnered attention for copying Trump’s use of social media.

On Monday, he posted images of his own merchandise, an imitation of Trump’s Make America Great Again products, including caps with slogans including ‘Newsom was right about everything!’

He also launched ‘The Patriot Shop,’ which mockingly offers MAGA-red hats and $100 Holy Bibles.

‘I hope it’s a wake-up call to the President of the United States following his example,’ Newsom recently said.

‘If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as President.’

To be fair, Donald Trump is old – the guy is 79 years old, and although we don’t know, there must be some sort of cognitive deterioration at his age.

He is the oldest person in American history to be inaugurated as president for the second time. Should he serve as president until August 15, 2028, he would be the oldest sitting president in American history, and at the end of his second term, he would be 82 years old.

But when all is said and done, most governments are a bit demented!

Newsom suggested that Donald Trump has dementia – I’m not sure on that one – he might have a few marbles swimming around in that head of his, giving it a wobble from time to time. However, even at Trump’s age, he’s still pretty sharp cognitively wise, but a tad slower because of his age.

Donald Trump is the president, of course, he’s going to get insults from someone or another – it should be part of the job description, but I’m sure Trump has a thick skin, he will get over all of the infantile insults, and I bet he won’t lose a night’s sleep over it.

Week-Long Strike Could Halt Tube Network

When Tube employees go on strike for seven days next month, commuters are bracing for transport disruption.

In a disagreement over wages and working conditions, London Underground employees will go on strike several times next month, according to the RMT union.

The workers will start the week-long strike on Friday, September 5.

The union said that rail bosses ‘refused to engage seriously’ with their demands on pay as well as concerns about fatigue management and ‘extreme shift patterns’.

Additionally, underground workers were calling for a shorter workweek and the observance of prior agreements with employees.

An RMT spokesperson said: ‘Management’s dismissive approach has fuelled widespread anger and distrust among the workforce, who voted in overwhelming numbers to take strike action.’

During this time, workers on the Docklands Light Railway will also go on strike in a separate dispute over wages and working conditions.

The union stated that the action would cause ‘significant disruption to the capital’s transport network’. 

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock.

‘They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members’ health and wellbeing- all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.

‘Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no one is listening to them.

‘RMT will continue to engage LU management with a view to seeking a revised offer in order to reach a negotiated settlement.’

A Transport for London spokesperson said: ‘We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points.

‘We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4 per cent pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously.

‘We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.

‘Given the improvements we have recently put in place in response to concerns raised by our unions, we urge the RMT to put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members and to continue to engage with us rather than threaten strike action, which will only disrupt Londoners.’

Various rail network segments will go on strike at various times during the strikes.

On Friday, September 5 and Saturday, 6, managers at Ruislip depot are set to strike over pay, in a separate walkout to the main dispute. The Central Line is likely to be affected.

On Sunday, 7, track access controllers, power control, and Emergency Response Unit (ERU) workers will refuse to work. This is likely to cause lengthy delays in the case of any incidents and could impact all Tube lines.

On Monday, 8 and Wednesday, 10, the majority of engineers and station workers will walk out, which will probably lead to stations closing due to a lack of staff and fewer trains available on the grid.

While on Tuesday, 9 and Thursday, 11, signalers, service control and ERU members will strike. This is likely to cancel most of the services as trains are not able to safely operate without signalling staff.

Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive at BusinessLDN, said: ‘It’s extremely concerning to hear that the capital is set to be disrupted by strikes yet again, just as schools reopen and Londoners head back to work after the summer break.

‘This industrial action will hit already sluggish economic growth, particularly in sectors like hospitality and retail that are struggling due to hikes in employment costs. We urge all sides to work together to avoid a damaging scenario where the city grinds to a halt.’

These people are already well overpaid for the job that they do.

Perhaps we should all go on strike, against Rachel Reeves and her mad taxes or Starmer and his Labour loons?

These people want more pay and less work, but our government will cave in and give them whatever they demand.

It’s no surprise, though. First junior doctors, now the underground. Wait for it, while the rest follow like teachers and civil servants. They all know how weak our government is, and they’ll continue this until our government slit its own throat.

Name your price drivers! Our government will give it to you, and we taxpayers will cover it. It seems the norm these days. And if there’s a tax to consider, our government will levy it.

Female MPs Receive Death And Rape Threats

Amid worries about an increase in internet harassment connected to immigration debates, female MPs have claimed to have been raped and received death threats.

One MP is said to have reported to the police an online rape threat linked to her support for asylum seekers.

Others told The Guardian they had received death threats amid the ‘constant’ hostility they encounter.

According to a long-time MP, the abuse that members of Parliament endure on social media and in their email inboxes has gotten worse since the Brexit conflicts.

The use of hotels to host asylum seekers sparked protests throughout Britain this past weekend, and the government is coming under increasing pressure to address the problem.

A blow to ministers came last week when the High Court issued an injunction prohibiting the Home Office from housing asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel in Essex.

Following weeks of demonstrations at the Bell Hotel, the Epping Forest District Council decided to take legal action.

The protests were held after an asylum seeker was charged with attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl, which he denies.

The ruling is threatening to throw Labour’s asylum policy into disarray and has piled pressure on the PM to meet his promise to end the use of migrant hotels by 2029. 

Numerous other authorities have started looking into the possibility of bringing legal challenges against asylum hotels after the Epping injunction was obtained.

So far this year, a record 28,076 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats, 46 per cent more than in the same period in 2024.

After demonstrations on Saturday across the UK, which resulted in at least 15 arrests, protests continued outside migrant hotels on Sunday.

Labour’s Tonia Antoniazzi, who has been MP for Gower since 2017, said the current political climate was ‘frighteningly polarised’.

She told the newspaper: ‘The lambasting we are all getting on social media and in the inbox is grim, from both sides.

‘It’s like we can’t do right for doing wrong, and everything has become frighteningly polarised.

‘Very few people see us as the individual humans that we are – especially women, mums, sisters, daughters – and it’s really changed since I came into the House.

‘It’s worse than Brexit. In fact, I could cope with that better.’

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, the MP for Bristol Central, said the abuse she is sent had become ‘noticeably worse’ in the last few months.

She said it was ‘escalating in some cases to violent threats’, which she had reported to the police.

‘As a left-wing and queer woman MP who speaks up frequently in support of refugees and LGBTIQA+ issues, I attract a lot of misogynist and homophobic abuse,’ she said.

‘I wish I was surprised, but sadly it feels inevitable in the current political environment as the far right in the UK and across the world feels more and more emboldened and validated by other political parties dancing to their tune.’

She added: ‘It doesn’t matter how much you disagree with someone, threats of violence are never, ever appropriate. And they won’t silence me.’

Another female MP said: ‘I have received death threats in the last six months.

‘The misogyny and the hate hasn’t really stopped since I was elected, so it always feels like it has been pretty intense and is constant.’

One MP said: ‘I’ve had some pretty unpleasant abuse. One [person] asked recently why I was hosting and supporting child rapists.’

They added that the police had assured them those carrying out the abuse were ‘only a small online community’.

Dan Jarvis, the security minister and chair of the Government’s defending democracy taskforce, said: ‘Vile threats and the intimidation of those who serve in public life is utterly unacceptable.

‘We are absolutely determined to ensure all elected representatives can carry out their democratic duties without suffering harassment, and the defending democracy taskforce works to ensure a whole-of-government response to the threats to our democracy.

‘While there will always be a place for robust debate, there will never be a place for fear in our democracy.’

People don’t feel safe. Women and children don’t feel safe and haven’t done for numerous years due to the inflow of unchecked migrants.

Our UK government are burning the country to the ground, and then they expect sympathy. Newsflash to our politicians – you are not the victims, we are!

For decades, our politicians have treated this nation’s citizens with complete disdain. By permitting unchecked immigration in large numbers against the preferences of the majority, they have negatively impacted our nation, and now they dare to accuse us of racism, xenophobia, and far-right extremism for challenging their policies.

We have seen people being jailed for speaking out. We, the people, need to fight, and MPs should be grateful that the people are not dragging them from their beds by enraged mobs because that’s where we are heading.

Perhaps now our government and MPs know how we feel, you know, the victims!

People are demonstrating because they feel very let down. Demonstrations might seem a bit extreme to some, but it’s just an expression of our frustration. Perhaps if they did what they were elected to do in the first place, people would not feel so inclined to drag MPs from their beds kicking and screaming – and it will happen!

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t condone violence or threats of abuse of any kind, but you have to remember that numerous women across the UK encounter these dangers due to the utter neglect of our government and several former governments.

Even though our government and MPs are ignoring the problem, we are now expected to feel pity for them. If they don’t think things will get worse, they should reconsider.

MARCH FOR REMIGRATION

At a far-right demonstration, police and protesters clashed as opposing factions engaged in combat.

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered outside Manchester Piccadilly station in Manchester as members of the far-right Britain First party were ready to march into the city.

Crowds packed the streets of the rally, waving St George’s flags and Union Jacks.

But they were met by counter-protesters organised by Stand Up To Racism, who staged a protest opposite the anti-immigration group.

Manchester City Council said Greater Manchester Police had a ‘robust operational plan’ in place to manage the protests, with a focus on public safety and maintaining order.

The council said a number of ‘regular’ protests are also expected on Saturday, adding some ‘may occur across multiple locations in the city centre’.

Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: ‘We respect and facilitate the right to lawful protest.

‘As ever, appropriate plans will be put in place with the organisers and local partners to minimise disruption for those who live, work, and visit our city centre.’

This is not the only demonstration occurring this week.

As previously reported, anti-migrant demonstrators faced off against anti-racism counter-protesters this evening outside a hotel on the south coast used to house asylum seekers.

On Friday, demonstrators gathered outside the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, Hampshire, demanding the closure of the establishment while brandishing flags.

There have been anti-immigration protests in Portsmouth, Southampton, and Bournemouth, among other places in the South of England.

All the demonstrations are taking place at places where the government are housing migrants while their asylum applications are processed.

In Southsea, counter-protesters from Stand Up to Racism Portsmouth orchestrated an event at the same location, bearing signs reading ‘Refugees welcome’. 

The day of protests on the south coast follows similar recent unrest in Epping, where a string of protests have taken place calling for the closure of The Bell Inn, a hotel used on and off for the last five years as housing for asylum seekers.

After widespread objections, a ring of steel was also built around the Britannia International Hotel, a four-star luxury hotel in London’s Canary Wharf that has been transformed into a shelter for migrants.

An Epping-style demonstration to stop migrants being accommodated above a town’s shops took to the streets on Wednesday in Waterlooville, Hampshire, as thousands of locals warned of ‘mayhem’ if the plans go ahead.

The British people will continue to defend their nation. The next generation shouldn’t feel like second-class citizens in their own nation because it is ours.

We are now a hugely divided country. Starmer said there would be change, but he’s given us more of the same, and he is frankly defying the will of the British people. He has also lost control of the country, which will explode very soon because British people are fed up with being treated like second-class citizens – enough is enough!

Keir Starmer is insulting and stereotyping the British people of the UK so that he can control them and prevent them from taking action, but the good people of this country can see straight through his tactics – we are not stupid, which makes Starmer look extremely stupid indeed!

Keir Starmer has no spine, and MPs are terrified of the responses their policies and inactions are causing, and they’re attempting to cow the people into silence by labelling them as mean, nasty and violent.

They call them far-right protesters – they’re not far right, they are right for standing up for what they believe in.

They use this term because it’s derogatory and designed to align us with the fascists of the 1930s, and they love to use words that usually end in ist or -phobe when relating to people with whom they disagree.

Carnival Kicks Off

The world-renowned Notting Hill Carnival, a street party, began with vibrant celebrations for J’Ouvert.

From 6 am, festival-goers gathered in west London for J’Ouvert festivities, which means opening of the day, as they paraded through the streets and sprayed brightly coloured paints and powders to get into the carnival mood. 

As the festivities got underway quite early, three men covered in paint were even seen dancing on top of a bus stop outside Ladbroke Grove station, close to Portobello Road market.

Europe’s largest street festival honouring Caribbean culture began dramatically, with hundreds of people gathering beneath a bridge to dance and throw paint into the air.

Some were dressed in blue overalls to protect their garments from the paint, while others sported their most colourful ensembles or took part in a custom from Grenada in the West Indies called Jab-Jab.

In a satirical celebration to acknowledge the negative effects of UK colonialism and the slave trade on Caribbean countries, they cover their bodies with black oil, tar, dirt, or paint, wear horns, and drag chains.

The police said that they expected more than a million people to descend on Notting Hill for what is one of the most significant weekends in the capital’s cultural calendar.

Partygoers are met with dazzling parades featuring masquerade dancing, soca, calypso, steel bands, and huge sound systems.

J’Ouvert was cancelled last year, but returned this year with the official opening ceremony, which started at 10 am Sunday.

With family-friendly events and activities, street dancing, and sound systems all day long, Sunday is Children’s Day Parade.

At 3 pm on both Sunday and Monday, a 72-second silence will be held to remember the Grenfell Tower fire victims.

Usually the busiest day, Monday is the adults’ parade, when revellers in dazzling costumes and waving flags will swarm west London for a lavish day.

During the carnival, police will be deployed in ‘significant numbers’ to deal with any trouble, with about 7,000 officers to be on duty across London this Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.

The Metropolitan Police said that it had already arrested 100 people and taken dozens of weapons off the streets as part of an operation to deter those who pose the greatest risk to public safety at this year’s event.

Additionally, screening arches and live facial recognition cameras will be installed at the busiest access points to identify weapons.

It comes after two people died days after being attacked in separate incidents during last year’s carnival. Cher Maximen was killed in front of her three-year-old daughter, and Chef Mussie Imnetu was beaten to death by charity worker Omar Wilson.

There were four stabbings and more than 103 arrests for robbery, violence, sexual offences, drug offences and possession of weapons last year.

Police were kicked, punched, pushed, spat at, headbutted and had glass bottles thrown at them in 2024 when 349 arrests were made – the highest total since 2019.

Residents and business owners have been boarding up properties along the carnival route in an attempt to lower the risk of damage.

Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met Police’s spokesperson for the event, said: ‘The vast majority come to have fun and enjoy themselves, to celebrate Caribbean culture, to dance, to eat and to go home with nothing but good memories.

‘Regrettably, we know a minority come with less positive intentions, and in recent years this has played out in the form of serious violence, including three tragic incidents where lives have been taken.

‘The actions of this minority are totally at odds with the values of those who care passionately about Carnival, and we acknowledge those, including the event organisers, who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality in the run-up to this weekend.’

Simon Hill, Deputy General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, told the Daily Mail in an interview this week that the two biggest concerns for officers were being assaulted and crowd crushing.

He said: ‘Officers are concerned about the crowd density. It is physically possible to be six feet away from a colleague and for you to not be seen or to not see them.

‘Officers are very much isolated due to density. In those isolated moments, then really they are at the mercy of the crowd, if you have people in there intent on causing harm to officers.

‘I’m especially concerned about some of our female colleagues who report being sexually assaulted. It’s just not acceptable. They don’t go to work to be sexually assaulted.

‘It must be dreadful for them. Some of our female colleagues are slight in build – they cannot defend themselves against a dense crowd.’

Mr Hill said officers worried about their ‘inability to protect the public’ in the event of a crowd crush, given video evidence from previous festivals shows the crowd ‘moving almost as a wave… of water’.

He continued: ‘It’s physically possible to lift your feet and be carried with the crowd in certain points. It’s a feeling of helplessness that they are unable to protect and prevent that. There’s also the fear that they’ll actually be caught up in it.’

Mr Hill said officers were ‘very much at risk of being victims of any crushing, as well as the public’.

Susan Hall, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, said in a bombshell report published earlier this month that the carnival in recent years had only narrowly ‘avoided a mass crush on the scale of the Hillsborough disaster’.

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has warned of the risk of a ‘crowd crush’ at the carnival, saying at a meeting last month that he had ‘seen images of some of the crowds at some parts’ of the event and ‘watching them made me frightened’.

Politicians have voiced their worries over possible crushes at the free event due to the carnival’s increasing popularity; some have even suggested moving it to Hyde Park.

Mr Hill backed the festival being repositioned to a park where it could be ticketed, although he said he accepted the ‘geographical importance of the event’ in its current location.

He pointed out that the existing road layout in Notting Hill has various trip risks, such as kerbs and drains, but a park would not have as many irregular surfaces.

Mr Hill also suggested a park would have better refreshment and sanitary facilities, adding: ‘The residents come back to their front gardens being used as toilets, and that’s not acceptable.’

He said: ‘I would be surprised if there’s any event in the UK that attracts a similar number of people confined to such a small geographical space.’

The annual festival has been running since 1966, and arrest counts have been on a rising curve since the beginning of the millennium. The total over the past 20 years, between 2005 and 2024, is now well over the 5,000 mark.

Some may argue that it should be prohibited because it contributes nothing to society. I disagree; it contributes far more to society than football and bars.

Notting Hill Carnival yields substantial economic benefits for London, with visitors spending on accommodation, food, and shopping, as well as the more expansive economic stimulus from this large-scale cultural event.

But the reality that homes and businesses must be secured speaks for itself.

These carnival goers never clean up after themselves, and the streets are left in a horrendous condition.

If people and businesses feel the need to board up windows to protect their homes, then perhaps it’s time to consider relocating the festival or cancelling it – somewhere where party-goers can’t make a nuisance of themselves or damage property.

Other festivals are held in fields where the crowds, noise, and attractions can be accommodated, so why not Notting Hill?

The hospitals and police will be very busy!

Britain’s Debt Soars Under Labour

Britain’s national debt skyrocketed by an eye-watering £186 billion during Labour’s first year in power, an analysis has shown.

From the end of July 2024 to the end of last month, the UK’s national debt increased from £2.53 trillion to £2.71 trillion, according to an analysis of official figures.

It means the Labour Government put Britain into the red by an additional £186.2 billion in just 12 months.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance analysis of recently published figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found this represented a £6,510 growth in debt per household.

It was also a £5,880 increase in debt per taxpayer over 12 months, and a £2,726 growth in debt per person.

If the additional debt taken on over 12 months represented spending by a Government department, it would be the third largest in terms of total spending.

This would be after the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Health and Social Care.

A ‘debt clock’ launched by the campaign group presently shows the national debt rising by £4,956 per second and £428 million per day. 

But there was some solace for Chancellor Rachel Reeves as ONS figures revealed Government borrowing slowed to a lower-than-expected £1.1 billion last month.

This was the lowest July borrowing figure for three years and £2.3 billion less than July 2024.

It came after a rise in self-assessed income tax and national insurance payments helped boost tax receipts for the month.

July borrowing was lower than the £2 billion figure expected by a consensus of economists.

Yet borrowing for the first four months of this financial year stood at £60 billion, £6.7 billion more than during the same period last year.

The ONS estimated public sector net debt, excluding public sector banks, at 96.1 per cent of GDP at the end of last month. 

Ms Reeves is estimated to be facing a £51 billion black hole in the public finances ahead of her next Budget in the autumn. 

In a recent report, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research found that the ‘wafer-thin’ headroom of £9.9 billion Ms Reeves left herself last year has been wiped out, and there is now a budget shortage of £41.2 billion.

To fill the hole and maintain the buffer, the Chancellor will have to find £51 billion yearly in higher taxes or lower spending by 2029/30, the think tank said.

The dire warnings about the condition of the public finances have raised expectations that Ms Reeves will hike taxes once again this autumn.

She is said to be considering new property levies, including the removal of the capital gains tax exemption for the sale of higher-value homes, as well as replacing stamp duty with an annual charge.

Treasury officials are also said to be eyeing an inheritance tax raid, while economists have also predicted there could be further ‘stealth’ and ‘sin’ taxes.

The Chancellor has ruled out increasing income tax, employees’ national insurance contributions and VAT.

Darwin Friend, head of research of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘The fundamental truth is that Britain has a borrowing problem because politicians have a chronic spending addiction.

‘In just one year, Labour have splurged hundreds of billions they don’t have, piling yet more debt onto taxpayers’ backs.

‘Ministers must slam the brakes on this reckless debt binge because if the Government doesn’t get Britain’s financial house in order, it will be ordinary taxpayers that suffer.’

Elliott Jordan-Doak, senior UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: ‘The Chancellor will still have to raise taxes in October despite borrowing matching official forecasts.

‘The big picture remains that the public finances are in chronically weak condition.

‘We think the Chancellor will need to resort to ‘sin’ and ‘stealth’ tax hikes, duty increases, and a pensions tax raid in order to meet her fiscal rules if she wants to meet her pledge of keeping headline tax rates unchanged.’

ONS deputy director for public sector finances Rob Doody said: ‘Borrowing this July was £2.3 billion down on the same month last year and was the lowest July figure for three years.

‘This reflects strong increases in tax and national insurance receipts.

‘However, in the first four months of the financial year as a whole, borrowing was over £6 billion higher than in the same period in 2024.’

Treasury minister Darren Jones said: ‘We’re investing in our public services and modernising the state, to improve outcomes and reduce costs in the medium term.

‘Far too much taxpayer money is spent on interest payments for the longstanding national debt.

‘That’s why we’re driving down government borrowing over the course of the parliament – so working people don’t have to foot the bill and we can invest in better schools, hospitals and services for working families.’

Labour is driving this country to its knees, so we must get rid of them.

Just look at the millions they’re spending on themselves – flights, personal cars, et cetera. It just demonstrates how wastefully minded the government and MPs are.

The issue is that no one is held accountable!

1945 – Labour elected – 1947 Britain bankrupt
1964 – Labour elected – 1964 Britain bankrupt
1974 – Labour elected – 1976 Britain bankrupt
1997 – Labour elected – 2008 Britain bankrupt
2024 – Labour elected -Britain is 186 billion worse off, and the taxpayers have seen zero benefit, and we all know what’s coming.

But they were elected by idiots!

And why in the world is Rachel Reeves still there? She lied to obtain the position and has failed in every aspect of her employment, yet she is still employed. How worthless must one be before being let go?

These days, our government is similar to the Communist Party. Despite their disregard for the law and their lack of morals, honesty, decency, justice, and integrity, she will not be fired. They have no accountability and literally do as they please!

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