Leading former Tory Sir Jake Berry joins Nigel Farage's Reform UK
Sir Jake, who served as Tory chairman in Liz Truss' short-lived government, said his former party had 'lost their way' as he left the Conservatives.
Speaking to the Sun newspaper, the new Reform member added: 'Old Westminster politics has failed.
'Millions of people, just like me, want a country they can be proud of again. The only way we get that is with Reform in government.'
Sir Jake is the second former Cabinet minister in a week to join Reform, after ex-Welsh secretary David Jones announced he enrolled as a member.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Unthinkable that Belfast bonfire could be allowed to go ahead
It is 'unthinkable' that a contentious loyalist bonfire in Belfast should be allowed to go ahead, Sinn Fein has said. Party MLA Pat Sheehan called for 'firm, immediate action' from the PSNI over the pyre in the south of the city which is on a site which contains asbestos and is close to an electricity substation which powers two hospitals. Meanwhile, a Church of Ireland archbishop has described an effigy of migrants in a boat on a separate bonfire in Co Tyrone as 'inhuman and deeply sub-Christian'. Tensions are continuing to smoulder around both of the bonfires which have attracted significant controversy. In Belfast, a city council committee voted on Wednesday to send contractors to remove the towering pyre on Meridi Street off the Donegall Road. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) declared it a 'major incident' as the force considers a request from the council to help contractors remove it. Mr Sheehan said the silence from political unionism over the controversy had been 'deafening'. He added: 'They must step up and make it clear they do not support the burning of materials that threaten hospital power supplies and risk releasing asbestos into the air. 'The PSNI must act now to prevent this from escalating. 'Waiting until it's too late is not an option. We need firm, immediate action. 'This bonfire poses a serious threat to the local community. 'Two nearby hospitals risk losing electricity, putting patients' lives in danger.' The Sinn Fein MLA added: 'It is unthinkable that this bonfire could go ahead, endangering lives, damaging property and putting critical infrastructure at risk.' 📄 DUP Councillors Submit Call-In on Monarch Street Bonfire Decision Today, the DUP Group on Belfast City Council formally handed a Call-In petition to the Chief Executive regarding the decision to remove the bonfire at Monarch Street. This action has been taken in line with… — Sarah Bunting (@sbunting_) July 10, 2025 The DUP leader on Belfast City Council Sarah Bunting said the council decision was 'foolhardy' and risked increasing tensions with the local community. In a social media post she said: 'The decision to remove the bonfire was made without adequate consultation or consideration of community impact, and we believe it requires further scrutiny. 'This decision is political not a health and safety one. 'It is foolhardy and has ramped tensions up in an area which has suffered considerably from interface problems.' A PSNI spokesperson said on Wednesday that a Tactical Coordination Group had been established with multi-agency partners to ensure joint understanding and to comprehensively assess all of the risks associated with the request to assist contractors on the site. 'No decision has been taken at this stage and we continue to work with our partner agencies and community representatives on this matter,' the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, there have been calls to remove effigies of migrants in a boat that have been placed on a loyalist bonfire in Moygashel on the outskirts of Dungannon in Co Tyrone. The boat containing more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets was unveiled on top of the bonfire. Below the boat are several placards, one stating: 'stop the boats', and another: 'veterans before refugees'. Overnight, an Irish tricolour flag was also placed on top of the bonfire, which is scheduled to be lit on Thursday night. Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland John McDowell described the effigy as 'racist, threatening and offensive'. He added: 'It certainly has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity or with Protestant culture and is in fact inhuman and deeply sub-Christian. 'I hope that the many people from other countries, who live in that area, and who contribute so much to the economy and to the diversity of Dungannon, can be reassured that it does not in any way represent the feeling of the vast majority of their neighbours.' There are around 300 bonfires set to be lit across Thursday and Friday night ahead of the Orange Order's July 12 parades on Saturday. The traditional fires are lit ahead of the main date in the parading calendar of Protestant loyal orders, the Twelfth Of July. While most of the bonfires pass off without incident, several have become the focus of contention due to the placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
How consumers are responding to tariffs — and what CX leaders can do about it
This story was originally published on CX Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CX Dive newsletter. Businesses and consumers looking for some clarity when it comes to the Trump administration's tariff policy will have to keep looking. The Trump administration on Tuesday delayed some of its most severe reciprocal duties by August 1. But just a day prior, the White House sent letters to more than a dozen countries threatening to raise tariffs. The uncertainty caused by tariffs is changing consumer behavior. Shoppers concerned about the state of the economy and the ability to fund their lifestyle are taking a defensive posture with their spending, according to Kate Muhl, VP analyst in Gartner's marketing practice. CX leaders need to meet them where they are and highlight the value that they're providing. Consumers are scaling back spending, switching to store label brands, and reconsidering big purchases. A UserTesting survey of 4,000 people in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, released Tuesday, found that 2 in 5 are buying fewer products overall. A Gartner survey of nearly 400 people released this week, found 2 in 5 are looking to spend less. The turmoil caused by tariffs is 'a play in two acts,' Muhl said. 'Act one: uncertainty. Everybody's freaked out. When they think about their future plans, they want to secure themselves. Act two is not just uncertainty — we actually have changes [like higher prices] on the ground.' Currently, it's unclear how much prices are rising because of tariffs, but as more tariffs go into effect, prices for certain goods could rise, spurring more consumer reaction. 'As we get towards the end of the year, we're going to see potentially another round of behavior change and attitude change when we have the second act of this play,' Muhl said. For now, the reaction has been pretty consistent throughout the spring and into the summer, Muhl said. 'The weight of uncertainty, the sense of negativity around the idea of tariffs, and I think most importantly the commitment to putting off big purchases — those have been pretty consistent from pre-Liberation Day to post.' Over one-third of U.S. consumers are stressed by tariffs, and nearly one-quarter feel overwhelmed hearing about economic changes tied to shifting trade policies, according to UserTesting. In general, saving money is top of mind at the moment. Over one-quarter of consumers globally are switching to generic or store-brand alternatives, UserTesting found. Another 20% are traveling less and 39% are reconsidering summer travel entirely. In the U.S., half of consumers reported switching to lower-cost alternatives, straining loyalty. Gartner, too, found evidence of consumers looking to save money. Half of those surveyed said they would cook at home more often and 2 in 5 would trade down. As shoppers look to save money without sacrificing quality, they'll do more research, especially on big purchases, Muhl said. 'We can expect on the journey that the consumers are going to be consulting more sources at the kind of inspiration and research phases of the journey,' Muhl said. Many brands won't be able to reduce prices to attract customers, so Muhl encourages brands to stress the value of their products and services. That includes providing a permission structure — 'more information about not just what the benefits of the purchase are going to be, but also how this is not going to bring additional risk into your life,' she said. In turn, 'people can give themselves in some sense permission to make that purchase.' A shoe company, for example, might prominently display a quote from a customer about how its sandals are long lasting, timeless or require no break-in period. A shopper might then be more reassured that the sandals are high quality and that they won't regret purchasing a pair. 'In addition to finding ways along the journey to to signal value, which is to say you're getting a lot for the money you're spending, we have to also start to incorporate more signals of future value,' Muhl said. 'So it's not just what a great price you're getting for this shoe, it's that this shoe is durable,' Muhl continued. 'This shoe is going to go with everything in your wardrobe. This shoe is classic or timeless — things that signal along the way that this is not just going to be a good deal today, but that it's going to serve you later as well.' And as tariffs take hold and prices rise, UserTesting urges brands to be transparent about pricing changes. Nearly three-quarters of consumers say transparency about pricing changes are critical to maintaining trust. 'Consumers understand that price hikes may be out of a company's control,' Bobby Meixner, VP of solution marketing at UserTesting, said in a prepared statement. 'What they're looking for is honest, upfront communication — and they're making purchase decisions based on it.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Macron says UK and France ‘share same will' amid crunch talks over migrant deal
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would tackle illegal migration with 'new tactics' and a 'new level of intent' before crunch talks to hammer out a deal with Emmanuel Macron. The French president said the UK and France 'share the same will' to address the issue at the start of a Franco-British summit at Downing Street. It came after the pair said a 'new deterrent' was needed to stop small boats crossing the English Channel. The Prime Minister hopes the French president will sign up to a 'one in, one out' deal on Thursday, the last day of Mr Macron's state visit to the UK. Under the terms of the deal, Britain would accept migrants with links to the country in exchange for sending others back across the Channel. Sir Keir said the meeting was about working together on shared priorities. He said: 'For us, it's about delivering the changes that the British people want to see, and we will agree the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is. 'So we're bringing new tactics into play and a new level of intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs.' Speaking in French, Mr Macron said: 'We share the same will to tackle networks of illegal immigration through great co-ordination with other European countries. 'We have often mentioned France is the last destination before Great Britain for these men and women who often journey through paths of misery and are exploited by traffickers. 'We will work with countries of first entry in Europe (as) our intention is also to engage all countries who share a responsibility alongside us.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband were also at the summit. Defence Secretary John Healey, who was also at the summit, told ITV's Good Morning Britain that footage of French authorities puncturing a migrant dinghy to stop it from setting off last week was a 'recognition' that France has agreed to change its rules to intervene in shallow waters. To reduce small boat crossings, he said those changes need to be 'fully implemented' alongside new legislation, building up the new border security command, and any steps to be announced by Sir Keir and Mr Macron after the summit. French newspaper Le Monde has reported that some 50 migrants a week would initially be returned to France under the terms of the proposed deal, which it described as largely symbolic. If such a deal were struck, it would only result in the return of a fraction of the 21,000 people who have made the Channel crossing so far in 2025, a record for this point in a year. But it would also represent a concession by the French that such returns are possible, after years of MPs on the right of British politics insisting France is a 'safe' country where migrants can be sent back to. The Times reported the scheme would be scaled up after an initial pilot had shown 'proof of concept', citing Government sources. In return, Mr Macron is said to be pushing for the UK to do more to address 'pull factors' which are attracting people to make the dangerous crossing to the English coast. When Mr Macron and Sir Keir met in Downing Street on Wednesday, the small boats crisis appeared to be the mainstay of their conversations. The pair agreed the crossings are a 'shared priority that requires shared solutions', a Downing Street spokesperson said. They also agreed on the need for a 'new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs' and are aiming for 'concrete progress' on the matter. Following the French-UK summit, the two leaders will host a call with coalition of the willing partners, the proposed peacekeeping mission to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine in future. In a sign of close alignment on defence, Britain and France have announced they will buy new supplies of Storm Shadow missiles, which both have loaned to Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia. The two nations will also work closely to develop a successor to the long-range missile, the Ministry of Defence said.