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"The results of the survey will be published later this year," the government said.
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The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
Labour's taken state spying of social media to whole new level – leaked emails read like their from dictatorship not UK
THE Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok has often aroused fears that personal data collected on its users could end up in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. What fewer people imagined was that our own Government would try to use TikTok in order to police speech in Britain. Yet that is exactly what has happened. 7 7 7 Leaked emails show that a shady branch of government known as the National Security Online Information Team has been leaning on TikTok to suppress content that is critical of official migration and criminal justice policy. On several occasions during the riots which followed the Southport murders a year ago, the unit approached TikTok requesting that it 'assess' some posts made by its users — effectively a crude instruction to suppress what they were saying. Legitimate debate Britain, like every other country, operates security services that spy on terrorists who are plotting atrocities as well as organisations involved in propagating serious public disorder. Were a government organisation to prevent a bomb attack which could have killed dozens of people, no one would be too bothered about how it had obtained the vital information. But the emails show activity which goes far beyond the demands of national security. In one case, officials drew TikTok's attention to a post that suggested a large number of migrants were 'undocumented fighting age males'. Another suggested that TikTok take a look at users who spread 'concerning narratives about the police and a two-tier system [of justice] '. I am sure the police and courts will defend themselves robustly against a charge of operating two-tier justice, but whether or not you think they are doing this, it is a perfectly legitimate area for public debate, just as is the question of whether ethnic minorities suffer disadvantage in the workplace, schools, hospitals and so on. Those who made online accusations of a disproportionate response by the police towards protesters, and who dubbed our Prime Minister 'two-tier Keir', had good reason for raising their concerns. Ten days before the Southport murders, the Harehills area of Leeds erupted into rioting after children from a Roma family were taken into care. Protesters descend on Canary Wharf migrant hotel as police surround building amid fears over 'summer of riots' Days later there was a machete fight on Southend seafront. Keir Starmer had little to say about those grim developments, yet went into overdrive when protesters took to the streets following the Southport riots. True, there were plenty of thugs among them, but to insinuate that all protesters were driven by nothing more than 'far-right hatred' was outrageous. I am not going to defend Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for 31 months for remarks she made in the wake of the Southport killings — her words read like a pretty clear incitement to violence even if she did not intend them to. But it is perfectly reasonable to question whether her punishment was consistent with the treatment handed out to extreme Islamist preachers and Irish Republican sympathisers. Take the Prevent programme, which was set up by the Blair government specifically to deal with the threat of Islamist terrorism in the wake of the 2005 Tube bombings. 7 7 7 Over time it seems to have become more concerned with the far right. Nineteen per cent of those reported to the programme in the year ending March 2024 were recorded as supporting a far right ideology, against only 13 per cent with Islamist ideology — in spite of the latter being responsible for far more terror attacks and killings than the former over the past two decades. For Government officials to try to stop us discussing these matters is something you might associate more with a dictatorship than with British democracy. We have a human rights lawyer as PM, but where is he when it comes to defending our long-held right to free expression? Labour, however, has taken state surveillance of social media to a new level To be fair to Starmer, it is not just his government that has been trying to silence its critics. The National Security Online Information Team was derived from a body set up during Covid to try to gag critics of vaccines and lockdown. The Online Safety Act, which places obligations on social media companies to police content — and which the Government has used to put pressure on TikTok and other companies — was the brainchild of the last Conservative government. Deep concerns Labour, however, has taken state surveillance of social media to a new level. Particularly disgraceful was Technology Secretary Peter Kyle's attempt this week to claim that Nigel Farage was on the side of Jimmy Savile for daring to criticise the Online Safety Act. To listen to Kyle you would think the act was about nothing other than age verification for users of online pornography (not that Savile used the internet to abuse his victims). There are many people, myself included, who support the age verification measures but who have deep concerns about the act's other provisions, in particular its demand that technologies companies act against anything that could fall under the vague definition of being 'harmful to children'. Even the day's news could be deemed harmful to children if it upsets their immature sensibilities. The trouble is that the Online Safety Act was pushed through on the back of emotional propaganda, with few people realising the dark and disturbing ways in which it could be used to silence any of us. We are belatedly realising that now. 7
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Anti-migrant protesters face off with counter demonstrators in Southsea as disquiet grows over asylum seeker hotels across the UK
Anti-migrant demonstrators faced off against counter-protesters from Stand Up to Racism this evening outside a hotel on the south coast used to house asylum seekers. Protesters gathered outside the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, Hampshire, on August 1. Anti-migrant demonstrations have taken place across the South of England today, with locations including Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth. More are expected across the UK this weekend as the topic of migrants continues to prove inflammatory.
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
I tested best fish and chips in capital of British national dish – winner was succulent and flaky and only cost £10.50
THERE are few things we Brits love more than fish and chips. And Scarborough, home to 93 chippies, knows that more than anywhere else. The seaside resort in North Yorks has more fish and chip shops per head than any other town or city in the country — 85.4 per 100,000 to be precise. 15 So as a self-confessed fan of our national dish, I knew I had to pay it a visit. My mission? To find the best fish and chips in the fish and chip capital of Britain. My method? By trying as many establishments as I could in the town centre in one day. And along the way, I found out just how the chippy makes the meal like nowhere else — and why it's more important than ever to make a point of supporting your local. As it turns out, the dish had made quite the journey to end up in the UK. Sephardic Jews in 15th Century Portugal enjoyed traditional fried fish on the Sabbath. Cooking on the day itself was forbidden, so they would wrap the fish in batter to preserve it. But when they were banished in 1497, many fled to England, bringing the dish with them — and the tradition of eating it on a Friday soon caught on. By the Victorian era, fried fish was firmly established as a working-class staple, being cheap, nutritious and easy to ship across the country thanks to the arrival of the railways. 'Fried fish warehouses' even featured in the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist. Britain's £65 Fish & Chips So Big NO ONE Can Finish It Alone But the title of Britain's first fish and chip shop is hotly debated. A southerner may tell you the first one was opened in Bow, East London, by a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin in about 1860, while a northerner might claim it was John Lees, who opened a market stall in Mossley, Lancs, around 1863. Wherever that marriage of fried fish and fried chips was first made, it wasn't long before there was a shop on just about every corner. The dish even escaped rationing during World War Two. 'Prices are rocketing' 'It just worked so well, and it's great nutrition,' says Andrew Crook, President of the National Federation of Fish Friers. The numbers don't lie either. According to UK Fisheries, UK fans scoff around 382million meals from chippies every year and spend £1.2billion on fish and chips annually. Even Queen Elizabeth was a devotee — although she didn't eat fish off a newspaper, instead preferring haddock cut into small squares and covered in breadcrumbs. So how did we come to love fish and chips so much? 'It's a comfort thing,' reckons Andrew. 'People go on holiday, and the first meal they have when they get back is fish and chips. 'Everyone has their favourite chippy — you see so many arguments on social media about which one's better than the other. But as long as it sells and people love it, you're doing alright.' But the good old fish and chip shop is under threat. Although there are still more than 10,500 shops left in the country, they now find themselves under pressure just like other small businesses. 15 'Fish prices are rocketing, while staff wages and national insurance contributions have increased,' says Raymond Fusco, a third-generation fish fryer and the owner of Winking Willy's, a fish and chip shop right on the harbourside in Scarborough. He adds: 'Gas price increases were massive too, because of the Ukraine war. All that has to be taken into account.' Reduced cod fishing quotas in recent years have also driven costs upwards. But despite these challenges, Raymond still feels confident about the future. He says: 'The good shops will continue to thrive. You can't imagine a Britain without fish and chips.' Andrew, meanwhile, wants the Government to recognise the problems smaller shops face. He says: 'We've got a great product and people rightly love fish and chips. 'We just need the Government to start engaging with this more closely, because if they don't I fear for many small businesses.' But to really understand fish and chips, I would have to get behind the counter and find out how it is made. Raymond explains the vital parts of the process. The oil will soak in if the batter is too thin — and chips must always be at least double fried. When it comes to the fish, keeping the oil clean is what matters most, and it must be regularly sieved to remove scraps and impurities. 15 'Crispy on outside' It's also why what you get down the chippy is so different to what you get in pubs. Raymond reveals: 'We always say, the busier we are, the better the fish, because you're constantly turning over the oil. 'Pubs don't generally do the same amount of volume.' I was now ready to go back to the customer side of the counter and see what Scarborough had on offer — but what should I be looking for in good fish and chips? Andrew, who also judges the National Fish and Chip awards, says: 'You want to be looking at the batter first. 'I'd always break a fish in half and make sure it's not too gooey underneath. You want a nice thin batter that's crisp, and you want a little bit of lift on it, usually a bit spiky.' Haddock rather than cod is the preferred offering in Scarborough, but a good fish will always be ice white and flakey. And for the chips? Andrew says: 'Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.' But he added that as it was new potato season, they would likely be on the softer side. For these reviews, I have taken into account flavour and value for money to give each a mark out of ten. Here, I reveal what happened when I put Scarborough — and my arteries — to the test. Winking Willies: £10.50 15 THE batter at this family-run shop certainly delivered a great crunch. The chips also had a good amount of softness on the inside without sacrificing the bite on the outside – no doubt thanks to the fact it is cooked in beef tallow. But it was the fish itself that really stood out, with a succulent flavour and great degree of flakiness. 9/10 Harbourside: £11.20 Like Willy's, this takeaway on the far end of the seafront also keeps things traditional by frying everything in beef dripping. Taste wise, it's worth it, and the chips had a great colour. I was also impressed by the size of the fish – though at £11.20 I wouldn't expect anything less. The fish was slightly greasy, but the batter was crisp. 7/10 The Anchor: £11.30 WITH it featuring on TV's The One Show, I went into The Anchor with high expectations – and it almost met them. The portion size was good, and there was clean separation when I broke away the fish, indicating good batter. But I found the chips to be somewhat undercooked with too much fluff – though having beers on draught almost made up for it. SCORE: 6/10 Bamford's: £10.60 THIS small shop on the front had one of the best coloured chips on offer. The fish also delivered on taste. In its favour, for me, was the fact that the skin was still left on. Though I can appreciate not everyone is a fan of this, I think it adds a nice variety to the flavour, especially when you're tucking into it by the sea. SCORE: 7/10 Tunny Club: £8.95 I WAS impressed by this award-winning takeaway's unique twist on the classic dish – a fish and chip wrap, featuring battered haddock, chips, and tartar sauce all bundled together. It came in at a very reasonable price, and I was pleasantly surprised by the innovation, which made a pleasant change from your usual takeaway tray. 8/10 Fish Pan: £9.85 15 Established in 1960, this old-school seafront take- away unfortunately left me disappointed. I enjoyed the chips, and the batter looked and tasted good, too. However, the fish itself was far too greasy for me to enjoy, and was too tough as well, lacking the flakiness I had been told by the experts to be on the lookout for. SCORE: 5/10 Papa's: £10.18 15 SITTING in a prime position on the seafront, a giant sign announces this as Britain's Best Fish and Chips. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the day I visited. Although the chips were decent, the fish was oily and not as good as many of the others nearby. But at £10.18 for a regular meal, it was one of the better value shops along the front. SCORE: 5/10 Carol's Plaice: £9 15 A FEW streets away from the beach in a more residential area, this small family-owned shop is not chasing the tourist crowd – but it offered plenty of bang for my buck. The chips were generously portioned and the batter was a standout. It's no wonder that Gary from Coronation Street – actor Mikey North – once paid a visit. 8/10 Rennards: £9.15 15 THE offering from this town centre chippy was a decent size for the price, and the fish itself was tasty. The batter wasn't too bad either, though it could have done with crisping up a little bit more. Unfortunately, the chips were the let-down here, as they were pale, undercooked and overall of poor quality. 5/10 Wackers: £10 15 THE understated plain brick frontage of this takeaway just off the main shopping street didn't fill me with buckets of hope. But at a tenner a portion, I couldn't complain. The batter had a good golden colour to it, and the chips tasted great with a lovely crispness on the outside. Top whack! SCORE: 8/10 North Bay Fisheries: £12.50 15 THE large queue snaking out of the door proved why this establishment, situated on the opposite side of town, is one of the highest-rated chippies in Scarborough. The batter and chips all scored top marks, and the fish was tasty too with a more meaty texture. By far the most expensive takeaway I visited but the portion size was very generous. 9/10 Catch 55: £10 JUST one road back from the seafront, this smart establishment offered a regular meal for a reasonable tenner. The batter was some of the best I'd had, and the fish was also tasty. But although the chips were great, they were let down by the fact that there were not as many in my box as other shops had served me.
