Crackdown on family visas risks breaching human rights laws, Starmer told
The advisers have said that raising the annual salary threshold required for a Briton to bring their foreign partner or spouse to the UK from its current £29,000 to £38,700 would 'most likely' conflict with rules ensuring rights to a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The warning, from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), comes as Sir Keir Starmer tries to cut net migration. Last month, the Prime Minister warned Britain must not become an 'island of strangers'.
The Tories under Rishi Sunak proposed the family visa change as part of a plan to slash net migration by 300,000 after it hit a record high of 906,000 in the year ending June 2023.
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Scottish Sun
2 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Will there be a Bank Holiday if England win the Women's Euros 2025?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FOOTY fans are dreaming of an extra day off this summer as the Lionesses battle for Euro glory – but will we actually get a bank holiday if England bring it home? With our women's team facing Spain in the tournament, excitement is building across the nation, but don't start planning your long weekend just yet. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Calls are getting louder for women's football achievements to be celebrated Credit: Getty Downing Street has made it clear there are no plans for a bank holiday if England win the Women's Euro 2025. But with mounting public pressure and the petition gaining traction, things could still change if football really does come home. LIVE - Follow all the action from the Women's Euros 2025 as it happens! What Downing Street has said No extra day off is on the cards right now, football fans. Sir Keir Starmer's spokesperson has confirmed there are "no plans" for an additional bank holiday should England's women triumph in Euro 2025. When pressed about the possibility of giving the nation a day to celebrate if the Lionesses lift the trophy, Downing Street remained firm in their stance. The PM's team didn't completely rule it out, but made it clear it's not currently on the government's agenda. This will come as disappointing news to many hoping to toast a potential victory with a lie-in the next day. Growing calls for a celebration day Despite the government's position, demands for a national day off are ramping up. The Prime Minister is facing mounting pressure to grant the nation a well-deserved bank holiday if our Lionesses bring home the trophy. Women's football news website SheKicks has even launched a petition calling for Monday, July 28th, 2025, to be declared a bank holiday if England emerges victorious. RTE pundit offers optimistic view on growth of women's football amid Euros kick-off The campaign is gaining momentum as more fans back the idea of a proper nationwide celebration. After all, if football's coming home, shouldn't we all be at home to celebrate it? What happened last time? When the Lionesses made history by winning the Women's Euro 2022, the nation erupted in celebration – but we didn't get that coveted day off. Despite the historic victory, the then-government didn't grant a bank holiday, leaving many fans disappointed that they couldn't properly nurse their celebration hangovers. This time around, supporters are hoping for a different outcome, especially with calls getting louder for women's football achievements to be celebrated with the same enthusiasm as the men's game. How bank holidays work Getting an extra bank holiday isn't as simple as the PM waving a magic wand. Bank holidays in the UK are either set by law or declared by royal proclamation, meaning there's a proper process involved before we can all enjoy a day off. For a special one-off event like a sporting triumph, the government would need to make arrangements fairly quickly, which explains why they're not making promises they might not be able to keep. Planning for businesses and public services would be tight, but not impossible, if our Lionesses do make it all the way. 2 England's women's soccer team celebrated a win at the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Credit: AP What fans can do Want that extra day off? You might need to make your voice heard. The SheKicks petition is gathering signatures from supporters who believe a women's football triumph deserves national celebration. Football fans can also contact their MPs or share their thoughts on social media to add to the growing chorus calling for a proper celebration if England lift the trophy. ENGLAND VS SPAIN LIVE - LATEST UPDATES And if all else fails? It might be worth booking that annual leave now, just in case – you can always cancel it if the bank holiday does materialise or if our Lionesses don't bring it home this time. The final decision will likely come down to the wire, much like the tournament itself. So while you might want to keep that Monday free just in case, don't make any non-refundable plans for a long weekend just yet. Either way, our Lionesses deserve the nation's full support as they battle for European glory – bank holiday or not!
The Sun
3 minutes ago
- The Sun
Last chance to save your home security videos before they're ALL deleted as Ring rival renders 3 popular gadgets useless
HOUSEHOLDS kitted out with a major Ring doorbell rival have been warned their devices will stop working entirely in a matter of days. And all video recordings will be deleted unless you take action immediately. Three gadgets, including a video security camera and a siren, have been discontinued by Hive. The company's home security alarm system, Homeshield, will also cease to function from August 1. Hive - which is owned by British Gas parent company Centrica - started out in 2012. It's mainly known for smart heating as well as smart lighting, both of which are not affected by the upcoming changes. Hive eventually broadened out into smart security. But three years ago bosses decided to step away from security products to focus on "energy-efficient smart-tech" instead. The devices have continued to work since then but the final nail will go into the coffin next week. See the four products being killed off below. Hive View Camera Hive Siren and Keypad Hive Homeshield Hive Video Playback Despite being security-relate products, the Hive Window/Door contact sensors and Hive motion sensors will continue to operate. Ring's flying 'spy drone' that monitors your home in the AIR 'coming 2026' – it stalks burglars & even recharges itself In an email warning sent out to customers recently, Hive said to "download any footage you'd like to keep now". After 11am on August 1 it will be deleted. "It is crucial that you save any required recordings before the cut-off period on the 1st of August 2025," Hive says. "Your data security is important to us, and we take disposal of data seriously. "Therefore, our system will be unable to recover any video footage if you fail to save your recordings before the 1st of August 2025." It also recommends customers "recycle your devices at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre". WHY DOES TECH STOP WORKING? By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun It's annoying when tech and gadgets are discontinued, rendering some - or all - features useless. Fortunately, companies have got better at lengthening how long they support kit. It tends to only happen after quite a few years have passed and the user numbers have dropped quite low. The truth of the matter is, firms have to keep updating and servicing this older tech which costs them money. When there's only a small number of people left using them older gadgets, it's harder to justify the cost. Moreover, new features on things like apps may not work on dated kit. So ultimately, in the end support is dropped for these gadgets so all their energy, money and time can be put into the newer ones.
Telegraph
3 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Why Liverpool could not refuse Bayern's £70m Luis Diaz offer
Liverpool have established new status as the Premier League's big spenders, but their latest transfer activity cements their reputation among the best salesmen in the business. The most prominent purchases will always grab the biggest headlines, but the money Liverpool have recouped in the Fenway Sports Group era will have passed the £1bn mark by the end of the current transfer window. Even 'Del Boy' would look at some of the trades the club has pulled off over the last 10 years and doff his flat cap. Luis Diaz's move to Bayern Munich for a fee of £70m was not top of the agenda heading into this summer, but was finally accepted because the German champions moved into offer-that-could-not-be-refused territory. The popular and hard-working Diaz leaves Anfield having proven the perfect FSG purchase – signed at the peak of his powers for just £37m and sold in his late 20s for nearly double the price. Bayern have committed to pay handsomely for a winger who will be in his early 30s once his contract ends – and not just in terms of the fee, Diaz's wages will be significantly higher in Bavaria than at Anfield. Had Liverpool been prepared to match the salary with the new contract Diaz and his representatives have been agitating for since 2023, this move would never have happened. The player first asked to leave in 2024, frustrated the pay rise he wanted was not forthcoming as two offers of another Anfield deal were rejected. FSG football CEO Michael Edwards and his executive team are uncompromising when it comes to establishing a player's value. When crunching the data, they simply believed better options were available for the conservatively estimated £10m-plus-a-year contract the Colombian wanted. And once Bayern's bids kept creeping up, privately Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes knew the valuation they had in mind to convince them to sell was imminent. Excellent though he has been, Diaz has gone the same way as Liverpool legends such as Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum, all of whom hoped for better deals before realising Edwards was unmoved by sentiment. Mane also moved to Bayern when, aged 30, Liverpool decided they could not keep paying him the same £20m-a-year salary as Mohamed Salah. Their analytics team had to predict which of the dynamic pair was most likely to maintain elite levels well into their 30s. Mane will always be regarded as one of the greatest of all Liverpool players, but it was obvious within a year the club had made the right call selling him for £35m. Bayern sold Mane to the Saudi Arabia Pro League for a £10m loss 12 months later. Selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for £142m ranks as the most shrewd business of the modern era by any club, even if it was resisted at the time, but it is the cumulative impact of less high-profile sales which have enabled Liverpool to keep living within their means. In 2016 they received a combined £18m from Bournemouth for winger Jordon Ibe and full-back Brad Smith; in 2017 they were paid £4m by Hull City for Kevin Stewart (a deal which effectively took Andy Robertson in the opposite direction for just £3.5m), and convinced Crystal Palace to pay £26m for Mamadou Sakho; in 2018, Leicester City paid £12.5m for third-choice keeper Danny Ward, while a year later Danny Ings commanded an £18m fee from Southampton, while academy graduate Ryan Kent left for Rangers for £6.5m. And in 2020, Liverpool received nearly £30m by selling youngsters Rhian Brewster and Ki-Jana Hoever to Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively. These trends have continued over the last five years, maximum value accumulated while some of those who left Liverpool for big fees would unfortunately make a substantial 'where are they now?' feature. The record spending of the summer of 2025 is on course to be matched by a record amount recouped. As with other outgoings, a more rounded assessment on the merits of selling Diaz will be made in time. An instant assessment will be based on whether his replacement is as good or better. History shows Liverpool get far more right than wrong. If the business bible The Art of the Deal was ever recommissioned, it would be smarter if the publishers ignored Donald Trump and looked to Edwards, Hughes and FSG president Mike Gordon for their insights.
