United Kingdom

    Danyaal Mahmud had no idea far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was due to be campaigning in Warrington last month. The 23-year-old apprentice was in the North West town for an appointment when he was invited to join protestors awaiting Yaxley-Lennon’s arrival. I was the only Asian person there. All these people from [United Against Fascism] kept hugging me and telling me I was brave to be standing with them, Mahmud later told the Observer newspaper. Within seconds, Yaxley-Lennon who is standing to be one of the region’s members of the European Parliament – sought Mahmud out. The first time he approached me, he asked me if I thought he was racist and I said: yeah, Mahmud explained. Then he says: do you know 80% of grooming gangs are ...

    A church has raised eyebrows after offering to 'cover up' a cross and allow Muslims to say prayers in its building during Ramadan. As part of the plans, men who attend a nearby mosque were reportedly invited to use the aisle of the parish church in Darlington as a place of prayer. Muslim women were also offered space in adjoining rooms of St Matthew and St Luke’s church, it is claimed. The proposals are said to have been discussed in a meeting on May 9 and attended by the Reverend Lissa Scott. It is also claimed members were told that a devotional image of Jesus,  a copy of The Light of the World by the pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt, would be covered up, reports The Sunday Times . The newspaper reported that minutes from the meeting read: "One aisle i...

    Nigel Farage is facing an investigation by the EU after allegedly failing to declare a £450,000 payment from Leave.EU founder Arron Banks. Earlier this week it was claimed the Brexit Party leader was bought a chauffeur-driven car, and had his rent and bills on a £4.4m Chelsea home paid for by Mr Banks. Mr Banks also allegedly paid for Farage's lavish tours of the US, during which he met with right wing political figures. But according to the Independent, none of the gifts were declared on Farage's register of interests - a record designed to stop MEPs keeping their conflicts of interests secret. One of the European parliament's quaestors, politicians responsible for financial and administrative matters, has now reportedly written a letter to the Parliament's presi...

    The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to baby Archie in a private hospital, his birth certificate has confirmed. The document put to rest speculation of the location of the birth as many had suggested the Duchess had preferred to remain at home in Frogmore Cottage. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was welcomed into the world on 6 May, weighing 7lb 3oz. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had initially been secretive of the details surrounding the birth in a bid to maintain their privacy. Prince Harry registered his son's birth on Friday, and revealed that the arrival took place at the private Portland Hospital in Westminster. Meghan, listed as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex, gave her occupation as Princess of the United Kingdom.

    The former foreign secretary, already odds-on favourite with bookmakers, has a massive lead over his nearest rival, fellow Brexiteer Dominic Raab. Mr Johnson is the first choice of almost one-in-four party members, according to a YouGov poll for The Times conducted this week. Cabinet ministers Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid, Andrea Leadsom, Matt Hancock and Rory Stewart are all trailing way behind on single figures. The poll is hugely significant because it is Conservative Party members who will elect Mrs May's successor in a ballot of the top two candidates chosen by Tory MPs. It suggests that unless his leadership bid is blocked by a stop Boris sabotage by MPs, he is on course to storm to victory by a big margin in the ballot of party members. Mr Johnso...

    A bombshell leaked document today reveals Theresa May’s plan to block a second referendum and stage preferential votes in the Commons designed to allow Britain to leave the EU on July 31. The leaked memo, shown to the Evening Standard, was sent to Labour on Wednesday, a day after the Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn met for private talks. The revelation came as a surprise on the day Mr Corbyn pulled the plug on cross-party talks with the Government, saying that they had “gone as far as they can”. The plan involves: Free votes for MPs in which they would rank in order of preference five different forms of customs arrangements with the EU, ranging from a full permanent trade pact to a looser or temporary arrangement. The aim is to force the Commons, which has ...

    The Prime Minister may offer a clear understanding of her timetable for departure next week, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee has said. Theresa May has previously suggested she will leave Downing Street after her Brexit deal has been passed by Parliament. But Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the committee since May 2010, told BBC Radio 4’s Week in Westminster that Mrs May had offered to meet with the executive following a request for clarity on her plans. He told the programme: It would be strange for that not to result in a clear understanding… at the end of the meeting. The Altrincham and Sale West MP added he understood her reticence to set a date, but added: I don’t think it’s about an intention for staying indefinitely as prime minister or leader of ...

    The Duke of Sussex has spoken of how his three-day-old son Archie has given him a new focus and goal, teaching him the "miracle" of new life after the challenges he faced following the loss of his mother. The Duke, who was in The Hague for the launch of the one year countdown to the Invictus Games, told of his pleasure in knowing his baby had made a lot of people happy, saying he was still very quiet at just a few days old. Having left Archie at home in Windsor with the Duchess to return for one day of work, he spoke of the joy his baby son has brought but advised a fellow father-to-be to learn his lessons and not plan too much after the baby’s arrival. During a bike ride around the Zuiderpark, the Duke had a candid conversation with former soldier Dennis van der S...

    The government has set up a £200m fund to replace unsafe Grenfell Tower-style cladding on around 170 private high-rise residential buildings. The announcement comes in the wake of the 2017 fire at the west London tower block that killed more than 70 people, with cladding blamed for the rapid spread of the blaze. The money will be made available to building owners to remove aluminium composite material cladding, with the government declaring: If these reckless building owners won't act, the government will. Some building owners have yet to take action two years on from the fire, with some trying to make leaseholders foot the bill for replacing aluminium composite material cladding. Prime Minister Theresa May said too many are continuing to pass on the costs of remo...

    A crowdfunding campaign attempting to have Boris Johnson prosecuted for his lies about Brexit will receive a hearing in court later this month. The Brexit Justice campaign alleges Mr Johnson abused public trust by intentionally misleading voters over his claim Britain pays £350m a week to the European Union. The former foreign secretary has previously been warned by the UK’s official statistics watchdog the figure, which was infamously emblazoned on the side of a Brexit campaign bus, is a misuse of public statistics. Mr Johnson’s case will receive its first private hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on 14 May, where the campaign hopes it will proceed to trial on criminal charges for misconduct in public office an offence carrying a potential prison sentence. ...