Politics
POLL OF THE DAY: As the economy struggles
UK public borrowing surged to £17.8billion in December, marking the highest December borrowing in four years.
The figure came in 25 per cent above economist predictions, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The unexpected increase in borrowing costs has raised concerns about the state of public finances, despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves maintaining confidence in the country’s financial health following the October budget.
The significant rise was primarily attributed to high debt interest costs and a one-off military housing purchase. The December borrowing figure represents a £10.1billion increase compared to the same period last year.
Economists had forecast public sector net borrowing would reach £14.1billion for the month.
The market pressures come amid recent financial turbulence, with the pound falling to a nine-month low against the dollar two weeks ago. UK 10-year borrowing costs have climbed above 4.8 percent.
The yield on 30-year gilts has reached 5.36 percent, its highest level since 1998.
The Chancellor’s £9.9billion fiscal headroom is at risk of being completely erased, according to economic experts.
With that in mind, as the economy struggles – Should Rachel Reeves prioritise reducing debt or economic growth? Vote in our poll and have your say by commenting below.
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to challenge opponents of major infrastructure projects after declaring Labour is “backing the builders, not the blockers”.
The Prime Minister said he would bring an end to “challenge culture” and pledged to take on so-called “nimbys”.
Downing Street said it hoped it would bring an end to “cynical” or “hopeless” cases causing delays and increasing the cost of infrastructure projects.
The Government claims more than 58 per cent of all decisions on “major infrastructure” get taken to court as it commits to making 150 major infrastructure project decisions by the next election.
Starmer has vowed to take on ‘nimbys’ in a blistering attack
PA
Opponents currently have three opportunities to secure permission for a judicial review against a major infrastructure project, firstly by writing to the High Court, then in an oral hearing and finally by asking the Court of Appeal.
But under plans announced by Downing Street, the written stage will be scrapped and any cases deemed “totally without merit” will be unable to ask the Court of Appeal to reconsider.
The Prime Minister said: “For too long, blockers have had the upper hand in legal challenges – using our court processes to frustrate growth. We’re putting an end to this challenge culture by taking on the Nimbys and a broken system that has slowed down our progress as a nation.
“This is the Government’s Plan for Change in action – taking the brakes off Britain by reforming the planning system so it is pro-growth and pro-infrastructure.”
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Sizewell was approved despite 16 months of campaigning
PA
According to the Government, more than half of decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects were taken to court, causing an average delay of 18 months and adding millions to costs.
Officials pointed to cases including the approval of Sizewell C, in Suffolk, where campaigners spent 16 months seeking permission for a judicial review despite their case being described as “unarguable” at every stage.
However, only some of the grounds in the Sizewell C case were deemed “totally without merit”, meaning the remaining grounds could still have been reconsidered by the Court of Appeal.
Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake said: “While we welcome the Government taking forward Conservative initiatives to streamline the planning system, Labour’s blocking of our efforts to cut EU legacy red tape, such as nutrient neutrality, so they can align more closely with the European Union will hold Britain back.”
Minister Kevin Hollinrake
Getty
The Prime Minister also pledged to “bring back common sense” to building new projects.
Writing for The Daily Mail, Starmer said: “Cases that are unarguable and unwinnable can be brought back to the courts three times.
“That causes years of delay. It costs hundreds of millions of pounds. It clogs up the courts. And strangles growth.
“The entire country pays the price. Bringing back common sense to building is the least this country deserves. Because if we want growth, we need the infrastructure to support it.”
Politics
Angela Rayner under-fire after dismissing Southport Axel Rudakubana terror connection as Nigel Farage demands apology over ‘fake news’ accusation
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has come under-fire after previously dismissing claims that Axel Rudakubana’s Southport attack was terror-related.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage yesterday demanded an apology from Rayner after she also accused him of spreading “fake news” about the perpetrator.
Rudakubana, now 18, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
He was referred to the Government’s anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times before his attack in late July, with police later finding an al-Qaeda training manual alongside ricin.
Following Rudakubana’s guilty plea, Sir Keir Starmer revealed that police and politicians knew about the terrorist connection shortly after the killings.
Speaking about Farage at the time of the attack, Rayner said: “He must understand that you have a level of responsibility, you’re a community leader, you’re elected to represent your constituency and therefore you have a level of responsibility with that, and it’s not to stoke up what conspiracy theories or what you think might have happened, or lean into what you think.
“There’s a responsibility to say the police are doing a difficult job, local authorities, all of the services that are on the ground.
“We want to establish facts as soon as possible and we have a responsibility to hold the community together and say, let’s get the facts and then let’s look at what the actual solutions are and what we can do about the horrific situation that we find ourselves in, not to stir up these fake news online.”
Responding to Rayner’s previous comments last night, the Reform UK leader told The Telegraph: “Many public figures, including Angela Rayner, made derogatory and inciteful remarks about my comments in the vacuum that followed the terrorist attack in Southport.
“I was right all along. This man was known to the authorities and the truth was withheld. As the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall KC confirmed, the public should have been told the truth without damaging the trial. This is an appalling cover-up and I deserve apologies.”
Home Office Minister Jess Phillips separately described Farage as a “grifter”, while Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson argued the Reform UK leader was the “voice of the EDL”.
However, non-Labour politicians also accused Farage of stoking tensions during the subsequent summer riots, including ex-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…
Rayner braces for Cabinet clash after vowing to make economic growth ‘trump’ Net Zero plans
Rachel Reeves
PA
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been preparing for a Cabinet clash over potential backing for an expansion at Heathrow Airport.
Speaking at Heathrow Airport, Reeves said: “There was always somebody that said, ‘Oh, yes, of course, we want to grow the economy but we don’t like that investment.’
“Or, ‘We don’t like that wind farm, we don’t like those pylons, we don’t like that airport’.”
She added: “When we say growth is the number one mission of this Government we mean it — and that means it trumps other things.”
Sir Keir Starmer was yesterday unable to set out his position on a potential Heathrow expansion, despite previously opposing the move.
However, Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, Environment Secretary Steve Reed and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have all voiced opposition to an expansion.
Politics
King’s College University scolded after splurging taxpayers’ money on ‘Far-Right extremism’ probe
King’s College London has been criticised for “clear evidence of bias” after spending taxpayer money investigating Far-Right extremism while failing to research the Far-Left.
The university hosts the Repository of Extremist Aligned Documents (Read), which is described as a “collection of Far-Right documents for professionals working in the field of radicalisation, terrorism, and violent extremism”.
A job description for a recently advertised internship in Read, seen by GB News, says the successful applicant will focus on scrutinising extremism on the political Right, with no similar roles for investigating the actions of extremists on the other end of the spectrum.
The Read advert states the intern will source information from Far-Right forums, chat sites, Telegram channels, and websites.
King’s College London has been criticised for ‘clear evidence of bias’ after spending taxpayer money investigating Far-Right extremism while failing to research the Far-Left
GB News/ Getty
Critics have warned the role appears politically motivated and one-sided.
Conservative MP and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip told GB News: “This shows clear evidence of bias.
“Why would a supposedly neutral institution target only one kind of extremism?”
Philip questioned why the higher education institution appeared to be “ignoring the Far-Left”, adding: “This university has questions to answer about balance and impartiality.”
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe said: “Sadly the educational Establishment has been undermined by a left-wing bias and what they describe as Far-Right is what most of us call normal.”
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The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s College London, which created Read, has published numerous reports on the Far-Right but does not appear to have published any research into Far-Left extremism.
Protect UK, a British Counter-Terrorism Alliance partnership, has assessed the threat from Left-Wing motivated extremism is low.
However, it points to a number of examples of terror threats in the UK and Europe in recent years which are thought to have been linked to the political Far-Left.
Europol has previously confirmed that in 2020 alone there were 24 Left-Wing or anarchist attacks in the European Union.
The Read advert states the intern will source information from Far-Right forums, chat sites, Telegram channels, and websites
GB News
A job description for a recently advertised internship in Read, seen by GB News, says the successful applicant will focus on scrutinising extremism on the political Right, with no similar roles for investigating the actions of extremists on the other end of the spectrum
GB News
In recent years there have also been two foiled Left-Wing plots in the UK, one of which resulted in a man being arrested for possessing a crossbow, bolts, a machete, and body armour in 2019.
Former immigration minister Kevin Foster slammed King’s College London for being “blindsided” by the Far-Left, warning: “It’s vital we are alive to the risks of all who seek to subvert our freedoms, whatever political cover they use for this.”
He added: “I hope King’s will decide they must tackle both sides of the coin when it comes to extremism, not just look at one.”
King’s College London did not respond when approached for comment by GB News.
Politics
ABC The View ‘hypocrisy’ row explodes as panel defends Biden pardons while Trump’s branded ‘spineless’
The hosts of ABC’s The View have sparked outrage and claims of “hypocrisy” as they discussed the recent pardons issued by President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden.
Tuesday’s episode of the US talk show was hosted by comedian Joy Behar, 82, lawyer Sunny Hostin, 56, journalist Sara Haines, 47, political strategist Alyssa Farah Griffin, 35 and TV personality Ana Navarro, 53.
The segment was prompted by President Trump’s move to pardon some 1,500 January 6 rioters as part of a flurry of executive orders signed immediately as he retook office.
Trump gave a “full pardon” to those jailed following the violent disorder in the last days of his first presidency, who he described as “hostages” of the previous administration.
As he signed the order, the president raised a complaint about former President Biden’s choice to issue blanket pre-emptive pardons for his family and members of the January 6 committee, including Dr Anthony Fauci and General Mark Milley, who had been investigating Trump.
“I was surprised that President Biden would go and pardon his whole family because that makes him look very guilty… and how about this J6 committee, why is he pardoning them? They were guilty as hell, they rigged it. It was a rigged deal,” he said to journalists.
Trump pardoned 1500 January 6 rioters amid a flurry of executive orders
Getty
“So, in Trump’s world the lawmakers trying to save democracy are ‘thugs’ and the lawbreakers are ‘hostages,” Behar said incredulously as she opened the floor to debate.
Also picking up on Trump’s use of the term hostages, Haines called the move “the biggest middle finger he could give the entire country out of all of his options.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin, who had worked as a communications director in Trump’s previous administration, slammed his pardons as “dangerous and reckless.”
While she praised Biden’s pardoning of Fauci and Milley, Griffin attempted to provide balance as she criticised Biden’s decision to extend the immunity to his family, saying his choices “floored her”.
Behar and her panel pulled no punches in criticising Trump
ABC
She explained it set a “dangerous precedent” for futurepresidents to abuse, adding: “I think it was disgraceful, and it’ll harm his legacy.”
The comment set the studio alight, with a volcanic Navarro furiously hitting back and defending the Democrat by arguing: “I think comparing Biden’s pardons to Trump’s is like comparing apples to Volkswagens.”
The audience clapped and cheered as she blasted Republicans who were not objecting to Trump’s pardons as having “absolutely no spine.”
“Nobody who stood up and condemned that and is today silent after those pardons should be able to look at themselves in the mirror because you have no morals,” she slammed.
Defending Biden, she added: “Joe Biden’s family and the people he pardoned have not actually committed any crimes. He is trying to prevent them spending the rest of their lives fighting the government.”
While not part of the most recent moves, the former president did issue an unconditional pardon to his son Hunter, who had pleaded guilty to tax charges in September 2023 – despite previously pledging not to.
Nevertheless, Hostin agreed, stating that she “was not offended by Biden pardoning his family.”
“We’ve already had a Trump presidency, we know this administration will be a vengeful one, we know this is a vengeful man.
“If I could protect me and mine, I would do that. SoI think we need to Joe Biden some grace,” she declared.
On Trump’s pardons, she said furiously: “He ran on this, ‘I’m going to be a law-and-order president,’ which a lot of the Republican Party runs on, so I think it’s really disgraceful that he would do that.”
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The View panel were slammed as ‘”hypocrites” online for their comments
ABC
The debate sparked a huge response online, with some branding The View panel as “hypocrites” and “disgusting” after the majority defended Biden’s pardons while dismantling Trump’s.
“And here we have it: these women praise Biden for pardoning his family… and in return, condemn Trump for doing the same f*****g thing by pardoning the January 6th rioters. These women are f*****g insane. #TheView,” one slammed.
Another raged: “The same day Biden pardoned his entire family and the j6 committee. Something he said he wouldn’t do. Actually STFU,”
“This show is a boatload full of angry, disgruntled, downright mean women who hate love,” a third wrote disparagingly.
“This is absolutely DISGUSTING!!!” a fourth wrote in response to the clip while another simply raged: “Such hypocrisy.” (sic)
Politics
Watch as Patrick Christys launches blistering attack on Keir Starmer’s ‘appalling’ press conference
GB News presenter Patrick Christys has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the Southport atrocity.
Speaking on GB News, Patrick called Starmer’s recent press conference “appalling” over his initial response to the incident.
He highlighted that Starmer knew about Axel Rudakubana’s jihadi terror manual and biological weapon whilst suggesting far-right involvement.
The PM defended withholding this information, stating “it would not have been right to disclose those details.”
Christys dismissed this explanation, questioning why police could reveal the same details in October without prejudicing the trial.
When asked by GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope about blaming the far-right, Starmer responded: “Responsibility for the violence lies with them that perpetrated it.”
The PM referenced thanking frontline emergency services in Southport instead of addressing the question directly.
Christys expressed concern that public trust in Starmer has been damaged by this incident.
“How can we ever trust that when confronted with the choice between telling us the truth or trying to hide things, to not inflame racial tensions, that he would actually choose the truth?” he said.
WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE
Politics
Donald Trump scrapping TikTok ban is a ‘sign he listens to young people’ -‘He just did a huge thing for Gen Z!’
Commentator Brett Cooper has praised Donald Trump’s decision to save TikTok, calling it a “huge thing for Gen Z” that demonstrates his willingness to listen to young voters.
Speaking to GBN America, Cooper said the move was “culturally the right thing to do” despite some conservatives wanting the platform banned.
She explained: “I think culturally it was the right thing to do. I think you can get into the nitty gritty of the politics.
“I know that he has some plans, possibly to get them to divest, which would probably be better for our country.
Commentator Brett Cooper praised Donald Trump for his decision
GB News
“I think culturally he just did a huge thing for Gen Z. I know that there are a lot of Conservatives that are saying we need to ban and get rid of it.
“I think this was a huge signal from Trump to young people saying, I’m listening to you. I’m listening to what you value and what’s important to you.
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“I know that this, is many of your livelihoods, and I’m going to do something to fix this. And for a lot of people, what I’m seeing online, these young people are saying I didn’t realise that this is the kind of guy he was.
“Maybe he can actually do something. “
Donald Trump suspended the TikTok ban in the United States on his first day as president, marking a dramatic shift in the platform’s fate.
The decision came after TikTok briefly went offline for its 170 million US users over the weekend.
Donald Trump signed the executive order on his first day in office
Reuters
Trump signed the executive order on January 20, his first day in the White House, reversing course on legislation signed by former president Joe Biden in April.
He announced his intentions on Sunday through his Truth Social platform, declaring “Save TikTok” in capital letters.
The video-sharing platform was pulled from US app stores on Saturday after the Supreme Court upheld new rules requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban.
Users attempting to access the app were met with a notice stating: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Brett said that is it a ‘signal he listens to young people’
GBNA
The shutdown caught many off guard, as tech experts had suggested those with the app already installed could continue using it until it became obsolete without updates.
Chew released a video praising Trump for taking a “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship”.
“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform”, said Chew, noting Trump’s own success on TikTok with “60 billion views of his content”.
Despite the temporary shutdown, the app remains installed on existing users’ devices, though future iOS updates may affect functionality.
Commentator Brett Cooper has praised Donald Trump’s decision to save TikTok, calling it a “huge thing for Gen Z” that demonstrates his willingness to listen to young voters.
Speaking to GBN America, Cooper said the move was “culturally the right thing to do” despite some conservatives wanting the platform banned.
Politics
Reform’s new heartlands revealed as Farage’s party set to decimate Labour strongholds – is YOURS one?
Reform UK is set to detonate several key Labour strongholds with voters abandoning Keir Starmer in droves for Nigel Farage, an eye-opening map has revealed.
It comes after multiple national polls put Reform as the joint most popular party in Britain after Labour slashed winter fuel payments, taxed farmers, raised taxes and sparked market turmoil.
Today national pollsters MoreInCommon put Reform on 25 per cent, tied in first with the Conservatives as the most popular party.
Pollsters ElectionMapsUK have aggregated all national polls in a sophisticated mapping model, weighted for recency and historic pollster accuracy, and generated an electoral map of Britain.
It shows a whopping 76 seats flipping to Reform, with Farage’s party dominating in certain pockets of Britain, usually where Labour once held favour.
GB News has analysed the map and can reveal Reform’s new heartlands are the south-east around the Thames Estuary, the Midlands around Stoke, south Yorkshire and the coast of County Durham in England’s northwest.
EXPLORE: Reform’s projected heartlands
Reform’s English Heartlands
GBN
All these areas were dominated by Labour in the July 2024 election and have historically voted for Keir Starmer’s party.
In the Thames Estuary area, Reform is set to win 13 of 16 seats, with eight coming at Labour’s expense. In the northwest heartland, Farage’s party is projected to take nine of eleven seats, all from Labour.
In the midland’s heartland, Labour is set to lose nine seats to Reform, of a possible 14. And finally in south Yorkshire, Reform is tipped to win seven of 10 seats, also all from Labour.
Reform UK’s projected gains in these areas are all the more eye-opening because they are doing what opposition parties have tried to do for decades.
Take the Barnsley North constituency for example. Labour has won the seat since its creation in 1983, most recently triumphing with a 7,811 majority.
But the seat is now projected to flip to Reform in massive swing to Farage’s party.
The story is similar in Hartlepool where Labour has won since 1974, with the exception of a brief Tory triumph in a 2021 by-election.
The seat is now set to go to Reform in a hefty 12.4 per cent swing.
Farage has been voted the most popular politician in the country in a damning assessment of Starmer’s premiership
NIGEL FARAGE
It comes as speculation around a possible by-election in disgraced MP Mike Amesbury’s seat intensifies.
The Labour MP pleaded guilty in court last week after a video showing him sucker punching a constituent in a late night bust up was posted online.
Amesbury is yet to resign and trigger a by-election, however. If he receives a custodial or suspended sentence, a recall petition will be offered to his constituents asking if they want another election.
If 10 per cent of eligible voters sign the petition, a by-election would be called, something Labour will be dreading.
Reform UK has been campaigning hard in the seat over the Christmas period in preparation for a by-election, distributing election material and knocking on doors.
Reacting to the research, a Reform UK spokesman said: “This research tells us what we all know, Reform UK has all the momentum in British politics.
“We are surging in the polls and our membership is growing daily. Thanks to this surge in membership, we have more activists than ever before ready to campaign for the May elections.
“We are reconstituting the centre-right of British politics, the Tory brand is broken and Reform are now the real opposition.”
LATEST FROM MEMBERSHIP:
PICTURED: Mike Amesbury arrives at Chester Magistrates’ CourtPAFULL BREAKDOWN
Heartland One – Thames Estuary
Reform gains
Sittingbourne and Sheppey / Labour / Kevin McKenna
Rochester and Strood / Labour / Lauren Edwards
Gillingham and Rainham / Labour / Naushabah Khan
Chatham and Aylesford / Labour / Tristan Osborne
Dartford / Labour / Jim Dickson
Bexleyheath and Crayford / Labour / Daniel Francis
Dagenham and Rainham / Labour / Margaret Mullane
Hornchurch and Upminster / Conservative / Julia Lopez
Thurrock / Labour / Jen Craft
South Basildon and East Thurrock / Reform / James McMurdock
Castle Point / Conservative / Rebecca Harris
Rayleigh and Wickford / Conservative / Mark Francois
Basildon and Billericay / Conservative / Richard Holden
Heartland Two – Midlands around Stoke
Reform gains
Stoke-on-Trent North / Labour / David Williams
Stoke-on-Trent Central / Labour / Gareth Snell
Burton and Uttoxeter / Labour / Jacob Collier
Cannock Chase / Labour / Josh Newbury
Tamworth / Labour / Sarah Edwards
North Warwickshire and Bedworth / Labour / Rachel Taylor
Nuneaton / Labour / Jodie Gosling
Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North / Labour / Liam Byrne
Walsall and Bloxwich / Labour / Valerie Vaz
Heartland Three – Northwest Coast
Reform Gains
South Shields / Labour / Emma Lewell-Buck
Sunderland Central / Labour / Lewis Atkinson
Houghton and Sunderland South / Labour / Bridget Phillipson
Easington / Labour / Grahame Morris
Hartlepool / Labour / Jonathan Brash
Bishop Auckland / Labour / Sam Rushworth
North Durham / Labour / Luke Akehurst
Washington and Gateshead South / Labour / Sharon Hodgson
Heartland Four – South Yorkshire
Reform Gains
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley / Labour / Yvette Cooper
Normanton and Hemsworth / Labour / Jon Trickett
Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme / Labour / Lee Pitcher
Rotherham / Labour / Sarah Champion
Rawmarsh and Conisbrough / Labour / John Healey
Barnsley South / Labour / Stephanie Peacock
Barnsley North / Labour / Dan Jarvis
Politics
International students could be offered visas to stay in Scotland in new economic push by First Minister
International students who graduate in Scotland could be offered dedicated visas to encourage them to stay in Scotland beyond their studies, if the UK Government agrees to cooperate.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney unveiled the proposal during a speech focussed on opportunities for economic growth in front of a room full of business leaders and representatives from Higher Education at JP Morgan Chase in Glasgow.
He signalled three key focuses for his government in harnessing Scotland’s energy potential, growing the population and forming closer relationships with the European Union.
Flanked by recent graduates starting out their careers at JP Morgan Chase, the First Minister recognised the need for “urgent action, clarity of purpose and collective endeavour”.
International students who graduate in Scotland could be offered dedicated visas to encourage them to stay in Scotland beyond their studies, if the UK Government agrees to cooperate
Getty/ GB News
He said: “Maximising the economic and community benefit from our massive energy wealth, acting now to address our looming population crisis and committing ourselves once again to Europe and its single market is essential for the wellbeing of our society and the future success of the economy.”
To tackle Scotland’s chequered past of graduate retention, the ‘Scottish Graduate Visa’ would be linked to a Scottish tax code and be based on a requirement to work and live in Scotland.
The two-year visa is designed to give international graduates two more years of skilled work within their areas of expertise, acting as a bridge before to gain the necessary experience to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa.
Migration is not a devolved issue and is therefore reserved to Westminster, so Swinney has called on the UK Government to cooperate.
In 2005, the UK and Scottish Labour governments introduced the ‘Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland’ scheme – another post-graduate visa route for international students that was replaced by a UK wide scheme before being stopped in 2012.
Eluding to Scotland’s growing concern over an ageing population, Swinney said: “We need a new focus on an immigration policy that works for Scotland.
“We need people to come here, to live and work to bolster our working age population.
“We need them to address skill shortages and to increase our productivity and our innovation.
“They’re welcome for who they are, for the contribution they will make to our land, their distinct perspective, their hopes and their ambitions, but have no doubt, they are essential for tax revenues and sustainability of our public services like our National Health Service and the future successes of your businesses, as paid employees or paying customers.”
With regards to setting his Government’s sights on closer ties with the EU, the First Minister said that his aim wasn’t to look backwards and reopen the Brexit debate, but to strengthen ties with the bloc.
“Simply put, ‘Remain’ was the past; ‘Rejoin’ is Scotland’s best hope for a more prosperous future,” he said.
He hopes to move towards a veterinary agreement with the EU to lower the barriers to trade for Scottish produce.
In March 2024, the Scottish Government announced exports of Scottish fruit and meat to the EU fell by 59 per cent and 29 per cent respectively, compared to the equivalent period in 2020.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, has already prioritised the advancement of ‘Brand Scotland’ within his remit, placing his drive for Scottish produce within close proximity to the First Minister.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney unveiled the proposal during a speech focussed on opportunities for economic growth in front of a room full of business leaders and representatives from Higher Education at JP Morgan Chase in Glasgow
GB News
However, given Keir Starmer’s repeated commitment to “make Brexit work” for Britain, ambitions of rejoining the EU are unlikely to spread south any time soon.
Answering questions from the media and business representatives, Mr Swinney was inevitably quizzed on the President Trump resuming office and what they could mean for Scotland.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am alert to the danger of tariffs and the damage that could do to the Scottish whisky industry,” he said.
“There is absolutely no alternative but for me to engage with the US Administration led by President Trump, should those circumstances arise.”
President Trump’s first term saw a 25% tariff fall on Scotch whisky imports during the last 18 months of his tenure, estimated by the Scotch Whisky Association to have cost the industry £600 million.
Should such a tariff be placed on more one of Scotland’s most profitable exports to the United States, it would surely put a star-spangled spanner in the First Minister’s economic ambitions.
Politics
Keir Starmer scolded for ‘bizarre rabbit hole of blame’ over Axel Rudakubana failings: ‘A real cover-up!’
The head of a leading think tank has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of going down a “bizarre rabbit hole” of blame in his response to the Southport attack case.
Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, told GB News he was “puzzled” by Starmer’s approach to the failings that led to Axel Rudakubana’s deadly rampage.
Mendoza criticised the Prime Minister for focusing on social media and Amazon rather than addressing the multiple occasions authorities could have intervened.
“It would have been quite easy for the Prime Minister to make a decision to say, ‘look, we messed up, the authorities messed up, it wasn’t on my watch, I promise to do better’,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza hit out at Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s blame of Amazon in Axel Rudakubana’s case
GB News / PA
The Southport attacker had purchased the murder weapon from Amazon without significant barriers, when he was 17-years-old.
In response to the attack, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced stricter measures for online knife purchases, requiring two forms of identification.
Mendoza claimed there was a “real cover-up” of crucial information about the attacker in the aftermath of the incident.
He specifically criticised the Government’s decision to withhold key information about Rudakubana’s activities.
Keir Starmer has defended his actions after being blasted for Southport ‘cover-up’
PA
“You knew things about al-Qaeda training manuals, you knew he was watching beheading videos, you knew that he had an interest in all these activities and was talking about ricin back in August,” he told GB News.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
He argued this information could have been revealed within days of the crime. The think tank director suggested earlier disclosure might have prevented subsequent unrest.
“Had that come out, I think they would have defused a lot of the pressures out there, where people felt there was a real cover up going on,” he said.
“It turns out they were right, there was a cover up going on,” Mendoza added.
Starmer has recently warned that Britain faces a new threat from “young men in their bedrooms” accessing radical materials online.
Mendoza told GB News that there was a ‘cover up’ of information relating to Rudakubana
GB News
“Terrorism has changed,” the Prime Minister said. “Now, alongside that we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom.”
The new requirements for buying knives online will mandate that buyers provide documents such as a passport or driving licence, along with a live video verification of their age.
Amazon has responded to the incident by launching an urgent investigation, stating they take their responsibility around age-restricted items “extremely seriously.”
The online retailer confirmed they use ID verification services to check personal details and require age verification upon delivery.
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Uber and Lyft are finally available in all of New York State
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Entertainment8 years ago
Disney’s live-action Aladdin finally finds its stars
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Sports8 years ago
Steph Curry finally got the contract he deserves from the Warriors
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Entertainment8 years ago
Mod turns ‘Counter-Strike’ into a ‘Tekken’ clone with fighting chickens
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Fashion8 years ago
Your comprehensive guide to this fall’s biggest trends
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