Robert Kenyon is Reform UK’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election. Kenyon recently experienced criticism for comments he made about Carol Vorderman. Now, after several days of hiding from media scrutiny, Kenyon has decided to double down:

NEW: Reform UK Makerfield candidate Robert Kenyon has refused to apologise for his comment about Carol Vorderman

“It was a crude attempt at a joke to probably about 50 followers… if you go into any building site, I think you’d hear a hundred times worse said” pic.twitter.com/vHA33K0ez5

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) May 28, 2026

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Reform candidate doubles down

People have argued Kenyon could move past this controversy by simply saying sorry. After all, we live in a time in which most people have said something online they later came to regret. Many would understandably see his comments as a red line, of course, but an apology would at least demonstrate that he understands the rules of society; that he’s not just some sort of freak.

Instead of apologising, however, Kenyon said the following in conversation with the Manchester Evening News (MEN):

I’m not a polished politician.

I am rough around the edges. I have made mistakes in my life. I’m not perfect. Nobody is. Not a single person in the world is perfect.

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I think everybody does say things that eventually they regret. It was a crude attempt at a joke to probably about 50 followers.

No offence was meant, and it’s not something I’d do now.

Is it really so hard to say ‘sorry’?

He wouldn’t even have to mean it; it’s not like we can read the guy’s mind.

Clearly, Kenyon is copying the ‘never apologise’ mentality of Donald Trump. The issue Kenyon will have is that he lacks the force of personality which allowed Trump to get away with it (not to mention the billions of dollars in the bank).

You’ll note Kenyon said “no offence was meant” too. This might work in some cases, but not when the comment was “I’d love to smell and lick your ars*hole”. If he doesn’t understand such a comment might cause offence, then the guy has the emotional intelligence of a tin opener.

Oh, and the comments from Kenyon got worse too.

On the attack

Kenyon also said:

There’s been a lot of noise about this indirect, sort of vulgar tweet that I’ve made, but I’ve not heard much about Carol’s thoughts on Labour not having the grooming gangs inquiry last year or what she thinks about biological males being allowed into single sex spaces.

Sorry, but does he expect Carol Vorderman to apologise to him? Over things she may or may not have even said?

Is this guy for real?

When the MEN asked if he’d like to apologise, Kenyon responded:

I think I’ve addressed the issue.

“Think” might be a strong description for what’s going on here, honestly.

Offence taken

Kenyon added:

I think that no offence was meant and it wasn’t a direct comment to her. If you go into any building site in the area or any public barracks, I think you’d hear a hundred times worse said.

It was just, like I said, a crass attempt at a joke and it’s not something I’d make now.

Why would he not make the joke now?

Does he think it was out of order?

And if so, isn’t an apology is in order?

This issue isn’t the only one Kenyon and Reform should apologise for either, as we’ve reported:

• Reform deploys ‘suspended’ antisemite to Makerfield by-election campaign.
• Reform’s Kenyon said ‘Russia within rights to invade Ukraine’.
• Reform’s Robert Kenyon: ‘Women get abortions for vanity’.
• Reform’s Makerfield candidate was a Remainer.
• Reform is pretending its Makerfield candidate was Action Man.

We’re not sure where Reform found this guy, but hopefully they drop him back there once he’s done losing this by-election.

Featured image via Jeff Spicer (Getty Images)

By Willem Moore

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On 1 June, Israeli authorities will invite bids from private companies to construct 3,400 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

This would effectively cut off occupied East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied West Bank. It would further fragment Palestinian territory, forcibly displace communities including Khan al-Ahmar and restrict access to essential healthcare.

This step would consolidate Israeli control over the corridor linking East Jerusalem to the Ma’ale Adumim settlement bloc. Governments have widely recognised this outcome as undermining the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state and violating international law.

Some pushback from UK

In a joint statement on 22 May, the UK and partner governments warned that companies involved in such settlement activity may face “legal and reputational consequences.”

Palestinian families in Khan Al-Ahmar now face imminent forced displacement after Israeli authorities moved last week to revive long-standing demolition orders against the community.

Khan Al-Ahmar is one of 18 Bedouin and herding communities in the path of the plan. Around 4,000 Palestinians across the 18 communities could lose their homes and land.

Abu Khamees, a community leader in Khan Al-Ahmar, has lived under the shadow of demolition orders for years. Nothing, he says, prepared him for this:

Families here are not prepared to leave. We had been living in limbo for years given a temporary halt on the demolition order.

The decision for imminent forced displacement was like an electric shock to us. People are anxious about where to go with their children as well as how to access essential services like health and education.

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People here have already been suffering because reaching healthcare has been extremely difficult, with interrupted services due to movement restrictions and checkpoints.

This is a nail in the coffin of the so-called two-state solution; with the forced displacement of our community Khan Al-Ahmar, and the completion of the E1 settlement project, which has been considered a redline by Western governments for decades.

This also jeopardises regional peace and stability. What is the international community willing to do after all these empty promises?

Medical Aid For Palestinians’ (MAP) mobile clinics have delivered essential healthcare to over 33,000 Palestinians across 22 communities since 2025. Many of these communities are in “Area C”, which covers approximately 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli military control.

Access to permanent health services here is denied due to Israel’s apartheid policies. In these areas, mobile care is often the only lifeline, reaching isolated communities that are cut off from hospitals and clinics due to movement restrictions and settlement expansion.

Israel’s illegal settlement expansion across the West Bank has systematically fragmented Palestinian communities, severing patients from hospitals and clinics through settler-only roads, checkpoints and the separation wall.

Settler violence has further deterred patients and healthcare workers from travelling. The result is a population denied timely, consistent access to the healthcare they urgently need.

West Bank settlement expansion and violence

Khan al-Ahmar is not an isolated case. A parallel E2 project south of Bethlehem would see around 2,500 new settlement units built in a corridor designed to sever the southern West Bank in half. Israeli authorities have already approved 3,401 new settlement units in the E1 area alone.

Israeli settlement expansion is compounded by escalating settler violence, which forms part of a broader coercive environment driving the displacement of Palestinians and entrenching de facto annexation.

In a single week (12-18 May 2026), settlers carried out more than 50 attacks, including arson targeting homes, farmland and a mosque.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) , 870 attacks have been recorded across more than 220 communities so far this year – an average of six per day.

Since January 2025, settler violence and related access restrictions have displaced thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank, with at least 38-45 rural and herding communities fully or largely emptied.

Aseel Baidoun, MAP’s deputy director of advocacy and communications based in the West Bank, said:

The threatened destruction of Khan al-Ahmar exposes the hollowness of years of international handwringing over illegal settlements. Governments have spent decades calling E1 a red line, warning it would shatter any prospects of a viable Palestinian state, while doing virtually nothing to curb Israel’s impunity.

If Khan al-Ahmar is erased from the map, it will not happen quietly or accidentally. It will happen after years of empty statements, diplomatic theatre, and deliberate political cowardice from governments that claim to support international law while allowing Israel to carve apart the West Bank piece by piece.

Empty condemnation while illegal settlements expand in plain sight is not diplomacy – it’s complicity in the ethnic cleansing.

MAP calls on the UK government to follow in the footsteps of the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland and end trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

This move, which 119 MPs have backed, is consistent with the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 ruling that Israel’s decades-long occupation of the West Bank is unlawful.

Nearly two years on from the ICJ’s advisory opinion, the UK government has still not published its legal review or set out any concrete steps to implement it.

Featured image via Tamir Kalifa / Getty Images

By The Canary

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The long-awaited interim report into the Milburn Review on youth unemployment is expected today. In typical style, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are already steering the corporate media in its benefits-hating direction.

DWP Milburn review out today

In November 2025, the department announced an independent review into why so many young people were Not in Employment, Education of Training (NEETs). The review is run by Alan Milburn. He has been prolific in wanting to strip disabled people of unemployment benefits. Additionally, the review will focus heavily on why kids aren’t working or in education. However, this is Labour so it will no doubt be blaming them all for faking mental health issues. They are doing this without drilling into the causes.

Today’s publication is just an interim report. This means it won’t provide a full picture or offer any practical recommendations. Furthermore, it also won’t hold the government to account for supporting young people. Not that it would’ve anyway.

But that hasn’t stopped the MSM from having an absolute field day. They’re using everything in their arsenal to demonise young people. I’d say we don’t yet know what’s in the report. However, judging from the sheer amount of coverage on a ‘lost generation’ and youth mental health, it’s clear the press has already been briefed.

Despite the report not being published until 11am, every outlet seemed to had read it before then – or at least the DWP press release.

Live coverage of a report? Really?

As the BBC live coverage states:

The number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training — known as Neets – has risen above one million, new figures show — the key points at a glance

The number stands at its highest level in 12 years and is driven by more young people no longer looking for work, the Office for National Statistics says

Yes, that’s right, the BBC is running live bloody coverage of a report. It’s been going since 8 am this morning, and there are already two pages worth of stories. So far, it’s included separate ‘updates’ on different parts of the report, that the report is coming, what NEET means, a breakdown of how the morning will pan out and various interviews Milburn has done.

Most bizarrely, they also included live up-to-the-minute coverage of Milburn being interviewed… by the BBC.

And they’re not the only ones. The supposedly left-wing Guardian also has rolling coverage. They also include a ‘newsflash’. Yes, they really used the word:

Newsflash: The number of young people in the UK not in education, employment or training (Neets) has risen over one million, for the first time in over a decade.

This level of coverage is usually reserved for if a pope dies or another massive paedophile has been uncovered. However, it is not just another report to demonise young unemployed people.

And that’s exactly the point, the government is clearly guiding the media to push so much coverage of this report to engineer hysteria about youth unemployment before we’ve actually been able to read the report.

DWP is controlling the narrative

Let’s be honest, the government and media know the common man isn’t going to spend their time reading a DWP report on youth unemployment. So they will only be informed by what they read in the rags. Therefore, the DWP is painting the narrative they want.

Despite the focus being on youth unemployment, there’s been nothing on poverty. There’s also been nothing on how much the cost-of-living crisis has affected young people.

There are plenty of accusations of kids faking mental health. However, there’s nothing on why they’re all struggling so much. It ignores the state of the world they’ve had to grow up in.

There’s not a bloody jot in the press about how neurodivergent kids are being forced out of education. They then struggle to get into work. This is because the system wasn’t built for them.

And of course, there are absolutely zero practical solutions that will actually support kids.

Report not worth the paper it’s written on

It’s highly likely that, much like Streeting’s interim report into whether ADHD is overdiagnosed, the review is not going as the DWP hoped, so they’re in crisis mode to handle the narrative.

What’s clear here, with the tightly controlled way the DWP has steered the press, is that the report will not be worth the paper it’s written on — and that’s why it’s being turned into a media circus.

Featured image via the Canary

By Rachel Charlton-Dailey

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Energy regulator Ofgem has announced a 13% rise to the energy price cap. Since then, politicians like Richard Burgon have spoken out, with the latest dissenting voice coming from Green Party MP Hannah Spencer:

On July 1st, energy bills are set to rise by an average of £221 per household.

With millions already struggling while corporations profit from rip-off Britain, Hannah Spencer MP has written to the Chancellor calling for urgent action. pic.twitter.com/NA5Pg8728m

— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) May 28, 2026

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Energy price cap not fit for purpose

Hannah Spencer is the Manchester MP who won the Gorton & Denton by-election. In her victory speech, Spencer said:

I am no different to every single person here in this constituency. I work hard. That is what we do. Except things have changed a lot over the last few decades.

Because working hard used to get you something. It got you a house, a nice life, holidays. It got you somewhere. But now, working hard, what does that get you? Because talk to anyone here and they will tell you – the people who work hard but can’t put food on the table, can’t get their kids school uniforms, can’t put their heating on, can’t live off the pension they worked hard to save for, can’t even begin to dream about ever having a holiday.

Ever.

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Because life has changed.

“Rip-off Britain”

In her letter to the chancellor Rachel Reeves, Spencer wrote:

I am writing to you to raise concerns at yesterday’s announcement that the Ofgem energy price cap – the mechanism by which the average household’s fuel bill is calculated – is increasing by around £221 to an average of £1,862 from the 1st July. In the three months I’ve been an MP, so many constituents have reached out to me to express their worry about unaffordable and rapidly increasing energy bills.

Our energy market is a hugely unfair and obvious example of rip-off Britain at its worst. Fossil fuel giants line their pockets while working people have to swallow the impact of wars of aggression overseas. Analysis from Greenpeace UK showed that just five companies drilling oil and gas in the North Sea received a staggering £73 billion boost to the value of their shares in the first month following Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s initial strikes on Iran. £73 billion pounds.

Shell actually experienced a profit surge of 115% in the first quarter this year. It seems that every crisis now results in pain for consumers but profit for shareholders, with another key example being the British supermarkets.

Spencer continued:

I urge you to intervene to stop the bills of millions of households across the country from increasing in just over a months time. The constituents I represent in Gorton and Denton are already struggling to make ends meet, with one in three households living in fuel poverty. Taking an even bigger chunk of their already insufficient hard-earned wages risks pushing many in my constituency and across the country into dire circumstances.

There is a clear and fast way to fund this intervention, and there are also long-term solutions. Your government must be bold in the face of this urgency, and tax every penny of the profits fossil fuel giants have extracted from the crisis in the Gulf. This is the morally right thing to do, and to so many people will seem common sense – why should these companies be profiteering while they struggle to make ends meet?

Why indeed?

Renewable revolution

Spencer went on to say:

To protect people from future price rises, which are likely to happen more often as climate change and global instability get worse, we need to invest much more in renewable energy. Renewables are clean, cheap, sustainable, and, crucially, not reliable on unstable international markets. And if we want to cut energy bills for good, we really need a properly funded and properly regulated national home insulation scheme.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski also spoke out about insulation this week:

We could have seen a nationwide programme of home insulation, going door to door, making sure every home can keep in the heat, so no-one would risk getting sick or dying because they can’t afford heating in the winter.

Why is this Government running from crisis to crisis? https://t.co/YqJSz4Kiqj

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) May 27, 2026

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Insulation keeps homes cooler too!

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) May 27, 2026

Spencer finished:

Will you consider this with urgency, and if you are unwilling to stop bills rising in July, would you please answer this question for my constituents: why do you refuse to take the side of people who are struggling, and continue to defend the interests of corporate shareholders?

Destabilisation

We live in a moment in which companies are increasingly taking the piss despite growing public awareness. Clearly, this cannot go on forever. The question is whether Labour ministers understand that not fixing the problem will doom them to the rubbish bin of history.

Featured image via Ryan Jenkinson (Getty Images) / Jack Taylor (Getty Images)

By Willem Moore

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Hope not Hate have come under fire in recent days for their intervention in the hotly-contested Makerfield by-election, with some interpreting their leaflets in the area as a direct endorsement of Labour candidate Andy Burnham.

Burnham may be packaged as an anti-establishment “saviour” today, but he is also the man who voted to invade Iraq and lauded the Israeli state as a:

democracy that has a long history of protecting minorities and promoting civil rights.

Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that Nick Lowles’ operation is so keen to see him back in Parliament.

On the surface, Hope not Hate is a charitable organisation opposing far-right extremism, but they also have a political wing with direct connections to Labour Party grandees and pro-Israeli lobbyists.

The ‘Hope not Hate’ lobby

The Hope not Hate Charitable Trust’s total income in 2024 was £984,868. Of this, £787,858 was given to Hope not Hate Ltd., the vehicle used for political campaigning. Indeed, the two organisations were considered so similar, the Charity Commission had to get involved. In January, they concluded their investigation, and the Hope not Hate Charitable Trust changed their name to HOPE Unlimited.

Over at Hope not Hate Limited, the links to the Labour Party are numerous and undeniable. The board of directors includes Alison Philips, the current CEO of Labour Together (now re-branded as “Think Labour”), and Jon Cruddas, a former Labour MP and “Friend of Israel”.

Cruddas was part of the Morgan McSweeney-assisted 2008-10 campaign to get Margaret Hodge elected for Labour in Barking & Dagenham. That campaign was also backed by Hope not Hate.

Labour peer Ruth Anderson, formerly known as Ruth Smeeth, was a director of Hope not Hate from 2010-15. She has previously worked for a string of pro-Israeli organisations including Labour Friends of Israel, the Jewish Labour Movement, BICOM, CST, and the Board of Deputies. But from 2011-15, Smeet was also a director of the Hope not Hate Charitable Trust.

Hope with some Hate (and child abuse)

When it comes to pro-Israeli lobbying efforts in the UK, Hope not Hate has a major blind spot. In their 2019 annual report, Hope not Hate included the following tweet as an example of left-wing antisemitism:

We need to stand up against the Zionist lobby in the UK. They are not putting Britain first but Israel first. Why are we allowing them to dictate British politics when they put Israel’s interests above any other interests. Their agenda is making other nations’ sons die for Israel.

As Rusere Shoniwa, a former supporter of the charity, noted at the time:

This tweet, directed expressly at the Zionist lobby (and therefore possibly, by extension, Zionism) and the state of Israel, its main promoter, is political speech which cannot, prima facie, be imbued with hostility to Jews as Jews. Zionism is a political ideology whose proponents are not all Jewish. Indeed, some Jews are strongly opposed to it.

Another Labour peer who has been consistently praised by Hope not Hate is Margaret Hodge. Hodge calls herself “a committed Zionist” and is another long-time supporter of Labour Friends of Israel.

In 2019, with Margaret Hodge as vice-president and Ruth Smeeth as national parliamentary chair, the Jewish Labour Movement elected Liron Velleman as their Policy Officer. Velleman later served as a Political Organiser for Hope not Hate. In March, Velleman was sentenced for child sex offences after sending videos of his penis to what he thought was a 13 year old girl. The judge condemned his:

reckless, vile and frankly devious interest in children.

In 2017, Jewish News named Liron Velleman on their list of “30 under 30”:

His style of Israel advocacy is sensitive and effective. Professional but always able to put others at ease, Liron is best known for his ability to do everything he says he will, and more besides.

More friends of Israel and Labour Together

The same day Smeeth stepped down from Hope not Hate Ltd, Jemma Levene was appointed as a director. Levene, a blogger for the Times of Israel, is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, the propaganda outfit set up by Morgan McSweeney and Imran Ahmed with Labour Together money.

In 2024, Imran Ahmed e-mailed Efrat Hochstetler, an official at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, thanking her for her “continued support”. Days earlier, he had met with Sawsan Hasson, the Israeli Embassy Minister of Public Diplomacy. Hasson promised to find funders for CCDH.

Hope not Hate Limited’s list of current and previous directors also includes Simon Tuttle, a funder of McSweeney’s Labour Together project, and Labour Party MP and chair Anna Turley, another supporter of Labour Friends of Israel and the Jewish Labour Movement.

Burnham “will never change”

In recent days, Andy Burnham has been vocal about his record on Ukraine, but quiet about his documented support for the genocidal settler state. Like Hope not Hate, the double-standard is telling.

In 2015, leadership favourite Burnham said:

I’ve always been a friend of Israel … that will never change.

There is no reason not to believe him.

Featured image via Chomoi Picho-Owiny

By Jody McIntyre

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Labour chair Anna Turley has issued an ultimatum to Nigel Farage: he has 24 hours to report his claim to have been a victim of a Russian hack to security services. If not, Turley plans to do it for him. 

It’s “in the public and national interest” to make sure that a possible attack by a foreign state is investigated properly, according to the letter Turley sent to the Reform leader.

Farage needs to sound the espionage alarms

On 23 May, Farage claimed that counter-espionage experts employed by Reform had found proof that Russian hackers used spear phishing to break into his bank accounts, phone, and email. In the Mail, a Reform source stated that the alleged cyber-attack:

bore all the sophisticated hallmarks of a nation state actor using destabilisation techniques in the run-up to this month’s local elections.

However, Farage’s ‘haters’ mused that the ‘Russian hack’ could in fact be a clever ruse to distract public attention from the Reform leaders £5m ‘gift’ from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. According to Farage, only four people were actually aware of generous non-donation – so obviously, it must have been a hack.

The parliamentary standards commissioner has since stated that he’s investigating Farage for a potential breach of the members’ code of conduct in failing to declare the £5m when he re-entered politics a couple of months later.

However, on 25 May, the Guardian published comments for ex-national cybersecurity chief Ciaran Martin, who held that Farage’s wild claims could have massive repercussions for the UK’s policies on Russia. If, that is, they weren’t a load of old rubbish. Martin explained that:

It is a very, very serious thing to allege. It would be a national security issue. If it is true, the government should be in emergency session in COBR [Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms] right now considering their response to the most serious Russian intervention in internal British affairs for years.

He also highlighted that Moscow-linked agents don’t exactly leave a little Russian flag to announce that they’d committed international cyber-crimes.

‘Wider implications for Britain’s national security’

Following Martin’s line, Turley wrote to Farage that the alleged phishing attack:

would constitute a serious cybercrime and a potential hostile-state operation directed at the leader of a British political party.

The Labour chair also told Farage to explain why exactly Harborne ‘gifted’ him the £5m. The Reform leader has spent weeks ducking interviews, avoiding hard questions about the oh-so-generous donation. Sorry, sorry – it was a non-political present, wasn’t it?

Previously, however, he claimed the gift was for ‘security’. Harborne, you see, had witnessed someone throw a milkshake at Farage, and clearly thought £5m was a proportionate response. Later, the party leader changed his story, calling the money a ‘reward’ for all of his Brexit campaigning.

In her letter, Turley stated that:

Quite apart from the implications for you personally, the alleged crime is an incredibly serious one with potential wider implications for Britain’s national security, the integrity of our politics and public confidence in our democratic system.

It is therefore essential that any evidence of hostile-state hacking or foreign interference is placed in the hands of the proper authorities, so that it can be fully and independently investigated.

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With that in mind, please can you urgently confirm whether you have reported the alleged hacking of your phone, email and bank accounts to the police and/or to the relevant security services, including the National Cyber Security Centre?

On  25 May, the Guardian reported its understanding that Farage had failed to notify the NCSC about the supposed Moscow-linked cyber attack.

‘It has been reported,’ honest

Turley finished up with her ultimatum:

If we do not receive confirmation within 24 hours that this matter has been reported to the police, the Labour party will, in the public and national interest, report the matter ourselves to the police and the relevant national security authorities, on the basis of your public statements and the published reports.

However, Reform was quick to reassure the Labour chair that her assistance wasn’t needed. A spokesperson for the far-right party said:

It has been reported to the relevant authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.

That’s terribly convenient, isn’t it? All it took was somebody reminding Farage that his failure to report the non-fictional hack made him look like he was lying through his teeth, and hey presto – report submitted.

Of course, we’re sure that Reform will be able to provide proof of their reporting, should Turley ask for it. The party for far-right incompetents and Tory rejects definitely wouldn’t just double down on an obvious lie, now would they?

Featured image via Getty/Ryan Jenkinson

By Alex/Rose Cocker

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Plans by the Labour Government to make it harder for communities to oppose infrastructure projects near them, such as nuclear power plants, have been criticised by campaigners and a legal expert.

The Treasury announced on 20 May that the chancellor was expected to:

use Parliament to drive through power plants and infrastructure [by giving] Parliament the authority to approve critical energy schemes and better protect infrastructure projects from judicial review.

People with concerns about major infrastructure projects – sometimes called nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), which includes nuclear power plants – are able to request that judges review applications for building NSIPs.

Those judicial reviews have the potential to bring an end to projects if judges agree with arguments put forward by people pursuing the reviews.

Now, the government is proposing to give government proposals for some major projects “the same status as laws passed by elected decision makers,” according to one legal expert who spoke to the Canary, which appears to “have significant constitutional implications”.

Treasury announcement

The announcement by the Treasury said:

The headline proposal would allow Parliament to designate and approve the most important clean energy projects as being of ‘Critical National Importance’ (CNI), reducing the exposure from judicial review on all but human rights grounds.

This would help deliver the government’s commitment to accelerate new infrastructure development and drive growth, including much-needed projects like new power stations and offshore wind farms.

For all other nationally significant infrastructure – including transport and water projects – the government will introduce a fixed legal challenge window, at the end of which the planning consent could be updated to address any legitimate issues.

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Plans to give government proposals same status as acts of parliament ‘concerning’ – lawyer

Leigh Day is a law firm “established to combat injustice,” its website says.

The firm has represented a variety of clients who have used judicial reviews to oppose major infrastructure projects.

Leigh Day partner Ricardo Gama told the Canary:

The government appears to be introducing further limits on communities’ ability to have large infrastructure decisions examined by the courts.

The suggestion that projects with political backing should enjoy the same status as acts of parliament, but be spared parliamentary scrutiny, is concerning.

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It appears to have significant constitutional implications because it would alter the relationship between government, parliament and judges, giving government proposals the same status as laws passed by elected decision makers.

Limiting legal challenges ‘harms democracy’ and reduces ‘oversight of the nuclear industry’

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament general secretary Sophie Bolt told the Canary:

The government is cynically using the crisis in the Middle East to justify limiting transparency and the ability of local communities and campaign groups to appeal the railroading of costly and dirty nuclear power projects.

Limiting the appeals process harms democracy and much needed oversight of the nuclear industry – but will not change the fact that nuclear power relies on the dirty process of extracting and processing uranium for fuel and leaves a legacy of toxic waste that lasts for generations.

The government’s plan to cut regulations and limit the scope for judicial reviews essentially means this industry will be more dangerous.

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This is disturbingly similar to what Donald Trump did earlier this year when he gutted the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Anti-Sizewell C campaigners rail against notion that Sizewell C was delayed by judicial reviews

A Stop Sizewell C spokesperson told the Canary:

If Sizewell C was genuinely delayed by judicial reviews, why did the National Audit Office (NAO), who would have spoken at length to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Sizewell C during their enquiries, not say so?

In October 2025, the Treasury put out a statement saying:

Backing the builders not the blockers, the government will work with the judiciary to cut the amount of time it takes for a judicial review to move through the court system for nationally critical infrastructure projects by around half a year, like Sizewell C.

Then, in May 2026, a National Audit Office (NAO) report about Sizewell C poured cold water on the idea that judicial reviews had delayed the project. It explained reasons for delays and judicial reviews were notably absent from the list.

The NAO report said:

DESNZ started formal negotiations with EDF for SZC in 2021 and initially expected to reach ’financial close’, when contracts take effect, by the end of March 2023. DESNZ and HM Treasury made a final investment decision (FID) in July 2025, having agreed terms with EDF and other private investors.

This was 4.5 years after negotiations started and at least 28 months later than originally planned. The project was delayed several times, including by the 2024 General Election; responding to feedback from potential investors and the government’s internal assurance processes; and longer than expected negotiations with EDF and the other investors. Financial close was reached in November 2025.

The Stop Sizewell C spokesperson continued:

If the Chancellor is going to persist in using such offensive language, she really ought to get her facts right.

A Together Against Sizewell C spokesperson echoed Stop Sizewell C’s perspective, telling the Canary:

Labour still doesn’t get it – we cannot build a sustainable future by weakening our environmental safeguards and legal rights.

Reeves’ draconian policy change is built on the false premise promoted by the nuclear industry and right wing lobbyists that Sizewell C was excessively delayed by judicial review challenges – this does not stand up to scrutiny.

Reeves’ plans will need to be scrutinised by MPs and peers, and the challenge to the Prime Minister’s leadership means it is unclear whether the government will be able to command the confidence of the House of Commons to enable the Chancellor’s plans to make it harder to judicially review some major projects.

Featured image via Chris Radburn – WPA Pool/Getty Images

By Tom Pashby

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Hormone testing measures levels of specific hormones in body fluids, such as saliva, urine, and blood. A female hormone test is crucial for diagnosing imbalances associated with reproductive health, fertility, and sexual development.

Forth provides customised blood tests that can be done at home to help identify causes of these imbalances. Use a tracked 24-hour envelope to secure your sample and send it to their labs for testing. You will receive your results within 2 working days and can view them in forth’s mobile application. The timing of sample collection is key to ensuring test accuracy.

We are going to discuss the situations that could lead women to consider hormone testing.

Irregular menstrual cycles

Women should consider hormone testing when they are experiencing irregular menstrual cycles. These irregularities include inconsistent cycles that usually occur shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days, and amenorrhoea (absence of menstruation).

Other hormonal imbalance symptoms reported during such irregularities are hair loss or excessive hair growth and rapid weight gain.

The hormones tested for irregular periods include Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and progesterone.

To get a reference point or baseline, FSH and LH are examined at the start of the menstrual cycle. This takes 2–5 days to assess ovarian function and brain signals to the ovaries.

Twenty-one days into the menstrual cycle, a progesterone hormone test should be done to determine if ovulation has occurred.

Many things, such as stress or illness, can cause irregular menstrual cycles. When irregularities become consistent, evaluation is needed. Perfect timing provides accurate results used to create a treatment plan to restore hormonal balance.

Signs of early perimenopause

Hormonal changes can affect the body’s reproductive functions, making them irregular or erratic. Women of any age experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings, and hot or cold flashes should consider hormone testing, as these may be signs of a hormonal imbalance.

FSH and estradiol are tested between days 3 and 5 of the menstrual cycle to determine a baseline. If ovarian function is reduced, tests may show increased FSH hormone production. Regular checks of estradiol, the most potent form of estrogen in the human body, are also recommended. It can fluctuate widely, rising to high levels and dropping to low levels, which may cause hot and cold flashes.

On the 21st day of the menstrual cycle, the progesterone hormone may also be tested. Progesterone production can decline when ovulation becomes less frequent, and reduced progesterone levels in women’s bodies may cause mood swings, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and heavy or irregular periods.

Because hormone levels fluctuate constantly throughout the day, clinicians often rely on clinical symptoms alongside hormone tests to get a clearer picture of a woman’s hormonal health.

Suspected hormone imbalance

Women should consider hormone blood testing when they experience common signs of hormone imbalance. These include irregular periods, acne, poor sleep, low libido, mood changes, hair loss, and unexplained weight changes. Blood testing is the most accurate way to identify hormonal disruptions, as it directly measures the levels of key hormones circulating in the body.

For thyroid function, testing can be done on any day and typically includes thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (thyroxine), and free T3 (triiodothyronine). For reproductive hormones, testing is ideally done on day 3 of the menstrual cycle and covers markers such as FSH, LH, total and free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and free androgen index.

Together, these biomarkers give a comprehensive picture of how a woman’s hormones are functioning, helping healthcare providers identify imbalances and recommend the right course of action.

Seeking medical advice for hormonal concerns

While at-home hormone testing is a convenient and valuable first step, it is important to consult a qualified healthcare professional when experiencing symptoms that may point to a hormonal imbalance. Test results are most meaningful when interpreted in the context of a woman’s full medical history, lifestyle, and symptoms — something only a trained clinician can properly assess.

Women are encouraged to seek medical advice if symptoms such as irregular periods, unexplained weight changes, severe mood disturbances, or signs of early perimenopause persist or worsen over time. A GP, gynaecologist, or endocrinologist can help confirm a diagnosis, rule out underlying conditions, and recommend an appropriate treatment plan, which may include lifestyle adjustments, medication, or hormone therapy.

It is also worth noting that hormone levels alone do not always tell the full story. Self-diagnosing based on test results without professional guidance can lead to unnecessary anxiety or, worse, inappropriate self-treatment. Always use home testing as a tool to inform a conversation with your doctor, not as a substitute for professional medical care.

Conclusion

Hormone testing is a vital diagnostic tool for women showing signs of hormonal imbalances. A female hormone test is necessary when they experience irregular menstrual cycles, show signs of early perimenopause, or suspect PCOS or thyroid issues. The timing of the test is key to ensuring accurate results and, in turn, guarantee that the right action is taken to remedy the situation and restore hormonal balance.

By Nathan Spears

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Nigel Farage has written to the Charity Commission regarding his old enemies at HOPE not Hate (HnH):

I have written to the Charity Commission regarding Hope Not Hate’s political activities. pic.twitter.com/NpQRIK09Uq

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) May 27, 2026

We’re no fans of Farage, but he’s not the only one saying HOPE not Hate is pushing what’s acceptable. And while HOPE not Hate does good work documenting the British far-right, the charity/activist organisation also has far-right links of its own — namely to the Zionist movement.

Political messaging

On 21 May, right-wing activist Carl Benjamin posted the following. In response, Adam Wren (director of Open Justice UK) provided some clarity:

Quite a few organisations in the UK have this dual setup, most of the ‘Tufton street’ think tanks for example. I have an application with the charity commission pending too. It’s mostly innocuous, just lets you comment on policy but this is really pushing it

— Adam Wren (@aswren) May 21, 2026

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Novara’s Aaron Bastani commented on the above, saying:

This is insane!

I don’t think charities necessarily should be apolitical – but for now those are the rules. I know people in the third sector who’ve come close to being fired for expressing vaguely political sentiments during elections!

This is another level.

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Farage speaks

In his letter, Farage writes:

There are numerous reports of HOPE Not Hate sending leaflets to addresses within the Makerfield constituency ahead of the Parliamentary by-election on 18 June. The leaflet allegedly endorses Andy Burnham, Labour’s candidate, and attempts to influence voters’ decisions. The tone and content of the leaflet is clearly directed towards persuading the reader to vote for a particular candidate, and the text in the footer, “To join the local fightback against Reform, please scan the QR code”, is party political.

The letter states that it is promoted by Nick Lowles on behalf of HOPE Not Hate Limited (HnH Ltd.), a private company with links to HOPE Unlimited Charitable Trust (HUCT), a charitable company registered with the Charity Commission under Charity number: 1013880. HnH Ltd. is a registered third party campaign organisation. The Charity Commission took regulatory action in January over connected activities between HUCT and HnH Ltd.

Farage goes on to note that HnH – the political organisation – is “funded almost entirely by grants from HUCT” – the supposedly apolitical charity. He additionally notes that in 2024, HUCT had a total expenditure of £893,701, and that £787,858 of it was directed towards HnH.

HOPE not Hate responds

The response from HnH reads:

HOPE not hate exists to challenge the politics of hate and extremism, and to build resilience against the far right. Our work investigates, exposes, and campaigns against those seeking to divide communities in Britain. We have done this work for over two decades, including helping communities defeat the ugly politics of the BNP, and helping to foil a neo-Nazi murder plot of a sitting MP, and we will continue to scrutinise parties, candidates, and movements that promote racism, intolerance and extremism.

HOPE not hate Ltd is registered as a third-party campaigner and our campaigning work is funded by our supporters. Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust is a separate registered charity. Grants from the Trust are ringfenced for charitable and non-political work, including community engagement, training, and work that helps local communities to challenge hate at a grassroots level. We understand that HUCT has funded a large number of community organisations and anti-racist projects.

These grants are not used to fund electoral campaigning.

Reform UK’s complaint is a transparent attempt to distract from legitimate scrutiny of its candidate in Makerfield, following an investigation published by HOPE not hate last week, which revealed misogynistic and degrading comments he made about women. Reform may not like being scrutinised, but voters deserve to know who is asking for their support. It’s a shame that Nigel Farage has not put as much effort into vetting his own candidates as he has done making spurious complaints to the charity commission.

If the emboldened part is true, HnH will have to demonstrate that the money which comes from HUCT is not used to send letters like the one in question. That, or they’ll have to argue the letter does not constitute “electoral campaigning”. Quite how they’d do that we’re not sure, given the content and timing of the letter.

“Legitimate scrutiny”

Hope not Hate produces good investigative work into the British far-right, and we regularly reference it. At the same time, the group also has ties to prominent British Zionists. Zionism itself is a far-right political ideology, in that it promotes the idea that Israel has the right to exist as expansionist colonial nation that can subject its neighbours to genocide and apartheid. Despite this, British Zionists don’t really appear on HnH’s radar (not for being Zionists, anyway).

The reason this ideology has long enjoyed support in the West is because Israel serves as the US’s foothold in the Middle East. Beyond this, Israeli politicians and backers have spent many years forming ties with Western politicians – often through political donations. The result is that there are many British politicians who seek to portray Israel as a tiny nation which is simply minding its own business. Said politicians pulled the wool over people’s eyes for decades, but then Israel committed a genocide, and the broader public wised up.

On 5 February, Canary contributor Jody McIntyre reported on Morgan McSweeney for the Electronic Intifada. In a section on how McSweeney rose to prominence, McIntyre wrote:

McSweeney’s next political challenge came in East London in between 2008 and 2010, when he worked on public relations for right-wing, pro-Israel lawmaker Margaret Hodge, helping her to retain the parliamentary seat for Barking, against a challenge from the insurgent far-right British National Party.

This campaign was bolstered by HOPE Not Hate, a supposedly anti-racist group which in fact aids Zionism – Israel’s state ideology – and has shadowy ties to Britain’s intelligence agencies. Previous employees at HOPE Not Hate include Ruth Smeeth, a former lawmaker who has been active in Labour Friends of Israel, Jemma Levene, a blogger for The Times of Israel, and Liron Velleman, a pro-Israeli activist and former policy officer for the Jewish Labour Movement, another lobby group. (In 2024, Velleman was forced to resign as a North London councillor under mysterious circumstances. Then last year he pleaded guilty to a series of sex offences against a 13-year-old girl.)

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Accountability

We’re very interested to hear what the Charity Commission has to say on this one. And if they decide in HnH’s favour, we expect to see an increase in right-leaning organisations mimicking the same model.

Featured image via Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

By Willem Moore

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