Former government minister delivers verdict on Nigel Farage as PM
The senior Conservative minister praised Farage's communication skills but questioned Reform 's team, policies, and programme for effective governance.
Gove suggested Reform 's recent electoral success is due to being a 'repository of anger' against the political classes, rather than offering a compelling vision.
He also described Farage as a 'bulwark against greater extremism' and recalled helping him resolve an issue with The Times newspaper.
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
PM unveils £88m for youth services in bid to tackle online challenges
Sir Keir Starmer has announced an £88 million package for youth clubs and schools as he warned children are 'too often isolated at home' facing the challenges of the online world. The funding is aimed at delivering services like new climbing walls and music lessons in a bid to buck the 'worrying' trend of young people 'detached from the real world,' Downing Street said. Groups like the Scouts and Guides will receive £7.5 million to help offer more places in local communities while £30.5 million will go to improving youth club infrastructure in areas with the highest levels of child poverty. Some £22.5 million over three years will be used to fund access in 400 schools across the country to extra-curricular activities such as sport, art and music, outdoor activities, debating or volunteering. The expansion is part of wider efforts to 'reconnect young people with the world around them' amid concerns children are increasing amounts of time online or in their bedrooms, Number 10 said. Announcing the package, the Prime Minister said: 'Growing up today is hard for young people. As they navigate their way through the online world, too often they find themselves isolated at home and disconnected from their communities. 'As a Government, we have a duty to act on this worrying trend. Today's investment is about offering a better alternative: transformative, real-world opportunities that will have an impact in communities across the country, so young people can discover something new, find their spark and develop the confidence and life skills that no algorithm can teach.' Downing Street said 'young people today are spending more and more of their time detached from the real world, either stuck in their bedrooms or behind a screen, throwing up huge challenges for them and their loved ones to overcome'. Sir Keir said the plans were part of wider efforts aimed at opening up opportunities to ensure 'no child falls through the cracks' ahead of the publication of the Government's national youth strategy this autumn. Young people have been encouraged to contribute to development of the strategy in recent months through focus groups and surveys. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said local youth services were the 'bedrock of thriving communities' and that 'today's announcement is just the beginning' ahead of its launch in the autumn. She said the Government was 'putting young people at the heart of our mission-led government ensuring they have the support and opportunities they deserve so that no one is left behind.' The Duke of Edinburgh's Award charity welcomed the funding package but urged ministers to go further in guaranteeing 'enrichment opportunities' for every young person. Chief operating officer at the charity, John Egan, said: 'This multimillion-pound investment is about so much more than creating new opportunities for art, music and outdoor activities – it's an investment in the resilience, confidence and future of young people. 'As a leading youth charity, we now urge the Government to go further and commit to a youth guarantee, to ensure that every young person has access to the enrichment opportunities that they need to thrive which can't always be found in the classroom.' Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston said: 'After scrapping the National Citizen Service which gave over a million young people valuable opportunities, any investment in youth services is welcome. 'However, young people need more than just skills – they need a growing economy that can offer jobs and opportunities in the future. 'Because of Labour's economic mismanagement and tax rises businesses are closing, there are no jobs, and the economy is shrinking while inflation has doubled. 'Under Labour, the future of the next generation looks bleak.'
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Police chief hits back at Reform UK after ‘cover-up' accusations regarding rape suspects
Police have denied a 'cover up' after a councillor accused the force of withholding information following the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. Warwickshire Police's chief constable Alex Franklin-Smith has asked the Home Office to confirm the full immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, who have been charged in connection with the offence. It comes after Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage and Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch claimed there had been a 'cover up' after police charged the two men, who are Afghan asylum seekers. In a letter to the Home Secretary and Warwickshire Police's chief constable, Mr Finch, the youngest council leader in the country, claimed that not publicising the pair's immigration status 'risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire'. Responding to Mr Finch, Mr Franklin-Smith wrote that the force 'did not and will not' cover up alleged criminality. 'I am confident that Warwickshire Police has treated this investigation seriously from the outset working tirelessly to identify, locate, arrest and charge those suspected of being responsible for this awful crime as quickly as possible.' Of the suspects, he wrote: 'The immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir is now public knowledge, having been placed into the public domain by yourself. 'In light of that, I have asked the Home Office to confirm the full immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir as per the information we shared with the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts as part of this case.' Of a conversation he and Mr Finch had on July 31, Mr Franklin-Smith wrote: 'You informed me you had already received a confidential briefing from your chief executive and that you knew the person charged was an asylum seeker. 'I confirmed this was accurate and we wouldn't be releasing immigration status at point of charge as we follow national guidance. 'I explained the information would become public knowledge as part of the court process and that all partners must ensure we are prepared to manage any potential protest and/or disorder at that stage. 'I explained we had a police gold commander leading the overall response to this case and that the communications plan agreed by them followed consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. 'I also explained we had briefed the Home Office. 'To be clear, I cannot tell elected individuals what to do.' Following the reported attack in Nuneaton, Mulakhil, 23, was arrested on July 26 and charged the next day with rape, according to police. Mulakhil appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court last Monday and has been remanded in custody. Kabir, 23, was arrested in Nuneaton on Thursday and charged with kidnap, strangulation and aiding and abetting rape of a girl under 13, the force added. Kabir appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court on Saturday and has been remanded in custody. The issue of how much information is revealed by police regarding suspects has been the subject of fierce debate following a string of high-profile cases including the Southport killings last year. On Tuesday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said 'we do think more transparency is needed' in the information given by police and that 'guidance needs to change'. In a statement released on Tuesday evening, a Home Office spokesperson said: 'As the Home Secretary said this morning, it has been widely reported that this case involves two Afghan individuals who are in the asylum system, some of which information has already been confirmed in open court. 'The Home Secretary has made clear that there is a strong public interest in maximum transparency wherever that is possible. 'That is why the Home Office and College of Policing are working together to strengthen and clarify the guidance around how and when information is released.' Warwickshire Police previously said they do not believe anyone else was involved in the reported rape but are continuing to appeal for witnesses who may have information that could assist inquiries.
The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Lib Dems call for urgent regulation of YouTube ads after wave of scams
The Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent regulation of YouTube advertising after scams including deepfakes, impersonated public figures and fraudulent investment claims were found to be spreading on the platform with little oversight. The party said YouTube's adverts remain largely unchecked by independent regulators, despite new data from Ofcom showing the platform has overtaken ITV in weekly UK viewership and continues to dominate children's media consumption. Among the recent scams onYouTube was a series of ads using an AI-generated voice and likeness of the consumer champion Martin Lewis to promote a cryptocurrency scheme, despite Lewis having no involvement. The videos, which have drawn thousands of complaints on Reddit and X, mislead users into thinking they are receiving financial advice from a trusted source. Other viewers have reported false product claims, scam diet pills and fake competitions. In one Reddit thread users reported being targeted with ads impersonating UK media figures or pretending to offer government-backed grants, with little clarity over how to report or block such content. YouTube adverts fall under the same Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rules as TV, but unlike broadcasters, there is no pre-approval, real-time scrutiny or independent enforcement unless someone complains. The ASA has previously warned of a rise in 'celebrity deepfake' and 'impersonation' scams on online platforms, particularly for financial services. The lack of mandatory pre-approval or independent enforcement means that many of these adverts remain online for days before action is taken, if any is. Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrats' spokesperson for culture, media and sport, said the system leaves the public exposed. 'We cannot allow a two-tier system where traditional broadcasters face robust scrutiny, while a digital giant like YouTube is allowed to mark its own homework,' he said. The party is calling for YouTube advertising to be brought into line with the system used for TV and radio, including tougher oversight, clearer accountability, and the power for Ofcom to levy fines on platforms that repeatedly allow harmful or misleading ads. It also wants revenues from those fines used to support victims of online scams. YouTube ads are served through Google Ads and are regulated under a voluntary framework created by the tech industry. This contrasts with the ASA's co-regulatory model for broadcast advertising, where Ofcom retains backstop powers and many adverts must be pre-cleared before airing. Privately, some Labour MPs acknowledge that online ad regulation is 'behind the curve', but there is little appetite for major change. Others have warned that new restrictions could make it harder to target voters aged under 35, many of whom are disengaged from traditional media. Last month the Guardian revealed that Ofcom is preparing to push for new legal powers to require platforms like YouTube to give greater prominence to public service content, amid concerns that trusted news, children's programming and UK-produced shows are becoming 'invisible' to younger viewers. The Lib Dems argue that the same logic should apply to advertising, especially given the rise in misleading financial content and impersonation scams. 'YouTube is no longer a niche platform – it's one of the main ways people of all ages consume news, entertainment and information,' said Wilkinson. 'The government needs to act now to ensure that consumers are properly protected.' A YouTube spokesperson said: 'YouTube is not a broadcaster and it should not be regulated like one. 'We have strict policies that govern the ads on our platform which we enforce rigorously. When we find ads that breach our policies we take immediate action, including removing the ads and suspending the account when necessary.'
