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Government’s plans to house 1,200 male migrants in Piddington are ‘ambiguous’ and pose ‘avoidable’ risks, council says in scathing formal objection

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The Oxfordshire village of Piddington, where the villagers are up in arms over the proposed migrant centre being built next to their tiny village

The Government’s plans to house more than 1,200 male migrants in Piddington are ‘ambiguous’ and pose ‘avoidable’ risks, the council has said.

Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire has formally objected to Home Office proposals to house 1,256 male asylum seekers at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Bicester site near Piddington.

The proposal has sparked anger in the village, which has a population of around 350, driving residents to vote to leave the UK in a symbolic independence ‘referendum’ on Wednesday.

In its response to the Government’s planning application, the district council hit out at what it called ‘unresolved ambiguity’ in its plans for the site.

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It accused the Government of having submitted a ‘concept’ rather than a ‘sufficiently defined full development’, with several elements missing from its application, including a proposed layout.

‘The absence of evidence is not automatically proof of harm,’ the council said, ‘but where the applicant bears the burden of describing the proposal and demonstrating acceptable effects, unresolved ambiguity cannot be treated as a neutral factor.’

It added: ‘The claimed urgency does not justify an avoidable risk to occupiers, local communities or the environment.’

The council pointed to several potential problems with the site, which is a former defence storage and distribution centre.

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The Oxfordshire village of Piddington, where the villagers are up in arms over the proposed migrant centre being built next to their tiny village

A sign is displayed on a fence surrounding a former military base that will be used to house asylum seekers

A sign is displayed on a fence surrounding a former military base that will be used to house asylum seekers

It raised concerns about wastewater provisions, surface-water flooding, the ecological impact of the site, access arrangements and the impact on the local community.

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The council called for an assessment of the former military site, which it said could house ‘asbestos-containing materials’ and unexploded ordnance.

Piddington parish councillor Mike Nixon previously said the site has no pedestrian access areas, and the Government has suggested issuing asylum seekers with high-visibility jackets to keep them safe while walking along a busy road, the B4011.

In planning documents, the Government described the site as having ‘limited’ pedestrian access, with travel on foot ‘not recommended’, adding shuttle buses may be provided as an alternative.

The district council said: ‘Advice, high-visibility vests and encouragement to use a shuttle are not a safe pedestrian network and are considered to be a meaningless exercise that will not deviate natural behaviour and curiosity.’

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Included in the council’s objection is a draft response from Thames Valley Police.

The force warned the entrance to the site could become ‘a focus for protest activity, creating potential conflict with construction traffic, staff and other site users’.

Police also raised concerns about residents’ privacy, adding the site’s proximity to the B4011 could increase the risk of ‘observation, filming, harassment, hostile attention or protest’.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and shadow minister for women and equalities Joy Morrissey (left) speak with residents of Piddington

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and shadow minister for women and equalities Joy Morrissey (left) speak with residents of Piddington

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The council said it acknowledged the ‘national importance and asserted urgency’ of providing asylum accommodation and emphasised it is not objecting because of ‘the identity or status of future residents’.

Rather, it said, its objection is based on the ‘land-use acceptability’ of the proposed site and the ‘level of detail’ submitted in the Government’s application.

Approval for the application rests with Housing Secretary Angela Rayner.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: ‘The Government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1 billion on asylum support since the election.

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‘We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites which are designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community.

‘As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area.’

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how this medieval wonder was reinvented for modern times

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how this medieval wonder was reinvented for modern times

The Bayeux tapestry is back after a thousand years. Made in England at the end of the 11th century, the 70-metre masterpiece has returned for the first time in a blockbuster exhibition at the British Museum.

The origins of this embroidery are mysterious. Although there is general agreement now that it was most likely designed by the monks of St Augustine’s in Canterbury, and crafted by highly skilled embroideresses, so much of its medieval life is unknowable.

The tapestry may have been commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, possibly as a gift for William the Conqueror, his half brother. It could have been displayed in the refectory of a monastery, or draped magisterially at a palace or church of immense political power.

There is evidence of other vast, but now lost, early medieval tapestries. A 12th-century chronicle known as the Liber Eliensis tells of a tapestry donated to Ely Abbey by Æfflæd, formidable widow of Byrhtnoth, the ealdorman (regional governor) of Essex who died at the Battle of Maldon in 991.

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But nothing survives that compares with the Bayeux tapestry. The inventory of Bayeux cathedral is where it emerges into the historical record, but this was written in 1476 – around 400 years after the last stitches were embroidered. No one knows how it made its way to Bayeux.

What we do know is that this remarkable early medieval tapestry occupies a unique position in European history, culture and politics. It continues to re-emerge as an object that inspires important creative, artistic and political acts in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Bayeux tapestry-style opening credits of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).

Where does its modern history begin?

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, we should look to the Victorian period – and, perhaps more surprisingly, to Staffordshire. In the mid-1880s, Elizabeth Wardle, a founder and superintendent of the Leek Embroidery Society and highly learned and skilled artisan, made a replica of the tapestry in collaboration with around 35 needlewomen.

She visited Bayeux, consulted facsimiles held by the Victoria & Albert Museum, and led her collective so that this new Bayeux tapestry could be exhibited in June 1886.

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In a connection with the original embroidery, Wardle’s replica would also leave England, although this time to tour the United States. In 1895, the replica was bought by a former mayor of Reading and is now displayed in Reading Museum.

In 1944, the American artist and designer Rea Irvin reworked the tapestry to commemorate the D-Day landings for the cover of the New Yorker magazine. In the opening scene of Irvin’s reimagining, Edward the Confessor and Harold become King George VI, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Troops travel by plane and tank rather than boat and horse. A swastika flies from a castle’s tower.

A detail from Rea Irvin’s New Yorker cover from July 15 1944, re-imagining the D-Day landings in the style of the Bayeux tapestry.
Bayeux Museum

Irvin’s re-envisioning recreated the tapestry to accentuate the historical significance of D-Day. It engaged with the tapestry’s interest in morality to reflect on the politics of the second world war, the horror of Nazism, and the heroics of the Allied troops.

The sheer ubiquity of the Bayeux tapestry was cemented from the second half of the 20th century, featuring in films as diverse as Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and Shrek the Third (2007). Now, the embroidery has a strange familiarity – no doubt known to millions in one form or another – and is rightly celebrated as a piece of cultural heritage.

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Its status as cultural icon, however, threatens to disguise its complexities. The difficulties of the tapestry – making sense of the sometimes bawdy and often violent scenes within its margins, for example – might also be said to be an invitation to contemporary artists and thinkers to respond.

The opening credits for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Artist Fiona Banner’s installation 1066, first exhibited in 2010, is what she calls a “still film” – a textual account of an image written on gallery walls, which defamiliarises the tapestry and asks viewers to try to see it with fresh eyes.

Politics is central to the tapestry’s origin, story and history. As a document of conquest, for some it forms part of the myth known as “The Norman Yoke”, bound up in ideas of English exceptionalism.

This may explain why Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wore a tie decorated with scenes from the Bayeux tapestry so often in the years running up to the Brexit referendum. At the time, he said it was a reminder “of the last time we were invaded and taken over”.

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Similarly, it may be why the Sun newspaper commemorated the UK’s departure from the EU by making its own Brexit-inspired version, the “Bye-EU tapestry”.

A laughing man wearing a Bayeux tapestry tie.
Nigel Farage with Bayeux tapestry tie in 2014.
Keith Larby / Alamy

There is only one Bayeux tapestry. Or perhaps we should say there is only one medieval Bayeux tapestry, because for the last couple of centuries, this wonder of medieval art has demanded creative and cultural responses, and new Bayeux tapestries have emerged.

This is both down to the tapestry’s sophisticated artistry, and because so many of its details continue to stir up debate and conversation – ranging from its possible political commitments to how many images of penises it contains.

The history of this embroidery, in both the middle ages and modernity, teaches us that surviving medieval objects move through time in ways more complicated than we might expect. The most important lesson, perhaps, is that the past never stays in the past for long.

The Bayeux tapestry is on display at the British Museum until July 2027

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Thousands join protest outside Kennedy Center, expressing concern that Trump might tear it down

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Thousands join protest outside Kennedy Center, expressing concern that Trump might tear it down

Thousands of people joined outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Friday evening to protest President Donald Trump‘s plans for the facility, lending their voices to a chorus of organizations and individuals who have been horrified that he might make good on his threat to close and tear down the storied institution.

The crowd streamed in from the nearest subway stop, crowding streets in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington and locking down traffic as they walked, many carrying signs, as they joined in “Hands Around the Kennedy Center.” Many carried signs, wore costumes and booed when the president was mentioned during the program.

Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which set up the gathering, said in an interview that he hoped the event would show that people are willing to fight to keep Trump’s plans for the building at bay.

One of the most iconic buildings on the Potomac River waterfront, the Kennedy Center has been a focus of Trump’s remake of Washington since 2025, when he began installing favorites onto its governing board. Late last year, he had his named placed on the center. A judge ruled that Trump’s name was illegally added and ordered it removed.

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The Kennedy Center board, which is aligned with the president, voted Tuesday to close the center indefinitely for repairs hours after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked their plans to return Trump’s name to the building. On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it.

Raleigh said he, like others, is concerned that Trump could take the step without notifying the court. “Look at the East Wing,” he said. “We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there.”

Raleigh said the Kennedy Center is more in the public eye than the East Wing was. He added he doesn’t believe the president fully understands why people are so upset “but that’s our job right? This may be the line that no one expected but this is where the line is going to be.”

A landmark of the preforming arts has gone silent

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Protesters talked about the importance of the center as the pinnacle of the nation’s performing arts world.

Bud Wilkinson, a local member of the arts community, set up a chalkboard with Trump’s name written on it hundreds of times. Protesters flocked to him to erase the names and replace them with hearts.

“The Kennedy Center is vital to the arts in Washington. We need it. We need this,” Wilkinson said. “This is not just about putting the president’s name on the Kennedy Center. It’s about censoring the performances and the programming. That’s what started all this. So that’s what the nitty-gritty really is about this. So I want to replace all of this with love. That’s why there’s a heart.”

Alina Baciu talked about the opportunities and relationships that students at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts have with the center and how those relationships might be impacted by what’s going on.

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Her daughter had numerous opportunities to take advantage of all the center had to offer as a student at Duke Ellington, she said. “I mean, they borrowed the beautiful costumes and the beautiful dresses from the Washington National Opera for their performances at Duke Ellington,” she said. They also performed on the center’s Millennium Stage.

“All of those things have gone away because of this craziness. And it just hurts my heart,” Baciu said.

Laura Steinberg, a volunteer for the last 10 years, said the loss of performances has already been heart- wrenching. “This reminds me of that picture from Tiananmen Square, where that young man stood in front of the tank,” she said of the throngs present. “This was my visceral response to this. I’ll stand in front of the wrecking ball if it’s going to come to that. My guess is many of these people would come down because we saw what he did to the East Wing. Nobody thought he would actually do it. So I think the shock has mobilized people.”

Friday’s event followed a tumultuous week in federal courts in Washington where filings and counter-filings flooded the courts as the administration continues pushing for the president’s vanity projects. The administration has made substantive steps to begin work on a number of projects, despite the fact they are still being litigated. Such projects include Trump’s triumphal arch and the administration’s takeover of East Potomac Golf Links and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

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Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was willing to save the center, which he said was losing money. He did not address a question about demolishing it.

“We have a lot of people working very hard on it to save it,” he said. “I can save it easily, but why should we be doing that and then raise money for the rest of our lives to keep it afloat? Because that’s what you have to do, if we get no recognition. I think the Trump administration should be recognized as having saved the Kennedy Center.”

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Earl Spencer doubles down on King allegations as fresh claims published

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Earl Spencer doubles down on King allegations as fresh claims published

Speaking about an alleged row over Diana’s funeral arrangements involving her sons, the earl said: “(The King) went ballistic, would be the right term, and started really going for my family as a whole, about their sense of duty, not being adequate enough, and ranted for a while, I have no idea how long, but it was a significant period, and I just listened.

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Two police forces declare ‘dispersal zone’ for Millwall vs West Ham derby match

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Daily Mirror

Cops have implemented a second dispersal zone ahead of the first east London derby match in 14 years as Millwall host West Ham and The Den on Saturday lunchtime

A second ‘dispersal zone’ has been announced by police in connection to the Millwall vs West Ham east London football derby match on Saturday.

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The two east London clubs are due to meet at Millwall’s home of the Den for the first time since 2012 at 12:30pm on Saturday (September 19). In the days leading up to the notorious game, two police forces have implemented dispersal orders for the match.

Metropolitan Police chiefs declared a section 35 dispersal order is around the Bermondsey stadium and nearby neighbourhoods. This order grants police the authority to instruct people to vacate a public area within a specified zone.

“As with any fixture, the Sporting Events Act 1985 is in place, which means entering or attempting to enter a ground while intoxicated is strictly prohibited,” said the Met. “A Section 35 dispersal order will also be in place, allowing officers to remove anyone causing disorder.”

Now, City of London Police have implemented a second section 35 order, covering the Square Mile and several bridges spanning the Thames.

A spokesperson for City of London Police said: “To assist the policing operation around the Millwall v West Ham match, from 8am today, we’re putting a S35 order in place.

“If someone is contributing to crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour, they can be told to leave and not return for a specified period. It lasts until 8pm.”

Saturday’s match marks the first time the two clubs have met in 14 years, and it signifies the 100th competitive match between the east London rivals. West Ham enter the derby as favourites.

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Following their relegation from the Premier League last term, the Hammers lead the early Championship standings. Millwall, who were defeated in the play-off semi-finals last campaign, presently occupy twelfth place after just seven fixtures.

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Belfast dad aims to break world record in aid of neo-natal unit that saved his son’s life

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Belfast Live

Strangford Integrated College vice-principal Rory O’Connor is rowing from Carrickfergus to Portpatrick in Scotland

A Belfast dad will be attempting to break a world record by rowing from Northern Ireland to Scotland in support of a neo-natal unit that saved his son’s life.

Rory and Victoria O’Connor’s son Patrick was born four weeks prematurely in June and developed respiratory distress syndrome, requiring a week of specialist care in the Ulster Hospital Neo-Natal Unit. The parents said it was a terrifying time for them but Patrick is now home with his mum, dad and big sister Mollie and thriving thanks to the care he received.

Rory said: “When Patrick was born, he was quite unwell. He was struggling to breathe and spent time in the Neo Natal Unit. The care and compassion he, as well as my wife Victoria, received was unbelievable. It really blew me away. They saved Patrick’s life.”

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“I remember coming home and saying to Victoria, ‘We need to give something back’.”

As a way of saying thank you to the neo-natal unit, Rory, who is an international rower and vice-principal of Strangford Integrated College, will be rowing from Carrickfergus to Portpatrick in Scotland. He will be aiming to beat the world record in the 22-mile solo row, which stands at three hours and 35 minutes and was set in 1997 by Belfast man John Murray.

Rory said his passion for rowing provided the perfect opportunity to raise funds and give something back to the team who cared for his son, “Given my background in rowing, I thought it was a perfect vehicle to use to fundraise and ultimately give back to the Neo Natal Unit.

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“I am hoping to break the current world record of three hours and 35 minutes. I am now waiting for the right weather window to complete the challenge.”

With Patrick now very much settled at home with mum dad and big sister Mollie, Rory reflected on how emotional it was coming back to the Neo Natal Unit to meet with staff ahead of his rowing challenge.

Rory added, “Coming back and being on the ward, seeing the discharge bell and the staff, it was bringing it all back. We spent ten days here and I know it can be a relatively short period of time, but it felt like a lifetime when we were in here.

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“As a family we are just so grateful for all the help that Patrick received. I have set up a Go Fund page and friends, family, members from the rowing club have all got behind me and the family to support me in my training. I am just waiting for the right weather window to complete it.

“All funds raised from the row, minus the boat safety costs, will go directly to the Ulster Hospital Neo Natal Unit. We cannot thank the staff enough.”

Neo Natal Sister Gemma Cummins stated, “It is such a generous donation that Rory is going to provide for us. It means a lot to us and will enable us to enhance our care and experience to families that are already going through their own Neo Natal journey and for the families to come.

“It is really touching, for our staff, to see how Rory and Victoria are still thinking of us. It really is so meaningful for us as a Team and we want to wish Rory the very best as he prepares to undertake his challenge!”

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

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Millie Bobby Brown Announces Second Child On Instagram

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Millie Bobby Brown Announces Second Child On Instagram

She wore a ring that read “mom” in the picture.

This is the couple’s second child – they adopted their daughter in 2025.

The news follows a post that some believed showed early footage of the infant.

On September 7, the actor shared a video in which she was holding her daughter. Husband Jake, meanwhile, was seen walking beside her with a baby carrier, though viewers couldn’t see if there was a child in it.

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“This was the telling picture. Jake with the baby carrier in front,” an Instagram user has since commented under the post.

Last year, Millie and Jake informed their millions of followers that they had adopted a baby earlier in 2025.

“This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption,” the couple announced at the time in a joint statement. “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.”

Speaking on the podcast Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce last year, the Enola Holmes star shared that she’d “always” wanted to adopt – “It was always part of my childhood dreams”.

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She added, “Adoption is love, adoption is forever”.

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YOU’s fashion editor Hannah Skelley sweeps the supermarkets for the on-trend pieces to pick up with your weekly shop

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Jacket, £35, and jeans, £22, Nutmeg, Morrisons in store. T-shirt, £6, and shoes, £18, tuclothing. sainsburys.co.uk. Jewellery worn throughout, Hannah¿s own

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Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

From fun fur to new-season checks, you can pick up an on-trend piece with your weekly shop, as shown here by Hannah Skelley. Groceries optional 

Jacket, £35, and jeans, £22, Nutmeg, Morrisons in store. T-shirt, £6, and shoes, £18, tuclothing. sainsburys.co.uk. Jewellery worn throughout, Hannah’s own

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Jacket, £36, and skirt, £22.50, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk. Blouse, £14, George, direct.asda.com. Boots, £30, F&F, tesco.com

Jacket, £36, and skirt, £22.50, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk. Blouse, £14, George, direct.asda.com. Boots, £30, F&F, tesco.com

Parka, £48, and boots, £38, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk. Jacket, £25, and skirt, £16, Nutmeg, Morrisons in store

Parka, £48, and boots, £38, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk. Jacket, £25, and skirt, £16, Nutmeg, Morrisons in store

Jacket, £35, and skirt, £22.50, tesco.com. T-shirt, £6, and shoes, £22, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk

Jacket, £35, and skirt, £22.50, tesco.com. T-shirt, £6, and shoes, £22, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk

Blouse, £18, and skirt, £16, George, direct.asda.com

Blouse, £18, and skirt, £16, George, direct.asda.com

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Dress, £29.50, tesco.com. Coat, £48, and boots, £38, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk

Dress, £29.50, tesco.com. Coat, £48, and boots, £38, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk

Hair and make-up: Caroline Piasecki using Sam McKnight hair and Nars

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Granting a new gasfield licence does not guarantee energy security

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Granting a new gasfield licence does not guarantee energy security

The UK government is deciding whether to approve a licence for Jackdaw gasfield, around 250km east of Aberdeen, in the North Sea. This is being presented by supporters as part of the answer to Britain’s energy-security problem. The UK government has argued that if Britain still needs gas, then producing it domestically is preferable to imports.

But there is a fundamental problem with treating new gas production as an answer to long-term energy needs especially when there are other enduring ways to use the North Sea to reduce bills, increase energy security and create jobs in the emerging sector of clean energy storage.

So what role should the North Sea play as the UK moves away from extractive fossil fuels across electricity, transport, manufacturing and heating?

Gas is not a future fuel. Climate science means Britain needs to reduce natural gas use (a fossil fuel that’s extracted from deep underground, often beneath the seabed) this decade. The atmosphere does not distinguish between CO₂ emitted from gas produced in the North Sea and CO₂ emitted from imported gas. All greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change.

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Britain’s energy system currently depends on gas for heating, electricity and industry. But there are available and proven ways to reduce gas use including but not limited to better insulation, heat pumps, geothermal energy and electrification. For example, minewater heating extracts heat in old coal mines via heat pumps to heat homes, such as in Seaham, northeast England.




À lire aussi :
We could use old coal mines to decarbonise heat – here’s how


The UK’s industrial past could become part of a post-fossil fuel future. The nation’s electricity system can change rapidly: coal was phased out of the British electricity system in 2025 and LED bulbs have been one of the most successful energy-efficiency stories.

The arguments for and against Jackdaw are well rehearsed and have played out since 2021 when the Offshore Petroleum Regulator rejected Shell’s environmental statement for it. The timing of that rejection coincided with Glasgow hosting the UN climate summit, Cop26.

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Five years on, the invasion of Ukraine and its impact on European gas prices has strengthened calls to develop new oil and gas fields. Equally, the treasury will no doubt welcome new income, although the scale of production and revenues seen in the 1980s are unlikely.

One of the arguments for is that additional production of gas from UK fields could help make the energy transition more manageable. Also, in Jackdaw’s favour is that is it at an advanced stage; it should have lower emissions than imported gas; and it could provide short-term resilience while Britain reduces its gas dependence.

However, the emissions from it are incompatible with UK climate objectives. If Jackdaw is to be developed, we need to recognise that climate change impacts may put a short shelf life on it. Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are now greater than 420 parts per million (ppm), compared to around 320ppm when the decision was made to extract from the North Sea in the late 1960s. The past decade was the hottest ever measured and climate-linked disasters such as the glacial collapse in Nepal-Tibet are becoming more acute.

Arguments favouring Jackdaw share a short-term perspective. However, there are more strategic uses for the oil and gas infrastructure that we should be unlocking instead.

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Offshore wind is a greener source of energy than the extraction of natural gas.
Jacopo Landi/Shutterstock

The need for seasonal energy storage is as important today as it was in the past. Britain’s fossil fuel system depended heavily on storage. Coal was stockpiled and gas was stored in pipelines and underground geological formations. Storage of fuel (high or low carbon) can stabilise energy prices. This in turn reduces the costs of risk that are shouldered by customers.

A renewable energy system will also need storage. Batteries will play a role, but they are primarily suited to balancing electricity over hours and days. They cannot yet replace the seasonal energy storage historically provided by stocks of coal, oil and gas. Fortunately, Britain has an unusual strategic advantage: it has already built much of the offshore infrastructure and developed the geological, engineering and technical expertise needed to develop large-scale energy storage.

The North and Irish Seas contain depleted oil and gas fields that could become enormous stores of low-carbon energy. Surplus renewable electricity can be converted into low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and stored underground for months before being used when energy demand is high. Our recent research found that repurposing the UK’s most suitable oil and gasfields could provide several thousand TWh of energy storage.

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À lire aussi :
Empty North Sea oil fields could store enough green hydrogen to power the country for seven years


Jackdaw is not an energy strategy

The strategic question is no longer how much more fossil fuel can be extracted from the North Sea. It is how the geology, infrastructure and engineering expertise created by the oil and gas industry can be repurposed for a low-carbon and energy-secure system. Instead of extracting fossil energy from geological structures, the UK could use them to store energy produced from renewable energy.

The government’s Department for Energy and Net Zero (DESNZ) must look beyond individual licensing decisions and develop a strategic plan for the North Sea’s role in Britain’s post-gas energy system. Allowing arguments about individual gas fields to dominate energy debates misses the opportunity. A greener energy system would make those fields unnecessary, while creating new skilled and future-proofed jobs for oil workers and enhancing energy security for the UK and Europe.

A key next step will be to work with academics and industry to identify which depleted fields are best placed to provide large-scale energy storage and releasing licenses for developers to repurpose that North Sea infrastructure for storing low-carbon energy. Rather than simply managing the decline of oil and gas industries, we must use their geological and infrastructure expertise to build the energy system that replaces it.

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A fashion expert reveals the pieces to invest in this season – and the ones to save on

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A fashion expert reveals the pieces to invest in this season - and the ones to save on

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Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

Does a bigger price tag mean better quality? Not necessarily, says fashion stylist Jessica Carroll. These are the pieces that you should always invest in…and the ones where you can save your pennies. 

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Yes, £600 for a bag is a lot. However, a timeless style made by craftspeople (like this Aspinal tote) will stay with you for ever, so it’s worth the investment. Also, plastic bags become tatty over time, but real leather looks cooler the more worn in it gets. 

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As one of the hardest workers in our wardrobe, trainers take a battering and, unlike other shoes, can’t usually be resoled, no matter how much they cost. That’s why these affordable Miu Miu dupes should go straight in your basket during your next food shop. 

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White T-shirts aren’t boring. In fact, if you invest in a good quality piece it can instantly elevate an outfit. YOU’s fashion director Sophie Dearden-Howell swears by the thick cotton and boxy cut of this Cos design

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What’s the longest you have gone without scratching, breaking or losing a pair of sunglasses? For me, it’s a couple of months. When you can get on-trend and affordable options (with UV protection!) for under £60, there’s no point buying designer. 

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Cheap denim with designer clout? Easy. For that quality feel, choose styles with a high cotton content, and go for a dark wash, which looks more expensive. 

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Nothing elevates a look like a chic belt and a decent leather one won’t bankrupt you. This piece is a dupe for Déhanche’s viral style. 

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For shapewear guaranteed to boost your outfit and confidence, too, it has to be the OG Skims. Three words: worth every penny. 

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Not just warmer and more breathable than polyester, a wool coat has a more structured finish. It’s also one item that really shows when it has cost a lot of money.

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With gold beyond most of our budgets (hello, over £3,000 an ounce), the savvy money is on pieces made with PVD plating, which don’t tarnish and look just as expensive as the real deal. 

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A forever dress can be styled up or down for any occasion. Although this one is purse friendly, the right dress is always worth splurging on. 

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We can’t lie, great-fitting kit is one of the gym’s biggest motivators. In other words, sack those saggy trackie bottoms. 

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You could spend hundreds on designer loafers and they would probably only last as long as this well-priced 100 per cent leather pair by M&S. 

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President Donald Trump announces ‘complete and permanent American security control over Greenland’

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Manchester Evening News

The United States has permanent control over security in Greenland, Mr Trump says

President Donald Trump has announced complete and permanent American security control over Greenland, the White House confirmed.

In 2019, during his first presidency, Trump expressed his desire for the US to purchase Greenland and made an offer but was told it was not for sale.

It was then that Vice-President JD Vance visited Greenland in March last year, and gave a speech accusing Denmark of failing to invest enough to protect the territory.

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Greenland’s location makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks, as well as being opportunistic for monitoring vessels in the region.

The US already has a permanent space force base in the Danish territory, and previously had other military sites throughout the island, many of which have since become civilian airports.

Trump confirmed the news on Truth Social, as he penned: “BREAKING NEWS: I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns.

“There will be NO COST to the United States! At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America. Additionally, from now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval.”

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Trump continued: “For over 100 years, Presidents have known the strategic importance of Greenland, but NONE of them were able to do anything about it. I am proud to be the President that permanently and conclusively addressed this very important situation. This is an ‘Infinite Life’ Agreement, there is no end!

“We are very honored and proud of what has just taken place, and everything agreed to today will be cherished by the American People.

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many. We will work with the people of Greenland in its development and construction. This solution is a great one for the United States of America, Denmark, Greenland, and all of our Allies.”

He concluded: “We look forward to working with the wonderful people of Denmark and Greenland toward a magnificent future with respect to this large, and highly strategic, parcel of land. We will be very protective of it! This is a dream come true for the United States of America, one that is very important, historic, and special. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.

Before this, Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen has repeatedly rejected Trump’s arguments, arguing that the idea of US control is a “fantasy” of Trump’s.

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