Labour has doubled down on the ludicrous claim made by Science Secretary Peter Kyle yesterday who said Nigel Farage is “on the same side as Jimmy Savile” for opposing the heavy-handed Online Safety Act. Appearing on Sky News this morning, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if she agreed with the comments. She replied:
“Nigel Farage is in effect saying that he’s on their side, as he’s wanting to repeal the online safety act.”
Yesterday Farage hit back live on-air, branding the accusation a “revolting slander” and has since written in The Telegraph that the “smear won’t stop him from defending free speech”. The bizarre attack is a political gift to Farage. Co-conspirators would be forgiven for thinking there are secret Reform sleeper agents in No10 at this rate…
After Starmer confirmed today that the UK will recognise Palestine as a state by UNGA in September unless a ceasefire is reached, President Trump told reporters he never discussed the decision with Starmer, adding:
“You’re rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don’t think they should be rewarded. I’m not in that camp.”
Earlier this afternoon Foreign Secretary David Lammy said “it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on private conversations” when asked whether Starmer told Trump about the move. Meanwhile the Israeli government posted on X that they “reject the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.” Starmer’s decision will have far-reaching consequences…
UPDATE: Benjamin Netanyahu responds:
“Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims. A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”
The government’s own National Cyber Security Centre recommends that private individuals use a Virtual Private Network to keep their data secure. What will Labour do now…
The latest guidance for small business owners says:
“When you use public Wi-Fi hotspots (for example in hotels or coffee shops), there is no way to easily find out who controls the hotspot, or to prove that it belongs to who you think it does. If you connect to these hotspots, somebody else could access:
- what you’re working on whilst connected
- your private login details that many apps and web services maintain whilst you’re logged on
The simplest precaution is not to connect to the Internet using unknown hotspots, and instead use your mobile 3G or 4G mobile network, which will have built-in security. This means you can also use ‘tethering’ (where your other devices such as laptops share your 3G/4G connection), or a wireless ‘dongle’ provided by your mobile network. You can also use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), a technique that encrypts your data before it is sent across the Internet. If you’re using third party VPNs, you’ll need the technical ability to configure it yourself, and should only use VPNs provided by reputable service providers.”
Hacks have lapped up Peter Kyle’s line that he is currently “not in the business” of restricting VPN use. As Guido revealed yesterday Labour officially supported a forcing a review on rules for VPNs when the Online Safety Act was first debated…
Kyle is currently begging adults to verify their age whenever they are asked, which is unsustainable. All it will take is for a few civil service reviews to support restricting VPNs somehow – e.g. by forcing them off established app stores. A futile effort and one which makes the internet more dangerous – much like the Online Safety Act…
Labour should take their advice from the National Cyber Security Centre on VPNs. Farcical…
Co-conspirators will remember when Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden made a great fuss earlier this year about slapping an immediate freeze on civil servants’ taxpayer-funded credit cards. At the time, he declared: “We must ensure taxpayers’ money is spent on improving the lives of working people.” Apparently, that mission doesn’t apply to the wine list…
Back in March, pen-pushers at the Cabinet Office shelled out £550 on booze. Tory MP Charlie Dewhirst asked a written parliamentary question on what it was for. Cabinet minister Abena Oppong-Asare responded:
“The referenced entry relates to wine purchased for official business. Any hospitality purchases for diplomatic occasions are made with value-for-money for the taxpayer as a priority.”
So the ‘freeze’ on spending doesn’t extend to the booze fridge. That’s despite the government’s own wine cellar already being stocked to the rafters – some 39,000 bottles by the last count. Vintage hypocrisy…
Starmer has announced that the UK will recognise Palestine as a state by UNGA in September “unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a Two State Solution.” As spelt out in the readout from today’s emergency Cabinet…
The PM promises to get “aid flooding into Gaza.” After a series of ructions in Labour over the issue Starmer is taking a more aggressive line. Will have wide ramifications…
UPDATE: A Reform UK Spokesman said:
“Recognising Palestine as a state does little more than reward Hamas for their actions on October 7th. This decision is being made at the wrong time and is a knee jerk reaction by Keir Starmer to appease the hard left forces inside and outside of his party.”
Read the full Cabinet readout below:
Continue reading “Starmer: UK Will Recognise Palestine in September”
BBC News’ live channel failed to observe the three-minute silence to mark one year since Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls in Southport. It did not even feature in the bulletin at the top of the hour…
Instead the channel went through the headlines then at 1501 began “Verified Live” to talk about Gaza – led by the BBC Verify crew. GB News and Sky News on the other hand observed the full silence at 1500 hours…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”