By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 17:26 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 20:41 BST, 5 September 2026

All schools will have to sing the national anthem and fly the Union flag under a Reform UK government, Suella Braverman declared today.

The party’s education spokesman said there was a ‘need to show our young people what patriotism looks like’ as she addressed Reform’s conference in Birmingham.

Mrs Braverman claimed ‘too many’ British schools had seen the curriculum ‘hijacked by activists’.

‘Why are they teaching our kids they can be born in the wrong body?’ she said. ‘Why are they teaching our kids about how racist Britain is?

Advertisement

‘Why are they teaching our kids about white privilege? This is why we need to save our schools.

‘We need to show our young people what patriotism looks like if they’re going to have any sense of how great this country is.’

All schools will have to sing the national anthem and fly the Union flag under a Reform UK government, Suella Braverman declared today

Advertisement

The party’s education spokesman said there was a ‘need to show our young peope what patriotism looks like’ as she addressed Reform’s conference in Birmingham

Mrs Braverman added: ‘And that’s why, under a Reform government, every school will sing the national anthem and our great hymns.

‘And under a Reform government, every school will be obliged to fly the Union flag. Radical ideas, I know. Controversial.’

Mrs Braverman – a former Tory home secretary who defected to Reform in January –  also used her conference speech on Saturday to pledge to cut funding for ‘Mickey Mouse’ university courses within weeks of Reform winning the next general election.

Advertisement

‘Within the first 100 days of the next Reform government, I will cut taxpayer funding to student loans and tuition fees for Mickey Mouse degrees by 20 per cent,’ she said.

‘The bottom set of courses that offer dreadful, dreadful, appalling value for money, poor teaching and zero job prospects will all have their public funding cut.

‘You want to study gender studies? Pay for it yourself.’

Mrs Braverman said the cash would be redirected towards vocational courses.

Advertisement

She was among the final speakers at the end of Reform’s three-day conference in Birmingham.

The gathering ended with party leader Nigel Farage, Mrs Braverman and other senior figures singing the national anthem on stage. 

Every day on Criminal Record we will be bringing you a round-up of the biggest crime stories of the day.

If you love to read about crime in Scotland – this is the place to be every day.

Here’s what has been making the news across the country on Saturday.

Ex-Ayr United star unmasked as drugs courier

Former Ayr United footballer, Paul Shepherd, was jailed for more than nine years after being exposed as a trusted courier for a major drug gang through the EncroChat hack.

The 48-year-old, was caught with a fist-sized bag of cocaine and a phone loaded with the highly encrypted messaging platform when he was arrested in Leeds in April 2020.

What officers did not know at the time was that French investigators had already infiltrated EncroChat – a service used by criminals around the world who believed their messages could never be traced.

The breakthrough gave police access to thousands of conversations between organised crime figures and would ultimately help bring down the four-man gang Shepherd was working for.

Read more: Ex-Ayr United star unmasked as ‘trusted courier’ for underworld drug gang

Edinburgh Asda taped off by police

A man is in a ‘serious condition’ in hospital after being found outside an Edinburgh supermarket late last night. Emergency services were called to Asda Chesser Supercentre on Slateford Road, near the Corn Exchange, shortly before 11pm on Friday, September 4.

Advertisement

Police locked down the scene after a 26-year-old man was found injured. He was taken to hospital where doctors have described his condition as “serious”.

In images shared on social media, police vehicles can be seen in the Asda store car park with their blue lights flashing. Police officers were also spotted wearing blue gloves and searching through the trolley area outside the store.

Read more: Edinburgh Asda taped off by police after injured man found in ‘serious condition’

Drug gang enforcers face jail

Drug mob lieutenants linked to notorious Scots gangsters Jamie “Iceman” Stevenson and Stephen “Jimmy” Jamieson are facing jail after a savage attack which left a man scarred for life.

Two of Jamieson’s brothers, his dad, and a member of his drug dealing gang are all awaiting sentence following the assault and the resulting violence. Street valium kingpin Gary Jamieson and cocaine dealer Steven Caddis set upon their victim at a remote cottage.

Jimmy’s dad George and brother Darren were then arrested for assaulting police officers investigating the attack. Caddis is one of Jimmy’s closest allies, and they were jailed together in 2009 after police busted their multi-million pound drug ring in a sting similar to hit American TV series The Wire.

Jimmy is an associate of Jamie Stevenson, who is also nicknamed Bull. Stevenson is serving a 16-year sentence for trying to import £100million worth of cocaine into Scotland from South America.

Read more: Drug gang enforcers linked to Scots kingpins face jail after savage attack

Homeless hotel crime figures not released

Police Scotland has refused to release crime figures linked to a “hellhole” homeless hotel claiming concerns over “heightened community tensions”.

The Queen’s Park Hotel – which houses homeless people and asylum seekers in Glasgow’s leafy southside – has long been a flashpoint of drugs, sex offences and violence.

Despairing neighbours on Balvicar Drive have demanded action after being too scared to leave their homes. The latest incidents saw residents of the hotel allegedly injecting heroin on the pavement outside and a man stabbed nearby.

The Record issued a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Police Scotland to determine the scale of the anti-social behaviour recorded at the hotel since July 2025.

Read more: Police refuse to release crime figures linked to ‘hellhole’ homeless hotel in Glasgow

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

By GETHIN HICKS, REPORTER

Published: 19:07 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 20:16 BST, 5 September 2026

A fire near Paddington station has sparked chaos on London‘s trains as services to and from Heathrow Airport were suspended this evening. 

Photos posted to social media showed smoke billowing above the Paddington area of north-west London on Saturday afternoon. 

The blaze is thought to have started near Old Oak Common, causing a loss of power to a cable line between Paddington and West Ealing.

It meant that all lines from to and from Heathrow were suspended this afternoon with Heathrow Express and Reading overground services significantly effected. London Underground trains through west London were also delayed. 

Advertisement

Transport for London said the Elizabeth Line is suspended between Paddington and Heathrow terminals four and five. The line to Abbey Wood, meanwhile, is experiencing severe delays. 

Great Western Railway earlier warned that services could be cancelled, delayed or terminated at Reading until 7pm at the earliest. Disruption is however expected to continue until the end of the day.

Those flying out of Heathrow this evening have been warned to allow ‘extra time’ for their journeys.

‘Heathrow Express and @TfL Elizabeth Line services are currently suspended due to a fire alert near Paddington,’ the airport’s account posted on X. 

Advertisement

Photos posted to social media showed smoke billowing above the Paddington area of north-west London on Saturday evening

‘We advise passengers to allow extra time for their journeys. We apologise for any inconvenience.’ 

Great Western Railway posted: ‘Due to failure of the electricity supply between London Paddington and Reading, all lines are blocked. 

Advertisement

‘Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 19.00.’ 

The blaze came just hours after staff at Heathrow were forced to close an entire runway following the outbreak of a nearby grass fire. 

Firefighters and emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after midday to tackle the blaze, which left smoke billowing above the terminal. 

Heathrow’s southern runway was subsequently closed, causing a number of flights to be delayed. 

Advertisement

One arriving from San Francisco was diverted away from London to Manchester, while another from San Diego was forced to land in Birmingham. 

Flyers took to social media to complain about the disruption, with one writing: ‘The one time I fly from Heathrow, it’s down to one runway and the trains down are disrupted by swans on the tracks. Can’t make it up.’ 

Another added: ‘Fun morning at London Heathrow Airport with a grass fire being dealt with beside runway 27L.’

It came just hours after a grass fire forced staff at Heathrow Airport to shut the southern runway

Advertisement

Heathrow confirmed that the southern runway reopened later on Saturday in a statement. 

It said: ‘Earlier today our teams acted quickly to safely resolve a grass fire adjacent to the southern runway. Thanks to their swift response, the fire was extinguished quickly and both runways are fully operational.

‘A huge thank you to everyone involved. We apologise for any disruption and thank passengers for their patience and understanding. We wish everyone a safe onward journey.’

 

Advertisement

The London Fire Brigade was approached for comment.  

The Box will see ten celebrities thrown into mystery locations to take on a range of different tasks with little to no instructions.

All of the action will be overseen by former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.

What is The Box on ITV?

The show’s synopsis reads: “Brand new game show hosted by Gary Lineker.

“Plunged into the unknown while enclosed in a box, ten celebrities emerge in mystery locations to face their fears in tricky challenges.”

The celebrities will have to take on different challenges that might be physical, funny or both with little explanation about how they survive in the game.

The episodes will end with The Duel, which is a showdown between the last two contestants standing with the loser being forced to leave the competition.

While Gary Lineker is best known for his time on Match of the Day as well as hosting The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, he has also had some experience in hosting game shows in the past.

He presented the ITV quiz show Sitting on a Fortune from 2021 to 2023.

Who is taking part in The Box?

The line-up for The Box includes a range of celebrities from sports personalities to comedians.

Here are all 10 of the celebrities taking part in the new show:

• Joey Essex – The Only Way is Essex star
• John Bercow – former Commons Speaker
• Jenny Ryan – The Chase star
• JB Gill – JLS singer
• Danny Aarons – YouTuber
• Ranvir Singh – Lorraine presenter
• Sara Davies – Dragons’ Den favourite
• Graeme Souness – former footballer
• Ellie Taylor – comedian and actress
• Shakira Khan – Love Islander

When is The Box on TV?

You do not have to wait long to watch the show, as the first episode is airing on ITV 1 tonight (Saturday, September 5).

The show will be coming on straight after The Voice UK at 8.15pm.

However, if you cannot wait to enjoy the action, the first two episodes of The Box are already available to stream on ITV X.

Will you be watching the new ITV game show The Box? Let us know in the comments.

Writing for Belfast Live, Robert Murtagh, National Officer for the FDA in NI, argues that the impartiality of the civil service must not become collateral damage in a rising political temperature.

Advertisement

On Monday, the Assembly returns after summer recess. The summer is often used as a time to recharge and reset, a time when politics goes a bit quiet, while the government machine ticks over quietly in the background.

However, it’s fair to say that there has been no let-up in politics this Summer, from a new Prime Minister in Westminster, a new Health Minister, the re-emergence of the Drumcree dispute, a cattle cull at Fivemiletown, and discussions without outcomes on the budget and subsequent limits on NI department spending, leading to questions on whether Stormont will even last.

If this summer is anything to go by, we are in for a difficult eight months until the election in May.

Rising political tensions between parties ahead of an election is nothing new nor is it specific to NI. However, the impact in NI is much starker; we all know our system of government is very different, with parties ideologically opposed to each other forced to work together as a result of our power-sharing arrangements.

With a list of issues as long as Lough Neagh, from agreement on a budget and public sector pay awards, A5, Casement Park, SEN reform or the Good Jobs Bill, there is limited time and bandwidth to deliver on the programme for government commitments before the election.

Political point scoring between parties, particularly between those in the Executive, will make resolving these thorny issues even harder, and while parties will scramble to attribute blame when delivery falls short, it is as inevitable as rain in winter that a finger will be pointed at civil servants. There is already regular commentary that the civil service is ‘bloated’ and that it suffers from a ‘silo-mentality’. Criticisms that are often repeated, yet never really hold up under scrutiny.

It’s an immutable fact that civil servants in NI operate in a system that was never designed to deliver the most effective form of government, yet this is precisely what is asked of them.

Giving the civil service a kicking has become a favoured pastime for some commentators and even some politicians. There have been occasions recently where MLAs have engaged in criticism of officials that is both personal and insulting. We’ve seen an MLA baselessly accuse officials of “lying” to a Stormont committee and, disgracefully, a few MLAs backing a call from a lobby organisation for officials to resign within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing that MLAs shouldn’t scrutinise civil servants.

Civil servants aren’t perfect, and things can go wrong. However, as the political heat begins to boil and MLAs do their best to secure their seats, it is incumbent that mudslinging and vilification aren’t conveniently packaged as ‘scrutiny or accountability’. Officials who appear before the Assembly do so to answer serious questions about policy, operational delivery, and to account for use of public money; they are not there to be political spokespeople for their Minister – that’s what party press officers are for.

I don’t believe that most MLAs necessarily set out to do this, and politics must allow for open debate and discussion. This can sometimes be emotional; after all, government affects almost every facet of people’s lives. But we must never allow emotion or political point-scoring to undermine the fundamental principle that underpins the civil service, impartiality.

Officials serve the government of the day, whatever party/parties that comes from, without fear or favour. It is this principle that means officials cannot defend themselves publicly, nor can they (or should they) express a political view. But it isn’t just civil servants who have a responsibility to uphold that; there is also an obligation on Ministers and MLAs, and this starts by respecting the role of civil servants and ensuring scrutiny and accountability is proportionate, evidence-based and balanced.

I am concerned that the febrile political atmosphere that is likely to continue or get worse will see officials caught in the middle. For this reason, I have written to the Speaker of the Assembly, Edwin Poots, to ask him to remind MLAs that when officials appear before the Assembly, they do so as part of their professional duties, and the right to respect and dignity in the workplace still applies, and impartiality must not be brought into question.

A former senior civil servant told me recently, ‘Government is hard, government in NI is harder’. Officials are not naïve to the political environment we operate in, but if we want government to even have a chance of succeeding between now and May, we must keep civil servants out of the political crossfire.

The impartiality of the civil service must not become collateral damage in a rising political temperature.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) marked its 25th anniversary in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, with all the trappings a diplomatic milestone demands.

There were 21 heads of state and government present for a ceremonial “family photo” and two-page Bishkek Declaration on September 1. A further 28 agreements included “strengthening multilateral partnership in nuclear safety and nuclear security”.

On the face of it, the SCO appeared to be a confident bloc speaking with one voice for roughly a quarter of humanity, while representing between 23% and 25% of global GDP.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation countries:

The real picture, however, is far less flattering. A quarter of a century in, it remains primarily a forum for multiple parallel bilateral engagements and deals between leaders. So far, so functional.

What the SCO has never become in 25 years is a body able to adjudicate the disputes its members bring to the room – still less, the ones they wage outside.

At its best, the SCO has been something narrower: a vehicle for bilateralism which lets its most powerful members strike deals and settle scores. As they often do this in very public ways, the messages they send more often than not are for domestic consumption, to present themselves as staunch defenders of strategic national interests.

Take the plenary address by the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. With Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif at the same table, Modi declared that “there can be no place for double standards” in dealing with terrorism, and that “terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone”. He further called for dismantling “the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens”.

Modi did not need to name Pakistan to make it clear who he was aiming his remarks at. Everyone in the room – and at home – will have recognised this as the language India uses to criticise Pakistan for its alleged support of transnational terrorist networks.

The added benefit of the SCO summit for Modi was that he was able to deliver this criticism directly into Sharif’s face.

Modi then made a second point, noting that it is essential to “respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries”. Without saying it directly, this worked as a rebuke for Russia’s war against Ukraine, China’s Belt-and-Road corridor through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and for Pakistan’s claims to territory that India considers its own.

A statement like that not only makes Modi look good at home. It also offers something for India’s partners in the west – who can read it as a criticism of Russia. And it helps shore up India’s traditional role as a champion of the global south – including against Chinese or Russian aspirations in this regard.

Modi also had a more direct message for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, which he delivered in person and on the record. “Every day spent in war pushes humanity backwards,” he told the Russian president after their customary hug, before emphasising the need to move “from an endless war towards an end to the war”.

While there is a more constructive, less antagonistic bilateral relationship between India and Russia compared with India and Pakistan, it was a notably pointed line. All the more so as it was delivered in public to a fellow leader of a bloc built partly around the idea that its members offer each other unconditional solidarity against the west.

This is not the first time Modi has publicly called on Putin to end the war. He also condemned the deaths of Ukrainian children in a Russian missile strike just as the two leaders had a bilateral summit in Moscow in 2024.

Putin scurries for support

Putin came to Bishkek with the busiest bilateral schedule of any leader. Across the two days of the summit, he met with Modi, Xi Jinping of China and Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran – as well as the presidents of Tajikistan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and the attending non-SCO members Turkey and Armenia.

Impressive as this may seem, it is hardly a sign of strength. Because of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him, Putin’s personal diplomacy is confined to venues like the SCO and sometimes the Brics – the organisation of emerging economies which began with Brazil, Russia, India and China, but has since expanded considerably in size and influence.

This is hardly a good look for the leader of a would-be great power that has also suffered recent setbacks in its influence and leverage elsewhere in the world, from Syria to Venezuela to Mali.

Three leaders, three agendas

Xi, by contrast, was strikingly selective. His only confirmed bilateral meeting was with Putin. This can be seen as a possible signal that Beijing increasingly views the SCO as a lower-value event than its own direct channels with individual capitals, or forums such as Brics.

It was striking that Xi then headed straight to Cairo for his first state visit in a decade to Egypt, a country that has been a member of the enlarged Brics since 2024. That organisation’s summit begins in New Delhi on September 12.

So, each of the organisation’s “big three” leaders extracted something different and specific from the summit. But none of that depended on the SCO functioning as a collective voice.

This doesn’t suggest the SCO is meaningless. Its summits generate bilateral engagements and agreements, and opportunities for members to project non-western solidarity to their domestic and international audiences.

But Bishkek’s real anniversary message was not the declaration its leaders signed. Rather, it was the way in which the organisation’s three dominant leaders, Xi, Modi and Putin, used the forum to pursue three entirely separate agendas – and left having resolved none of the issues that divide them.

Last week Holly gave birth to twins Georgie and Marley four months early

Holly Ditchfield, who shot to fame on Married At First Sight UK, has revealed her newborn twins have died.

Last week she announced she had given birth to twins Georgie and Marley four months early. Holly and partner Aaron Summers welcomed their two sons after just 23 weeks of pregnancy.

They were immediately cared for on a neonatal intensive care unit but today, Holly announced both twins had died within hours of one another, reports the Mirror.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “My beautiful boys, Georgie & Marley. It has been the hardest, most heartbreaking, yet most magical 9 days of our lives. At 1pm on 03/09/2026, our darling Georgie peacefully passed away. Then, at 5am on 04/09/2026, his beautiful brother Marley followed him.

Advertisement

“My boys both took their final breaths in the arms of me and their daddy. There is no greater privilege, and no greater pain, than holding your children as they leave this world.

“They gave us the most precious week of our lives. A week I would live over and over again, just to have those moments with them. To hold them. To look at them. To love them. To be their mummy and daddy.”

Holly said “nothing could prepare” her for losing her children in a heartfelt post.

“My boys are together again now, just as they should be, and I pray with all my heart that they are finally at peace. Nothing could ever prepare you for losing your children.

“Nothing prepares you for having to walk your babies to a mortuary. We have seen and faced more in these 9 days than I ever imagined possible, and my heart feels completely bruised,” she wrote.

“My body feels different. It feels like a part of me is no longer here, because a part of me truly isn’t. I miss my boys more than words could ever explain.

“I would have given absolutely everything to have watched Georgie and Marley grow, to hear their voices, watch them take their first steps, and see the beautiful lives they deserved to have.”

Concluding, she wrote: “But for 9 precious days, they were here. They were ours. They were loved beyond measure. And they will forever be our beautiful boys.

“Please, I ask everyone to respect how incredibly difficult this is for me and Aaron right now. We are trying to process a pain no parent should ever have to know.

READ MORE: Drug gang enforcers linked to Scots kingpins face jail after savage attack

READ MORE: Young dad in race against time to marry sweetheart after sudden diagnosis

“Georgie & Marley, thank you for giving us the most precious 9 days of our lives. You will forever be our sons, our babies, and the biggest part of our hearts. Until we meet again, my beautiful boys. Mummy & Daddy love you forever.”

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at childbereavementuk.org or you can call them on 0800 02 888 40.

Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

This ended up being a fairly quiet Deadline Day for United. After adding Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to the squad earlier in the summer, they opted against making late moves despite appearing to require improved defensive depth. Joshua Zirkzee was subject to a late loan proposal from Everton, but this was rejected.

Swansea City play host to Wrexham at the Swansea.com Stadium this evening in Championship action.

These two played a dramatic encounter the last time they met in SA1, with the home side scoring two late goals to stun their opponents.

Swansea are flying high this time around, having earned 10 points from their opening four games. They currently sit top of the pile and could extend their lead over Middlesbrough with a win over their north Wales rivals.

Wrexham, meanwhile, got their campiagn up and running with a 3-0 win over Millwall in midweek.

Swansea have made three changes for this clash, with Jay Fulton, Moussa Yeo and Melker Widell all starting from the off.

For Wrexham, Phil Parkinson has made five alterations of his own, with Kieffer Moore starting from the bench. New signing Callum O’Hare, however, makes his full debut.

Tonight’s game is being shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Swansea City: Vigouroux; Key, Lissah, Welsh, Tymon; Fulton; Yeo, Widell, Eustaquio, Eom; Idah

Subs: Fisher, Seelt, Cabango, Stamenic, Just, Vipotnik, Parente, Opoku, Ronald

Wrexham: Patterson; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle; Imray, M.James, Whiteman, Longman; Rathbone, O’Hare; Smith

Subs: Ward, Ekomie, Worrall, Windass, Cadamarteri, Kabore, Moore, Vyner, O’Brien

Kick-off is at 8pm and you can follow live updates below.

We’ll reveal the winning National Lottery numbers right here for both Saturday night’s Lotto and Thunderball draws. Tonight’s Lotto jackpot stands at £6.8m, while the top prize on Thunderball is £500,000 – and the latter is not shared, the lucky winner has it all to themselves.

The winning National Lottery Lotto numbers are drawn at 8pm while the Thunderball numbers are drawn shortly after. We’ll have those all important results live below. The National Lottery says it creates over nine million winners each week, with an average of seven new millionaires.

The biggest ever Lotto winner was created in April 2016 when an anonymous player banked £35m. A single ticket won £26.4m on the New Year’s Eve lotto in 2016.

A married couple from the Vale of Glamorgan won £1m on the Lotto just last month. The couple in their 60s, said they played the same numbers for decades. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here