UK Politics

[Phylo]

Even the boss of Britain's wind farm trade body tells Miliband he should allow more North Sea oil and gas production​

The wind fam trade body has urged Ed Miliband to allow more North Sea drilling to boost homegrown energy.

Tara Singh, the chief executive of RenewableUK, said the crisis in the Middle East demonstrated how vulnerable Britain was to energy price shocks.

She said that the UK would be 'stronger, safer and less exposed if it produces more home-grow energy of every kind'.

Britain would still need fossil fuels 'for the foreseeable future,' she added, so it was 'entirely sensible' to dig for oil and gas in the North Sea.

Her intervention will infuriate the Energy Secretary Mr Miliband who has so far resisted pressure to expand licences for North Sea drilling.

He reiterated his dedication to green power over the weekend as said the 'one lesson' from the Iran crisis was the need to go 'further and faster' on 'homegrown clean power'.

Since last July, Labour has largely banned licences for new drilling and expanded a 78pc windfall tax on producers.

Opponents of Mr Miliband's approach include Labour's union backer, Unite and the GMB Union, as well as Sir Tony Blair's think tank.

Even boss of wind farm body tells Miliband to drill the North Sea

Tara Singh, the chief executive of RenewableUK, said the crisis in the Middle East demonstrated how vulnerable Britain was to energy price shocks.

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[Phylo]

Romanians 'claiming record number of student loans in a suspected fraud', probe suggests​

Romanians are allegedly claiming a record number of student loans in what is a suspected widespread fraud.

They reportedly claim more than four times as many £13,000 loans as any other nationality and come in second to the 1.1million Brits who have taken on student debt to go to university.

The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson reportedly acknowledged the figures were 'disproportionate', having previously vowed that there would be a crack down on the franchised colleges where most of these cases are said to be enrolled.

There are said to be 78,325 Romanians claiming loans in 2023/24, a figure which has tripled in five years from 25,046 in 2019/20.

Romanians are entitled to loans in the UK if they have lived in the country for a minimum of three years or if they have EU settled status.

But The Telegraph reports that there is evidence of multi-million pound fraud in relation to certain courses at colleges which are 'over-represented' by Romanians and could be linked to organised crime.

The National Audit Office (NAO) had previously highlighted that there was suspected fraud at franchised colleges, where lower grades are typically required to enter and is usually privately run but will offer courses for established universities.

The spending watchdog wrote in their 2024 report: 'Over the past five years trend data show that, at franchised providers, detected fraud cases have increased faster than the proportion of SLC-funded students.'

Romanians 'claim record number of student loans in a suspected fraud'

Romanians reportedly claim more than four times as many £13,000 loans as any other nationality and come in second to the 1.1million Brits who have taken on student debt to go to university.

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[Phylo]

Criminal migrant is allowed to stay in Britain after fighting deportation by arguing his son disliked foreign chicken nuggets​

A migrant who fought deportation by arguing his son disliked foreign chicken nuggets has won the right to stay in Britain.

The case of convict Klevis Disha, 39 – who entered Britain illegally under a false name and lied in a failed asylum claim – sparked outrage when it emerged a year ago.

Critics cited it as a stark example of abuse of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Home Office talked tough, pressing to have him expelled – which should have been a formality as he was jailed for two years in 2017.

But despite the outcry he has won his appeal against removal.

His barrister Richard McKee successfully argued it would be 'unduly harsh' for his son, 11, to have to join his father in Albania, or be left in Britain without him.

Disha was 15 in 2001 when he 'entered the UK illegally as an unaccompanied minor', judges were told.

Two days later he made an asylum claim on the basis of political persecution. He stated, falsely, that he had been born in the former Yugoslavia in 1986. It also appears he gave a false name.

Disha's asylum claim was refused nine months later with 'the Home Secretary not being satisfied he had a well-founded fear of persecution'.

Criminal allowed to stay in UK by arguing son disliked foreign nuggets

The case of convict Klevis Disha, 39 - who entered Britain illegally under a false name, and lied in a failed asylum claim - sparked outrage when it emerged a year ago.

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[Phylo]

QUENTIN LETTS: Believing that our priggish PM is not a bluffing liar is getting harder​

Prime Minister's Questions has become farcical. Owing to Sir Keir Starmer's non-answers it is now as pointless as the human coccyx, the pelvic bone on a whale, or a drying-out clinic in Mecca. PMQs has become a vestigial curio, a relict of primitive days when voters expected PMs to answer questions.

Sir Keir has abandoned those sweet assumptions. For the second week running – last week on petrol tax, now on the Mandelson scandal – his evasions were absurdly obvious. He just took the mickey. There was barely even a pretence of transparency.

Asked A or B, he replied about Z. Opponents put their questions. Sir Keir danced back to the despatch box and as good as burst into The Goons' Yin Tong Song. Anything other than having to address the sticky details of l'affaire Mandelson.

Everyone knew he was squirming. It was manifest he was snagged on dishonesty's barb. Soon the House was laughing at him. Even Labour backbenchers were unable to keep a straight face. I saw new boy Jacob Collier from Burton and Uttoxeter wreathed in disbelief. Ditto York's Rachael Maskell. A Leftie up in the gallery next to me gurgled in mockery.

Kemi Badenoch had gone straight for the PM's throat. Last week Sir Keir had tried to 'avoid scrutiny' by releasing Mandelson documents moments immediately after PMQs. She was not going to let him get away with that. Did he speak personally to Peter Mandelson about Jeffrey Epstein?

Sir Keir muttered something about 'process' and made a hurried apology for the Mandelson appointment. He then started shouting at Mrs Badenoch about the Iran war.

Mrs Badenoch repeated her question: 'Did he speak to Peter Mandelson?' Sir Keir said that Lord Mandelson 'was asked questions'. Blinking angrily, he added: 'But what about her judgement? She wanted to rush into a war!' That went on some time.

QUENTIN LETTS: It's harder to believe our PM is not a bluffing liar

Owing to Sir Keir Starmer's non-answers, Prime Minister's Questions is now as pointless as the human coccyx, the pelvic bone on a whale, or a drying-out clinic in Mecca. It has become farcical.

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[Phylo]

Nigerian migrant who raped 19-year-old girl was not deported after previous sexually-motivated attack 'to protect his right to family life'​

A probation report from October 2023 assessed him as a low risk for reoffending, noting his positive engagement with support services.

In September last year, Oladele dragged a 19-year-old woman into the woods as she walked home from a night out in Wrexham, before violently raping her.

After the terrifying ordeal he told her, 'this will teach you a lesson not to trust strangers'.

He was convicted last Friday and told he faces a lengthy prison term.

The Home Office said this was an 'absolutely horrific case' and that the defendant had successfully appealed a deportation order after the first offence to remove him from the country.

Oladele argued he had never visited Nigeria and would be a 'complete outsider' there.

His partner also testified she would not relocate with him if he were deported.

Tribunal Judge James A Simpson acknowledged the 'strong public interest' in deporting foreign criminals who commit serious offences.

But he concluded the case was 'finely balanced,' ultimately ruling that Oladele's rehabilitation and lack of ties to Nigeria were sufficiently compelling to outweigh the deportation order.

Migrant who raped girl was not deported after previous sexual attack

Nigerian national Gift Oladele, 24, was found guilty last week of raping a 19-year-old woman in woodland, near Wrexham last September.

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[Phylo]

LAWLESS LONDON

Moment foul-mouthed youths spark terrifying brawl on Elizabeth line train after middle-aged passenger asks them to stop vaping​

Youths spark brawl on tube after passenger asks them to stop vaping

Video footage showed commuters trapped on the Elizabeth line carriage travelling through a tunnel before the brawl spilled out onto the platform at Stratford in East London.

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