Targets of new people smuggling sanctions to be announced
People targeted by the sanctions include those who supply fake documents and finance small boats, as well as "middlemen" who push money through Hawala networks, an informal system for organising money transfers often used by smugglers.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to stem the flow of migrants reaching the UK, after pledging to "smash" people-smuggling gangs ever since the general election campaign a year ago.Earlier this month, he signed a "one in, one out" deal with France to return migrants to France for the equivalent number of legal asylum seekers, subject to security checks. In the first six months of this year, more than 20,000 people crossed in small boats, an increase of nearly 50% on the previous year, according to Home Office data.On Monday, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the number of people entering the UK illegally was causing a "public safety crisis" for women and girls."The truth is you don't stop the Channel crossings by freezing a few bank accounts in Baghdad or slapping a travel ban on a dinghy dealer in Damascus," Philp said in a statement.Also on Monday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said that people protesting outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Essex were "genuinely concerned families". Bottles and flares were thrown towards police during the demonstration, which Downing Street condemned."I don't think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale in this country," Farage said in a speech on Monday. The government says that the new sanctions will target immigration crime gangs "where traditional law enforcement and criminal justice approaches cannot reach". Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the new sanctions regime is a "decisive step in our fight against the criminal gangs who profit from human misery"."It will allow us to target the assets and operations of people-smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks piece by piece," she said.
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Telegraph
15 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Reeves can raise taxes as much as she likes, but it won't bring in any more money
The IMF has warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves that she must make tough choices to cut the UK's deficit, potentially including some combination of raising taxes on working people, abandoning the pensions triple lock or charging for the NHS. The first of these options – raising taxes – is considered politically the most likely. After all, Labour MPs didn't even agree to cuts to winter fuel payments. It's impossible to imagine them agreeing to cut the NHS, and abandoning the triple lock seems like political suicide. Yet it's highly doubtful whether raising tax rates further will produce any more tax revenue out of the UK economy. Even as matters stand, taxes are scheduled to go higher than they've ever been since World War II, and to be around 37½ percent of GDP for the rest of this Parliament. But that considerably understates the situation. Prior to 2021/22 they'd only ever once been above 35 percent of GDP since the 1950s, in 1969/70, and then for only one year before falling back sharply. Thereafter, until the 2020s, it was rare for them to be above 33½ per cent of GDP. We aren't merely at a record. We are at an out-of-the-park record scheduled to be sustained for an absolutely unprecedented period of time. The chances of the UK economy delivering even the tax levels already scheduled are slim, let alone imagining taxes could be raised a lot further. Yet despite these astonishing record-high taxes, the economy is still running a large deficit of over 5 per cent of GDP. Remember the 'Maastricht Convergence Criteria' requiring budget deficits to be no higher than 3 per cent of GDP? Well, we're way above that. When the deficit exceeded 6 per cent of GDP in the 1990s we had a significant fiscal consolidation under Norman Lamont and Kenneth Clarke. Yet at that time the UK's national debt was under 40 per cent of GDP. Now it's over 100 per cent. Our situation is way worse than it was in the early 1990s. We need a fiscal consolidation to address that 5 per cent deficit. But the current thinking appears to be that all of that deficit cut will come from tax rises. Indeed, possibly more than all of it, because spending will probably go up further. To balance the books we'd need to rise from that record 37½ per cent of GDP spending to over 42½ per cent. Add in a percentage point for further spending rises and we'd be over 43½ per cent or fully 10 percentage points of tax higher than the UK has ever produced on a sustained basis in well over 80 years. One key reason tax takes top out at some point relative to GDP is that they destroy growth. Over the long-term having a high share of tax in GDP damages long-term growth – each 10 per cent rise in tax reduces the growth rate by around 1.2 per cent – which in the UK's case would mean reducing its sustainable growth rate to zero. In the short-term, raising taxes often triggers recessions, bringing down tax revenues. That loss of tax revenues as growth peters out, or outright recession ensues, means that tax-based fiscal consolidations typically don't work. If you have a high deficit, raising taxes is almost never a way to cut that deficit – even if it were a Good Thing to have higher tax in itself, it simply doesn't work in that situation. The normal advice the IMF and similar bodies used to provide in fiscal consolidations was that they should be predominantly spending cuts-based. The IMF often used a rule of thumb of about two thirds spending cuts to one third tax rises. The EU used much the same rule of thumb in the Eurozone crisis era austerity programmes. However, the most successful consolidations – the ones where the deficit falls and stays down, with debt dropping away relative to GDP over time – tend to have higher ratios of spending cuts, of around 75 to 80 per cent to 20 to 25 per cent tax rises. We need at least that ratio in the UK now, if not higher. But that is not what Labour backbench MPs will ever agree to.
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Rocky road ahead for Brailsford and Ineos as questions remain amid Tour doping investigation
As Tadej Pojacar stood on the Champs-Élysées podium, celebrating his fourth victory in the Tour de France, the man who led British cyclists to multiple yellow jerseys and numerous Olympic gold medals had already flown home to Monaco. Not that long ago, a Dave Brailsford-led success in the Tour de France was almost routine. From 2012 to 2019 when riders from Team Sky, and later Ineos, won seven titles in eight years, Brailsford was at the heart of it all. Ask anyone closely involved with British Cycling's Olympic programme, and more specifically, the Tour de France, who drove the standards, who led the charge when times got tough, who raised the mood when morale was low, and they will almost always respond: 'Dave.' Brailsford was once the performance guru who transformed the fortunes of British cyclists, yet his trumpeted return to the Tour caravan this year unravelled as an anti-doping investigation related to a member of his Ineos Grenadiers team took the headlines away from their two mountain stage wins. Last Thursday afternoon, the team confirmed in a statement that David Rozman, a long-term member of their staff, had left the Tour after the International Testing Agency (ITA) launched an investigation into alleged messages he exchanged with the subsequently convicted German doping doctor Mark Schmidt, in 2012. Since the first time that Rozman's name was published, when the Tour arrived in Châteauroux on 13 July, Brailsford has refused to comment on a story that had first made headlines in June in a German documentary that identified the team but not the Slovenian carer. His team's management – it subsequently transpired – had in fact known about the ITA's interest in Rozman since April, and in their most recent statement said that the matter had then been subjected to 'a thorough review by an external law firm'. But one thing that Brailsford made clear as this year's Tour began was that he didn't want to talk about doping. And for three weeks, he was as good as his word. In fact, it turned out, he didn't want to talk on the record at all. Meanwhile, his team's communications on the Rozman allegations adhered to a now-familiar script stating that the team had 'acted responsibly and with due process', while rolling out another well-worn line reiterating their commitment to 'its zero-tolerance policy'. Three weeks is a long time at the Tour de France. For a man who used to love holding court, expounding his theories of marginal gains, it's also a long time to keep stumm. It now feels an age since Brailsford's comeback to the race, after his troubled sojourn at Manchester United, was hailed by his colleagues as a masterstroke. 'We have welcomed him back with open arms,' the team's chief executive, Johan Allert, said on the eve of the race. 'He's a not-so-secret weapon for us to use. It's great to have him back.' 'We all love having him back and feel honoured that he's here,' the sports director, Zak Dempster, said. His initial comments – off record – outside the team bus in Bayeux, reflected his long absence from the Tour. There was a lot of catching up to do, he insisted, but he would be happy to talk later in the race. Yet despite multiple attempts by the Guardian to arrange an interview, he has declined to speak publicly. Even the team's success on this Tour has been clouded by the past; Thymen Arensman's first stage win in the Pyrenees was followed by the 25-year-old being asked awkward questions about his knowledge of the Rozman allegations that dated back to when he was 13. 'I don't really know to be honest, you'll have to ask management,' he said. Even then, Brailsford still declined to go on record. Attempts by the Guardian to persuade him to comment, in Bayeux, Montpellier, Valence and even on the penultimate evening of the race, did not succeed. But then the 61-year-old has seemed diminished during this year's Tour, unsure of himself. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion By his own admission, the demands of the race have changed and, aside from Arensman's two wins, neither he nor his team have been able to keep up. A once-dominant Brailsford-led team exist in the shadow of Pogacar and have done since 2020, when the Slovenian rider stormed to his first yellow jersey. Many are now wondering why, with the Rozman story already brewing, Brailsford returned to the Tour. He had hoped for a calm, controversy-free comeback to the French race, one where he could observe performance, inspire his riders, audit management and still have time for his usual morning bike ride. But he didn't get it. In Le Mont-Dore, when a group of reporters sought to question him on the Rozman allegations, he responded: 'No comment.' When the questions continued the response was: 'Fucking come on guys.' Rozman, too, has not responded when approached directly for comment. Answers, it appears, must wait until the ITA investigation concludes. The team, and Brailsford, have been under this microscope before: their medical consultant in 2012, Geert Leinders, was banned for life for doping violations at a previous team; UK Anti-Doping ended a 14-month investigation into the contents of an infamous Jiffy bag delivered to Bradley Wiggins at the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné because there was no evidence to support a conclusion; Wiggins's use of TUEs in 2012 which was exposed by Russian hackers and which a select committee report deemed inconsistent with the philosophy of 'winning clean' sparked further scrutiny, while Chris Froome had an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol which was over-turned in 2018. The team doctor, Richard Freeman was struck off and later banned for four years for possession of a banned substance and lying to anti-doping authorities. Team Sky, Ineos, Wiggins and Froome have consistently denied any wrongdoing. However, in the context of what we were told by Brailsford before any of the questions around the team's ethics arose of his core beliefs in winning clean, of transparency, of accountability, and of course, of zero tolerance, the latest allegations against Rozman raise further questions over his stewardship. Brailsford remains a director at Manchester United, and the head of Ineos Sport. Despite the investigation into Rozman, he is understood to be defiant, insisting all possible vetting procedures and ethical practices were in place. The Tour has now ended and the spotlight moved on. The questions, however, will not. On the road, despite Arensman's two stage wins, the problems within Jim Ratcliffe's cycling franchise remain, just as much as they do within Old Trafford. A lack of identity and direction and an inability to challenge in Grand Tour racing in the age of Pogacar have now taken hold. Ineos Grenadiers are as far away from winning the Tour as they have ever been. Geraint Thomas, the team's last athletic connection with the days of British Cycling and Team Sky, will retire in September. Brailsford needs a marquee name to replace him. Having failed to secure Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, he will need to look elsewhere. An unhappy Jonas Vingegaard might be a good place to start.
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Britain tries to tackle youth knife crime crisis
HINDHEAD, England, July 29 (Reuters) - A year after one of Britain's most harrowing knife attacks, the government is urging young people to drop off bladed weapons at "amnesty" bins or mobile vans in a month-long campaign - part of efforts to control knife-related violence, particularly when it involves youths. On July 29, 2024, teenager Axel Rudakubana, who was obsessed with violence and genocide, attacked a Taylor Swift-themed children's dance event in the northern English town of Southport, killing three girls and stabbing 10 other people. Since then, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has pledged tougher age checks for knife buyers, warned social media firms they could face fines for failing to curb sales and promotion of weapons, and banned zombie-style knives and ninja swords. Starmer launched a coalition in September last year aimed at tackling youth knife crime. Actor and anti-knife campaigner Idris Elba joined the conversation at a meeting this month, alongside King Charles. Charities and experts interviewed by Reuters call the government's efforts a step forward but say they largely fail to address the root causes. Some charities involved in classes and workshops aimed at young people are urging the government to make such education part of the national curriculum. Overall, knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, figures from Britain's interior ministry show. It did not provide a breakdown of knife crime offences by age group. But data from the justice ministry showed that in the year to March 2024 there were just over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children (aged 10-17) resulting in a caution or sentence. Of the 262 people killed with a knife or sharp object in the 12 months to March 2024, 57 were under 25. Kitchen knives were the most commonly used weapons. A public inquiry into the Southport murders that opened this month will begin by looking into the specifics of Rudakubana's case before a second phase examines the wider issue of children being drawn into violence, an increasing concern for British authorities. Amanda Marlow, from the youth charity Safety Centre, which runs knife crime awareness workshops in schools, says young people carry knives for a range of reasons. These include seeing it as a "quick fix" to make money when growing up in poverty, trying to gain status among peers, or being drawn into the wrong crowd, such as gangs, where they are often exploited. Some police forces have launched dedicated knife crime units. In the West Midlands, one of the country's worst-hit areas, the Guardian Taskforce focuses on reducing knife crime among under-25s. In June alone, officers patrolled for over 3,000 hours, carried out 366 stop-and-searches, and seized 57 knives or offensive weapons. "Every knife seized is a life saved," Inspector Kate Jeffries of the taskforce said in a statement. After surviving the Southport stabbings, Leanne Lucas launched the "Let's Be Blunt" campaign, calling for safer, rounded-tip kitchen knives instead of pointed ones. Jade Levell, a researcher at the University of Bristol who studies masculinity, vulnerability and violence, said anti-knife crime efforts should focus on early intervention, such as mental health care, rather than short-term fixes like amnesty bins. "Some boys see their only option is to be afraid or to make others afraid of them," Levell said, referring to those growing up with violence, poverty or discrimination. Some 4.5 million children are growing up in poverty in the UK, according to charities. In 2023, about 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 years had a probable mental disorder, according to the National Health Service. The government announced funding this month for hubs offering mental health and career support for young people at risk of gang involvement, violence or knife crime. The scheme, focused on high-risk areas, is starting with eight such centres and aims to have 50 open in the next four years. The violent death of his son two years ago prompted Martin Cosser to found a charity dedicated to educating young people about knife crime, one of several such initiatives around the country. Charlie's Promise, named after 17-year-old Charlie who was stabbed multiple times in the chest by another teenager at a packed end-of-term party, has spoken to 41,000 young people in schools and elsewhere. "Nothing brings my little boy home," said Cosser, adding that far more must be done to stop the knife crime crisis spiralling out of control. "We need to understand the emotional drivers behind why people pick up knives." Charity Safety Centre delivers workshops in schools, specifically designed for children aged 9 to 12. At a recent session in a school in the southern English town of Milton Keynes, staff from the charity explained what knife crime is and the dangers it poses, encouraging active participation through questions and games. Safety Centre and Charlie's Promise are among several groups calling for such education to become a mandatory part of the national school curriculum. Amani Simpson, who survived being stabbed in 2011 and now shares his story as a youth coach, believes societal pressures and some forms of entertainment such as violent video games also play a role in spawning knife crime. "Young people feel displaced and disengaged ... those things need to be uprooted," Simpson said after a talk at TCES North West London, a special education school, emphasising the importance of helping them believe in their own potential so they make better choices. "Hope for me is the missing piece," he said.
