UK Politics

[Phylo]

Ex-royal protection officer says he's contacted police after he saw Andrew bring women to Buckingham Palace 'multiple times a week' and was 'not allowed to know their names'​

A former Scotland Yard royal protection officer today revealed he has gone to the police because he claims Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor smuggled women 'multiple times a week' into Buckingham Palace.

Paul Page, who served between 1998 and 2004, has said that officers working for Andrew were 'not allowed' to know the names of the girls who visited him.

He told The Sun: 'We were just told a female will be coming at whatever time. It's always after closing, and a female will be approaching the front gate.

'We were told to call footmen and then either the female would walk through unescorted, or the footman would come down to collect her and walk her to Andrew'.

He added: 'We put it down to him being a sh*gger, and because he’s a prince, and he wouldn’t give us the names because he’s a complete a**ehole to staff.'

Sources have claimed that other women would be whisked in to see him at his late mother and father's London home using the same coded requests and with no security clearance.

Ex-armed officer who 'saw Andrew bring women to Palace' goes to police

Paul Page, who served between 1998 and 2004, has claimed that officers working for Andrew were 'not allowed' to know the names of the girls who visited him.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Peter Mandelson's secretive Russian 'ghost flights' revealed... how former EU trade commissioner's trip on oligarch's private jet raises the question, why was he so close to Kremlin interests? RICHARD PENDLEBURY​

In the early hours of November 25, 2004, a Gulfstream IV executive jet touched down in Rotterdam. On board were a crew of three and a solitary male passenger, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The passenger’s name was Peter Mandelson, former New Labour svengali and Cabinet minister. This was his first week in a new ‘top job’: that of European Union trade commissioner.

Later that day, commissioner Mandelson would attend the EU-Russia summit at the Binnenhof Palace in The Hague.

President Vladimir Putin was leading his country’s delegation. Trade between East and West was to be a key area of discussion.

Putin had just returned to Europe from a trade conference in Chile, and among his entourage on the South American trip had been Oleg Deripaska, the then-youthful metals oligarch who would soon be described as Russia’s richest man – and one of the ten wealthiest in the world.

At his peak net worth, in 2008, Deripaska was said to have $28billion in assets. Many wondered how he had acquired such a fortune, and so quickly.

His US visa was later suspended over alleged associations with organised crime; allegations he denied. Today, Deripaska is under British sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has caused more than one million casualties.

Deripaska has long operated a fleet of luxury aircraft. One of the planes he controlled in November 2004 was a Bermudan-registered Gulfstream IV with the call sign VP-BNN.

This, we can reveal, was the aircraft which took Mandelson to the Netherlands. For reasons that remain unclear, the plane had collected Mandelson from Brussels, brought him to England for several hours and then taken him on the final leg to The Hague for the summit.

Why was Mandelson flying about Europe on a Deripaska jet on the eve of crucial EU-Russia trade talks? And why was he so very keen to get there as fast as possible?

Peter Mandelson's secretive Russian 'ghost flights' revealed

In the early hours of November 25, 2004, a Gulfstream IV executive jet touched down in Rotterdam. On board were a crew of three, and a solitary male passenger, the Daily Mail can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Broken Britain

Thousands of criminals escaping jail terms despite having more than SEVENTY previous convictions​

Thousands of criminals are walking free from Crown Court with suspended sentences – even when they have more than 70 previous convictions, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Police data shows offenders were released from custody after guilty verdicts despite having records as long as their arms for previous serious offences, including violent crimes.

Figures show 755 criminals convicted in Crown Court in England and Wales with more than 76 previous convictions escaped prison and left the dock with a suspended sentence.

Another 1,011 criminals with 61 to 75 previous convictions walked free, along with 2,280 guilty defendants with between 46 and 60 convictions.

The figures also show that 3,015 criminals had 36 to 45 previous convictions, with 5,361 having 26 to 35 and 10,012 with 15 to 25.

The findings are from the Police National Computer (PNC) database and relate to 2024, the last full year for which figures are available.

The data emerged from a written parliamentary question on January 28 by Tory MP Neil O’Brien to Justice Secretary David Lammy.

Mr O’Brien asked how many convicted offenders did not receive a custodial sentence, and how many previous convictions they had.

Thousands escaping jail terms despite SEVENTY previous convictions

Police data shows offenders were released from custody after guilty verdicts despite having records as long as their arms for previous serious offences, including violent crimes.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Medieval Britain​

Imam is guilty of raping women and girls as young as 12 after convincing them he had magical powers when they met at mosque​

An imam has been found guilty of raping women and girls as young as 12 after using his position as a faith leader at his east London mosque to convince them he had magical powers.

Abdul Halim Khan, 54, has been found guilty of twenty one counts of rape and sexual assault as well as child sexual offences against seven women and girls at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The offences took place between 2004 and 2015, and three of his victims were young teenage girls at the time.

All seven were members of the local Muslim community, and Khan abused his position to convince them all to meet him in isolated places to carry out the sex attacks.

Khan would claim he needed to meet with the girls and women to prevent anything bad happening to them.

He then raped or abused them and claimed he had been possessed by a 'Jinn', or evil spirit, while doing so.

His victims were left too scared to tell friends or family for fear of him doing them harm via 'black magic', the CPS said.

Khan's actions were finally discovered in February 2018 when his youngest victim bravely told a teacher what had happened to her.

Imam is guilty of raping women and girls as young as 12

Abdul Halim Khan, 54, has been found guilty of twenty one counts of rape and sexual assault as well as child sexual offences against seven women and girls at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Another grateful UK migrant ....​

Sudanese asylum seeker who dragged Christian preacher off a ladder and threatened him with a knife at Speakers' Corner is spared jail​

An asylum seeker who dragged a Christian preacher off a ladder and threatened him with a knife has been spared jail.

Ahmed Mohammed, 35, attacked Daniel Ayettey as he preached to a crowd at Speakers' Corner, in London's Hyde Park in May last year.

Mr Ayettey's sermon descended into violence when Mohammed asked 'what would you like to happen in my life?' and he responded: 'I would like to have the Lord in your life'.

This seemed to trigger Mohammed who 'very quickly' became angry and started to threaten Mr Ayettey, telling him: 'I'm going to stab you'.

The Sudanese national, who has 29 previous convictions for 67 offences since arriving in the UK in 2012, tried to force his victim off a ladder before brandishing a knife.

A number of witnesses tried to convince Mr Ayettey not to call the police but Mohammed was arrested and refused to be interview.

Mohammed - who applied to the Home Office for indefinite leave to remain in the UK - was convicted of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.

As sentencing was passed down, Judge Martin Griffith told him: 'You've got a shocking record of convictions'.

Southwark Crown Court heard that during the incident Mohammed screamed: 'I'm going to stab you'.

He had asked Mr Ayettey during an argument about religion: 'What would you like to happen in my life?'

The preacher replied: 'I would like to have the Lord in your life.'

Nicholas Mesure, prosecuting, told the court: 'That seemed to be the catalyst as it very quickly changed Mr Mohammed's demeanour and he became very angry.

'There were a number of people, including Muslims, who were aware of Mr Mohammed and they tried to persuade Mr Ayettey not to call the police.'

Mohammed was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Asylum seeker who threatened Christian preacher with knife spared jail

Ahmed Mohammed, 35, attacked Daniel Ayettey as he preached to a crowd at Speakers' Corner, in London's Hyde Park in May last year.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Humiliated Starmer is FORCED to face the wrath of voters: In 14th major U-turn of his torrid time in office, PM has to abandon plans to cancel local elections for millions... so will YOU get to vote on his performance on May 7?​

 

[Phylo]

The lawyers spending YOUR cash to fund asylum seekers, travellers and terrorists: Firm run by millionaire human rights lawyer wins battle for small boat migrants to get £500k of taxpayers' cash​

A law firm behind a potential £500,000 payout to migrants who had mobile phones seized when making it to the UK has a history of cases involving hefty costs to taxpayers.

Deighton Pierce Glynn's co-founders include Polly Glynn, who was dubbed 'millionaire champion of the travellers' after a leading role in a ten-year, £20million battle over the Dale Farm campsite in Essex.

The company last week celebrated representing Amnesty International ahead of a ruling by London's High Court that the Government's ban of Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation was unlawful.

Now it features in revelations that asylum seekers who had phones and data confiscated by the Home Office when arriving in Britain are receiving an average £6,500 apiece.

More than 70 asylum seekers crossing the Channel on small boats are said to have benefited from the compensation offers so far.

Rulings were made by London's High Court that confiscating their mobile phones and data went against European human rights laws.

Now there are suggestions that as many as 1,300 migrants could take similar legal action to claim damages - pushing the taxpayer-funded bill into millions of pounds.

The current official tally stands at £210,800, granted to 32 asylum seekers - equivalent to £6,587.50 each.

The lawyers spending YOUR cash on migrants, travellers and terrorists

Asylum seekers who had phones and data seized by the Home Office when arriving in Britain are receiving an average £6,500 apiece, it has been revealed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

My son was mowed down by an illegal migrant in a hit-and-run crash in August... I'm now told his killer could walk free next year​

A grieving mother has told of her heartbreak after finding out that an illegal migrant who killed her son could be released in just two years.

Phillip Bruce, 35, was fatally injured when a vehicle ploughed into the moped he was riding on August 1, 2025, in Ware, Hertfordshire.

The driver, Erald Kamberi, fled the scene, but officers caught up with him and he was arrested the following day.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving with no insurance before being sentenced to 10 years in prison last September.

There, Kamberi was told he would serve at least two-thirds of his sentence, before being considered for deportation upon his release.

However, now Phillip's grieving mother Jennifer Dover said she has been told that her son's killer could be released as soon as next year.

Under the government's new early removal scheme, Kamberi could be deported to his home country, cutting his sentence short by 70 per cent.

Jennifer told the Daily Mail: 'I am furious, I am absolutely devastated because the little justice he had has now been taken away.'

My son was killed by illegal migrant - now killer could soon be free

Phillip Bruce, 35, was killed when the vehicle ploughed into the moped he was riding. The driver, illegal migrant Erald Kamberi, took off on foot.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Sarah Ferguson 'introduced her goddaughter to Epstein after his release from prison over child sex crimes'​

Sarah Ferguson introduced her goddaughter to Jeffrey Epstein after his first stint in prison for soliciting prostitution from a child, emails show.

The shamed former Duchess of York gave the late sex offender contact details for Poppy Cotterell, the daughter of her former lady-in-waiting, adding 'Over to you!'

Ferguson, 66, who has been sheltering in a famous Swiss clinic as the growing Epstein scandal culminated in the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday, sent the late paedophile her goddaughter's details on November 12, 2010 - 16 months after he was released from prison in Florida.

Epstein set up a meeting with the then 22-year-old, considered employing her and making a $100,000 donation in her name to a children's health charity, emails released by the US Department of Justice as part of the latest tranche of Epstein files reveal.

Ms Cotterell's mother Carolyn was a lady-in-waiting to the former duchess and godmother to her eldest daughter, Beatrice.

An email from 'Sarah', addressed to Epstein and titled 'Poppy Cotterell's contact info', reads: 'Over to you! Lots of love'.

Ms Cotterell, now 38 and a private psychotherapist and yoga teacher in London, met the sex offender at his Manhattan home.

Epstein had emailed his assistant telling them to organise a meeting. They soon replied: 'Poppy Cotterell will come see you on Wed at 2:00 at the house.' An email on the day of the meeting said: 'Poppy Cotterell is here'.

Fergie 'introduced her goddaughter to Epstein after his jail release'

The shamed former Duchess of York gave the late sex offender contact details for Poppy Cotterell, the daughter of her former lady-in-waiting, adding 'Over to you!'

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Greens want to make it nigh on impossible to send anyone to prison – but criminals who do end up behind bars will be given the vote​

Fewer criminals would see the inside of a jail cell under the Green Party's plans for power – which instead encourage crooks to 'make amends' to their victims.

In an internal policy document seen by the Daily Mail, the Greens would grant the fraction of violent felons who are sent to jail the right to vote, put them up in their own rooms and let them pursue artistic and creative hobbies whilst behind bars.

The Green drive to keep criminals on the streets comes on the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election – where the party hopes to return a fifth MP to Parliament.

In the latest reveal of the Greens' policy plans, Zack Polanski's party is pushing for 'restorative justice': encouraging offenders to 'make amends' to their victims to prevent 'further harm' to the offender.

The Daily Mail has this week unearthed Green plans to legalise prostitution and hand illegal migrants a free house, a wage and NHS care.

Their 'Crime and Justice' policy explains: 'We support the principle of 'restorative justice', which deals constructively with both the victim and the offender'.

Restorative justice could include 'service or payment to the community' or taking part in 'vocational training, counselling, therapy, problem solving and other ways of overcoming disadvantage' to 'encourage the offender to avoid offending again'.

The Greens would also give offenders the chance to hash things out with their victims in special 'Mediation Centres'.

Greens want to make it nigh on impossible to send anyone to prison

The Greens would grant the fraction of violent felons who are sent to jail the right to vote, put them up in their own rooms and let them pursue artistic and creative hobbies whilst behind bars.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Britain's Trident nuclear missiles might soon be unable to flatten Moscow as Putin ramps up air defences, report warns​

Britain's Trident nuclear missiles might soon be unable to flatten Moscow as Vladimir Putin ramps up Russia's high–tech air defences, a chilling new report warns.

Russia's new 'missile shields' around Moscow have become so advanced that British and French nuclear warheads might no longer be able to get through, according to a report released on Thursday by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) military think tank in London.

The report said Europe would have to acquire or build hypersonic missiles to ensure Moscow's air defences can be defeated.

These missiles travel at five times the speed of sound and zigzag through the air, making them almost impossible to stop.

Russia's new S–500 and Nudol systems act like a high–speed 'catcher's mitt' in the sky, designed to shoot down the type of missiles carried by British submarines.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow for missile defence at Rusi, said enhancing Europe's long–range precision–strike capabilities was becoming critical to safeguarding the credibility of Britain and France's nuclear deterrents.

He said: 'It is not certain that they [Russia] will intercept every submarine–launched ballistic missile, but potentially it is also not a certainty that the required number will get through.'

The report warns that as Russia's defences around Moscow get better, we can no longer simply assume that Britain's or France's submarine–fired missiles will actually reach their targets.

Britain's nuclear missiles might soon be unable to flatten Moscow

Britain's Trident nuclear missiles might soon be unable to flatten Moscow as Vladimir Putin ramps up Russia's high-tech air defences, a chilling new report warns.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

British taxpayers handed France £8,000 for each Channel migrant stopped in 'unsuccessful' Keir Starmer deal - and more than 40,000 made it across last year anyway​

British taxpayers handed France £8,000 for each Channel migrant stopped in Keir Starmer's much-criticised deal.

Around £175million was shelled out on stopping 22,476 crossing attempts in 2025 - and 41,472 still made it into the UK's waters.

The money went towards coastal patrols, surveillance and drones in Labour's bid to reduce the number of arrivals.

It comes as small boats carrying migrants returned to the Channel this week as temperatures finally rose following a long spell of grim conditions.

Border Force vessel Typhoon intercepted one dinghy carrying 74 migrants on Tuesday afternoon with more small boats reported on Wednesday.

John Vine, former Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, said the astonishing cost of stopping migrants proved the scheme had been a failure.

He told Times Radio: 'I'm afraid we would have to say it is unsuccessful, because that was the second highest total of any year since these crossings began in 2018.'

Ahead of the three-year deal's renegotiation in March, the ex-borders boss urged any future arrangement to feature clear targets, including halving crossings within six months.

British taxpayers handed France £8K for each Channel migrant stopped

The money went towards coastal patrols, surveillance and drones in Labour's bid to reduce the number of arrivals. It comes as small boats carrying migrants returned to the Channel this week.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Afghan 'migrant smuggler' laughs in his jail cell in TikTok videos

Samiullah Ahmadzai, 26, has racked up thousands of views on his page, where he shows off his cell at Wormwood Scrubs prison in Hammersmith, west London.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[alan5616]

Greens want to make it nigh on impossible to send anyone to prison – but criminals who do end up behind bars will be given the vote​

Fewer criminals would see the inside of a jail cell under the Green Party's plans for power – which instead encourage crooks to 'make amends' to their victims.

In an internal policy document seen by the Daily Mail, the Greens would grant the fraction of violent felons who are sent to jail the right to vote, put them up in their own rooms and let them pursue artistic and creative hobbies whilst behind bars.

The Green drive to keep criminals on the streets comes on the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election – where the party hopes to return a fifth MP to Parliament.

In the latest reveal of the Greens' policy plans, Zack Polanski's party is pushing for 'restorative justice': encouraging offenders to 'make amends' to their victims to prevent 'further harm' to the offender.

The Daily Mail has this week unearthed Green plans to legalise prostitution and hand illegal migrants a free house, a wage and NHS care.

Their 'Crime and Justice' policy explains: 'We support the principle of 'restorative justice', which deals constructively with both the victim and the offender'.

Restorative justice could include 'service or payment to the community' or taking part in 'vocational training, counselling, therapy, problem solving and other ways of overcoming disadvantage' to 'encourage the offender to avoid offending again'.

The Greens would also give offenders the chance to hash things out with their victims in special 'Mediation Centres'.

Greens want to make it nigh on impossible to send anyone to prison

The Greens would grant the fraction of violent felons who are sent to jail the right to vote, put them up in their own rooms and let them pursue artistic and creative hobbies whilst behind bars.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I would take the Daily Mail comments with a pinch of salt. They are notorious for sensationalist, and fabricated, so-called news stories.

 

[Phylo]

The disturbing evidence that witchcraft is spreading across​

Britain unchecked... 30 years after discovery of horrific voodoo-style murder should have ended it for good​

A quarter of a century has passed since the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie and the shocking realisation that voodoo-style murder and abuse were taking hold in the capital of a modern, affluent democracy.

Victoria met a horrific end. Tortured, beaten with implements including coat hangers and a bike chain, deliberately scalded and forced to sleep in a bin liner in a freezing bathroom, she finally died of multiple organ failure at the age of eight. Her tiny body, weighing just 3st 10lb, was marked by 128 separate injuries.

Her 'crime'? The girl was said by relatives to have been possessed by 'kindoki', or evil spirits, requiring exorcism by a pastor and justifying a campaign of sadistic violence.

The killing in 2000 and the public enquiry that followed should have been seismic: a warning to the public and politicians that, however improbable, belief in witchcraft was emerging as a fact of life in Britain.

Yet today, despite the horror of Victoria's death and subsequent cases, there is disturbing evidence that ritual violence - involving beliefs and practices overwhelmingly imported from abroad - is continuing to spread unchecked.

The latest official figures show a huge increase in the number of children identified as potential victims of abuse 'linked to faith or belief', a category including claims of witchcraft and spirit possession.

Analysis released late last year by the Local Government Association, representing councils and their social services departments in England, found there had been 2,180 cases of possible faith-linked abuse in 2024, a disturbing 49 per cent increase in the seven years since 2017.

Moreover, the true scale of the problem could be significantly worse amid fears that ritual abuse is routinely under-reported because social workers and others wish to avoid being labelled racist.

With motives ranging from ignorance and fear to the demented belief that human sacrifice confers supernatural protection, and even wealth, the cases that do reach the public eye are harrowing, the majority with links to sub-Saharan Africa.

A recent documentary film, Kindoki Witch Boy, tells the story of Mardoche Yembi, who had been sent from the Democratic Republic of Congo to live with his aunt and uncle in North London.

At the age of 12, Mardoche was branded a witch by relatives, accused of bringing bad luck and subjected to two months of traumatic exorcisms. The film is now available on YouTube.
An even more disturbing case took place on Christmas Day in 2010, when 15-year-old Kristy Bamu was beaten and drowned by his sister and her boyfriend in the London borough of Newham after being accused of 'kindoki', like Victoria Climbie.
Kristy endured four days of torture with knives, sticks, metal bars, a hammer and pliers. He drowned after being forced into a bath for ritual cleansing. Kristy's siblings were also beaten but survived because they 'confessed' to being witches.

Magalie Bamu, then 29, and her partner Eric Bikubi, 28 - both Congolese - were jailed for life in 2012.

Witchcraft killings spiral as authorities fear being called racist

Among the most notorious cases was Victoria Climbié, tortured to death by relatives believing she was possessed - while Mardoche Yembi is among survivors speaking out.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Nigel Farage confirms Reform report 'family voting' to police and election authorities after concerns raised in Gorton and Denton​

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the party has reported cases of 'family voting' in the Gorton and Denton by-election to the police and Electoral Commission.

It comes after election observer group Democracy Volunteers warned it had witnessed 'concerningly high levels' of family voting – an illegal practice where two voters use one polling booth and potentially direct each other on voting.

Reform finished second in yesterday’s by-election behind the Green Party.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage MP said: 'Reform has today reported the many cases of ‘family voting’ to the electoral commission and the police.

'What was witnessed yesterday is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.'

LIVE: Greens stun Labour and Reform to win Gorton & Denton by-election

Recap all the fallout and reaction from the Gorton and Denton by-election where the Greens stunned Labour and Reform by taking the parliamentary seat in an historic victory.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Cousin marriages are driving illegal 'family voting', claims Oxford academic as police are urged to investigate Manchester by-election fraud allegations in crushing Green victory​

The row over allegations of voter fraud in the Gorton and Denton by-election deepened today after a leading academic claimed that the practice of cousin marriages was a key driver of illegal 'family voting'.

Oxford-based academic Dr Patrick Nash argued that there was a strong correlation between family voting – often involving a man entering the polling booth with his wife or daughters to tell them how to vote – and marriages between blood relations in the local Muslim community.

It has been claimed that as many as one in eight votes cast in the by-election - which was won by the Green Party's Hannah Spencer - could be attributed to group voting.

Police have been urged to investigate 'clear evidence' of voter fraud in the Manchester by-election amid warnings that Britain is 'sleepwalking into sectarian politics'.

Ms Spencer cruised to victory for the Greens in the previously safe Labour seat of Gorton and Denton.

Labour was pushed into third place, a humiliating result for Keir Starmer which triggered fresh calls for him to resign.

But Ms Spencer's historic win was immediately mired in allegations of sectarianism after the Greens targeted the constituency's large Muslim population with messages about the war in Gaza.

Election observers reported record levels of so-called 'family voting' – an illegal practice which carries a prison sentence.

Cousin marriages a key driver of illegal family voting, says academic

The row over allegations of voter fraud in the Gorton and Denton by-election deepened today after a leading academic claimed that the practice of cousin marriages was a key driver of illegal 'family voting'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Police urged to probe 'family voting fraud' in sectarian Gorton and Denton by-election: Farage demands action after poll monitors raise the alarm​

Police urged to probe 'family voting fraud' in sectarian by-election

Amid warnings that Britain is 'sleepwalking into sectarian politics', plumber Hannah Spencer cruised to victory for the Greens in the seat of Gorton and Denton.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

Government U-turn sparks election chaos: 5,000 seats up for grabs as Reform UK surges - FRED KELLY reveals what's at stake​

Another day brings another U-turn for the Government with the announcement earlier this month that plans to delay 30 local council elections are to be scrapped. This means that almost 5,000 seats will be up for election across over 100 councils as large parts of the country head to the polls on May 7.

Ahead of what is – in many respects – a mid-term poll on the Government’s popularity, I’m going to be looking back at last year’s local election results to see what could be in store this time round.

Watch the video to find out.

Election chaos as Reform UK surges: FRED KELLY on what to expect

Another day brings another U-turn for the Government with the announcement that plans to delay 30 local council elections are to be scrapped.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

The 'back door' migrant route into Britain: Immigration crackdown as people smuggling gangs exploit soft border between UK and Ireland​

When it comes to illegal immigration, the focus is usually on the issue of small boats crossing from France.

But criminals are also smuggling in migrants using an alternative route - Britain's Common Travel Area (CTA) with Ireland.

Law enforcement say the CTA, which allows British and Irish citizens to pass freely between both countries, is being exploited by illegal migrants and smuggling gangs as a 'back-entry route' into the UK.

To clamp down on this method, police and immigration officials launched a crackdown which led to the arrests of 32 immigration offenders at UK-Ireland seaports and airports.

The Daily Mail witnessed the operation unfold at Holyhead, with ferry passengers scanned with live facial recognition as they moved through the terminal.

The operation also saw lorries searched for stowaways and contraband as they entered the port, with separate checks carried out next to a motorway outside the town.

DCC Wendy Gunney leads the Domestic Organised Immigration Crime taskforce, which coordinated the three-day operation alongside Immigration Enforcement, Border Force, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and police forces.

Crackdown as gangs exploit soft border between UK and Ireland

Law enforcement say the CTA, which allows British and Irish citizens to pass freely between both countries, is being exploited by illegal migrants and smuggling gangs.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Phylo]

A heads up for the UK !

The claim appears to circulate widely on social media (e.g., Reddit, Facebook, X/Twitter posts from 2025 onward), often in discussions comparing crime rates by nationality in Germany. It states: Germany had about 39,000 Japanese citizens, with only 2 suspected of violent crimes in 2023; by contrast, about 25,000 Algerians had 1,729 suspected of violent crimes that year.

This is **largely accurate based on available official data and secondary reports**, though with some caveats on exact definitions, sources, and context.

### Population Figures
- **Japanese citizens in Germany**: Reliable sources align closely with ~39,000 (or around 36,000–39,000) Japanese nationals/residents around that period. Wikipedia cites ~36,960 Japanese citizens (0.045% of population), and other demographic references (e.g., Statista trends and general reports) place it in the mid-to-high 30,000s as of recent years (stable or slightly varying into 2024/2025). The claim's 39,000 is a reasonable approximation.
- **Algerians in Germany**: Official figures from German sources (e.g., Central Register of Foreigners, referenced in reports) indicate ~25,000–25,045 Algerian citizens residing in Germany in/around 2023. This matches the claim exactly in multiple citations.

### Crime Suspect Figures (2023)
Germany's official **Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik (PKS)** from the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and related reports (e.g., "Kriminalität im Kontext von Zuwanderung") provide detailed breakdowns of suspects ("Tatverdächtige") by nationality, including for violent crimes (Gewaltkriminalität, which includes offenses like bodily harm, robbery, murder/manslaughter, etc.).

- The specific numbers—**2 suspects among Japanese** and **1,729 among Algerians** for violent crimes—match figures referenced in multiple discussions of the 2023 PKS data. These appear in fact-check contexts, media analyses, and direct citations from BKA breakdowns by nationality (often highlighted for over/under-representation).
- Algerians (along with other North African/Maghreb nationalities like Moroccans and Tunisians) are consistently noted as over-represented in violent crime suspect statistics relative to their population share.
- Japanese nationals (and similar groups like some East Asians) are under-represented, often near-zero or very low in such categories.

These exact suspect counts are not always published in top-level summaries but derive from detailed nationality tables in BKA reports or derived analyses (e.g., in media, academic, or public discourse referencing the 2023 data). The claim mirrors how these stats are presented in those sources.

### Important Context and Caveats
- **Suspects ≠ Convictions**: These are police-recorded suspicions ("Tatverdächtige"), not proven guilt. The PKS counts individuals suspected at least once (multiple offenses by one person count once per category).
- **Population Basis**: The figures refer to registered foreign nationals (residents with citizenship). They exclude tourists, short-term visitors, or unregistered individuals, which can affect some nationalities more than others.
- **Comparability**: Violent crime definitions are consistent, but demographic factors (e.g., age, gender, socioeconomic status, urban residence) influence rates across groups. Japanese residents in Germany are often professionals/expats in stable situations; Algerian residents include more recent migrants/asylum seekers with different profiles.
- **Broader Trends**: In 2023 PKS, non-Germans were over-represented in crime suspects overall (especially excluding immigration violations), with certain nationalities (including Algerians) showing higher rates in violent categories. However, studies (e.g., ifo Institute) find no causal link between higher foreigner shares and overall local crime increases, attributing disparities to factors like demographics rather than nationality alone.

Overall, the claim holds up as a factual representation of the 2023 German police statistics on violent crime suspects by these two nationalities, relative to their resident populations. It is not fabricated, though it is frequently shared in politically charged contexts emphasizing cultural or migration-related differences.