Labour's Jess Phillips boasts she managed to SKIP queue for NHS due to stance on Gaza

Independence not ‘settled will of the Scottish people’, leading academic says

Independence is "not a priority" for some of those Scots who say they would vote for the country to leave the UK, a constitution expert said.

Professor Nicola McEwen, the director of Glasgow University’s Centre for Public Policy, said while polls show support for independence as being higher now than when the referendum was held in 2014, some of that was “a soft support”.

She was speaking at a fringe event staged by the Centre for Public Policy at the SNP conference in Edinburgh – where former Yes Scotland strategist Stephen Noon insisted that independence supporters were “probably at the beginning of a new wave forward."

Professor McEwen’s comments came as the polls indicated support for Scottish independence is higher than support for SNP leader John Swinney’s party, and is only narrowly behind support for staying in the Union.

Polls in both July and August put support for Scotland being independent on 48 per cent, with 52 per cent support for staying in the UK, when those who said they did not know how they would vote were removed, while a poll in June put support for independence at 51 per cent.

Eton College tells parents fees likely to rise by 20 per cent following Labour’s VAT plan

Eton College will raise fees by 20 per cent as a result of the Government’s removal of the VAT exemption on independent schools, it said in a letter to parents.

The £52,749-a-year private boys’ school said fees will “likely” increase in January, meaning most parents will have to pay about £63,000. Parents whose sons are in receipt of 100 per cent bursaries will not be affected by the increase, the college said.
From January, the Government plans to remove the VAT exemption and business rates relief for private schools to enable funding for 6,500 new teachers in state schools.

Currently, independent schools do not have to charge 20 per cent VAT on their fees because there is an exemption for the supply of education.

Nesbitt confirmed as the new leader of the UUP after he was the only confirmed candidate

Mike Nesbitt will be the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) after he was the only declared candidate when nominations closed. The leader-elect has appealed to his colleagues not to “wash our dirty linen in public”.

Speaking at a press conference at Stormont, he said: "I know that what has happened in the last number of days gives rise to a narrative that this is a badly split party, I don’t believe that.

"But I do also accept that we have fed the narrative by washing our dirty linen in public. I gently suggest to party colleagues that is not a very attractive look for the electorate to have.

"I am suggesting we all take a beat, pause, step back and relax a little bit over the weekend and then we’ll pick things up at the beginning of next week as the Assembly prepares to return."

Tory MP suspects Jess Phillips story is a 'fantasy'

MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston Neil O’Brien told GB News: “This is an extraordinary thing to boast about. I suspect it is a fantasy, but it were true it would be obviously be bad thing for people's political views to influence how they are treated by the NHS.

"If I were a minister in a government being accused of two tier treatment I would probably not be going round reinforcing that impression."

Angela Rayner filmed raving in Ibiza superclub ahead of Commons return

Yey our Deputy PM having a little rave in ibiza, Legend 😍#AngelaRaynor pic.twitter.com/QtjGSF52sM

— SJP ❤️🌹🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 (@SJP74) August 30, 2024

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been filmed raving in a nightclub in Ibiza just days before MPs return to the House of Commons after the summer recess.

Video footage showed Rayner dancing enthusiastically in a DJ booth while being cheered on by the crowd at the 5,000-capacity club Hi Ibiza.

Rayner, who was wearing a red dress, was joined by actress Denise van Outen.

'There's still someway to go in the Tory leadership contest' - ANALYSIS BY CHRISTOPHER HOPE

GB News' political editor Christopher Hope has erred on the side of caution about anyone reaching early conclusions about the ongoing Tory leadership contest.

After being asked about the number of MPs who have publicly declared support for one of the six leadership contenders, Christopher stressed a majority of MPs had not yet openly endorsed a candidate to succeed Rishi Sunak.

He also pointed out that the process for selecting a new Tory leader will take time, with four remaining in the race by the time Conservative activists descend on Birmingham later next month.

GB News' political editor said:

What we have at the moment is around 70 or so Tory MPs who are yet to publicly declare so there's a lot to play for.

Next week we're seeing votes around Wednesday and then the following Monday, it'll go from six to five to four candidates.

Those four candidates then go to the party conference where they will be grilled by the base.

There's a final vote by MPs after conference in early October and that will give you two final candidates to go to the grassroots with the result on November 2.

There's still someway to go and it won't be sunny by the time that happens.

Christopher's analysis came after GB News' Emily Carver asked if Priti Patel was languishing behind Robert Jenrick.

The former Home Secretary has five public backers, level with James Cleverly.

Ex-Work & Pensions Secretary Mel Stride can count of the support of at least seven MPs, with Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat tied on nine.

However, Jenrick leads the pack with a dozen supporters, including ex-Common Sense Minister Esther McVey.

'I'll send Starmer packing!' Priti Patel sets out her plan to revive Tories as leader

Conservative leadership hopeful Priti Patel has vowed to "send Starmer packing" as she launched her election campaign today.

Addressing the crowd with her keynote speech, Patel said: "With our country now at the mercy of a self-serving Labour government, a reality that gets more frightening as each and every day passes, I will ensure that our party has all the tools needed to take them on, and to send Starmer packing."

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Priti Patel promises to restore portrait of 'hero' Margaret Thatcher

Dame Priti Patel has promised to put the portrait of her political hero Margaret Thatcher back up in No10 after Sir Keir Starmer removed it from its place.

Patel, who is determined to replace Rishi Sunak and defeat Sir Keir Starmer in 2029, revealed what she would do in Downing Street after being asked if she would remove a portrait of Labour's longtime leader Sir Tony Blair.

Responding to GB News' political editor Christopher Hope, the former Home Secretary chuckled: "Margaret Thatcher is going straight back on that wall, let me just get that on the record first of all."

Addressing the smoking ban, she criticised Starmer's Government by claiming that the hospitality sector will be hit by Labour’s potential plans to change tobacco laws.

WATCH NOW: Reform UK loses major donor to Tory rival

Great to meet with Sir John Hall, a true champion of Newcastle and the North East. pic.twitter.com/3kopKqZOT0

— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) August 29, 2024

Sir John Hall has been filmed chatting with Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick at Newcastle United's St James's Park.

The pair walked around the changing rooms and stood beside the pitch to discuss the challenges ahead.

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Patel delivers keynote leadership speech vowing to 'unite and win'

Dame Priti Patel is delivering her keynote leadership speech ahead of MPs voting in the first ballot of the race to replace Rishi Sunak on September 4.

The former Home Secretary called on her Conservative colleagues to work together and took aim at Labour over his "nasty financial assault" against pensioners.

Patel counts on the support of five public backers, including ex-Chief Whip Wendy Morton.

Morton suggested Patel understands Tory Party members more than her leadership rivals, later lauding the Witham MP's "common-sense" policies.

Farage dealt major blow as donor backs Tory rival vowing to put Reform UK 'out of business'

Nigel Farage has been dealt a major blow after a Tory donor who left to vote for Reform UK rejoined the Conservatives to support a leadership hopeful determined to put the populist party "out of business".

Ex-Newcastle United owner Sir John Hall, who was snapped with Farage after endorsing Reform UK ahead of the 2024 General Election, previously donated more than £500,000 to the Conservatives.

Farage also revealed Hall made a donation to Reform UK but refused to declare the sum.

Despite addressing Reform UK supporters at a rally in in Houghton-le-Spring in June, Hall appeared keen to express his support for ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.

Speaking to Jenrick during a visit to Newcastle, the 92-year-old said: “I’m basically concerned for the culture of our nation and the way it’s going.

"In the coming leadership election, I would hope people like yourselves will come with another message.”

Jenrick replied: “That’s what I’m trying to do. That’s why I’m standing to be leader of the party.”

Hall responded: “That’s a difficult task. I wish you well. Hopefully you’ll try to deliver it. Without those thoughts and wishes, our areas will have no champions to fight for us.”

Jenrick added: “This is a great country and this is a great part of our country. But we’ve got to give it hope and optimism, and that’s what the Conservative Party has got to do in the future.”

Farage had welcomed Hall into Reform UK with open arms in June, expressing the populist party's "delight".

The Clacton MP wrote on social media: “It says a lot when a man like Sir John Hall, after decades of public support for the Conservative Party, is now supporting Reform UK."

Hall, who grew up in a Northumberland mining family, is now supporting a candidate determined to make Reform UK "redundant".

Speaking to ITV, the Tory leadership hopeful said: "I want to put Reform out of business. I want to make them redundant, because I want to have clear policies on legal and illegal migration.”

Brexit-bashers demand Starmer 'opens up' youth mobility scheme

Sir Keir Starmer should sign the UK up to a youth mobility scheme with the EU, campaign group European Movement UK has said.

The group, which is critical of the UK's decision to leave the EU, received 50,000 signatures from people wanting to see the return of Erasmus+.

Dr Mike Galsworthy, Chair of European Movement UK and founder of Scientists For EU, said: “There should be no barrier now.

"The British public voted for change. Opening up youth opportunities with Europe is clearly something they’d like to see change on. So the question is — where is it?”

Ex-Common Sense Minister refuses to apologise after 'repugnant' use of poem warning of horrors of Nazi persecution in smoking ban post

First they came for the Communists⁰And I did not speak out
Because I was not a communist
Then they came for the Jews⁰And I did not speak out⁰Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me⁰And there was no one left⁰To speak out for me

Pertinent words re Starmer’s smoking ban

— Esther McVey (@EstherMcVey1) August 29, 2024

Ex-Common Sense Minister Esther McVey has refused to apologise after being slammed for using a famed Martin Niemöller poem warning of the horrors of Nazi persecution to criticise a potential ban on smoking in pub gardens.

McVey, who clung onto her seat on July 4, described the poem as including "pertinent words" in relation to Sir Keir Starmer's tobacco clampdown.

She said: "Nobody is suggesting that banning smoking outside pubs can be equated with what happened to the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. It is ridiculous for anyone to even suggest that was what I was doing.

"It is called an analogy - those who restrict freedoms start with easy targets then expand their reach."

Rejecting the criticism, McVey added: "I will not be bullied into removing a tweet by people who are deliberately twisting the meaning of my words and finding offence when they know none was intended.

"We already have too much of that politically correct bullying designed to silence any free spech they don't like.

"If they think I can be bullied in that way then they have picked the wrong target."

Ahead of her statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews labelled McVey's use of the poem as "repugnant".

The community organisation said: “The use of Martin Niemoller’s poem about the horrors of the Nazis to describe a potential smoking ban is an ill-considered and repugnant action.

“We would strongly encourage the MP for Tatton to delete her tweet and apologise for this breathtakingly thoughtless comparison.”

'PM can't win!' Labour Minister swats away Starmer criticism over Thatcher portrait

Sir Keir Starmer cannot win in the row about Margaret Thatcher's portrait, a Labour Minister has claimed.

Baroness Jacqui Smith argued Starmer's previous comments praising elements of the Iron Lady's legacy were also pounced upon by the Prime Minister's detractors.

Speaking to GB News this morning, Smith said: "Keir Starmer can't win, can he? A few months ago, he was being criticised for talking about Margaret Thatcher's legacy and the elements of her leadership that he respected.

"Now he's being criticised for asking for a few pictures to be moved around.

She added: "What Keir Starmer needs to do, I think, is to focus on getting the country back on track in the way in which he is doing in some of the things that we've been talking about this morning and a lot of other ones."

Britons pay staggering £8billion bill to cover record number of unemployed migrants

A record number of migrants living in the UK are unemployed or economically inactive, a new report has revealed.

The damning report suggested out of work migrangts cost the British taxpayer an estimated £8billion.

Official figures showed 1,689,000 non-UK nationals are either unemployed or classified as economically inactive because they are not looking to enter the workforce.

The Centre for Migration Control put the cost to taxpayers of record levels of migrant worklessness at as much as £8.5 billion a year.

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Reform UK fume at 'fearful' Starmer over 'far-right' attack

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and chairman Zia Yusuf have raged against Sir Keir Starmer after the Prime Minister discussed combating the rise of the so-called "far-right" in the UK.

Farage, 60, accused the Prime Minister of plotting to ensure those concerned about mass migration are tarnished as “far-right”.

“I think he is very worried about the Labour vote, especially in the Midlands and Wales, places like that”, the Clacton MP said.

Yusuf also told GB News: “Let’s get something clear about the term, according to Starmer and his Government, anyone to the right of Karl Marx and Lenin is far-right.

James Cleverly REFUSES to apologise for Tory migration record

James Cleverly has become the second Tory leadership candidate to decline to apologise for record legal migration, saying he would not be the "punchbag" for the last Government.

It comes after Cleverly's rival Dame Priti Patel also told the podcast that the Conservatives do not have to apologise for allowing millions of migrants to move to the UK in the party's final years in power.

The Conservatives have been widely criticised for failing to cut net migration despite repeated manifesto pledges at the 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections.

However Cleverly, who was Home Secretary from November last year to last month's general election, said: "We promised to cut it. We didn't cut it and we were punished at the ballot box."

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Reform UK launches 'winning machine' rebrand as Yusuf vows to 'turn ship around'

Reform UK has announced the first set of local associations have been launched as Zia Yusuf welcomes the populist party's new "winning machine".

GB News last week revealed Nigel Farage was planning to overhaul Reform UK's infrastructure after holding a secret meeting of 70 local organisers in Westminster.

However, in a further development, GB News can also reveal the first set of local organisers have approached supporters in the area about joining their respective associations.

In a letter seen by GB News, the Reform UK chairman told supporters: "Over the coming weeks we will build a local campaign winning machine by opening Reform UK branches across the UK.

"We are moving as fast as we can but will be opening them in waves."

He added: "If you have not received an invitation, please do not be disheartened, we will be opening a branch in your local constituency very soon."

Rayner under pressure to back migration spike to fuel housebuilding boom

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner must open the door to more migrants to deliver her housebuilding boom, a think tank has claimed.

A report conducted by the Institute for Government claimed the Housing Secretary should consider loosening the UK's migration policy to deliver the most ambitious housebuilding target since the 1960s.

It suggested a construction skills plan would allow mroe skilled construction workers to enter the UK.

The Institute for Government argued the industry should utilise the seasonal workers’ visas commonly used in agriculture.

The report said: "Where there remain labour market gaps, the Government may want to consider changing visa requirements – for instance, allowing construction workers to be sponsored by a scheme operator as with the seasonal agricultural worker scheme – to allow greater numbers of skilled construction workers from abroad to work in the UK."

Rishi Sunak's Tory Government last year added several construction jobs to its shortage occupation list, including plasterers and carpenters.

The decision ensured migrants working in the construction sector would apply for a visa with a lower salary requirement.