UK Politics

Gangs promoting small boat Channel crossings on social media will face up to five years in prison as part of a new crackdown announced by the government. An amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – currently going through parliament – will introduce a new, UK-wide offence to criminalise the creation of material for publication online which promotes or offers services facilitating a breach of UK immigration law. This could include small boat crossings, the creation of fake travel documents like passports or visas, or explicitly promising illegal working opportunities in the UK. While facilitating illegal migration is already a crime, the government said the proposed changes would “add another string to law enforcement’s bow, better enabling them to disrupt the gangs while they are publicising people smuggling activities and provide an additional tool when building a case against those peddling this content”. A group of people are taken into the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, from an RNLI lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel More

Gangs promoting small boat Channel crossings on social media will face up to five years in prison as part of a new crackdown announced by the government. An amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – currently going through parliament – will introduce a new, UK-wide offence to criminalise the creation of material for publication online which promotes or offers services facilitating a breach of UK immigration law. This could include small boat crossings, the creation of fake travel documents like passports or visas, or explicitly promising illegal working opportunities in the UK. While facilitating illegal migration is already a crime, the government said the proposed changes would “add another string to law enforcement’s bow, better enabling them to disrupt the gangs while they are publicising people smuggling activities and provide an additional tool when building a case against those peddling this content”. A group of people are taken into the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, from an RNLI lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel More

Sir Keir Starmer’s historic decision to recognise Palestinian statehood later this year will not be enough to stop some of his top cabinet ministers from facing major battles to hang on to their seats, leading pollsters have warned.Health secretary Wes Streeting and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood are among those who could be ousted from parliament at the next general election, the UK’s top pollster Sir John Curtice warned, in the face of major challenges from pro-Gaza candidates. Sir Keir lost a key member of his top team, Jonathan Ashworth, to a pro-Palestine independent candidate at the last election. Mr Streeting was among those who held his seat, but saw his majority in his Ilford constituency slashed from 5,198 in 2019 to just 528. But pollsters now warn anger over the issue of Palestine, which Jeremy Corbyn’s newly announced political party will attempt to capitalise on, could see Mr Streeting and other high-profile casualties from the cabinet. Health Secretary Wes Streeting (Jordan Pettitt/PA) More

Talks have been held over giving Donald Trump the Freedom of the City of London during his state visit in September, in a highly symbolic move.According to a source, the proposal to give President Trump the honour was made because it would give the Corporation the opportunity to meet the US leader and make the case for free trade and against tariffs at the ceremony.It would also be a way of marking the UK receiving the first of the Trump trade deals with questions still over tariffs on steel.The president would helicopter in from Windsor Castle to the US ambassador’s Winfield House residence in Regent’s Park for the ceremony.The Independent was told: “It would be an important honour for the president just as our countries prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year.President Donald Trump More

The Government has defended the Online Safety Act after Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech.In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators.The Government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech and said it is not designed to censor political debate.Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide.This includes a new duty for online providers to reduce the risk that users encounter illegal content as well as age verification measures in the UK to access pornographic content.“As a result, the act’s laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach. Without a more balanced, collaborative approach, free speech will suffer,” X said.It accused regulators of taking a “heavy-handed approach” and said that “many are now concerned that a plan ostensibly intended to keep children safe is at risk of seriously infringing on the public’s right to free expression”.Ofcom said this week it had launched investigations into 34 pornography sites for new age-check requirements.The company said “a balanced approach is the only way to protect individual liberties, encourage innovation and safeguard children”.A Government spokesperson said: “It is demonstrably false that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech.“As well as legal duties to keep children safe, the very same law places clear and unequivocal duties on platforms to protect freedom of expression. Failure to meet either obligation can lead to severe penalties, including fines of up to 10% of global revenue or £18 million, whichever is greater.“The Act is not designed to censor political debate and does not require platforms to age gate any content other than those which present the most serious risks to children such as pornography or suicide and self-harm content.“Platforms have had several months to prepare for this law. It is a disservice to their users to hide behind deadlines as an excuse for failing to properly implement it.”Technology Secretary Peter Kyle became embroiled in a row with Nigel Farage earlier this week over Reform UK’s pledge that it would scrap the Act if the party came into power.He said the Reform UK leader of being on the side of “extreme pornographers”. More

Sir Keir Starmer needs to listen to his own MPs, an ex-Labour frontbencher who quit her role over plans to slash benefits has said. Vicky Foxcroft, who dramatically quit as a government whip in June, said ministers need to “properly engage” with Labour backbenchers after a massive rebellion forced the government to abandon key aspects of its benefits reforms. Ms Foxcroft said she was “really concerned” about the negative impact the proposals – which were later abandoned – would have on disabled people. “There was some quite bad cuts to disabled people’s benefits suggested, particularly around Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and having to have four points before you would be able to access the benefit.Vicky Foxcroft resigned as a whip over the government’s proposed welfare cuts More