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No one has noticed the most important part of Kemi's reshuffle

No one has noticed the most important part of Kemi's reshuffle

Telegraph3 days ago
Michael Heseltine was talking recently to a Conservative successor – that's to say, to a man who now is, as Heseltine himself was once was, a Tory shadow Cabinet minister. 'During every single day of opposition,' he said, 'I went to bed with one thought only. Namely – how will I attack the Labour Party when I get up tomorrow morning?'
Ponder the applicability of those words, the best part of 50 years on. Then, the Conservatives had 279 Commons seats, not too far off the winning line of 318, and about 38 per cent of the vote. Now, they have 120 seats, their lowest total in modern times, off the back of a mere 24 per cent of the vote – the lowest share in their party's history.
Then, the energies of Margaret Thatcher, in whose shadow Cabinet Heseltine served, were concentrated, like his, on defeating Labour. The Liberals, as they were, had 13 MPs. Reform didn't exist at all. The SNP was unrepresented in the Commons. Today, Kemi Badenoch, must contend not only with Sir Keir Starmer but with Sir Ed Davey, whose Liberal Democrats hold 72 seats, most of which were previously Conservative, and with Nigel Farage, whose party leads the polls, snatched ten councils off the Tories in this year's local elections, and are poised to make further gains next year.
Furthermore, Heseltine's main means of communication to voters was three TV channels and a handful of newspapers. Today, his successor must cover a mass of channels, online papers, YouTube, X, TikTok and much more – when he isn't being run ragged responding to a pile of frantic messages in a mass of WhatsApp groups. In short, he must embrace his front bench duties less like work than like a religious vocation. Everything else must play second fiddle. Nothing else can get in their way. He must have, as Yeats once wrote of himself, a fanatic heart. Chris Philp, Laura Trott, Andrew Griffith and above all Robert Jenrick are among those who cut the mustard.
Other such MPs tend to be fairly new, with a stake in the future. Promoting them rapidly means upsetting older hands – a risky course to take if your position, like Badenoch's, is not completely secure. But not doing so means firing on less than all cylinders. There is no easy option – and, remember, most voters don't know who any of these people are and care even less.
So that James Cleverly, Badenoch's defeated rival for the Conservative leadership, has returned to the Tory front bench may turn out to be less important than the reported entry to the shadow Cabinet of Neil O'Brien – who will apparently take charge of the policy process. O'Brien, who entered the Commons eight years ago, is part of a clutch of younger Conservative MPs who have the energy, brains and skills necessary if the Tories are to be reinvigorated.
Others include Katie Lam, Danny Kruger and Nick Timothy. (500) Obviously, some experience is needed in the mix – which explains, for example, why John Glen, a former minister, has been appointed as Badenoch's parliamentary private secretary. And with the top three shadow Cabinet posts unchanged, plus Robert Jenrick kept where he is, Badenoch is walking on the cautious side of the street.
All in all, the Conservative leader has opted to shake up CCHQ and shuffle her middle-ranking shadow Cabinet ministers. Do her changes cohere? Probably. Can their significance be over-egged? Certainly. Do they pass the Heseltine test? The jury is out.
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Fury erupts over footage of second police force escorting pro-migrant protesters to asylum seeker hotel as Epping unrest sparks nationwide tensions
Fury erupts over footage of second police force escorting pro-migrant protesters to asylum seeker hotel as Epping unrest sparks nationwide tensions

Daily Mail​

time9 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Fury erupts over footage of second police force escorting pro-migrant protesters to asylum seeker hotel as Epping unrest sparks nationwide tensions

A second police force has come under fire after a video emerged showing officers escorting pro-migrant activists to a protest outside an asylum seeker hotel. Officers from Hampshire police were filmed walking alongside anti-racism counter-protesters to Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, where migrants are staying. The footage, filmed on May 10, comes as Essex Police this week faced fierce criticism after a similar video showed officers escorting counter-protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping, last week. The row led to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for Essex Police's chief constable, BJ Harrington, to resign on Wednesday - something the senior officer has firmly rejected. Meanwhile, top police campaigners have warned the violence was a 'signal flare' which could spark similar waves of chaos across the UK this summer. The latest clip of officers 'bussing' counter-protesters saw one activist brandishing a placard supporting the campaign Stand Up to Racism - which is partly funded by trade unions and led by suspended Labour MP, Diane Abbott. The group is already planning to mobilise scores of its supporters to take part in a series of planned counter-protests outside migrant hotels this weekend. But the presence of the left-wing activists has reportedly led to violence erupting at previous rallies, with anti-asylum seeker demonstrators in Epping saying it is what triggered the chaotic scenes of disorder in the Essex town on July 17. Police made 16 arrests and have so far charged five people with violent disorder, with officers accusing a small group of people of acting 'thuggishly' and using the peaceful demonstration to commit 'criminal' acts. Commenting on the footage from Hampshire, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader told the Telegraph: 'It is simply not the police's job to facilitate protest. It is their job to make sure there is peace on the streets. 'If you come to counter protests you're asking for trouble, and it's not the police's job to facilitate that. By doing so, they run the risk of bringing people there who are out to cause trouble. It makes no sense at all.' However, a leading policing campaigner has hit back and slammed those criticising the officers for 'simply doing their job'. Norman Brennan, a veteran former London police officer with three decades of experience, said he supported the anti-migrant demonstrators. However, the retired officer-turned policing campaigner told MailOnline: 'Police have a duty to people. They have a job to do. 'You can't criticise the police for doing something that they're paid to do – that's keeping the peace. You can't have a pop for the police simply doing their job. 'It's like football matches when you have two rival teams, you have duty of care to ensure both are protected. 'The police would have known there are likely to be agitators there. However, as people have a lawful right to protest, police escorted them. It's part of their job. 'Those police officers probably didn't even want to be there but they were tasked to with keeping the peace. And in keeping the peace, police might do something which one side of the demonstration will take a disliking to, accusing them of taking sides.' He added the criticism faced by some officers was unfair and pointed the figure of blame on the 'violent agitators' who turn up at demonstrations not to peacefully protest but to try and deliberately cause mayhem. 'Police don't want conflict. But we have got a very angry nation. We have these belligerent people who are angry and violent and turn up at these protests to cause mayhem. They're the problem, not the police,' Mr Brennan added. The latest video to emerge was filmed when Turning Point UK was demonstrating alongside local activists Rushmoor People First. Some of the pro-migrant protesters were seen wearing masks, glasses and hoodies to cover their faces. Others held banners saying 'refugees welcome'. While the anti-migrant protester carried Union flags and plaques with slogans like 'pensioners before migrants', 'illegals housed here' and 'house Brits on waiting lists'. These activists did not appear to be wearing face masks. Hampshire Constabulary has insisted officers 'engage' with those attending the demonstration to 'ensure they know where they can safely protest'. However, a spokesman for Turning Point UK said it was growing 'increasingly appalled' to see officers escorting 'far-Left agitators' to protests. A spokesman for Hampshire police said: 'Protests outside Potters International Hotel regularly take place on an area of land which backs directly onto a busy A road, running between Aldershot and Farnborough. 'Therefore, there is only one direction for people attending from Aldershot town centre or the nearby housing estate to arrive. 'Officers engage with those attending, and ensure they know where they can safely protest both in advance and on the day. 'Policing protests requires us to balance the rights of those lawfully protesting and the rights of others to go about their lives without being subject to unacceptable disruption, whilst keeping the public safe. 'Protests organised by Rushmoor People First and attended by counter-protesters this year have all concluded with no disorder, thanks to proactive engagement with police by protest organisers and the decisions made by officers on the ground to safely facilitate attending groups.'

Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit
Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit

ITV News

timean hour ago

  • ITV News

Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit

Donald Trump will arrive in Scotland later on Friday, on his first visit to the UK since his re-election. The US president will be met by both political leaders and protests during the visit, which is expected to last five days, and will see him inaugurate a new golf course in Aberdeenshire. The trip comes two months before the King is due to welcome Trump for a formal state visit to the UK. The Trump administration continues to deal with turmoil on the home front, as the president struggles to salvage his reputation with voters amid reports around his friendship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. But Trump's visit to his ancestral home will hardly provide an escape from controversy. The visit has faced criticism from both political opponents and local residents, and will see a significant police operation across Scotland. Why is Trump visiting Scotland? Trump is expected to visit his Turnberry golf resort, as well as his course at Menie in Aberdeenshire. His trip also comes as a new golf course is about to debut on August 13, which the Trump family business has billed "the greatest 36 holes in golf." Trump is dedicating the new course to his Scottish-born mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who grew up on the Isle of Lewis. But Trump's existing Aberdeenshire course has been mired in controversy in recent years, after it struggled to turn a profit, and was found by Scottish conservation authorities to have partially destroyed nearby sand dunes. Trump's company was also ordered to cover the Scottish government's legal costs after the course unsuccessfully sued over the construction of a nearby wind farm, arguing in part that it damaged golfers' views. Critics also argue the trip - which is expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars - is a blatant example of Trump blending his presidential duties with promoting his family's business interests. The White House has brushed off questions about potential conflicts of interest, arguing that Trump's business success before he entered politics was key to his appeal with voters. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called his visit "a working trip", but added that Trump has "built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world, which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport." Who will Trump meet during his visit? The president will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his stay, when the pair are expected to discuss the UK-US trade deal. Trump said the meeting would likely take place at one of his properties. He will also meet with Scottish First Minister John Swinney. The SNP leader previously said he would take the opportunity to raise various issues with the president, including tariffs, Gaza, and Ukraine. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Swinney said the global attention the visit will receive provides the opportunity to promote Scotland's tourism sector and economic investment potential, as well as to allow people to respectfully demonstrate the principles of freedom and justice. "Scotland shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries," he said ahead of the visit. "The partnership remains steadfast through economic, cultural and ancestral links - including, of course, with the president himself." The first minister said Scotland is a "proud democratic nation" that "stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world." Swinney has been vocally critical of the US president in the past, and openly endorsed Trump's political opponent Kamala Harris before last year's election - a move branded an "insult" by a spokesperson for Trump's Scottish businesses. John Swinney has argued that it is "in Scotland's interest" for him to meet the president, and for the visit to go ahead. But some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. Thousands of officers are expected to be deployed by Police Scotland, who will deal with planned mass protests around Trump's golf courses and major Scottish cities. Trade unions, disability rights activists, climate justice campaigners, Palestinian and Ukrainian solidarity groups and American diaspora organisations are among those holding demonstrations in protest of the visit. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' A spokesperson for the organisation said: "The people of Scotland don't want to roll out a welcome mat for Donald Trump, whose government is accelerating the spread of climate breakdown around the world." They also said that people in Scotland "simply wanted to live in peace near what is now [Trump's] vanity project golf course", and have "experienced Trump's abusive and high-handed behaviour first-hand, long before he entered the White House." Protests are planned in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dumfries. During Trump's visit to Scotland in 2018, similar gatherings drew thousands of protestors.

Doctors' strikes live: thousands start five-day walkout over pay
Doctors' strikes live: thousands start five-day walkout over pay

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Doctors' strikes live: thousands start five-day walkout over pay

The leader of the British Medical Association previously claimed that Britain was becoming a fascist state where dissidents were labelled 'traitors and enemies of the people'. Dr Tom Dolphin, 46, chairman of the union behind the latest round of strikes, has made controversial comments including likening Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of a healthcare boss, to Jesus, and criticising Brexit. Dolphin, a former Labour Party activist, was elected to the post in June after developing a reputation as a hardliner over his two decades in the BMA. • Read in full: The leaders behind the 29 per cent pay demands Doctors already earn a 'good wage', Peter Kyle, the science, innovation and technology minister, has told Times Radio as the BMA strike action begins today. He said: 'I can't speak for the leadership of the British Medical Association sadly, but I do urge them to put the patient's interests at heart but also the interests of our entire country. 'People do not support this strike. A 28.9 per cent offer, which was agreed last year, is an astonishing achievement for those doctors. They should bank it, they should get to work … we need to fix the NHS and get it fit for the future.' Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would 'cause real damage'. 'The route the BMA resident doctors' committee have chosen will mean everyone loses. My appeal to resident doctors is this: do not follow the BMA leadership down this damaging road. Our NHS and your patients need you,' he wrote in The Times. • Read in full: Junior doctors should break ranks with the BMA leadership Thousands of resident doctors have begun a five-day strike after talks with the government collapsed over pay, with picket lines at Guy's Hospital in London, Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle, Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and Leeds General Infirmary. Members of the public have been urged to come forward for NHS care during the walkout, and are being asked to attend appointments unless told they are cancelled. GP surgeries will open as usual and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available, alongside NHS 111, NHS England said.

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