The new leader of Bolton Tories on his upbringing, politics and Margaret Thatcher
'After coming back to Bolton from uni, I began to get more involved in local politics and eventually stood at the 2015 election as a councillor for Crompton ward, as it was known back then. I didn't get it, I stood again in 2016 and eventually in 2018 I was elected to Bromley Cross.''A lot of it was from my father, he came to England from Pakistan when I was little. He owned a small business, be believed in family and family values, he was trying to achieve the best that he could in every way. I learned a lot from his work ethic and drew inspiration politically from his approach.
'These Conservative values of enterprise, faith, tradition, law and order – these are all things that I was raised with.'
READ MORE:'I would definitely say the most prominent political figure that helped shape my own position was Margaret Thatcher. She did a lot of good for the country to make people richer and re-wired England to make it a better place. She was truly an inspirational politician.
'This is something that I believe we could benefit from today, it's not seen often enough – I would definitely say some of her policies helped shape my own view and the way I navigate politics.''Yes definitely, I think the key is a Bolton-first approach. I've noticed a lot of the discussion at the moment is wasting time talking about issues in America, or overseas. These things don't necessarily affect Bolton, and these aren't discussions that people here necessarily feel moved by.
'An obvious alternative to this is a Bolton approach. We want to broach topics that are relevant to the people of Bolton and can make a different to daily lives. Our party is also unified, we are a united group that is ready to do what is right for Bolton.
'Going forward, we will solely be focused on delivering for Bolton residents. That means we will table motions at Full Council that are specific to Bolton and not international disputes.
"Our time in council should be used to affect change on issues we can control domestically.'
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Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Poilievre has to contend with Alberta separatists as he vies for a Commons seat
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Only one other federal riding, Souris-Moose Mountain in Saskatchewan, delivered a higher share of the vote to a Conservative candidate. Months after former prime minister Justin Trudeau resigned, homes and trucks still display "F--k Trudeau" signs, flags and decals — a testament to just how unpopular the last Liberal leader's environmental policies and COVID measures were among some in this riding. While Poilievre faces only token partisan opposition in this byelection, there's another challenge: How he contends with an increasingly vocal separatist movement in the Conservative heartland. Jeffrey Rath is a leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project. The group is trying to build support for an independent Alberta, which the province's premier says is at an all-time high. A recent poll found support at about 30 per cent. In an interview with CBC News, Rath said the byelection outcome is not in doubt. "People can't stomach voting for anyone else," he said. Still, Rath said, independence-minded voters are looking for substantive answers from Poilievre on the issues they care about most, namely how Alberta can be better treated in a federation some feel isn't working for them anymore. He predicts Poilievre will sidestep controversial issues and a close association with separatist voices so he can go back to Ottawa and vie for national power without any Alberta baggage. "Poilievre ran in the last election against the end of equalization. The dairy cartel-mafia has gotten to him — he says he's not going to touch supply management," Rath said. "He's pandering to Ontario and Quebec and I can tell you, a lot of Albertans, we're sick of it." Rath, a First Nations rights lawyer who has floated the idea of Alberta joining the U.S., also objects to what he perceives as Poilievre's hostility toward President Donald Trump. He said Poilievre should be looking to build bridges with Trump given the importance of the Canada-U.S. trading relationship. "He's sycophantically following the Liberals, trying to beat them at their own game," Rath said. "People in Alberta aren't overly impressed with Pierre right now." Rath wants a more aggressive stance on equalization in particular — long vilified in Alberta as sucking money out of the rich West. The federal program is designed to ensure all parts of the country have roughly the same level of public services by transferring money to places determined to be "have-not" provinces. Funded from the federal government's general revenues (such as federal income tax), provinces do not contribute to the program. Poilievre has promised not to make any "big changes" to the regime, if he forms a government. "These places need to operate within their own means to stop bleeding Alberta dry. Those days are over," Rath said. "If you can't say you're going to fight against equalization then you don't belong in Alberta. "Get the hell out. We don't want you anymore." Rath also wants Poilievre to back Senate reform, saying it's unconscionable that Alberta, with some five million people, only has six seats in the Red Chamber while P.E.I. and its roughly 180,000 people are represented by four senators. This constitutional arrangement has been in place for more than a century to give smaller provinces a voice in Parliament. "He could demonstrate that he's more than a one-trick pony stupidly repeating 'axe the tax,'" Rath said. "But, really, what Poilievre represents is a continuation of the status quo that all of us are fed up with." Still, Poilievre has his supporters in the riding. Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg was by Poilievre's side as he took part in the town's Canada Day parade on Tuesday. The town of about 8,000 people, situated roughly an hour and a half northeast of Calgary, is one of the riding's largest population centres. It's known as the "dinosaur capital of the world," because of its rich fossil deposits and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Colberg said Poilievre isn't phoning it in — he's showing up to meet voters and hear their concerns, which she said are focused on fairness for Alberta. In addition to Drumheller, Poilievre was also in Hanna, wearing a red and white "True North, strong and free" T-shirt for the nation's birthday, according to social media posts. Even before the byelection was called, Poilievre was stumping for votes in Camrose, Hay Lakes, Hardisty and Wainwright, among other places. "Mr. Poilievre seems very honest and genuine," Colberg said. "And if Damien believes this is the right decision for our area, I trust Damien's choice," she said, referring to the outgoing MP. Kurek said he wasn't available to speak but told CBC News in a message the "good people of Battle River-Crowfoot love Pierre Poilievre." Poilievre's Alberta ties are what sold Colberg on his potential as an MP for the riding. "If somebody came from the far east and never been part of Alberta, then that would be a bit different. He does have some roots," she said. "He understands rural Alberta. We are one of the bluest constituencies in Canada but he's not taking that lightly and that's huge." With so many local jobs tied to the energy sector, Colberg said she wants Poilievre to fight for the oil and gas industry. She also expects Poilievre to help tell Alberta's story to the rest of the country to try and tamp down regional resentment, saying she's a proud Canadian who just wants Confederation to work better for her province. "We gotta remember how blessed we are with all of these resources. We have the ability to use them to help us all, not just in Alberta," she said. "I love Canada and I don't want to see it split. But at the same time there has to be somebody at the top who understands Alberta." Poilievre says he's that somebody — telling reporters recently he's against Alberta separation but understands Albertans have "a lot of legitimate grievances." The last Liberal government's decision to kill one major pipeline, Northern Gateway, and tie up another, Energy East, in red tape before its eventual cancellation, plus the federal emissions cap and the industrial carbon price are the root causes of the Alberta independence movement, Poilievre said. "Frankly, Albertans have the right to be frustrated," he said. "They deserve to be honoured for the immense contributions they make to this country. I will be a unifier." A spokesperson for Poilievre did not respond to a request for a comment for this story. WATCH | Poilievre says Albertans 'have a right to be frustrated': Michael Solberg, a past political staffer and campaigner for conservative parties in Alberta and elsewhere, said the separatist movement won't be much of a factor in Poilievre's race. 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"Pierre is certainly no stranger to speaking to the issues that folks care about in a riding that's the beating heart of Conservatism," Solberg said. "I think this is a cakewalk scenario for him. He's going to win in a landslide."
Cosmopolitan
6 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Labour promised women better, safer lives: a year on, we decode the small wins and biggest let downs
This time last year, there was a buzz in the air: a cautious sense of optimism that crept in as we all headed to our local polling stations to vote in the general election. A vibe shift suggested that after fourteen years of having a Conservative government, we were close to seeing changes for the better. Finally, we all said, there'll be an end to austerity and insane energy bills, no more money being wasted on pointless contracts for friends of the party (Michelle Mone's £200m PPE scandal, here's looking at you), a party in power who actually cares. How novel! On 5 July 2025, it was confirmed. Enter: Keir Starmer's Labour party to 10 Downing Street, primed to save the day. For women, there was also Labour's key promise that male violence against women and girls (MVAWG) would finally be on the agenda and taken seriously. 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Domestic abuse wasn't mentioned in the Spending Review at all and women's centres and support services are crying out for urgent funding. Progress: In recent years, 1,300 police officers (that we know of) have been arrested for domestic abuse. Refuge is calling for automatic suspension, but that hasn't happened yet. Ellie Butt, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Refuge, told Cosmopolitan UK, "Women's confidence in the justice system is currently at a crisis point and we continue to see abuse perpetrated by police officers themselves. "Following on from Refuge's 'Remove the Rot' campaign, which exposed the shocking magnitude of police forces' failure to tackle misogyny and police-perpetrated VAWG, Labour committed to the suspension of all officers accused of domestic abuse or sexual offences pending an investigation. The government must make good on this pledge as a matter of urgency. We keenly await further details of plans to improve police vetting." Progress: As well as Keir Starmer calling for Adolescence to be shown in schools, RHSE guidance is being updated to include lessons tackling misogyny – but again, it all leads back to money. There's little in terms of funding or a national push for change that has been announced, and it's no secret teachers are exiting the profession in droves. Progress: AI is being utilised across the board to demean, punish and scare women – for example 'nudify' apps, deepfake porn and e-pimps using AI to scan social media accounts to coerce young women into Only Fans are all big problems. Ones that the government is having a hard time holding the relevant platforms to account over. Labour inherited the Online Safety Bill (2023) – and both the party's manifesto and the Bill already are out of date. It fails to deal with the threat of AI against women head-on and legislators across the world (UK included) are struggling to keep up with the technological advancements and its misogynistic manifestations. It often feels like powerful social media companies can easily shirk responsibilities when it comes to regulating harmful content and behaviours, and that they're reluctant to properly address the issues. After all, shocking content equals better engagement for them which drives revenue. It's a whole mess. Elsewhere, as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, violent choking scenes depicted in porn are set to be outlawed. Progress: For working mums, having more free childcare is a no-brainer and helps to keep women in work after starting a family, which would shrink the gender pay gap. So far, 300 primary schools have been granted funding (£150,000 per school) to expand by building a nursery on-site, which it's hoped will lead to 4,000 more available places by September 2025. 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Progress: The Department of Education has begun a roll out of 750 'early adopter' schools, providing spaces for 180,000 children. Government data shows half of working parents will use this breakfast club provision to improve their working patterns. Seeing as the UK has the worst paternity leave in Europe (something that has hit headlines again this past week), levelling up the playing field is needed. There are links between post-partum depression and a lack of support post-birth for mothers, which could be alleviated if fathers had a better leave system. Progress: An 18-month review into parental leave has just begun, but it'll take a while for results to trickle in – and even longer for action and changes to be implemented. 'We have long called for a review of parental leave and it's great that the government is doing just that, but we really hope that this will move at pace otherwise women will continue to lose out,' Penny East, Fawcett Society's Chief Executive, told Cosmopolitan UK. 'Progress on equality doesn't just happen; it's won and we need to give credit where it's due, while also holding the government to account.' Progress: A new investigation into the worrying state of maternity care (half of all maternity units in England and Wales are deemed unsafe) has just been launched, with findings from the review set to be published in December 2025. While a 'men's health strategy' consultation launched in April 2025, the Conservative-inherited women's health strategy hasn't been given much public attention – Cosmopolitan UK reported earlier this year that experts have expressed concerns that women's health is actively being deprioritised. Progress: Discrimination at work is prevalent; 54,000 of us lose our jobs while on maternity leave every year and half of women have experienced sexual harassment at work – this cannot be allowed to continue. Oh, and the gender pay gap actually grew last year for the first time since 2013. While the Employment Rights Bill began its journey through Parliament within three months of Labour taking office, it's no silver bullet. Yes, the Bill promises greater support for women in work – for example providing protections from day one, and ensuring all employers need to provide an alternative role to women who are made redundant on maternity leave – but it still means employers can easily reject requests for flexible working patterns. The Labour manifesto also promised enforcement agencies would ensure employers adhere to the new workers' rights; however, the recent Spending Review in June 2025 did not set out any funding for this, making alarm bells ring in the women's sector. Without this, employers will continue to escape their legal duties to improve rights for workers. Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ex-deputy PM Therese Coffey claims civil servants advised her to break the law
Former deputy prime minister Baroness Therese Coffey has claimed she was advised by civil servants to knowingly break the law. Lady Coffey, who also held several other cabinet positions, including work and pensions secretary, health secretary and environment secretary, became a Conservative peer earlier this year. She told the House of Lords on Friday: 'There were several occasions when I was advised by civil servants to knowingly break the law. 'Now, they may have only been minor infringements, but I challenge about how is that possible under the Civil Service Code that, in your advice and in your inaction, you are advising me to knowingly break the law? And I wasn't prepared to do it.' Lady Coffey went on to recall another situation when she felt the Civil Service Code was not adhered to. She said: 'I learned that my shadow secretary of state had written to me on Twitter, and I knew it because he also published my response to him on Twitter. 'I'd never seen the letter from the shadow secretary of state. I had never seen the letter written in my name, but there it was: my response and my signature. 'And these sorts of things, unfortunately, in the Civil Service Code should be more serious than it was.' The Tory peer added: 'Sometimes people try and suggest it's just politicians trying to do this, that and the other. 'I'm not accusing the Civil Service, but their job is to try and manage and, ultimately, I could go on about another legal case where I was named as the defendant. 'I didn't know until a ruling had come against me, formally. 'These things, I'm afraid, do happen.' Her comments came as peers debated a report from the Constitution Select Committee entitled Executive Oversight And Responsibility For The UK Constitution. Lady Coffey was deputy prime minister in the Liz Truss government in September and October of 2022. After her brief premiership, Ms Truss took swipes at the Civil Service and blamed the so-called deep state for 'sabotaging' her. Speaking at a conference in the US in 2024, the former prime minister said: 'I wanted to cut taxes, reduce the administrative state, take back control as people talked about in the Brexit referendum. 'What I did face was a huge establishment backlash and a lot of it actually came from the state itself.' Ms Truss added: 'Now people are joining the Civil Service who are essentially activists. 'They might be trans activists, they might be environmental extremists, but they are now having a voice within the Civil Service in a way I don't think was true 30 or 40 years ago.'
