Prince Harry Claims NYPD Cover-Up In Unseen Emails

Prince Harry pressured New York cops to speed up their investigation and make arrests after their ‘high speed’ chase with shutterbugs through the streets of Manhattan.

He even claimed there was a cover-up, letters and emails obtained by DailyMail.com show.

‘The Duke feels intentionally misled and is suspicious of a cover-up,’ one missive from his security company to the New York Police Department said.

Harry also threatened to file a formal complaint and insisted that arrests be made the very following day.

The demand was made in response to two letters written to police in London by John Hart, the chief intelligence officer for the NYPD, stating that there was insufficient evidence to make arrests and then stating three months later that there was.

To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the May 2023 incident. 

Hart’s original letter was sent in September 2023. The second arrived on December 6 that year, halfway through a hearing in London when he was attempting to get the British government to pay for security for him and his family while visiting the UK.

But TorchStone then sent an email saying Harry was upset at the slow pace of the NYPD’s investigation and felt ‘intentionally misled’.

The Duke of Sussex was said to be ‘suspicious of a cover-up’ and the letter from his security advisors insisted that the paparazzi involved be arrested by the next day while threatening to make a formal complaint against Hart and the NYPD. 

Harry even asked California Governor Gavin Newsom for contact with the prosecutors in New York – and wanted to take the matter higher if ‘necessary’.

This new information is the latest twist surrounding the car chase incident after Harry’s wife Meghan Markle received the Ms. Foundation for Women of Vision Award at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 16 of last year.

The couple claimed in a statement that after they left the ceremony they were involved in a ‘near catastrophic car chase’ involving ‘a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi’ who followed them through the streets of Manhattan.

One of their security team, Chris Sanchez from TorchStone, told CNN that it was ‘chaotic’ and ‘could have been fatal’ and involved ruthless photographers jumping curbs and going through red lights. Footage captured by TMZ showed Harry and Meghan in a taxi at one point.

Omid Scobie, a biographer of the Sussexes, even claimed the ‘pursuit went on for two hours’ and Harry and Meghan’s car ‘went up to 80 miles an hour’.

The report was instantly questioned by sceptics due to the typical clogged streets of Manhattan.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said it was ‘hard to believe’ there was a lengthy high-speed car chase.

Emails obtained by DailyMail.com through a Freedom of Information request show that Harry’s team continually pressed the NYPD about the incident. 

Harry seems to be struggling to comprehend that he is no longer in the UK and that there is no monarchy with privileges in the US.

Anybody who has been to Manhattan will tell you that a car pursuit is nearly incomprehensible, it’s like attempting to sprint through Central London, but worse.

When Meghan and Harry went to the US from the UK, I assumed they wanted a tranquil existence, but ever since, they have been chasing attention everywhere they go – pardon the pun!

How on earth do you speed through Manhattan in a high-speed car chase unless, of course, you’re Spiderman?

Prince Harry, the self-proclaimed advocate of truth and transparency has now flung the NYPD under the bus, claiming some cover-up related to some seemingly incendiary unseen emails demanding arrests. Of course, the NYPD want it brushed under the carpet. Meanwhile, in Harry and Meghan’s whirlwind of ‘me, me, me,’ it appears they’ve conjured up yet another distraction to keep themselves relevant amid a string of flip-flops and failed ventures.

Their charity, which seems to prioritise grand parties and payouts over actual generosity, maybe the ideal diversion they require. Let’s not forget Meghan’s curious relationship with her former royal kin. She allegedly despises them but continues to milk the title for all its worth.

Additionally, continuing to feel like a victim is not natural. Harry needs to take care of that!

If certain celebs are brave enough to stroll around NYC by themselves, it just goes to show the delusions of grandeur these two have.

Unexpected Duo Writes Christmas Hit In An Hour

It has topped the charts and already been listened to more than a million times but the Christmas hit criticising Sir Keir Starmer was created by a duo who have never met.

‘Freezing This Christmas’ is about the government’s slashing of winter fuel payments for pensioners and the resulting ‘hardship’ imposed on its prey.

The track was composed by freelance marketer and writer Chris Middleton and uses the melody of Mud’s 1974 hit ‘Lonely This Christmas’ and has been released under the faux band name Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers.

It was sung by Frank Sinatra impersonator Dean Ager, 51, from Worthing, who recorded it in only 15 minutes. 

All sales proceeds will be donated to organisations that assist the elderly.

The song features the vocals: ‘It’ll be freezing this Christmas, without fuel at home, it’ll be freezing this Christmas, while Keir Starmer is warm. It’ll be cold, so cold, without fuel at home, this Christmas.’

Middleton, from Newcastle, said he was inspired by ‘something on Twitter a couple of months ago about trying to do a Christmas song for pensioners’ and that the hook of the chorus then ‘just came’ to him.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Ager said that Middleton had stumbled across him online when he was looking for a singer for the record and offered just £50 for him to perform the track.

Ager explained: ‘Chris contacted me and said ”I’ve got this song – can you do it?” He paid me £50 and I recorded it in about 15 minutes. I already knew the tune, well-ish, and so I sent it and scurried off on my way. I thought that would be the end of it.

‘When Chris asked me if I wanted recognition I looked at the lyrics again and thought ”Wow, that’s something”, but when he told me we were number one on the iTunes download charts, I was jumping around in excitement like a little kid.’

Middleton was raised by his grandparents for a number of years and says he has seen first-hand how damaging Labour’s fuel payment policy had been.

He said: ‘Older people do feel the cold more.

‘My gran had a heart attack and her medication makes her blood vessels constrict so she is always freezing. Even in summer, she’s bundled up by the fire.

‘After 14 years of the Tories we were all fed up, and we thought things would be different under Labour, but it’s way worse than anyone thought.’

Ager, who frequently does gigs at care homes, agreed, saying he is ‘not very political’ but that ‘you don’t have to look far to see that the elderly are vulnerable and a lot of people are really struggling’. 

An original member of Mud, Rob Davis, who is now 77, is among those to express their support for the record.

He said of winter fuel cuts: ‘That’s not a good thing. I mean, there are a lot of very broke people over here. It’s very hard.’

He also said of the parody arrangement: ‘It’s a good version. The vocals sound the same as Les [Gray, the late singer of Mud]. It’s a cool version.’

Perhaps paralleling the production of earlier charity Christmas songs, ‘Freezing This Christmas’ was written quickly – reportedly in an hour – and has already raised £24,000.

The amount is not quite as much as the millions made by Band-Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” but the men who wrote the new holiday charity song haven’t even met yet, just like many of the singers of the classic 80s track.

While 1.4 million people have already watched the cover on YouTube, the only airtime the song has had so far on radio is through a small chart round-up on Heart Radio, a channel run by media company Global.

But bookmaker William Hill has pegged the song as a second favourite to become Christmas No 1.

Every Friday, the Official Charts Company releases the official singles chart, which combines sales from physical purchases, paid downloads, and streaming to determine the week’s top-selling song.

William Hill has spoken of how the single is now actually ‘a serious contender to top the charts on Christmas Day and that a miracle next week is still on the table.

The company presently has Wham! at 1/16 odds to take pole position and Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers at 12/1.

After Rachel Reeves changed the regulations governing winter fuel subsidies, tens of thousands of senior citizens may have to choose between heating and eating this Christmas.

The chancellor announced this summer that claims for the allowance, which is intended to support pensioners with energy bills and is worth up to £300, would be mainly limited to people eligible for pension credit.

The shift resulted in a wave of pension credit claims that has overwhelmed Whitehall, creating a pile-up of 91,075 unprocessed applications as of 18 November, according to Emma Reynolds, the pensions minister.

It’s an amazing song, and these two guys deserve a lot of credit for using comedy to make their argument in a tactful yet powerful way.

Apparently, the BBC is refusing to push it, which tells you everything you need to know about the BBC.

What a lot of people don’t comprehend is that it is the single pensioner who will suffer the most because they still have to pay the same bill for the heat as a couple or family would.

A single radiator for instance heats a room no matter how many people are in it. A thermostat can be turned down or even turned off if there are many people in a room because body heat warms instead.

The cost of living has increased, and supermarkets are offering groceries better suited for parties with families around this time of year, ignoring the fact that many individuals will be sitting at home alone and unable to afford to spend money on extravagant meals or meals that are prepared for several people. Eating keeps the body warm.

For many people, this is a terrible time of year, and the government’s thoughtless and uninformed actions have made it even worse, and it’s refreshing to see young people identifying the problem by writing a song – well done!

This song hasn’t had the airtime et cetera like the sausage roll Christmas song from previous years, and I wonder why. Maybe it’s because the words in this song are true and caused by those who are paid to serve and look after us, and it appears that those who come from across the water are more of a priority.

‘Chemical Attack’ In Winter Wonderland Hospitalizes Man

An alleged chemical attack at London’s Winter Wonderland on Sunday resulted in the hospitalisation of a man.

Police attended the Christmas market at about 8 pm following reports of an “altercation” between two groups of people.

A 22-year-old man was rushed to hospital after a bottle of alkaline liquid was allegedly hurled at him during the incident. He had non-life-threatening injuries. Police confirmed no other injuries were reported.

A 21-year-old man, an 18-year-old man, and a 16-year-old boy have been arrested.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “It was alleged that a bottle containing an alkaline liquid was thrown. A man who was splashed by the liquid was taken to hospital where his injuries were assessed as non-life changing. No other injuries were reported.”

Anyone with information about the incident is being urged to contact the Met Police.

A Hyde Park Winter Wonderland spokesperson said medical and security staff attended the scene and assisted the Met Police. The spokesperson also said: “We do not tolerate any acts of violence.”

The spokesperson told Metro: “We are aware of an isolated incident involving a corrosive substance during an altercation between a small group on Sunday evening, which resulted in a person being taken to hospital. Our medical and security staff attended the scene and we assisted the Metropolitan Police with their arrest of three individuals that evening.

“The safety of our visitors and staff is our top priority and we do not tolerate any acts of violence. We have robust security measures in place, including bag searches, CCTV, onsite security services, specially trained staff that flag suspicious activity, and extensive perimeter protection. We will continue to support the authorities with their investigation.”

I’m not sure why this was not on the main news, perhaps someone is keeping things quiet from the masses, or have incidents like this become normal these days?

Perhaps this was a hate crime that has been hushed up.

Just because things like these happen doesn’t imply that Winter Wonderland should be closed or that we shouldn’t go there; just be careful and have fun while you’re there. Winter Wonderland is a great spot to come to before Christmas.

To be fair, you have to watch your back wherever you go now. There is so much hatred, prejudice and animosity now, but we can’t live our lives inside a bubble. We have to go out, and we have to go to work.

However, it’s also awful what native Brits are being asked to do. We are being asked to close our eyes and ears to things, and pretend they’re not happening because if we don’t and we have an opinion as to what is going on – the ‘woke police’ will arrest you!

However, some people don’t need to be encouraged to cover their eyes and ears; they do it voluntarily and feel good about themselves because they think they’re being kinder than others who do see the patterns.

These people just won’t accept any patterns even when it’s staring them straight in the face.

They must adhere to their egotistical notion that they are superior to all of that at all costs. Some even march, claiming to be heroes in their own right, declaring their morality and denial.

Believe what you will. I didn’t vote for this, so my conscience is clear, and I’m sure there are a bunch of other people who didn’t vote for this either.

I’m not saying that native Brits never perpetrate crimes, of course, they do, but now we have more people here who are not native to this country, and if a native Brit went to another country and executed a serious offence they would be tossed into prison instantly.

It doesn’t matter though, Starmer loves these people and will still keep letting them in with open arms.

Shoppers Lose Money On Fake Fashion Sites

Fake online fashion sites are ‘scamming’ angry customers with knock-off products after luring them in with massive Christmas discounts, MailOnline can reveal.

Dozens of people shopping for last-minute festive presents for loved ones claim to have been ‘ripped off’ by two websites flogging fake ‘cashmere’ garments, leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

The firms, Velora-London.co.uk and Thompson-Oxford.com, both seem to share similar ‘sob stories’ online and in social media adverts designed to pull at customers’ heartstrings and trick them into spending money.

Each claimed to have been running ‘for years’ but were being ‘forced’ to close up shop due to financial struggles – and that ‘with a heavy heart’ they were having a final ‘closing down’ sale with ‘huge discounts’.

However, checks reveal both firms set up their online shops just weeks ago, with Velora’s going live at the end of September while Thompson Oxford – which claims to have been ‘offering our customers the best service for more than 30 years’ – going live last month. 

Disappointed customers who claim to have spent hundreds of pounds on high-quality garments advertised as ‘cashmere’ say when the garments arrived, they were ‘cheap knock-offs’ made of ’95 per cent polyester’ – and imported from China. 

Since neither website provides complete communication addresses, frustrated customers who are looking for a refund then claim they have had difficulty getting their money back.

One person allegedly scammed by the Velora spent £154 on five tops after spotting an advert on Instagram last month, including a ‘large cashmere sweater’, two ‘cashmere turtle necks’, a cardigan and a ‘cozy sweater’. 

When they arrived, weeks later, they were ‘acrylic’ and ‘not cashmere… with no labels. 

‘I was very naive. I wanted to buy nice jumpers for Christmas presents,’ the person told MailOnline. ‘The problem is that you receive the order, but they send rubbish jumpers. I have sent two emails to the company to cancel the order. No news.’

In an email to the company, the angry customer wrote: ‘Dear Fraudsters, the quality of the jumpers is appalling. 

‘They are neither cashmere nor wool – just cheap, badly cut acrylic. The packaging was equally rubbish, and there are no labels on the jumpers.

‘I demand a full refund immediately. Confirm at once where I should return this garbage. It is disgraceful that there isn’t even a return label provided.’

Others have left derogatory reviews online, alleging they were deceived into buying cheap knock-offs advertised as quality cashmere jumpers. 

Nearly all of the 112 reviews of Velora on Trustpilot – which claims to have more than 14,000 ‘satisfied customers’ – are rated as one star, with seething shoppers saying they’ve been ‘scammed’. While 75 per cent of 91 Thompson reviews were one star.

‘FRAUD. DON’T BUY FROM THEM. Awful quality and you need to return to China and pay for the return yourself. IT IS A BIG SCAM,’ one person wrote.

Another added: ‘I bought a “cashmere” jumper from them because the site looked legit, and even states it’s based in Covent Garden, London with a 30-day money back guarantee and great customer support. None of this is true. 

‘My jumper was shipped from a warehouse in China, and arrived the wrong colour, the wrong style and is certainly NOT made of cashmere. 

‘If you try to contact this company to complain and ask for a refund, as I have done, you get absolutely nothing back. Nada. They take your money and run, and you are left with goods that look nothing like what they are advertising on their website.’

A reviewer of Thompson Oxford wrote: ‘Buyers beware! I ordered a luxurious, windproof cashmere jacket. Silly me! I received a shabby jacket made of thin polyester. It is neither luxurious or windproof. Outrageous!’

Velora London, which says it is ‘cleaning up’ on its website and claims to have an address someplace in London’s Covent Garden, was only set up on September 27.

Explaining why it was being ‘forced to close’ its shop, its website says: ‘Well, let’s be honest… Running an online store has been harder than we ever imagined a few years ago. It’s been a mix of many factors: poor collaborations with partners, too many unsold items, and a lack of funds that have accumulated, leaving us with no choice but to stop featuring most of our products. 

‘We’re now at the point of liquidating our stock and, to speed up this process, we’re offering you these huge discounts. It’s difficult for us to see this situation continue… We hope that you, our community, understand and support our decision. With love, Annie and Sophie.’

In a supported post on Instagram, a scammer posing as the owner Thompson Oxford claims they have ‘a heavy heart and tears in my eyes’ as ‘after many years’ their store cannot compete financially with larger stores.

However, a probe by the MailOnline has revealed the alleged boutique shop’s website was only set up last month ago, on November 17. 

Meanwhile, an almost identical sob story to Velora’s was shared by Thompson Oxford on its website. 

It said: ‘Well, I’ll be honest with you… Running an online store has turned out to be more challenging than I had imagined a few years ago. It’s been a mix of different reasons: unfortunate partnerships, too many unsold products, and a lack of funds that have piled up, leaving me with no choice but to stop offering most of my items.

‘Now I’m at a stage where I’m clearing out stock, and to speed up this process, I’m offering you these huge discounts. It’s hard for me to let this situation continue… I hope that you, my community, understand and support my decision. With love, Maggie.’

Velora claims to have a 30-day money-back guarantee and ’24-hour customer service’.

But after buying at Velora, a consumer who wanted a refund said they were neglected for days before getting an answer.

In an email sent from Velora to the customer, seen by MailOnline, a worker going by the name of ‘Cindy’ wrote: ‘Thank you for your message. I’m sorry, but as your order has already been processed and is on its way to you, unfortunately, it can no longer be cancelled.

‘If you still wish to return the item for a refund, you can do so when you receive it. We’re here to help you with the returns process and ensure you receive your refund.

‘If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us. We are here to help.’

Both businesses have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Never buy from sites that don’t give you the name of their head office or telephone details. Check the fine details, especially if you’ve never bought from them before. Also, when attempting to purchase clothes, always look at the description, nine times out of ten it will say acrylic.

Many of these online stores where it’s being shipped from abroad, especially China, knock up these clothes on the cheap which means they use inferior materials, but sell them as something else. Not only that, you are purchasing from companies that manufacture in China where their workers work 15-hour days for about $1.50 a day – it’s called slave labour, and if they oppose the regime they get beaten if not killed.

The reviews are too easily faked, and Trustpilot and other internet review sites pay people to fabricate ratings, so you can’t even trust them.

Always use PayPal to make payments, and just don’t purchase the item if you can’t.

There’s an old saying, that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Some people just see a great deal, or at least believe that they do and just click and buy without even doing the most basic checks.

There are thousands of these sites now and they rely heavily on social media advertising. Always study the small print and facts section on the site. If it’s got a long delivery time plus a weird returns policy, this generally means it’s rubbish, and you could probably purchase it on Amazon or eBay. We need to stop fuelling this fast fashion – if it’s cheap, then it’s cheap for a reason.

The world revolved quite freely before the birth of social media which seems to have an almost narcotic influence on people.

If you can’t touch it or handle the item, then don’t buy it unless it’s from a store online like Marks & Spencer or such like. You get what you pay for, and if it’s cheap it’s not worth it.

People are becoming paralytic lemmings and letting social media take over their lives. When you can get genuine quality at a fraction of the price at high street businesses like second-hand shops, designer vintage stores, or even retro stores, why should you buy from retailers that are promoted on social media?

Facebook has become rife with these online websites advertising garbage. It shouldn’t be called Facebook, it should be called Farcebook or even Arsebook!

An Elderly Grandfather Is Taken To Court For Feeding Birds

A grandfather who buys up to 30 loaves of bread each day to feed the birds, is being taken to court by his local council who blame him for the town’s vermin situation.

Brian Wilkins, 76, received a Community Protection Order last year after councillors griped that his feeding the birds was attracting vermin in areas of Hartlepool.

His daughter Paula Wilkins claims her dad — known as the ‘Bird Man of Hartlepool’ — had attempted to avoid places he was barred from but continued with his favoured activity.

Now, Hartlepool Borough Council is prosecuting Mr Wilkins for allegedly breaching his notice between January 16 and October 31 of this year.

He denied breaking the community order when he appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, and his case will now proceed to trial.

What is the world coming to? For crying out loud, a trial!

His court summons said that he’d continued to ‘ignore advice and requests to stop placing food and feed for wildlife’, leading to ‘the persistent attraction of vermin’, and as a result of his ‘unreasonable behaviour’, the summons alleged he was ‘significantly impacting the quality of life’ of the people of Hartlepool.

Ms Wilkins, 57, said numerous residents support her father and disagree with the council’s ‘targeting’ of him. 

She argues the council is attempting to blame her dad for attracting rats, but says they have been about for ‘ages’, partly due to takeaways in the town.

Ms Wilkins said her father buys as many as 30 loaves of bread each morning before chopping it up and taking it out to feed the birds.

‘He says it’s not a particular enjoyment… It’s the plight of these poor creatures,’ Ms Wilkins said.

‘He’s overjoyed to see them enjoying the food.

‘It saddens him because of the lack of food because of the lesser and lesser green areas and the removal of their food sources because of human expansion.

‘It’s more of a commitment than an enjoyment. All he spends his pension on is bread and seeds.’

She went on to say that after losing six important individuals in short succession, her father, who formerly owned several businesses, including a skip company and a building firm, started feeding the birds.

She said her dad told her he’d been in contact with the council and agreed he would avoid certain areas of the town such as a cenotaph and war memorial.

Ms Wilkins added: ‘He used to work but now he doesn’t have a car. He’s restricted.

‘As he’s gotten older, he’s had nothing else to do. He used to go dancing but now he’s got out of society, practically.

‘I don’t know how many years he’s been doing this for.

‘They are trying to say my dad’s the cause of rats, but that’s rubbish – they have been around for ages.

‘One woman came up to us the other day and said, ‘The people of Hartlepool back you in this’.

‘He’s not harming anybody. He’s just feeding the animals.’

At his trial in April next year, it’s believed Mr Wilkins, who represented himself in court, will say he had a ‘reasonable excuse’ for breaching the order.

Hartlepool Borough Council’s solicitor Sophie Johnston summarised several complaints the council had received about Mr Wilkins from members of the public, local brewers Cameron’s Brewery and the manager of a Grade II-listed apartment building.

Ms Johnston told the court: ‘It has been a persistent problem for the council. Since January this year, there have been further complaints.’

Asked by District Judge Stephen Hood if these accounts were correct, Mr Wilkins replied: ‘Quite correct, sir. We do it on a daily basis.

‘There [are] massive quantities of starving wildlife and these people are saying ‘don’t feed them.’

Wilkins also said he was representing Hartlepool Wildlife Feeding Programme, and added that rats were an existing issue in the town.

His daughter Paula has branded HBC’s prosecution of her dad ‘ridiculous’ and believes authorities should be going after real criminals instead.

‘The amount of money it’s going to cost taking dad to court for feeding the birds… It’s absolutely ridiculous,’ she argued.

‘They should be dealing with criminals.

‘It’s insane. My dad might have to pay the court costs as well, which is disgusting. Absolutely crazy.

‘He enjoys [feeding the birds]. He has people buying him bread and seeds. He says he struggles because of his arthritis and has cut his route down.

‘His life consists of sleeping and feeding the birds. He says he’ll do it until the day he dies – unless they ban him.’

People have taken to Facebook following the news, with one person saying: ‘If they have the space to imprison bird feeders, why the hell did they let dangerous individuals out early? What a joke.’

Another person said: ‘This makes me really angry. All the poor fella does is feed the local birds and animals. What harm does it really do? And if he gets joy from this, then who are we to stop this? Every time I see him I can’t help but smile to myself whilst humming that scene from Mary Poppins.’

‘I feed the birds in my garden, daily. With a feeder, I also sprinkle it around my garden. Am I also committing an offence? Crazy, this is absolutely crazy.’

However, some people defended the council’s actions saying: ‘Although I feel for you and him. It’s his own fault. Just move away from the businesses etc. He can still feed birds etc but he’s causing a problem the fact you think the businesses want this for him they don’t but they also don’t want the issues he’s causing.’

Another said: ‘I’m all for encouraging his passion and yes in a way it is a lovely thing that he is doing….But I have seen first-hand the dangers he puts drivers in with feeding the birds! I nearly hit him at Morrisons roundabout a couple of weeks ago because he was picking up feathers and the bird that had been hit there then threw it into the bushes.’ 

A GoFundMe page set up to cover any legal fees as her father battles his case compares him to Dr Doolittle, adding that he’s ‘dedicated his life to the wellbeing of our local wildlife’.

He appears to be a very thoughtful man, and it’s something that he enjoys doing. Yes, some of these birds are classed as vermin but birds have been about for a very long time and so have rats. He’s not hurting anybody by feeding them – I know some humans who will do that though.

We can all be judgemental at times, some of us more times than others, but we should keep our opinions to ourselves sometimes. How people choose to live their lives is up to them, and people might not approve but it’s his choice.

He’s merely a senior citizen attempting to kill time. He doesn’t mean any harm, and it’s quite disgusting how more and more councils are issuing killjoy, Big Brother dictates, mainly because those at the council are power-crazed, it makes them feel important, but most of all, it makes them money – follow the money, always follow the money!

Every living creature on this planet is here for a reason. If something lives, then it will have to eat something, and then that something will eat something else, and any species that becomes extinct forms a void in the food chain, and depending on the importance of that species and the health of the food chain as a whole – it can have a small effect that can be compensated or it can be catastrophic.

However, no species is completely unimportant – not even mosquitos!

What the council should have done is reach a compromise. Perhaps there is an area like a wildlife park or a horse sanctuary he could volunteer at instead. Some birds like pigeons might be classed as vermin by humans but they have a reason in the food chain and they have been here for an extremely long time.

Eddie Stobart Has Passed Away

The founder of one of Britain’s most well-known haulage companies has passed away at the age of 95. 

Eddie Pears Stobart, who originally established the family-named company Eddie Stobart in the 1940s, died on November 25.

He was born in 1929 in Cumbria and worked as a farmer before trying his arm in the business world. 

Eddie set up a small agricultural business in 1946, concentrating on distributing fertiliser and doing contract work for local farms as well as running a farm shop.

He doubted there was much money to be made in haulage, and saw his small fleet simply as ‘a tool for business’, which back then was distributing slag, the fertiliser by-product of industrial steelmaking. 

But Eddie’s second-youngest child Edward – so-called to distinguish him from his father – took over the business in the 1970s and made it into a household name in the haulage sector with the company now owning more than 2700 vehicles.

Taking over the transport side in 1976, Edward, at the age of 21, started with eight lorries and 12 workers before making it into one of Britain’s largest logistics brands.

He is credited for transforming the public’s perception of the profession from one of filthy, macho men to one of efficiency, cleanliness, and friendliness. He gave his trucks feminine names, the first being Twiggy after the model.

Under his supervision, Stobart truck drivers were required to wear collars and ties and to respond to signals from onlookers by waving their horns and waving back.

Their distinctive trucks became a mainstay of Britain’s motorways and even sparked a spotting craze, fan club and cult following.

Thousands of people joined the fan club, which made it possible to produce Eddie Stobart model trucks and other branded goods.

Eddie, meanwhile, sold most of his trading interests in 1980 to invest in an industrial warehouse near Carlisle, where he ended up retiring with his wife Nora Boyd who he married in 1951.

The first Stobart lorry arrived in 1960 in the form of a second-hand Guy Invincible four-wheeler which Eddie chose to repaint in green and red. 

Eddie watched the family business rise to fortunes estimated to be about £100 million under his son Edward before it ran into problems during tough financial times in the 2000s.

The business was then purchased from Edward by a partnership run by Eddie’s fourth child William Stobart in 2004.

Edward, who ran the haulage empire for more than 30 years, passed away in 2011, aged 56, of a suspected heart attack.

He had allegedly collapsed at home in Ettington, Warwickshire, and was brought to the University Hospital in Coventry.

It was said that Edward died having filed for bankruptcy the previous year with debts of £220,000.

His brother William told workers at the firm of the sudden death.

In a statement at the time, he said: ‘Edward, although not directly involved in today’s company, was the person who built the brand and business and we have so much to thank him for.’

Three of the iconic green, red and white Eddie Stobart trucks, including two from the 70s and 80s, were part of his funeral cortege.

The funeral ceremony drew about 500 people to Carlisle Cathedral. Following the service, the hearse was driven to a private burial by the three Eddie Stobart trucks that were stationed outside the church.

I must admit that I was unaware of Eddie Stobart’s age, but he was a great icon who rose from the bottom. It proves that hard work can lead to achievement.

He was a beautiful, compassionate man who understood the value of hard work.

The man created an institution and kept numerous children looking out for his trucks, reading the truck names on car journeys, and many people in work.

You deserve your Tacho break, Eddie. Rest in peace!

Mystery ‘UFO’ Drones Over US Airbases In Britain

This is the moment a multitude of drones pass over an American air base which is set to become home to US nuclear weapons.

The footage acquired by MailOnline features what is suspected to be four drones, brazenly flying with bright lights, in the early evening darkness above RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk.

Information about American nuclear weapons being deployed to the base for the first time since the Cold War has intensified fears that Russia could be behind the drone activity.

While two of the drones to the left of the screen in the video seem stationary, the other two are shown moving and passing each other on the night of November 28.

It is thought that the brilliant light at the top of the screen represents Venus, which is visible in the southwest sky in November.

The brightest planet in the earth’s solar system is sometimes mistaken for a rocket or aeroplane.

The US Air Force revealed last month that drones had buzzed three of its UK bases – RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and nearby RAF Feltwell, Norfolk.

The sightings which are said to have begun on November 20 and continued for several days have followed similar drone ‘invasions’ in New Jersey.

According to reports, unidentified aircraft have circled the US Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in the state, which produces and conducts research on weaponry, including those that are provided to Ukraine.

Some reports have talked of ‘car-sized’ drones over New Jersey since mid-November, occasionally emerging in groups and usually remaining in the same place for hours. They are also said to have been spotted in New York, Texas and Oklahoma.

A New Jersey police department sparked concern after it revealed that a drone it sent up to follow a mystery aircraft ‘easily’ evaded their device before disappearing into thin air.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy said a drone was launched after one of his officers saw 50 unmanned aerial vehicles, ‘coming off the ocean’.

The officer dialled 911 to warn state police, the FBI and the Coast Guard. The maritime agency then reported seeing spotted 13 drones following their boat, calculating that the devices had a wingspan of eight feet.

Matronardy told NewsNation’s Rich McHugh the force put up an ‘industrial grade’ drone to follow one of the devices, but it quickly slipped through their grasp.

Residents in the Garden State and beyond are worried about many drone sightings, including this one.

‘If this is not our military, then it’s even more scary,’ McHugh said.

Both US and UK intelligence professionals have blamed Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for the meddling.

The video at RAF Lakenheath was taken soon after British authorities had reported that 60 soldiers were being sent to explore the sightings at the three UK bases.

Two days after it was taken, an RAF Chinook flew British special forces troops to join the probe at RAF Lakenheath which is home to the 48th Fighter Wing’s F-15E Strike Eagle and F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

According to flight tracker records, the Chinook took off from RAF Odiham, Hampshire, and flew to Poole, Dorset, to pick up SBS personnel. From there, it proceeded to Hereford, the SAS’s base, and finally to the US base.

Earlier this month, villagers near RAF Lakenheath described seeing the drones on replicated nights, along with increased security patrols by MoD police. The base stated this week that there had been no new sightings in recent days.

A retired British spymaster claimed that Kremlin intelligence services were potentially gearing up for a fresh wave of incursions into UK airspace.

Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence Colonel, said the recent drone sightings had ‘all the hallmarks’ of an operation by Russia’s secretive GRU spy agency.

‘It’s a distinct possibility if not a certain probability this is all down to Russian intelligence,’ he said.’

They and the GRU are just a bunch of petulant little boys. They’re trying to suggest they have the ability to disrupt and influence through a level of nuisance action.’

He added: ‘I would say we will see another flurry of activity in the next few months for sure. Whether drones or something else, I suspect something else.’

Col Ingram said Russians or their agents could also be using the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to test Western forces’ responses and capabilities.

He implied that they might be conducting these operations to stroke the bruised ego of Russian despot Putin following his setbacks in Ukraine.

He also claimed the drones were part of a wider spate of small, ‘seemingly isolated’ incidents which could be part of a larger coordinated test of disruption tactics.

‘There’s a pattern building up and from an intelligence perspective, I don’t like patterns,’ Col Ingram added.

‘Each one of these things in isolation won’t massively disrupt our way of life and none will potentially raise a big question mark but if you suddenly put them together and they all happen at once, then the level of disruption you could have could be really serious.’

The sightings come after a string of odd events that have occurred all around the world, including hacker-perpetrated cyberattacks, underwater internet cable sabotage, and bomb scares that caused pandemonium at Gatwick and in central London.

The FBI and other agencies are said to be investigating the sightings in America, but the Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday: ‘We have no more information as to where these drones are coming from, where they’re launching from, where they’re landing.’

This week, Britain debuted its newest weapon in the fight against drones: a powerful laser that can quickly burn the drones out of the sky.

At the Radnor Range in mid-Wales, the high-energy gadget, which was installed on the roof of a Wolfhound armoured vehicle, underwent successful testing.

Soldiers from 16 Royal Artillery – an air defence regiment based near Portsmouth, Hampshire – were able to follow and destroy impending targets.

Retired police lieutenant and intelligence analyst Tim McMillan told DailyMail.com the descriptions of the UFOs in Jersey ‘sound exactly like Russian Orlan-10 drones’—secretive craft that fly in packs of three to five.

The Orlan-10 craft comes with ‘standard positional lighting’—a red light on the left (port) wingtip, a green light on the right (starboard) wingtip, and white taillights, similar to the lights seen on ordinary aircraft and Jersey’s ‘mystery drones.’

Experts suggest that Russia could be carrying out an intelligence-gathering mission known as ‘ferreting’, meant to deliberately trigger and test a rival’s airspace defence procedures and reaction times.

Or the Kremlin might just be eavesdropping on Ukraine’s allies who are supporting the country’s resistance to Russia’s incursion.

While experts could not rule out a theory that Iran was behind the attacks, argued by NJ Congressman Jeff Van Drew, but denied by the Pentagon, White House officials have long noted that Russia and Iran collaborate on military drone development.

‘Russia has been very aggressive and reckless with its responses to Western support of Ukraine,’ Lt McMillan told DailyMail.com. ‘This isn’t something I see discussed in US media, but it’s well documented and openly discussed here in Europe.’

The first New Jersey drone sightings emerged over the US Army’s Picatinny Arsenal on November 18 but reports to varying levels of credibility have now extended to at least 12 counties throughout the Garden State.

Officials have received reports of craft flying off ‘water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments, and military installations’ in recent weeks, according to Florham Park, NJ police chief Joseph J Orlando.

But those earliest and most plausible sightings above Picatinny, according to Lt McMillan, are most worth focusing on.

‘Picatinny Arsenal,’ as Lt McMillan told DailyMail.com, is ‘home of the US Army’s CCDC Armaments Center, which is responsible for manufacturing and supplying Ukraine with 155mm artillery ammunition.’

Republican Rep Jeff Van Drew has claimed that Iran is behind the drones in New Jersey, telling reporters that the nation parked a ‘mothership’ off the East Coast.

The MoD has been contacted by MailOnline for additional comment.

The most convincing hypothesis is that these drones are monitoring cities for anything harmful to national security. The fact that the Pentagon says that it doesn’t know what they are, but that they don’t pose a threat to anyone is like saying that the drones are theirs, but they won’t say that they have the technology.

Meanwhile, in the UK our government says nothing and none of us appear remotely concerned by the silence, but then we Brits don’t like to grumble too much.

Eventually, if we don’t fully comply with our governments’ demands, your every action will be monitored and documented.

This appears to be a highly secret way of testing their defences of air bases across the US. RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk might be called RAF but it’s completely USA – wait for those little green men!

Because there will always be conspiracy theorists who want to hear verifiable and accurate facts and because scared individuals are easier to manipulate, things won’t stop!

If the government aren’t doing anything to find out what they are or to stop them, then perhaps they are from the government, or maybe not, who knows these days what is truly going on?

Perhaps aliens are coming to see if there’s intelligent life on Earth – they will be sorely disappointed, especially if they look at our governments across the globe.

There is no way on earth that the UK and US military would permit potential Russian or Iranian drones to simply hang about over installations. The first one would be in a million pieces and on the front page of every newspaper.

Hostile drones don’t fly lit up like a Christmas tree, not even at this time of the year!

According to reports, they are flying over military locations in the US and the UK, but I do not doubt that these bases are protected and that they would shoot a bogey out of the sky if it got too close. Perhaps it’s JUST EAT extending their services.

Kimberly Guilfoyle Was Dumped By Donald Trump Jr

As would seem fitting, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s fiancé Donald Trump Jr. spearheaded the rush to congratulate her upon the announcement of her unexpected selection as Ambassador to Greece this week.

‘I am so proud of Kimberly,’ he gushed on social media. ‘She will be an amazing leader for America First.’

Yet if Mr Trump, son of President-elect Donald, is suitably delighted, might he also be relieved to hear that his girlfriend of the past six years is scheduled to spend the foreseeable future in a foreign capital several time zones distant?

Trump and Guilfoyle’s relationship is no longer what it was, definitely not since this week’s extremely public displays of ‘moving on’.

First Don Jr, 46, was photoed taking a glamorous Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson to celebrate her birthday at a restaurant. He reportedly then ‘hard-launched’ his new girlfriend at dinner at his father’s Mar-a-Lago club on Wednesday night.

After months of conjecture about the condition of their relationship – not to mention the Mail’s images of Don Jr smooching the new woman in September – even twice-married Guilfoyle must indeed realise it’s over. A formal announcement is awaited.

A 55-year-old Maga-loyalist and former Fox News panellist noted for big hair and tight clothes, Guilfoyle claims to have been ‘blindsided’ by Don Jr’s new romance.

Some claim that the relationship has been in crisis for a long time.

Insiders claim that when Guilfoyle invited hundreds of people to her 55th birthday celebration at their Jupiter, Florida, home in March, tensions were already evident. There have been allegations that Don Jr. disappeared for a portion of the evening, seemingly withdrawing to his bedroom.

Others suggest Don Jr has found himself increasingly embarrassed by Guilfoyle’s little-left-to-the-imagination wardrobe, colourful public displays and her preference for a party lifestyle that might sit awkwardly with the Trump family increasingly mindful of its presidential legacy.

According to one former coworker at Fox News, the lawyer-turned-activist was known as ‘the Margarita girl’ thanks to her fondness of the popular cocktail and party lifestyle associated with it.

Although there is no indication that Guilfoyle regularly consumes excessive amounts of alcohol, the Trumps are undoubtedly sensitive to it.

Don Jr. is well-known for taking his sobriety very seriously because he drank his way through college. Ivanka, his sister, abstains from drinking.

As a result of his older brother Fred Jr.’s death from alcoholism at the age of 42, their father Donald is well-known for being a teetotaller.

Many will remember a scene first broadcast in a 2010 Larry King show in which Trump is shown instructing his son, Barron, then aged four, to avoid drugs, alcohol, cigarettes – and tattoos!

There’s no sign that she’s inked, but Guilfoyle is definitely sociable.

A high-ranking Trump official told the Mail that she would be perfectly suited to the life of an ambassador, which includes meeting, greeting, and hosting events.

However, the Trumps might not be totally comfortable with Guilfoyle’s flamboyance.

According to People magazine, a source close to the family believes Don Jr’s new lover, 38-year-old Bettina, will be a ‘better fit’.

‘Don Jr has always wanted to look good in his father’s eyes,’ said the source.

‘Someone like Bettina, who is and has been a model, and is in Waspy circles of Palm Beach is something that would impress him.’

Another source reportedly confirmed that Don Jr dislikes Guilfoyle’s wardrobe: ‘The tight dresses need to go, and she has been told that.’

Others speculate that their issues may go beyond party etiquette and short skirts.

For Guilfoyle’s undeniable drive and ability, insiders suggest that her approach to relationships might appear overwhelming – and that her younger partner sometimes found this ‘suffocating’.

‘Don Jr came to find her a little controlling,’ said one source. ‘She started taking over – his arrangements and so on.

‘She even described herself as his Mamacita – little Mama – which gives you an idea. At first, he might have liked the fact that someone was taking care of him. But it didn’t last.

‘She’s also amazingly ambitious. Don Jr is a smart guy and very right-wing, but he’s not so bothered about power. He needs some freedom.

‘He wants to spend his time hunting and fishing. But for Kimberly, it’s about power, power, power!

‘Kimberly said early on that she would try to be exactly the girl that Don wanted and seemed happy to tell people that she was the next Mrs Trump even when they’d just started dating.

‘She even went hunting with him – in full make-up, of course. But the idea that she was really into all that outdoorsy stuff faded.’

Has there been a problem with Guilfoyle’s spending habits, also?

One Republican insider reports that – always meticulously presented – Guilfoyle had been laying out money for hair and makeup artists at their home in Jupiter.

But that, whenever Don Jr appeared, the beauticians she’d employed were instructed to pretend they were Guilfoyle’s friends and therefore working for free.

A lawyer by training, Guilfoyle first rose to prominence as a public prosecutor in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In 2011, she joined Fox’s primetime panel show ‘The Five’. Washington Post has reported that she was assigned ‘the leg chair’ at the end of the row because it would allow the audience a full view of her lower half.

It is said that Fox chairman Roger Ailes saw an image of the set-up and commented ‘There’s Kimberley, doing her job’.

She became a dedicated supporter of Trump after he announced his 2016 candidacy. She caught the notice of Don Jr, who told the Post in 2018: ‘When everyone else said that Hillary was unstoppable, Kimberly stood firmly with my father.’

Despite her success at Fox, Guilfoyle’s image began to deteriorate in the summer of 2016 when she mobilised women to protect Ailes’s reputation following his sexual harassment allegations.

Guilfoyle was introduced to Don Jr by mutual friends at a Manhattan party. Her 17-year-old son, Ronan, went to the same school as Don Jr’s daughter Kai, who was also 17, and the two parents grew close.

Guilfoyle and Don Jr. made their relationship public in May 2018.

Although she has consistently insisted that she left Fox because she wanted to be more active in the initial Trump campaign, the New Yorker revealed in 2020 that there were far more serious accusations involved.

It is believed Fox had to pay an assistant more than 4 million dollars after she ‘alleged that Guilfoyle, her direct supervisor, subjected her frequently to degrading, abusive, and sexually inappropriate behaviour.’

The assistant claimed, ‘she was frequently required to work at Guilfoyle’s New York apartment while the Fox host displayed herself naked and [that] she was shown photographs of the genitalia of men with whom Guilfoyle had had sexual relations’ and she once had to ‘massage her bare thighs’.

The accusations have been refuted by Guilfoyle.

She pushed herself into Trump’s campaign after leaving Fox, and the Republican party soon embraced her. She passionately praised Trump in talks at conservative gatherings and rallies.

With her political career on the rise, she acted as Trump’s spokesperson at rallies nationwide, establishing a reputation as someone who would stop at nothing to support him.

Guilfoyle was appointed chair of the finance committee for the Trump Victory Committee in 2020 and gave an infamous address at the Republican National Convention which was variously described as ‘impassioned’ or ‘unhinged’.

She was in similar shouty form at this year’s Republican Convention in Milwaukee.

On December 31, 2020, Guilfoyle and Don Jr. became engaged, although they didn’t tell anyone until 2022.

In the meantime, they purchased two homes together: one in Florida that they made their primary residence and another in the Hamptons which they eventually sold.

However, pictures of Don Jr. canoodling with Bettina Anderson, a woman, during brunch in Palm Beach surfaced in September 2024.

One source familiar with the family told the Mail this week: ‘There is no more Kimberly and Don – at least not romantically. Their engagement hasn’t officially been called off yet. They were waiting until after the inauguration to announce.’

Speaking after Don Jr’s affair was revealed, one source told the Mail: ‘Kimberly either didn’t know about Bettina – or didn’t want to know. Did she hear whispers that Don Jr was fooling around with someone else? Probably.

‘She’s no fool but it’s easy to deceive yourself when you’re so committed to someone and believe he’s committed to you.’

Since posting photos from a Mar-a-Lago party on November 14, Guilfoyle has not been spotted on Don Jr.’s arm.

Senior Republicans have been supporting Guilfoyle despite—or maybe because of—the unfortunate conclusion to her relationship with Don Jr.

As one pointed out, Guilfoyle will certainly ‘know where the bodies are buried’.

A source close to the Trump transition team contacted the Mail to say the nomination could be a chance, ‘to show her talents on the world stage. It’s tremendous for her, tremendous for the country and tremendous for Greece.’

A leading Trump insider told the Mail that Guilfoyle was genuinely happy to have been proposed as Ambassador to Greece – although she is yet to be confirmed in the role by the Senate.

‘She’s pleased because she’s a very sociable woman and this would suit her lifestyle, with plenty of hosting and socializing,’ said the insider.

‘President Trump has always been very keen on her. Was this her life plan? Clearly not. But she’s a strong and intelligent woman and she’s excited for the new role.’

Besides, as Guilfoyle told The Post in 2018 – explaining her remarkable transformation from Democratic wife to Republican loyalist – she’s adaptable.

‘I am always changing and doing stuff,’ she said. ‘Grass doesn’t grow too long under my feet.

‘I’m on the move.’

Bettina Anderson, therefore, started an affair with someone who was in a well-known and committed relationship. Not good news for the future, not forgetting that the person in that relationship is the cheater. Bettina needs to remember that if they cheat once, they’ll do it again, and cheaters don’t leave for someone better, they leave because it’s their tiny ego that needs stroking and presumably something else that is tiny too.

Don Jr was not committed to the relationship, but then he’s not married to Kimberly so can do what he wants.

If they do it with you, they’ll do it to you. Bettina had best sleep with one eye open. It’s a disgraceful way to start a relationship.

Don Jr obviously pursued Kimberly because of her ‘little left to the imagination’ wardrobe, but will he claim that’s why he left her or the fact that he has a roving eye and being faithful is challenging for him? If he doesn’t want to be with Kimberly, don’t destroy her reputation, it’s not an appealing quality.

Baroness Banned For Touching Black MP’s Braided Hair And Calling Asian Peer Lord Poppadom

A Tory peer is facing a three-week ban from the House of Lords for referring to a British-Asian peer as ‘Lord Poppadom’ and touching the hair of a black MP without consent.

Lady Catherine Meyer faces censure after two complaints were made about her behaviour during a visit by parliamentarians to Rwanda earlier this year.

The Lords Conduct Committee upheld a complaint that she referred to Lord Dholakia as ‘Lord Poppadom’ twice during a taxi ride, having earlier referred to him as ‘Lord Popat’ – a different peer of Southeast Asian origin.

Although he didn’t hear her, she was reprimanded by other committee members for her remarks.

She asked Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy if she may touch her braids after having a drink of wine with her lunch on the same Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) trip in February, and she did so before getting a response.

Lady Mayer, 71, is the widow of the former UK ambassador to the US Sir Christopher Meyer. She was dignified in 2018.

The report noted that she had apologised for her actions in both cases. As well as being banned for three weeks she will also have to undergo mandatory training. 

In his report, the Lords Commissioner for Standards said: ‘It is clear from both Lord Dholakia’s and Bell Ribeiro-Addy’s complaints and interviews that the incident had a significant negative effect on each of them.

‘The incident clearly upset them both, to the point where neither felt comfortable being a member of the same committee as Baroness Meyer.’

Ms Ribeiro-Addy told the inquiry she would probably have refused the ‘strange’ request from the peer if given the chance. 

‘It made me feel extremely uncomfortable. It made me feel as if she could just do whatever she wanted,’ she said.

‘I definitely found it violating because, as I said, I wouldn’t anywhere reach out and just grab my colleague’s hair.’ 

In responding to Ms Ribeiro-Addy’s complaint, Lady Meyer said that she had intended a friendly gesture, and had been unaware that it would be unwelcome.

She said she understood from the MP’s subsequent body language that: ‘Oh, gosh, I did the wrong thing’.

The commissioner suggested a three-week break from the Lords as a sanction, describing the racial element in the first case as an ‘aggravating’ factor, as well as for Lady Meyer to undertake ‘bespoke behaviour training’.

So, MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy complained because someone touched her hair without their consent. I don’t suppose she thought of taking it up with Lady Meyer directly so that more important things could be moved on to, which being an MP, I guess she had lots of.

Inquisitiveness is a good thing, that’s how we learn about others’ cultures and customs, but I guess it was a tad rude and ignorant to touch without consent. Nevertheless, just a face-to-face apology would have been enough.

She asked Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy if she could touch her braids after having a glass of wine with her lunch, and did so before obtaining a response, and evidently, this had a negative effect. Was it really deserving of a complaint? It’s no surprise this country is now in the mess it’s in with these little children that we have controlling us.

However, what’s acceptable to one doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to another, and in life, we need to have empathy, and compassion, not ignorance. You do not touch another person without permission, and why dare to believe that you can? Perhaps Lady Catherine Meyer had more than one glass of wine with her chow which might have obscured her judgement.

Most new homes built in Labour’s ‘bulldozer blitz’ on the green belt will house migrants, claim Tories

Tories warned that Keir Starmer’s housebuilding bonanza will scarcely keep up with immigration today – even if he hits his target for 1.5million homes over the next five years.

Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake blamed the government for ‘concreting over the Green Belt’ to house arrivals as the PM pledged to rip up the ‘broken’ planning system.

Sir Keir said he would prioritise ‘human beings wanting to have a house’ over the environment as he joined his deputy Angela Rayner in unveiling a radical overhaul of the rules.

The changes for England – designed to stop so-called ‘Nimbys’ stopping development – could see hundreds of thousands of acres of Green Belt land redesignated as low-value ‘grey belt’ land.

The new framework also imposes mandatory housing numbers on local authorities across the country – many of which have already been condemned as unachievable.

But campaigners warned that lawyers would be the major winners from the move, while councils face being ‘swamped’ with ‘speculative’ proposals for building on protected land.

The government released estimates of the targets for local areas in the summer, which were revised today. The numbers for London and the South East increased after more weight was put on local ‘affordability’ in the formula. 

The projections included comparisons to existing targets under the present method, first presented in 2018, as well as the average number of new homes that have been built in recent years.

In Fareham, Labour’s new strategy would need the local Tory-controlled council to create 800 new houses a year – up from a target of 498 when calculated by the present method.

That was almost seven times the average number of new homes built in the Hampshire town – where Tory ex-home secretary Suella Braverman is the local MP – in 2020/21 and 2022/23 of just 115.

Mr Hollinrake told the Commons this morning: ‘This planning framework pushes development to rural areas, concreting over green belt, green fields and our green and pleasant land, rather than focusing and supporting building in urban areas where we need to build the most.

‘And to what end? Due to the loosening of restrictions on the visa requirements such as the salary threshold and the scrapping of the Rwanda deterrent, the majority of the homes they deliver will be required for people coming into this country rather than for British citizens.’

Sir Keir has blamed the Tory government after huge revisions to official data published last month revealed the net immigration to the UK was 906,000 in the year to June 2023.  

That was 166,000 above the initial estimate of 740,000.

A similar revision was made for net migration in the year to December 2023, which was originally thought to be 685,000 and is now put at 866,000, an increase of 181,000. 

Arrivals in the 12 months to June this year were 728,000 higher than those leaving the country. In itself, that was nearly as much as the previous long-term immigration record.

The Treasury’s OBR watchdog has predicted that net annual migration to the UK as a whole will subside to 315,000 a year over the ‘medium term’ – although that estimate now looks in grave doubt. 

Asked on a visit to a construction site in Cambridgeshire this morning whether environmental concerns would stand in the way of building, Sir Keir said: ‘The starting point is local plans, and that’s really important for councils to develop the plan according to the target, taking into account local need and working with developers.

‘But are we going to push it through if those plans don’t work? Yes, we absolutely are.

‘Are we going to push away the planning rules and make them clearer, as we have done today, get away the blockers that are stopping the houses being built? Yes, we are absolutely intent.

‘For years, we have had not enough houses being built. That means that individuals and families don’t have the security that they want.

‘We are determined to break through that, to do what’s necessary.

‘Of course, we want to get the balance right with nature and the environment, but if it comes to a human being wanting to have a house for them and their family, that has to be the top priority.’

Mr Hollinrake said that Labour’s housing plans would amount to ‘bulldozing’ green belt sites.

He told Sky News: ‘We’re not against building more homes. So we agree with those parts of the plan. What we disagree with is bulldozing greenfield, green belt sites. That’s what we’ll see. We’ll see many of these homes delivered in rural areas, yet a lowering of targets in urban areas, particularly London.’

The government plans would see 370,000 homes built every year for the rest of the Parliament. 

Portsmouth City Council has been told to add 1,021 under the new target, up from 897 using the current method.

Just 120 new homes have actually been built there, on average, in recent years.

North Yorkshire is being ordered to build 4,077 new homes, slightly down from the 4,232 pencilled in for July.

But it is up from the 1,361 homes under the previous target. An average of 3,150 new homes were built yearly across 2020/21 and 2022/23.

Cornwall must create 4,421 homes under Labour’s target, up from 2,707 using the old method and more than the 2,650 homes built, on average, in recent years.

The Isle of Wight has been told to build more than double the average annual number of new homes it achieved in those two years (370) under a proposed new target of 1,062.

Overall, the South East is required to create 70,681 new homes a year under the new strategy for determining housing targets.

This was up from 51,251 under the previous method. Only London has a higher goal at 87,992 – compared to the 80,693 Labour had originally proposed. The capital has been generating just 35,000 homes a year recently.

It was higher than the East of England (45,429), South West (39,992), North West (34,678), West Midlands (29,940), East Midlands (25,764), Yorkshire and The Humber (24,957), and North East (10,976).

One expert claimed the Green Belt overhaul could free up space for 2.5 million homes.

That sparked warning that the changes would trigger a new wave of ‘urban sprawl’ – which the designation was meant to avoid.

This action overturns the previous Conservative government’s decision to reduce goals after concluding they were ineffectual.

If a development complies with planning regulations, council members on the planning committee will lose their authority to prevent it.

The ability to circumvent the standard planning procedure for important infrastructure, including prisons and the power pylons connecting new wind and solar farms to the grid, would also be granted to ministers.

Today’s package provided £100 million to councils to enable them to revise their plans and assess which areas of their local green belt should be released for development.

But Victoria Du Croz, Head of Planning at Forster’s law firm, warned that the definition of the ‘grey belt’ was not clear enough.

‘Today’s response to the NPPF consultation means that there is going to be ongoing ambiguity around what land is classified as ‘grey belt’. 

‘Despite an overwhelming consensus from the industry that greater specificity is needed over what land should be removed from the greenbelt and made available to development, the Government has failed to provide this today, though has referenced that there will be further guidance around the grey belt definition in the New Year. 

‘Without increased clarity the definition of grey belt will be played out at appeal and in the courts, delaying planning applications and fundamentally delaying the provision of new homes.’

Countryside charity CPRE said the ‘broken housebuilding market’ was to blame for ‘painfully’ slow delivery of new homes. 

‘When big housebuilders deliberately limit the supply of new homes to maximise their profits, supercharging the current system will not lead to the change the government is looking for, chief executive Roger Mortlock said.

‘The government’s plans risk a huge hike in the number of unaffordable, car-dependent homes. Building on England’s 1.2 million shovel-ready brownfield sites would do far more to unlock growth, regenerate communities and provide sustainable, genuinely affordable new homes.

‘We welcome the commitment to local plans and affordable homes. However, local authorities responsible for delivering new homes will be swamped with speculative applications on high-quality Green Belt and farmland. Inevitably, many of these will be approved to meet nationally imposed targets.

‘The ‘grey belt’ policy needs to be much more clearly defined and exclude working farms. It will undermine the Green Belt, one of this country’s most successful spatial protections with enormous potential to help address the climate and nature emergencies.

Our greenbelt is being blitzed by the same individuals who claim to care about public health, carbon emissions, and other issues. Power is all that matters to them, and then these houses that they are going to create will accommodate millions of migrants that our government have let into this country.

We don’t have enough housing stock to accommodate people—and by people I mean people who were born in the UK, not migrants who are pouring over because our foolish government is permitting it. I find the loss of our lovely green places to be very upsetting.

Many of the green areas that I have such pleasant memories of are gradually vanishing, and we have been duped into believing that if we voice our displeasure, we are NIMBYs.

Labour intends to cause as much harm as possible in the time they have left because they are aware that they are unlikely to win the next election and that politics of envy have turned into politics of vengeance.

The NHS is in crisis, so why don’t we bring another couple of million or two into our country? There are not enough homes, so why don’t we bring in more migrants to our country? There are food shortages because farms are being bankrupted and sold to Starmer’s friends in energy firms, so bring in more migrants. Not enough school places, doctors surgeries or dentists, yes, just bring in a few more million to add to the waiting list. Not enough water or reliable sewage treatment plants, go on, bring in more and more and more! This country is a battleground.

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