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      Rattled Johnson blames everyone but himself for ‘Boriswave’ of migrants

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      Angry Boris Johnson has defended himself against claims that he was responsible for a big rise in immigration.The former prime minister denied he was to blame for what Nigel Farage has called a “Boriswave” of immigration while he was in Downing Street.Instead, Mr Johnson criticised the immigration record of fellow Conservative former PMs Rishi Sunak and David Cameron.Former prime minister Boris Johnson was responsible for a huge spike in migration More

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      MI5 warns MPs they are being targeted by China and Russia

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      MI5 has warned MPs that they are being targeted by China, Russia and Iran through espionage in a shock warning.In a caution posted by the government ahead of a Commons statement by security minister Dan Jarvis, intelligence chiefs issued new guidance to protect Britain’s democracy from foreign agents.The warning noted that elected representatives and those who work with them may be targeted for their access to information, their ability to shape policy or public opinion, or their relationships with others of interest. This includes not only classified material but also privileged or insider knowledge that foreign intelligence services find valuable. This could be through attempts to exploit overseas travel, online activity, and financial donations as routes to access and influence.MI5 director general, Sir Ken McCallum, said: “When foreign states steal vital UK information or manipulate our democratic processes, they don’t just damage our security in the short term, they erode the foundations of our sovereignty and ability to protect our citizens’ interests.“Everyone reading this guidance cares deeply about the role they play in UK democracy. Take action today to protect it – and yourself.”It comes as Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle expressed his fury at the collapse of the China spy trial involving former parliamentary researchers.Sir Lindsay made a dramatic opening statement ahead of Mr Jarvis’s update to MPs, amid growing questions over whether the government effectively blocked crucial evidence being passed to prosecutors.The prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, collapsed last month amid allegations from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that the government refused to provide the evidence required to go ahead with the trial.Sir Keir Starmer’s defence was that the previous Tory government under Rishi Sunak had not put the right laws in place for there to be a trial because China had not been properly designated as a national security threat. But the Conservatives have accused the government of blocking an MI5 file going to prosecutors.Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle reads a statement on the China spy trial More

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      Labour MPs warn Government digital ID scheme will unnecessarily cost support

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      The Government risks losing support over its proposals for digital IDs, Labour MPs have said, as they raised concerns about the impact on civil liberties and the cost.Nadia Whittome, Richard Burgon, Charlotte Nichols and Stella Creasy all questioned how necessary the IDs were, and whether the Government could spend the money better.Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the digital IDs would only be mandatory for employers to see on right-to-work checks, as the Government bids to clamp down on illegal working.However, Ms Kendall added that for those who wanted to, it could improve access to public services.Meanwhile, individuals would not face sanctions, only employers, and the police would never demand to see the IDs, Ms Kendall said.She said the Government had learned from countries such as Estonia and Denmark who had used the IDs already, and allowed people to “tell their story once” when dealing with public services.A consultation will begin before the end of the year, MPs heard, as they were told any system would be built “in house”.Ms Kendall said: “When you look across other countries and what they’re doing, it really has made government fit around people, rather than make people fit into government and its different services, and I think that’s a huge benefit.”However, Ms Whittome (Nottingham East) warned the Government risked “burning through political capital”.She said: “I don’t know how many doors I’ve knocked on in my 12 years as a Labour member, but I do know that not a single person has ever told me that what they really need to improve their lives, their community, this country is mandatory digital ID.“It won’t tackle irregular working, it undermines civil liberties, it’s divisive among the public and it won’t make a difference to people’s lives.“So I ask the Secretary of State, why are we doing it? Why are we burning political capital and public money on this, instead of focusing on the issues that are really are impacting our constituents.“I worry that this is yet another huge mistake.”Her party colleague Mr Burgon (Leeds East) said: “Given the serious threats that digital ID poses to civil liberties, our data security and a risk of data being handed over to US tech giants, I’m firmly opposed to digital ID.“However, isn’t it also a really big waste of money, and shouldn’t the Government be instead focusing on what is the number one priority for people across the country, which is tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and wouldn’t the money from this better be pushed into that, while safeguarding civil liberties?”Ms Nichols (Warrington North) said: “I’ve been contacted by a large volume of constituents in recent weeks whose healthy scepticism that digital ID will make a material difference in tackling illegal immigration, I share.”She asked for Ms Kendall to give concrete examples of how the IDs could be used by the public.Ms Kendall replied: “I do believe in future there are many really important voluntary ways in which people getting better access to services and support, and we’ll be consulting on that fully when we come forward with those detailed proposals.”Ms Kendall refused to give a figure for how much it cost, despite being pressed on it by Ms Creasy (Walthamstow).Ms Creasy said she had seen figures of it costing £1 billion to £2 billion to establish the scheme, then an ongoing £100 million a year to run it.She also said the cost of a data breach could amount to 1.1% of GDP.Ms Creasy said: “(Ms Kendall) said this would be free. Ultimately, the taxpayer will have to pay for it.”She added: “Could she give us, if not at least a ballpark figure for the capital and revenue costs she’s envisioning for what she’s set out?”Ms Kendall replied: “I think we also need to look at the potential benefits of this, in terms of savings from cracking down on fraud, from making services more effective and efficient, and clearly the eventual cost of this will depend on the design and build, which is what we’re consulting on.”The Conservatives claimed the scheme would “fundamentally shift the balance of power between citizen and state”.Shadow science, innovation and technology secretary Julia Lopez said: “(Sir Keir Starmer) knows it won’t stop the boats, and when Brits are forced to have ID as illegal migration continues unabated, it will simply confirm fears of a two-tier society, fuelling the division and conspiracy theories that he so arrogantly claims that he is the antidote to.”She continued: “This is not about Luddite versus modernisers. This is about the fact that Labour cannot resist its big fat socialist dreams – centralised databases, state mandation, big money, the exclusion of private sector expertise. Why create this honeypot for hackers?”Responding, Ms Kendall said: “Well, that is definitely the first time I’ve been called a ‘big fat socialist’.”Former defence minister Andrew Murrison said three million people had signed an online petition against the policy.Ms Kendall replied: “I think that trying to get Government services to talk to one another and work more effectively is what people want.” More

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      I’m glad we can now talk about Brexit damage, says Wes Streeting

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      Wes Streeting has said he is delighted that the government can now speak about the problems caused by Brexit, as the prime minister gears up to blame the UK’s exit from the European Union for Britain’s ailing economy. Speaking on a panel at the Cliveden Literary Festival, the health secretary said the country is facing an “enormous amount of jeopardy”. “We had over a decade of low productivity, low growth, and therefore you end up a with high burden of taxation and people paying more through their taxes and feeling they are getting less because they are”, Mr Streeting said. Health Secretary Wes Streeting More

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      Farage condemns Starmer after street attack on Reform council leader

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      Sir Keir Starmer has been condemned for his “disgraceful” rhetoric aimed at Reform UK after a party council leader in Warwickshire was reportedly attacked in the street.George Finch, Britain’s youngest council leader, said he was called a “racist” and a “fascist” by a man who allegedly assaulted him in Nuneaton town centre on Friday evening.The 19-year-old, who suffered no lasting injury from the incident, told the Daily Mail that the alleged attacker “was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens”.The incident, which Warwickshire Police are investigating, comes days after Reform leader Nigel Farage accused Sir Keir of inciting violence against him during his speech at the Labour Party conference.During his speech to delegates, Sir Keir had said that the politics of Mr Farage and Reform was “racist” and said anyone who argued that people who have lived here for generations should now be deported is “an enemy of national renewal”.Earlier this month, newly elected Green leader Zack Polanski also criticised Mr Farage’s party, saying its politics were “dangerous, deceitful”.George Finch says the alleged attacker ‘was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens’ More

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      Reform council leader vows to ‘lie in front of bulldozers’ to stop Ed Miliband’s net zero projects

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      The leader of a Reform UK-led council has vowed to “lie in front of bulldozers” to stop Ed Miliband’s net zero projects in the area.Several “nationally significant infrastructure projects” are planned for Lincolnshire, including solar farms and a corridor of pylons between Grimsby and Walpole, in Norfolk.Reform UK has been vocal about its opposition to net zero plans, which are being backed by the energy secretary Ed Miliband.While local councils do not have the power to stop such projects, Sean Matthews, the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has promised to take drastic action to stop them going ahead in the area.“Ed Miliband is hell-bent on destroying Lincolnshire with his energy developments… but I’m going to put my wellington boots on and lie down in front of his bulldozers,” he told The Telegraph. “I want a better environment for my grandchildren.”Sean Matthews, the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has promised to take drastic action to stop projects going ahead in the area More

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      Voices: ‘I’ll be holidaying outside the EU’: Readers lament as new post-Brexit border checks come into force

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      Britons heading to Europe are being warned to pack extra patience – as the EU’s long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) finally launches, threatening four-hour queues, new fingerprint checks and a £400m hit to the UK economy.Many Independent readers were quick to point out that the UK helped design EES, accusing the government of hypocrisy and reaping what it sowed. One simply noted that “the system bears the UK’s seal of approval,” since it was backed by British ministers and MEPs before Brexit.While some readers dismissed the predicted disruption as “no big deal,” others warned it would hit the economy hard – particularly hauliers and holidaymakers – with one remarking that “Brexit is going to be more real this year as the EU takes back control of borders.”There was sharp division over blame: some targeted “Brexiteers” for the loss of free movement, while others said younger voters must share responsibility for low turnout in 2016. Here’s what you had to say:What we really lostBorder control has always existed – no one travels between countries without checks. What Brexit changed is the ease and cost of doing so.British citizens now face more bureaucracy, fees, and hours-long queues because the UK chose to become a “third country”. We didn’t gain sovereignty – we just lost the automatic rights, protections, and frictionless access that made travel, trade, and work across Europe simpler and cheaper.Anyone familiar with international trade and border policy could see this outcome coming.Let’s remember – easier and cheaper travel was probably the least of what we lost leaving the EU.Before Brexit, Brits had the right to live, work, and retire freely in 27 countries, with automatic healthcare and pension recognition. Work across Europe and every contribution counted towards one pension. Healthcare covered you anywhere in the EU for life.These weren’t “perks” – they were fundamental rights that gave people freedom, security, and opportunity.Brexit didn’t just end frictionless travel and trade – it stripped away rights that made everyday life better for millions.IsabBrexit gets realUK residents made over 134 million trips to Europe in 2024, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of all outbound travel.Brexit is going to be more real this year, as the EU takes back control of borders.For UK goods, the full Brexit costs and delays have been in place since early 2021 when we left the SM/CU. Food inflation in the UK since then has been a cumulative 45 per cent versus 27 per cent in the EU. Enjoy!wolfieNo big dealI went through Prague airport just three weeks ago and had to use the new system.There were no queues and my blue passport scanned OK. My wife’s old EU/UK passport had to go through passport control for her to be finger-scanned.No big deal.The EU zone has made strides (at great cost) to shore up its border entry system, while all I’ve seen at UK airports and ports are the same excuses (lack of staff and tech breakdowns) as before Brexit.Bubba Ho-TepThe point of passportsThis is why we left. Complete waste of money and time – and if it does lead to four-hour delays at airports, then I’ll be holidaying elsewhere than in the EU. Isn’t it the point of passports to confirm people’s identities? Why the need for photos and fingerprints?ChrisMatthewsYou knew about itThe EES has been years in the making. The original decision to go this route dates from when you were still an EU member, which means:You knew about it Your government agreed to it Your parliament agreed to it Your MEPs voted on it (well, UKIP will have been playing truant as they only went to Belgium to drink better quality beers). Who cares about £400,000,000 when you can control your own borders (well, you don’t actually, but you could if you wanted – and that is worth much more than having an extra 16,000 nurses working for your health).Don’t forget to thank Nigel and Boris for your (unused) Suvrinty.RebootedyetagainHans2An excellent system – designed by BritainAs Britain took part in designing EES, and fully embraced it while a member, it’s certainly an excellent system bearing the UK’s seal of approval.MadamDeputySpeakerBrexit benefits for the BrexiteersI do wish the Brexiteers could all be identified and they are the ones who are given all the Brexit ‘benefits’ rather than all of us having to shoulder them. What is most unfair is that the Boomers all have triple lock state pensions. They voted overwhelmingly for Brexit and should enjoy the ‘benefits’ just like younger people.FYI I am a boomer and I would be happy to accept these penalties just to ram home to the less enlightened just what they ‘achieved’.BlindPewA shared responsibilityVery sadly, even following the economic shambles post-referendum, I see little sign of the UK rejoining the EU. We are not even at the stage where there is rational debate about the issue. The EU have said informally that they would not entertain a reapplication unless there is a political consensus amongst politicians. There is no prospect of such a consensus. The UK will not be rejoining in the foreseeable future.I now have an EU passport and so am not affected by this immediate issue, but I feel sorry for those Remainers who are.Those who are keen to blame older voters for the folly of Brexit need to remember that turnout amongst younger voters was low; hence the latter cannot escape part of the blame. Baby boomers could not have secured a Leave win on their own.And another point: given that it’s certainly younger voters who are most adversely affected by Brexit, why is it that they have done so little to campaign for rejoining the EU? Why aren’t they active in the European Movement (or they could have set up an organisation of their own)? They have been active in identity politics, but certainly not on this issue.Brexit was a collective responsibility and younger voters cannot duck that responsibility which they share with their elders.MusilShort memories“It’s utterly unacceptable that the UK could lose nearly half a billion pounds thanks to the government failing to negotiate properly with the EU over the new entry programme.”The Lib Dems have very short memories. The EU offered simplified border controls – Johnson insisted that we should be treated as a “third country”. The Tories are to blame as well as Farage.JookDouble standardsA passport doesn’t say if you are on a terrorist watch list or if you have a conviction for a serious crime – both of which could be a threat to national security.The double standards of Brexiteers and anti-migrant Farage-ists make Machiavelli look straight as a Roman road – the UK has every right to control its borders but the EU doesn’t?And if you think it will be any easier elsewhere, I suggest you try the US for your next holiday – fingerprints, iris scans and photos are all part of the deal there.bleujeuneNot a big dealOnce inside the Schengen area there are no border checks except in special circumstances, mainly to do with security issues.If I travel to France for example, once I’ve passed through border control I can travel freely to Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy etc without having to pass through border control or show my passport.There are no internal checks within the Schengen area. This applies to Brits as well as to EU citizens and everyone else.Being a third country is not as big a deal as many like to make out.KingswoodSome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

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      Why Donald Trump keeps rescuing Keir Starmer from international humiliation

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      The intervention by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, on Monday morning to spare the blushes of Keir Starmer was significant. And it follows a deliberate pattern of engagement between a right-wing White House and a centre-left Downing Street that has been in evidence throughout this year.Things were getting out of hand for the UK prime minister over his involvement in the Middle East peace process.The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and the Israeli government had publicly humiliated the British government by pouring scorn on a statement made by education secretary Bridget Phillipson claiming that the UK had played a significant role in achieving the deal.The decision by Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state clearly still rankled, both in Tel Aviv and among members of the wider Trump administration, and they were in no mood to give the British prime minister any credit at all. But as Starmer faced international embarrassment ahead of flying out to Egypt for the signing of the Gaza deal, the Trump administration came to his aid.Witkoff, almost certainly under instruction from the US president, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “I would like to acknowledge the vital role of the United Kingdom in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel. In particular, I want to recognize the incredible input and tireless efforts of National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell.”One of the more notable things about this was the political cover it afforded Powell in particular, who is facing demands that he be sacked following a row over the collapse of a case against two alleged Chinese spies. Donald Trump has bailed out Keir Starmer once again as the British PM was facing international humiliation More