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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Council order owner to repaint over Palestinian flag beach hut on iconic seafront because it does not adhere to 'standards'
A Labour-led council have ordered an owner to repaint over their Palestinian flag beach hut on an 'iconic' seafront, claiming that it fails to adhere to 'standards'. Brighton and Hove City Council have declared that Alison Leasley, who has had her beloved beach hut for six years, is in breach of her beach hut licence as strictly vertical stripes or a solid colour are permitted. The retired psychotherapist, who described the decision as 'pathetic', was initially told she had just three days to remove the design, though this was later extended to a week. Were she not to remove the flag, which the council say has received numerous complaints, the public body insisted they would do it themselves and then charge her for the work. In an email addressed to Ms Lesley, a member of the council said that the body have a 'very strict policy on the presentation of beach huts'. Defending their decision, they added that the Palestinian flag 'is likely to interfere with community cohesion', with the likelihood of causing 'distress and upset'. Speaking to The Argus, Ms Leasley described the decision as 'one-sided' and 'unfair', arguing that another beach hut along the popular stretch of seafront has been painted with a French flag for the last two years. She said: 'I told the council for every one person who has made a complaint I can find ten that would approve.' The 77-year-old insisted that the beach hut was painted in a bid to show support for those in Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Local councillor Birgit Miller, cabinet member for culture, heritage and tourism, told the Argus that the public body had asked Ms Lesley to repaint the beach hut 'as the current design doesn't adhere to the licence agreement and painting standards'. Adding that the beach huts along the seafront are an 'iconic feature' and should therefore be protected as such, Cllr Miller said: 'It's important licence holders comply with their agreements'. Members of the Hove Beach Hut Association, a local forum for residents who own their own residence along the beachfront, shared mixed responses regarding the council's decision. While one declared they could 'only hope' that Ms Lesley removed her license as a result of the controversial painting, another insisted that the 'fun police' should 'get a life', arguing that the decision was unjustified. In October 2023, Brighton and Hove Council announced controversial plans for a 10 per cent effective sales tax for beach hut owners in a bid to plug a £70million black hole in its budget. The fee, based on the sale price from April 2023, was proposed by councillors in lieu of raising the annual £503.60 licence fee and ownership transfer fee of £82 if they sell up. However, owners of the iconic huts insisted that the terms of the licences amounted to 'extortion' and accused the council of 'bullying' and 'coercive behaviour'. With huts selling for up to £35,000, the decision could mean that owners have to pay the council a massive £3,500. 'This is outrageous. It is nothing other than a stealth tax,' said Paula Ford, who has owned a beach hut for 30 years, 'It's a shocking move by the council and they should be ashamed of themselves. 'The huts don't belong to the council. They are privately owned by us, but we just site them on land owned by the council.' There are 459 beach huts on Hove seafront that are privately owned by residents in the seaside resort, with the annual cost of licences generating around £192,000 for the council. According the council, the value of these huts has risen to a range of between £25,000 and £35,000, depending on their location and condition. David and Susie Howells, who have owned their beach hut for 20 years, said: 'The beach huts on the promenade are a much-photographed attraction and beach hut owners all play our part as a community that adds value to the seafront experience for both residents and visitors to Brighton and Hove.' Serena Mitchell, who bought her hut in 2017, also described the proposals as a 'stealth tax'. She said: 'They use the word 'fee' as councils are not legally allowed to charge a tax on property sales. The Government can and do.' Ms Ford (pictured) said: 'This is outrageous. It is nothing other than a stealth tax. 'The huts don't belong to the council. They are privately owned by us, but we just site them on land owned by the council' Councillor Alan Robins, chair of the council's culture, heritage, sport, tourism and economic development committee, said: 'Currently the council is not benefitting in any way from the profit made on the sale of a beach hut when most of the value is due to its prime position on the seafront. 'If the transfer fee is introduced, then the additional revenue can be reinvested back into seafront services such as our lifeguards. 'It's an extremely challenging time for local government finances, and the potential income will go towards providing essential life-saving services while offering council land for hut owners to enjoy the seafront.'
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
It's time for the UK to recognise Palestine
Time and again, the UK's actions in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict have come too little, too late. Keir Starmer has an opportunity to act now. Britain must follow France and recognise a state of Palestine while there is still a Palestine to recognise. The position of the United Kingdom has long been that the only acceptable settlement is the two-state solution. Yet we only recognise one of those states. The recognition of Palestine has been Labour policy since I was shadow foreign secretary. It was in the manifesto on which we were elected last year. And immediate recognition is supported by the majority of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which I chair, and which publishes a report into the Israel-Palestine conflict today. When I ask the government when it will happen, they tell me they will recognise at the moment of maximum impact. But we cannot wait forever for a perfect moment that may never come. I can think of many opportunities when recognition might have had a significant effect, had we taken that step. We cannot let another opportunity pass us by. On Monday, the long-awaited French-Saudi conference on the two-state solution will take place in New York. Ahead of it, President Macron has announced that he will recognise a Palestinian state in September. It is no secret that Macron has been pushing the UK government to recognise Palestine alongside the French. He told Parliament as much when he addressed us last week. He is right. A unified move by the signatories to the secret Sykes-Picot agreement which carved up the Middle East more than a century ago would demonstrate our sincere commitment to a two-state solution. The leaders' meeting at the UN in September offers that opportunity. Of course, the most urgent need is for an immediate ceasefire and for UN-administered aid to flood into Gaza. Recognition does not secure peace on its own. But it should be the start of a renewed commitment by Britain to engage with our allies, particularly Gulf and Arab states, to build a plan for a sustainable peace. It would signal that our engagement is sustained and sincere. And it would show the Israeli government that the UK is prepared to take the kind of decisive action promised in the Foreign Secretary's statement alongside 27 allies on Monday. That must include tough and direct action on violent extremist settlers and the companies who facilitate settlements. Their behaviour imperils the two-state solution by taking over the very land which should be Palestinian. My committee's report argues that the UK must extend sanctions against them and prevent the import of settlement goods. The natural reaction of the British public to the scenes of starvation and death in Gaza is to call on their politicians to do something. The challenge for politicians is to ensure that what they do makes a real difference. The recognition of Palestine as part of a renewed commitment by the UK to work with others to build a peace process would be just that. Britain has said it wants to work with France when it comes to the recognition of Palestine. Now that France has said it will recognise in September, is it not fair to expect the government to join them? I, my committee, and the British public will be watching with anticipation. Emily Thornberry is Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
What's in Columbia's $220 million deal with Trump?
In return, the deal eases the extraordinary pressure the school has faced since March. Hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding will begin flowing again. Other federal probes, including ones that jeopardized the school's access to financial aid, will cease. For the first time, the accord sets a definitive price tag for a U.S. college to assuage the Trump administration, which has made no secret of its disdain for many universities, especially the richest and most selective ones. For Columbia, the cost of mollifying Trump was steep. Claire Shipman, the university's president, agreed the school would pay a $200 million fine to resolve funding disputes, plus an additional $21 million designated for university employees who said they'd faced discrimination or harm amid campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas war. Read more: How Columbia University became the epicenter of disagreement over the Israel-Hamas war Here are some of the details of the deal: "This was a really, really complex problem," Shipman told CNN the morning after she made the announcement. "I will argue over and over again that choosing to listen, choosing to try to solve the problem with everything that we had at stake is not capitulation." President Trump and Linda McMahon, his education secretary, have touted the agreement, saying it addresses years of conservative grievances with higher education - and offers a blueprint for future deals with campuses facing similar scrutiny. Read more: After $220 million Columbia deal, Trump promises more to come "Columbia's reforms are a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit, and civil debate," McMahon said in a statement following the resolution. "I believe they will ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come." Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @ Veronica Bravo is USA TODAY's graphics art director
