NewsBeat
Manchester United: Dan Ashworth exit ‘not best situation’ but club vision clear – Ruben Amorim
There have been reports United must sell players before being able to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window.
Asked if that was the case, Amorim said: “No, I’m really focused on [managing] to see my players and to understand my players. I think that is one of the problems of the club.
“We have to focus on what we have. We have to focus on the academy and also have a clear profile when you get the players, so it’s a lot of details you have to manage.
“You can see at set-pieces, sometimes you look at our team and we are a small team compared to others.
“Every detail counts and we have to be very clear first in the profiles, arrange all the process, and then go to that phase of buying and selling players.”
Several players are still getting used to the club having been signed by Amorim’s predecessor Erik ten Hag in the summer, while Netherlands left-back Tyrell Malacia has just returned from knee surgery to make his first Premier League start since May 2023.
“We have, like Ty, international players, good players, and we need time to teach them our ideas and then we will see because this is a massive club,” added Amorim.
“We have to arrange a lot of things in our club before thinking just in buying or selling players.
“There’s a lot to do, so let’s focus on improving our players, improving our academy and then see.”
Politics
Illegal migrants coming to Britain should be ‘put in camps on a west coast island’, Lowe claims
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has called for a “national emergency” to be declared over illegal migration, suggesting authorities should “round people up and deport” those in the country unlawfully.
Speaking on GB News, Lowe urged for a hardline approach similar to measures being taken in the United States.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Get our free View from Westminster email
Kemi Badenoch has been accused of political opportunism for criticising Labour politicians for suggesting counter-terror programme Prevent could alienate communities, having herself co-written a report expressing the same concerns.
The Tory leader signed off a report in 2015 that concluded Prevent was “subject to accusations of police heavy-handedness” and warned “the public must not be the forgotten partner in the fight against extremism”.
But, despite having backed the report and its findings, Ms Badenoch on Tuesday attacked Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper over Labour’s 2019 general election manifesto, which said Prevent has the “potential to alienate communities”.
Ms Badenoch said: “When the Conservatives were trying to toughen the Prevent anti-extremism programme, Starmer and Cooper were running for office on manifestos worried about Prevent ‘alienating communities’.”
But Ms Badenoch was a member of the London assembly’s police and crime committee in 2015 and one of eight members who authored a 50-page report entitled Preventing extremism in London.
The report said Prevent was “subject to accusations of police heavy-handedness and spying” and that “it has had a troubled history, which has led to it being considered by some as a ‘damaged’ brand, and viewed with suspicion by others”.
“Community engagement is critical to the success of Prevent,” the report went on, noting the risk that “the current ‘top down’ approach to Prevent delivery makes it difficult to engage citizens”.
Concluding, the report said “the public must not be the forgotten partner in the fight against extremism. Community engagement is shown to work, but is also the hardest element to achieve.”
Green peer Jenny Jones, who was a fellow member on the committee at the time, accused Ms Badenoch of political opportunism.
She told The Guardian, which unearthed the report: “As a member of the London assembly, Kemi co-authored a scrutiny report in 2015 which recognised the shortcomings and possible downsides of the Prevent strategy, including the possible alienation of communities, but apparently did nothing to address them when in government.”
Another committee source said Ms Badenoch backed the report “in full”, with no mention of it being “woke”.
The Prevent scheme has faced renewed scrutiny after failing to stop a series of killings in recent years, including the mass stabbing of young girls at a dance class in Southport by Axel Rudakubana, who was referred to Prevent three times before carrying out the attack.
The killer of former Conservative MP Sir David Amess was also referred to the Prevent programme before the attack and his daughter has called for an inquiry into the programme.
Katie Amess said Prevent was not “foiling any terrorist attacks, it is allowing people to commit these crimes”.
She added: “I have been pushing and pushing and pushing for an inquiry from the Conservative government and from, now, the Labour Government.”
The government has hinted it is open to joining a tariff-free trading scheme as part of its plan to “reset” its relationship with Europe.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggested that joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) could be acceptable as it “is not a customs union”.
Politics latest: Minister ‘hopes’ Southport killer dies in prison
The cabinet minister was speaking to the BBC following a meeting on Thursday with Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade commissioner responsible for post-Brexit negotiations.
Mr Sefcovic had earlier told the broadcaster the EU would consider the UK joining the PEM, which allows for tariff-free trade of goods across Europe as well as some North African and Levantine nations.
Mr Reynolds described his comments as “incredibly positive” and “helpful”.
He added: “We can improve the terms of trade with the EU in a way which doesn’t revisit customs unions or single markets or the arguments of Brexit, and we can do that whilst pursuing closer trade links around the world.”
Mr Reynolds also declined to rule out a deal on food and farm products that would involve mirroring EU rules, known as “dynamic alignment”, saying this too didn’t cross any of the government’s “red lines”.
Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out a return to the customs union or single market as part of his ambition for closer ties with Europe following the fractious post-Brexit years.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds says joining the PEM could be acceptable
Labour’s 2024 manifesto instead pledged to “negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food”. However, details of this have remained vague.
Mr Reynolds’ comments go further than Downing Street yesterday, when a spokesperson said the government did not “currently” have plans to join the PEM and would not “provide a running commentary”.
The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) told Sky News they would support the move, saying their research “indicates it would have majority support among UK businesses who trade in the European region”.
Read More:
Badenoch says Tories made ‘mistakes’ on Brexit
Labour MPs told to back EU youth mobility scheme
Head of trade policy, William Bain, said: “Joining would reduce paperwork and costs for many UK firms as it would align rules and regulations on both sides in relation to the sourcing or components and raw materials used in exports.
“This would cover a wide range of markets for our exporters and give greater flexibility across supply and sourcing chains. “
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Will UK be spared Trump tariffs?
He added that new PEM rules are due to apply in 2026, which could make the transition easier, and recommended a cost-benefit analysis of the deal beforehand “as the advantages will vary by sector”.
The Lib Dems have also been pushing for closer ties with Europe, amid looming concerns over potential Trump tariffs.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey, who ultimately wants a return to the customs union, said ruling out the PEM proposal would be an “act of economic negligence”.
But on the other end of the political spectrum, the Conservatives accused Labour of “bending the knee” to the bloc.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “These latest reports that the government might shackle us to the European Union are deeply concerning, and once again make clear that Keir Starmer and his chums are all too happy to put their ideology ahead of our national interest, no matter the cost.”
Politics
Keir Starmer urged to ‘declare national emergency’ on illegal migration after shock London figures: ‘Deport, deport, deport!’
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has called for a “national emergency” to be declared over illegal migration, suggesting authorities should “round people up and deport” those in the country unlawfully.
Speaking on GB News, Lowe urged for a hardline approach similar to measures being taken in the United States.
“We have to declare a national emergency, rather like Trump’s doing, and we have to then be actually prepared to take hard decisions and deport, deport, deport,” he said.
The Reform UK politician criticised the current Labour Government’s handling of immigration, claiming the Prime Minister is “up to his neck in this”.
Rupert Lowe demanded that the Prime Minister declare a ‘national emergency’ on illegal migration
GB News / PA
“If it means we have to round people up and deport, and that’s what we have to do,” Lowe stated.
A confidential report commissioned by Thames Water has revealed that as many as one in 12 Londoners may be living in the capital illegally.
The study, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, suggests up to 585,000 illegal migrants are currently residing in London.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the reported figures “deeply alarming”.
The Home Office, responding to The Telegraph’s findings, hailed how it had ‘removed 16,400 illegal migrants in just six months’PA
Lowe outlined proposals for dealing with illegal migrants, suggesting they should be housed in “tented camps” on a UK island.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
“Put them on a West Coast island with a limited, uncomfortable tented camp and minimal food, and encourage them then to go back to where they came from and apply to come back legally,” he said.
The Reform UK MP claimed most arrivals are economic migrants rather than asylum seekers.
He criticised the current immigration system as “weak,” suggesting much of the process relies on applicants’ own statements.
Lowe expressed concern about voting rights, stating: “What worries me is, after six years if we’re not very careful, these people have full voting rights.”
Lowe told GB News that migrants could be housed on a ‘UK island’
GB News
He pointed to Australia’s approach as a model to follow. “The Australians have shown us what to do. You only have to look. They stop the boats coming, and then people realise it’s a waste of time, spending whatever it is 500 euros to get here,” he said.
Lowe called for Britain to exit various international treaties beyond the ECHR to “take back control of our own borders.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “This Government is strengthening global partnerships and rooting out the criminal gangs who profit from small boat crossings which threaten lives.
“We have also removed 16,400 illegal migrants in just six months, the highest figure in half a decade, making it clear that those who arrive illegally will be returned.”
NewsBeat
Hugh Grant backs Prince Harry’s call for fresh police investigation into Rupert Murdoch’s media empire
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
Hugh Grant has backed Prince Harry’s call for a fresh police investigation into Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.
The actor called on Keir Starmer to show ‘leadership’ and stop ‘criminal abuse by big corporations’ after the Prince won a multi-million pound settlement this week over phone hacking claims against The Sun newspaper.
Mr Grant accepted a large settlement from Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) last year after dropping his own claim of being illegally targeted by The Sun.
Prince Harry’s settlement came after NGN admitted for the first time that The Sun had been involved in illegal intrusion.
In the past it had said it was restricted to the News of the World which closed in 2011 as a result of the phone hacking scandal.
Mr Grant said he and Prince Harry were determined to ‘get at the real truth’ but had been prevented from doing so because NGN had ‘gamed the system’ by paying more than £1 billion in settlements to hacking victims to avoid court proceedings.
Mr Grant told the BBC that in the light of Prince Harry’s settlement ‘the CPS and police should launch a new criminal investigation into this.
“That was the aim of the Prince Harry case as I understand it and it was certainly my original aim,” he said. “We need leadership from the Prime Minister. If a government is there for anything, particularly a Labour government, it is to protect the public from the abuses of criminality by big corporations.”
Mr Grant criticised Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of NGN, who is a former editor of The Sun.
“The people who were giving the orders are still there in positions of great power – in fact the CEO of NGN was editor of The Sun at the time when, as they have now admitted, it was indulging in criminality.”
Mr Grant said that he and other members of the ‘Hacked Off’ group who have campaigned for tougher curbs on press abuses did not think sufficient action had been taken to stop it happening again or to hold those responsible to account.
”We do not think it is job done by any means,” he said.
NGN has denied the allegations but issued an apology to Harry as the settlement was announced on Wednesday.
The statement said: “NGN offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun.
“NGN also offers a full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators instructed by them at the News of the World.
“NGN further apologises to the Duke for the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years.
“We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages.”
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Get our free View from Westminster email
A leading pollster has warned that if Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the Tories were to form a pact they would be “unassailable” at the next election based on current surveys.
Techne UK’s chief executive Michela Morizzo made her comment as the company’s latest weekly tracker poll for The Independent had close to a three-way split at the top with Labour on 25 per cent (down 1), just one point ahead of the Tories (down 1) and Reform UK (up 1) both on 24 per cent.
It meant that the combined centre right vote in the UK is 48 per cent, which if brought together would reset British politics.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems were also up one to 13 per cent while the Greens remained level on 7 per cent.
Ms Morizzo’s observations came less than 24 hours after Reform UK’s former deputy leader Ben Habib became the first senior figure associated with the party to reveal that Mr Farage’s plan has always been to force a merger or pact with the Tories.
He told a podcast with economist Mark Littlewood for Popular Conservatism (Popcon), that Mr Farage’s strategy was to have “a strong negotiating hand” by 2028.
He said: “Nigel’s aim is to set up the best possible negotiating position he can between now and 2028 for the Conservative Party. Take as many Conservative MPs, grassroots, members, candidates, councillors, whatever. Weaken the tory party as much as he possibly can, get to 2028 and then he will try and do a deal. If he succeeds and gets very strong he will do that deal from a position of strength.”
Privately allies of Mr Farage have also told The Independent he wants to “engineer a reverse takeover” of the Tories with Reform UK.
The latest Techne findings have revealed that Reform UK is picking up a lot of support from other parties. This includes more than one in four (26 per cent) Tory voters from the 2024 election, and one in seven (14 per cent) of Lib Dem voters from the election.
Ms Morizzo described the collapse in Labour’s support just seven months after being elected as almost unprecedented.
She said: “The Labour Party decline continues this week with Sir Keir Starmer’s party losing another point in national vote share dropping down to just 25 per cent. This in itself is an almost unheard of low polling share for a governing party, particularly as it has only held power for just seven months.
“Once again this highlights that Kemi Badenoch is still struggling to give her party a strong and well defined vision. Further to this it is once again Reform UK who are growing in national vote share to 24 per cent. This is now truly a three-way split for these three parties.”
However, she added: “Finally one must also note that the centre right of the Conservatives and Reform UK if placed together hold an unassailable 48 per cent. What will this scenario lead to? Only time will tell.”
BBC News, East Midlands
BAEA £9bn deal for nuclear submarine reactors has been agreed between the Ministry of Defence and Rolls-Royce – the biggest ever between the two.
Defence Secretary John Healey will announce the agreement on Friday during a visit to the firm’s nuclear reactor production facility in Derby.
The eight-year contract, called Unity, is designed to make the design, manufacture and support services for reactors more efficient and environmentally friendly.
It is hoped it will create more than 1,000 UK jobs and safeguard 4,000 other roles.
Marketing DerbyThe government said the agreement would streamline previous contracts and incentives, and provide more efficient delivery, leading to savings of £400m.
As well as providing support to the current UK Royal Navy submarine fleet, Unity includes the build and commission of new Dreadnought Class submarines and the beginning of contracts for the new Aukus defence alliance.
In March 2023, it was announced Rolls-Royce would provide the reactors for the new fleet of nuclear submarines in a defence agreement between the UK, US and Australia.
The submarines will be built in Britain and Australia but use technology from all three countries.
The company opened a new Nuclear Skills Academy in Derby in 2022, designed to provide 200 apprenticeships each year for at least a decade.
‘Engine for growth’
Mr Healey will use the visit to highlight the government’s “triple-lock” on the nuclear deterrent, which includes building four new nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, maintaining the UK’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent and delivering all future upgrades needed.
He said: “This investment in Britain’s defence will deliver a long-term boost to British business, jobs and national security.
“In line with our Plan for Change, this deal with Rolls-Royce, a historic British success story, will support high-skilled UK jobs, who equip the thousands of submariners that keep us all safe.
“We are showing defence can be an engine for growth, while also driving better value for taxpayer money.”
Steve Carlier, president of Rolls-Royce Submarines, said: “We’re delighted to announce the Unity contract, which confirms our commitment to the Royal Navy and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
“This long-term contract enables us to invest in the right skills, equipment and facilities to play our part in protecting UK interests at home and overseas.”
Rolls-Royce Submarines is already doubling the size of its Raynesway site and has recently started moving into specially built warehouses in Pride Park.
Almost 20,000 people have visited Sydney’s Botanic Gardens to catch a whiff of an endangered plant known as the “corpse flower” as it bloomed.
Dubbed Putricia, the titan arum plant emits a putrid smell likened to “something rotting” or “hot garbage” for 24 hours after blooming.
The smell is the result of a chemical production that happens in the plant to attract pollinators.
The endangered flower – native to Sumatra, Indonesia – only blooms every 7-10 years in the wild. There are thought to be fewer than 1,000 plants globally, including those in cultivation.
A record wind speed of 114mph has been recorded in Ireland as Storm Eowyn causes widespread disruption on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Red warnings for wind cover the entirety of Ireland and parts of Scotland as the storm brings staggering winds that pose a danger to life.
Trains and flights across the UK face cancellation or disruption on Friday, while schools in Northern Ireland and central and southern Scotland have been urged to shut.
Follow the latest updates on Storm Eowyn
An “unprecedented” number of homes in Ireland have already lost power, with electricity provider ESB Networks telling Sky News the storm had affected 560,000 homes, farms and businesses by 6am – a huge number so early on in this weather event.
In Northern Ireland, more than 93,000 homes and businesses are currently without power, NIE Networks has said, as the storm was causing “widespread damage” to the electricity network.
A statement said: “We anticipate we will begin assessing the damage to the network after 2pm once the red weather warning has been lifted.”
In Scotland, Tesco has announced the closure of its stores in the red danger to life zone covering millions of people across Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Besides the red wind warnings, yellow ones are in place for the whole of the UK, while for northern England and northwest Wales an amber warning for wind from 6am until 9pm is in place.
A yellow rain warning is in place for the coasts in the south of England and Wales till 9am.
A series of weather warnings are in place for Friday. Pic: Met Office
A string of public authorities have issued statements warning the public to travel only if absolutely necessary.
Around 4.5 million people in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland were sent an emergency alert on their mobile phones on Thursday evening.
Multiple flights at airports in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Dublin were cancelled.
National Rail has said a “do not travel message has been issued from multiple train operators” as it advised passengers to check for travel advice before travelling.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Emergency phone alerts for Storm Eowyn
Some health services have also been suspended, with NHS Lothian cancelling all routine, non-urgent planned procedures on Friday and postponing the majority of hospital outpatient appointments to protect patients and staff.
NHS Lanarkshire has also postponed all non-urgent appointments in hospital and community settings.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Kim Leadbeater, the sister of murdered MP Jo Cox, has said MPs now face more severe abuse than when her sister was killed.
Cox was murdered in her constituency of Batley and Spen by a terrorist in the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Despite calls for change following the murder, Leadbeater said there had been an erosion in people’s ability to “disagree well”.
Speaking to Nick Robinson’s Political Thinking podcast, she argued “the level of abuse and nastiness” in political debate was “worse than ever”.
Leadbeater, now Labour MP for her late sister’s constituency, said proposing her bill to legalise assisted dying had exposed her to a level of abuse she had never endured before.
“I think we can have a civilised, respectful politics, and we can still disagree well and robustly and have proper passionate debate,” Leadbeater said.
“But I just think sometimes we have lost that balance of disagreeing well and having that debate.”
“Then it descends into personal insults, threats, abuse, intimidation – and that’s when I worry.”
Talking about sending supportive messages to her sister in the days before her death, Leadbeater said: “There was a level of abuse and there was a level of nastiness in politics at that time – nowhere near like it is now.
“I remember Jo saying to me ‘I need to get a thicker skin’.
“And I pushed back and said ‘No you don’t. You need to be you because that makes you the brilliant individual that you are, and it makes you the brilliant MP that you are.’
“And do you know what’s really sad, Nick? I actually have that conversation with colleagues now on a daily basis.
“Generally female colleagues, but colleagues across the political spectrum, because the level of abuse and nastiness now is, I would say, worse than ever.”
MPs are currently examining Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would grant people in certain circumstances the right to seek help to end their own life.
Asked by Nick Robinson if proposing the bill had exposed her to a level of abuse she had never previously lived through, Leadbeater said: “Yeah, absolutely.
“I kind of knew it would because I know what a serious issue it is, and I know how strongly people feel about it.
“There are people on the extremes of the debate, people who do not want to see any version of a change in the law, and there are people on the other extreme of the debate who would want a much broader law.
“Sadly, that has led to more abuse than I’ve probably had on anything.
“The abuse is one thing, but it’s when people say things that are not true that I really struggle with.
“The misinformation and the disinformation aspect of it – and the fact that a lot of that takes place on social media where there’s no room for a nuanced debate.”
But Leadbeater said she understood the “passion” around the debate and vowed to “continue to work as hard as I can to make sure that the genuine concerns that are there are considered” as the bill went through Parliament.
Getty ImagesIn November, MPs backed Leadbeater’s bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales by 330 to 275 in a free vote – meaning MPs were allowed to vote with their conscience, rather than following party orders.
It was the first Commons vote on the issue in nearly a decade and paved the way to a monumental shift in the law.
Leadbeater said she was “under no illusion how big a deal this is”.
“We will take oral evidence from over 50 witnesses, which is highly, highly unusual for a private members bill,” she said.
This week, the first stages of line-by-line scrutiny of the bill sparked heated debate, with accusations of bias towards pro-assisted dying voices.
But Leadbeater argued she had taken “a really open approach” to the bill, welcoming amendments.
“It is upsetting and disappointing sometimes to people who are suggesting otherwise – because we’ve got to get this right,” she said.
“It is not just about passing the law, it’s about passing good law that achieves what we are trying to achieve but does not create other problems and takes into account everybody’s views.”
The bill’s committee will begin its first oral evidence session on 28 January.
There are still many months of parliamentary activity ahead, and the bill must pass votes in both the Commons and Lords before the proposed changes can become law.
Trump is accusing California of sending too much water to the Pacific instead of to Los Angeles as he prepares to tour fire damage
The evolution of language from ancient origins to the third wave of Agentic AI
The Highest-Grossing Best Picture Nominees At The 2025 Oscars
These ’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2025
The Season 9 ‘ Game of Thrones’ is here.
9 spring/summer 2025 fashion trends to know for next season
Trump is accusing California of sending too much water to the Pacific instead of to Los Angeles as he prepares to tour fire damage
The evolution of language from ancient origins to the third wave of Agentic AI
The Highest-Grossing Best Picture Nominees At The 2025 Oscars
-
Fashion8 years agoThese ’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2025
-
Entertainment8 years agoThe Season 9 ‘ Game of Thrones’ is here.
-
Fashion8 years ago9 spring/summer 2025 fashion trends to know for next season
-
Entertainment8 years agoThe old and New Edition cast comes together to perform You’re Not My Kind of Girl.
-
Sports8 years agoEthical Hacker: “I’ll Show You Why Google Has Just Shut Down Their Quantum Chip”
-
Business8 years ago
Uber and Lyft are finally available in all of New York State
-
Entertainment8 years ago
Disney’s live-action Aladdin finally finds its stars
-
Sports8 years ago
Steph Curry finally got the contract he deserves from the Warriors
-
Entertainment8 years ago
Mod turns ‘Counter-Strike’ into a ‘Tekken’ clone with fighting chickens
-
Fashion8 years ago
Your comprehensive guide to this fall’s biggest trends
You must be logged in to post a comment Login