As the leader of Reform UK, I am delighted and humbled by the extraordinary £36 million donation Christopher Harborne has made to our party. He joins Ben Delo, who has also donated £36 million, in making the largest financial contribution ever seen in British politics. Yet this remarkable, not to say extremely generous, donation is only part of a much bigger story.

Since Reform UK was established in 2021, Conservative and Labour have between them been able to raise considerably more money than we have. They have also received millions of so-called Short Money – public funds given to aid opposition parties in Parliament.

The donations of Mr Harborne and Mr Delo help to level a playing field that has always been tilted against any genuine challenge to the two-party duopoly.

Many voters will ask why their money arrived in one tranche rather than in stages. The answer to that question is simple and, frankly, alarming. The fact is that both men were deeply fearful that this Labour government would do whatever it could to subvert the democratic process.

We have already endured the government’s attempted cancellation of elections in May this year that would have deprived five million people of the chance to vote. It was only Reform UK’s legal action that prevented this outrage from coming to pass.

We are also witnessing the extension of the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds via legislative measures currently making their way through Parliament. This cynical moving of the goalposts plays directly to Labour’s advantage.

On top of that, it was seriously suggested until recently by this Labour government that donations from private individuals to political parties would be capped – although trade unions would be able to carry on bankrolling the Labour Party with impunity. This is the sort of law people would expect to find in a dictatorship.

It was with these concerns in mind that Christopher Harborne, Ben Delo and I concluded the process which they would follow. Both had been prepared to give Reform UK £1 million a month until August 2029, the latest date that the next general election must be held. In the end, they decided that they trusted us sufficiently to hand over the entire sum at once.

The money will be used for one purpose only: to make certain we are ready to form a government at the next election. With that in mind, I and my shadow cabinet will shortly embark on a countrywide tour to listen to the concerns of the public and find out what they believe is required to fix Broken Britain. I carried out a similar exercise this spring ahead of the local elections, which Reform UK won.

In accepting these funds, it is essential to emphasise the fundamental difference between the party that I lead and the administrations of Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham – and, for that matter, the Conservative governments that came before them.

Their entire purpose appears to have been the acquisition and retention of power for its own sake. I am only interested in turning around this country’s fortunes for the public good.

I have said repeatedly that I have no interest in rank, title or position. I only returned to front-line politics two years ago as I believed it was still possible to effect change. And change is what this country desperately needs.

Britain is in a state of economic and social decline. In almost every respect we are sinking beneath the waves. It’s sad to say, but the world looks at us with a mixture of incredulity and pity.

The country is going bankrupt, not just financially but in a deeper sense. It is more than apparent that this great nation has lost its confidence, its cohesion and its sense of purpose.

Look at the evidence. Illegal migration continues unchecked while families struggle to get a GP appointment. Energy prices remain cripplingly high as Net Zero dogma is forced on voters by people who never have to choose between heating and eating. Knife crime stalks our towns and cities, yet the response from the political class is more lectures about ‘root causes’, not proper policing and deterrence. Our armed forces have been hollowed out to the point where we can barely field a proper fighting force. And our farmers are treated as the enemy by a government that claims to care about food security.

This is not accidental mismanagement. It is the direct result of years of elite indifference to the concerns of the British people.

The donations received by Reform UK will fund the best research department British politics has ever seen. They will ensure our policies are properly costed and workable. And they will allow us to hire the best minds in every area in which expertise is required.

Professional organisers will be put into our target seats so that the impressive advances that have already been made can be converted into a working majority at the next general election.

Reform UK has grown to become the largest party in Britain, with more than 270,000 members who have done exceptional work to make us a presence in UK politics. Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo can be regarded as the cavalry who have come to join in the fight and help inject a sense of balance as we take on the Conservatives and Labour.

British politics deserves something fresh – a party with a real sense of mission. That is what Reform UK intends to provide. At our conference in Birmingham this month, I set out my plan for a Reform UK government. Ministers will be given 100 days to prove their worth. Each will make a specific pledge. If they fail to implement it, they will have to resign. No ifs, no buts.

I made this commitment because I knew that if I didn’t, voters would lose faith in politics and politicians forever. The Tories had 14 years to improve the country. They made it worse. Andy Burnham has asked the electorate to give him ten years to make his mark. This is as preposterous as it is insulting. Time is one luxury we cannot afford.

The old parties have had their chance. They have squandered it. Now the British people have a genuine alternative: a properly funded, professionally organised and determined party that will put this country’s interests first once more.

We will not be distracted by the usual howls of outrage from the Establishment. They always cry foul when their comfortable duopoly is threatened.

It must also be said that neither Christopher Harborne, nor Ben Delo, nor any other donor to Reform UK will receive a knighthood or a peerage in return for their donations. The cash-for-peerages scandals that have disgraced successive governments must be consigned to the dustbin of history. This money is an investment in democratic renewal, pure and simple.

The next election represents the last chance to save Britain. Vote Reform UK to get your country back.

By SIR JOHN CURTICE

Published: 22:30 BST, 12 September 2026 | Updated: 23:29 BST, 12 September 2026

Arteta: Unbelievable. Again. He’s a player that decides football matches when we need. Big credit to Sunderland as well, the way they play, the way they are coached. What they do because they are a really good time. I don’t want to take any credit out of them because they really deserve a lot of credit for how hard they make it for you. Not only that, in periods they play, have courage, and have a great understanding of what they have to do throughout the game. It’s been extremely tough, really happy that we’ve done it.

Benn’s new multi-fight deal with Zuffa begins with the first world title challenge of his 10-year career, having been installed as the WBC mandatory challenger at welterweight last year. It is his first return to the division since April 2022 and he had to complete a gruelling cut to make weight, revealing he had been “dragged to the pits of hell” in a bid to get down to 147lbs. But he did it successfully, before quickly piling it back on with no rehydration clause in place.

Your round-up of the key cases heard before Northern Irish courts during the week of September 7-11.

Cases before the courts in Northern Ireland this week included the trial of a Co Down farmer accused of causing unnecessary suffering and neglect to animals on his farm.

Another case saw a three-and-a-half year sentence imposed on a man who injured an off-duty policeman during an episode of cocaine-induced psychosis.

Meanwhile a warehouse operator who stabbed a man on the dancefloor of a Belfast nightclub in a revenge attack was jailed for 27 months.

Here is your round-up of the key cases heard before Northern Ireland courts during the week of September 7-11.

Belfast dad ‘walloped’ man with chair outside Wetherspoon’s

A Belfast man who hit another man with a metal chair in a street fight outside a bar in Carrickfergus was handed a suspended sentence on Monday.

Following his arrest, William McCullough told police “I picked it up and walloped him.” The 35-year old from Hopewell Crescent had a 16-month sentence imposed which was suspended for two years by Judge Gordon Kerr KC.

Belfast Crown Court heard that on Sunday February 18, 2024 police were called to a fight outside Wetherspoon’s on Carrick’s High Street.

The fight had been instigated by a woman who pushed another female and when CCTV was viewed, McCullough was captured defending himself against others.

READ MORE HERE

Man sawed his way into neighbour’s flat before setting it on fire

A man told police he had sawn his way into his neighbour’s flat and set fire to it “in retaliation for a complaint of harassment,” a court has heard.

Appearing in the dock of Newtownards Magistrates Court on Monday, 27-year-old Jack McClure was charged with six offences alleged to have been committed on Sunday September 6.

McClure, with an address at Balloo Walk in Bangor, was charged with arson with intent to endanger life, burglary with intent to steal as well as four drug offences, including possessing magic mushrooms, herbal cannabis, pregabalin and diazepam.

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Vet had to euthanise starving calf separated from its mother on farm

A Government vet told a jury how she humanely euthanised a starving calf that had been separated from its mother on a Co Down farm.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) vet was called to give evidence during the the trial being held at Belfast Crown Court.

Samuel Ernest Cooper, 71, of Derryleckagh Row in Newry, has been charged with a total of 17 charges spanning a five-month period.

The farmer has been charged with, and denies, ten counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, four of failing to hold a carcass, two counts of failing to have bovine animals tested and one of failing to keep a record of medicines.

The offences are alleged to have been committed on cows and sheep on dates between December 1, 2022 and May 19, 2023.

READ MORE HERE

Man who assaulted nursing staff while inpatient at Belfast hospital sentenced

A 28-month sentence was imposed upon a man who assaulted nursing staff whilst an inpatient in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

Gerard Kane was told he will serve half the term in prison followed by a 14-month period on licence when he is released from custody.

With an address as HMP Maghaberry, the 62-year old was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday for a total of six offences.

The court heard that on October 3 last year, police were called to the RVH by nursing staff due to the behaviour of Kane, who was an inpatient on a ward.

A member of staff reported that Kane has picked up a bin and tried to throw it at her. She said Kane then walked towards her with intent and she believed he was going to assault her.

After she moved out of his way and began walking to the nurse’s station, Kane followed her and made sexual gestures at her whilst glaring at her.

READ MORE HERE

‘An abuse of trust’: Care worker stole £30,000 from house-bound man

A care worker who stole more than £30,000 from a vulnerable, house-bound man over a five-year period was jailed on Friday for the “nasty” offence.

Nicola Beattie will spend a year in custody followed by a year on supervised licence for a charge of fraud by false representation.

As she jailed the 47-year old from Gilpin Park in Craigavon, Judge Natalie Pinkerton told Beattie her offence involved “gas-lighting” and manipulation.

Belfast Crown Court heard that in August 2016 Beattie, who worked as a carer for Homecare, was assigned as the keyworker for the vulnerable man.

He depended on Beattie to purchase his food and clothing as well as paying his household bills and expenses.

As he was an alcoholic, he had an alcohol management plan and Beattie also purchased alcohol for him in accordance with the plan.

When the lockdown restrictions ended at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the victim raised concerns with his daughter regarding his finances and said Beattie would not give him access to his bank statements.

He said that when he confronted Beattie, she took his bank statements – and when he told her he was going to report his concerns to Beattie’s manager, she took the contact card with the manager’s number on it and asked if he had any evidence.

READ MORE HERE

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Man stabbed on dancefloor of Belfast nightclub in revenge attack

A warehouse operator who stabbed a man on the dancefloor of a Belfast nightclub in a revenge attack has been jailed for 27 months.

Judge Natalie Pinkerton told Mohamed Abdul Hakeem that he would spend an identical period on supervised licence on his release from custody.

The 20-year-old, of Airfield Heights in West Belfast, had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Belfast Crown Court heard on Friday that on the evening of Sunday, August 31, 2024, the victim was out for the evening with some friends at Ollies nightclub in Waring Street.

It was the prosecution case that at around 2.20am the following morning the defendant approached his victim from behind and appeared to punch him in the back, before striking him a further three times to the lower back and legs.

A prosecution lawyer told the court that the incident was caught on CCTV cameras in the nightclub. The victim had sustained three stab wounds: One to his back, and two to his lower left leg.

READ MORE HERE

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Man who injured off-duty policeman during cocaine-induced psychosis sentenced

A three-and-a-half year sentence has been imposed upon a man who injured an off-duty policeman during a episode of cocaine-induced psychosis.

Kyle Knell was handed the sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Friday by Judge Philip Gilpin who divided the term equally between prison and licence.

From Tynan Drive in Newtownabbey, the 30-year old father of three was told his actions caused “significant harm to others.”

On January 6, 2025 Knell went to a hotel with friends where he consumed a large amount of alcohol and cocaine. His behaviour was erratic and he was captured on CCTV running through the reception area with no shirt on.

After leaving the hotel at around 8.45pm, he flagged down a motorist and got dropped off in a residential street in Co Antrim.

A female who recognised Knell was sitting in a parked car outside her parent’s home talking her to police officer partner on the phone when Knell approached the vehicle.

He started banging on her car door shouting “They’re trying to kill me … help me.”

The woman told her partner what was happening and he told her to hang up and get her father. Knell then approached the parents’ front door and pushed his way in shouting “Help me, they’re going to shoot me for ten grand.”

READ MORE HERE

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“In a lot of these countries, the average life expectancy of dogs is very low, and so the turnover of the dog population is quick,” Prof Lankester explained.

“So, if you vaccinate in year one and you hit your targets, but then you don’t vaccinate so much in year two and year three, very quickly you’ll lose herd immunity because unvaccinated puppies will be born and vaccinated dogs will die,” he said.

“You can go from 70 per cent coverage to below 40 per cent coverage within a year and a half, and once it’s below 40 per cent then rabies transmission can be sustained, and it will come back.”

As a case in point, rabies has re-emerged as a serious public health concern in Ukraine in recent years as a result of disruption to vaccination programmes and a surge in displaced and abandoned pets.

The number of people bitten by rabid animals with rabies increased from 780 in 2021 to 2,507 in 2024, according to data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.

What about culling? Are we neglecting an important tool that has helped bring rabies under control out of concern for animal rights?

It’s now quite hard to imagine the hero of a book written today coldly putting down a rabid dog, and you do not need to look far for evidence of how unpopular the idea of culling dogs, or even taking steps to remove them from cities, is.

Mass protests erupted in India last year after the country’s top court, acting on its own authority against what it called the public health “menace” of rabies, ordered the authorities to begin rounding up the city’s population of stray dogs and putting them into shelters.

Yet the order was welcomed by the family of Chhavi Sharma, a six-year-old girl who died from a rabies infection after being bitten by a stray dog in the Indian capital.

“I hope there are no more Chhavis, who are hurt elsewhere. Nobody should go through the cruel fate we underwent,” her aunt told local television.

Shane Lowry is in a commanding position at the top of the Irish Open leaderboard

Shane Lowry is eager to deliver a memorable performance for the Doonbeg spectators as he enters the final round with a commanding four-stroke advantage at the Irish Open, following a determined third-round 65.

The County Offaly golfer had to dig deep for his five-under-par score, producing a remarkable sequence of nine consecutive putts to maintain his cushion over the pursuing field as he chases his first individual victory in four years.

The 2019 Champion Golfer has rediscovered his finest form this week, striding confidently across the dunes while others have struggled in the challenging, blustery conditions.

“Fun,” is how Lowry has described his experience on the course this week, though he acknowledges he’ll be experiencing vastly different emotions on Sunday if he fails to secure a home triumph for the passionate supporters.

“I obviously want to try and enjoy it as much as I can, but there’s only one way in which I’m going to enjoy this tomorrow and we all know what that is. We’ll see how that goes,” he said.

“It’s been an amazing week so far, Ireland has done great again with another amazing golf tournament, and I’m happy to be on the top of the leaderboard, and I’m so excited to go out tomorrow and hopefully give myself a chance to win.”

Throughout the week, large galleries have tracked Lowry around the West Clare links,reports the Irish Mirror. Supporters remained on the course well past 7:30pm on Saturday evening, peering through the fading light to witness Lowry establish his position at the summit of the leaderboard.

“I look around at the crowd and the support I got. You know, it’s late on a Saturday night. People have kids out there and they have to get home,” he added.

“I’m chuffed that they stayed behind to support me, and hopefully they can come out tomorrow and give me some more support.”

It has been almost exactly four years since Lowry last claimed an individual title. Memorable Ryder Cup performances and a team triumph alongside Rory McIlroy carry their own significance, but securing silverware through individual brilliance brings a different level of satisfaction entirely.

The near misses have been plentiful. Perhaps most painfully at the Cognizant Classic earlier this year, when a commanding three-shot advantage evaporated in devastating fashion down the final stretch.

Lowry has proven himself capable of grinding out significant individual victories previously. He possesses the ability to deliver when it matters most, particularly on Irish links courses, as demonstrated at Baltray and Royal Portrush.

Breaking this prolonged winless streak has become increasingly important, and there could scarcely be a more fitting occasion than Sunday at Doonbeg to finally end the drought.

“I felt great out there, I really felt great out there. I was just staying in, shot by shot and was doing my thing,” he stated.

“It’s obviously going to be a big day for me tomorrow. I’m going out leading my home tournament, and it would mean the world to me to knock this one off.

“I’m gonna put my head down, get back to work whenever my tee time is and give it a run.”

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By CHRIS HASTINGS

Published: 21:17 BST, 12 September 2026 | Updated: 21:19 BST, 12 September 2026

The director of a controversial drama about the British Raj has called for the UK to pay India trillions in compensation for what he calls ‘200 years of enslavement’.

Nikkhil Advani, director of The Revolutionaries, which dramatises the violent exploits of a group of Indian ‘freedom fighters’, said he hoped the series would ‘highlight the atrocities’ inflicted by the British.

Advani admits the abhorrent behaviour of the show’s main character, based on the real-life Colonel Reginald Dyer, was portrayed as worse than it was in order to help whip up sympathy for the payment of reparations to India, which it has been suggested should be up to $56trillion (£41trillion).

The eight-part drama, streaming on Amazon Prime, does not hold back on depictions of cruelty. In the opening scenes, a character looks through a book of sketches depicting acts of brutality, which come alive as animations.

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One page shows a platoon of British soldiers marching through a wasteland of dead bodies, while another shows soldiers bayonetting the bodies of civilians.

The captions read: ‘They established the Empire on Indian corpses… But our soil witnessed everything.’

Director of The Revolutionaries Nikkhil Advani (pictured left) said he hoped the series would ‘highlight the atrocities’ inflicted by the British

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Actor Jason Shah playing Colonel Dyer in the film. The show’s decision to choose Colonel Dyer as a representation of the British Empire is likely to prove particularly controversial

Advani, 55, an award-winning Bollywood director, said: ‘I am an Indian who basically feels that the colonisation of 200 years and enslavement of 200 years was a catastrophic time. 

‘More than 100 years later we are still reeling under the fact we were raped, pillaged and plundered – that $56trillion is owed to us.’

The show’s decision to choose Colonel Dyer as a representation of the British Empire is likely to prove particularly controversial.

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Dyer ordered British troops to open fire on thousands of unarmed civilians at Amritsar in 1919, killing 379 and leading to him being known as the ‘Butcher of Amritsar’.

In the show, he is shown on horseback dragging a prisoner behind him, and firing a cannon with a prisoner strapped to the muzzle.

Advani has admitted it was ‘not a fair depiction’, but insisted he was using Dyer ‘as a representative of the retribution that happened’ during the Indian uprising.

Historian Jeremy Black accused Advani of offering a ‘clearly prejudiced’ history of the Raj.

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He said: ‘In practice, the British Raj relied heavily on Indian cooperation.’

The data, analysed by Tempcover and sourced from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), covers cars stolen between January 1 and June 30.

Electric and hybrid vehicles showed up in increased numbers in the overall top 20, which marked a shift in theft patterns.

For the whole of 2025, no fully electric cars were in the top 20, but four are included for the first half of 2026.

However, one car model topped the rankings for being the most stolen, and had a bit of a gap to second place.

What was the UK’s most stolen car in the first half of 2026?

The Nissan Juke Tekna CVT was the most stolen car for the first six months of 2026, with 197 thefts recorded.

This put it 37 ahead of the second most stolen model, the Toyota C-HR Dynamic HEV CVT, which saw 160 thefts.

Jake Lambert, temporary insurance expert at Tempcover, said: “This goes beyond just one car model; it signals a distinct tactical shift in vehicle crime.

“While high-value cars remain targets, the DVLA data highlights the heightened security risk facing mass-market keyless vehicles.”

Discussing why the Nissan Juke Tekna CVT might have topped the list, Jake explained: “High-volume crossovers like the Juke Tekna sit right at the intersection of widespread road presence and accessible technology.

“Because the Tekna is a high-spec trim, it features keyless entry and push-button start as standard, leaving it exposed to relay attacks, where thieves intercept fob signals to bypass the immobiliser.”

He noted the risk is not unique to the Juke, but common across most modern keyless vehicles.

Jake added: “High production volumes simply mean more cars on the road running the same technology, which pushes them higher in the national statistics.”

How to stop your car from being stolen

Some criminals use relay attacks to unlock cars, so you can combat this by placing the keys inside a metal box or signal-blocking wallet to block the signal.

The RAC also recommends parking in a well-lit public area to reduce the chances.

It adds: “If you need to use a car park, try to find one that’s security patrolled, covered by CCTV, or that is in a secure area.”

Utilising a steering lock or brake lock can also be helpful, and it could be useful to install a tracking device in case a thief gets away with your car.

Jake shared: “With pure EVs entering the top 20, security must keep pace with the tech.

“Beyond Faraday pouches and parking nose-in to block wiring access, EV owners must secure their companion app.

Recommended reading:

“If the app holds a digital key, set a PIN or biometric lock – a basic password isn’t enough.

“Lock charging cables to prevent component theft, and keep software updates active.

“But it’s still essential to get the basic habits right: don’t leave the app logged in on unlocked phones, and keep physical keys away from your front door.”

Have car thefts affected your area this year? Let us know in the comments.

The remote Yorkshire Dales farm provided the backdrop to Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm, with cameras documenting everything from lambing and snowstorms to raising nine children miles from the nearest large town.

Amanda, the Yorkshire Shepherdess, and her former husband, Clive Owen, became household names, along with their nine children: Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy.

But what is the famous farm actually like away from the television cameras?

Ravenseat Farm (Image: CHANNEL4)

Ravenseat is a sprawling hill farm covering around 2,000 acres in Upper Swaledale, one of the most remote parts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The traditional stone farmhouse is surrounded by fields, barns, dry-stone walls and open moorland.

It is not simply a picturesque television location.

Ravenseat remains a working sheep farm, with the seasons dictating the family’s routine.

Television viewers have seen the family lambing, shearing, making hay, feeding livestock and battling winter weather.

The isolation that viewers see on screen is also very real.

Ravenseat is around three-and-a-half miles west of the tiny village of Keld and is approached through miles of rural Upper Swaledale countryside.

Its remote position brings fast-changing weather, with snow and treacherous conditions repeatedly testing the Owen family on screen.

The old farmhouse has historic significance, too.

Ravenseat Farmhouse is a Grade II-listed stone building with a traditional stone-slate roof.

But for Amanda, the farm has always meant far more than its buildings.

The Owen children grew up there, surrounded by animals and helping with farm work from an early age.

That unconventional upbringing became one of Our Yorkshire Farm’s biggest attractions after its launch in 2018.

Viewers watched the children round up sheep, ride horses, operate machinery and head across the Dales.

As the children grew older, Ravenseat remained the link between their increasingly separate lives.

The Owen family from Our Yorkshire Farm and Our Farm Next Door (Image: CHANNEL4)

Raven has pursued a career in science but still returns to the farm.

Reuben turned his childhood love of machinery into a contracting business and television career, while Miles remains deeply involved in farming.

Sidney, too, has increasingly worked alongside his older brothers.

The younger children are now learning the farming skills viewers watched Raven, Reuben and Miles pick up years ago.

Ravenseat’s surroundings are familiar territory for walkers, too.

The Coast to Coast route passes nearby, while Keld and upper Swaledale offer waterfalls, moorland and traditional stone barns.

The landscape has become a character in the Owen family’s programmes in its own right.

Our Yorkshire Farm ended after five series, but Ravenseat stayed on television.

Amanda, Clive and their children returned in More4’s Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids.

That programme centres on the restoration of neighbouring historic farmhouse Anty John’s, but everyday life at Ravenseat continues to feature alongside the building work.

The latest series shows the family juggling the renovation with livestock, sheepdog training and other farm work.

More than eight years after Our Yorkshire Farm began, Ravenseat remains at the heart of the family’s story.

Anty John’s may be the new project and the Owen children may be forging lives of their own, but Ravenseat is where the television phenomenon began.

Ravenseat was closed to public access in 2022 and now operates as a private family farm, although walkers can still use public footpaths in the surrounding area.