logo
Rayner: We must tackle profound impact of migration

Rayner: We must tackle profound impact of migration

Telegraph18 hours ago
Angela Rayner has vowed to tackle the 'profound impact' of immigration ahead of fears of another summer of riots.
Ms Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, said ministers must accept ' the real concerns that people have ' following record levels of net migration in recent years.
It comes as Downing Street refused to say whether Sir Keir Starmer feared another summer of riots after anti-migrant protests in Epping, a town in Essex, turned violent last week.
Ms Rayner was speaking ahead of the first anniversary of the wake of the killings of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Jul 29 last year.
The unrest came in the wake of false online rumours that the killer arrived in Britain by small boat amid delays in publicly naming Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the attack.
It later emerged that Rudakubana was referred to Prevent three times, but authorities previously decided not to charge him with terror offences. He was sentenced to life in prison in January with a minimum term of 52 years.
In a readout of Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The Deputy Prime Minister said that economic security, the rapid pace of de-industrialisation, immigration and the impact on local communities and public services, technological change in the amount of time people were spending alone online, and declining trust in institutions was having a profound impact on society.
'She said it was incumbent on the government to acknowledge the real concerns people have and to deliver improvements to people's lives and their communities. She said 17 of the 18 places that saw the worst of the disorder last summer ranked at the top of the most deprived.
'And while Britain was a successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith country, the government had to show it had a plan to address people's concerns and provide opportunities for everyone to flourish.
'She said as part of this the upcoming Plan for Neighbourhoods would deliver billions of pounds of investment over 10 years and hundreds of the most deprived places to restore pride in people's local areas and improve people's lives.'
The Prime Minister's official spokesman was then asked whether he was concerned about further disorder this summer.
He replied: 'He's focused on taking action to ensure that we address people's concerns, people's very legitimate concerns.
'And we start by acknowledging that those concerns are legitimate and we start by dealing with the underlying causes of those concerns.'
More than 100 demonstrators descended on the Bell Hotel in Epping, which is believed to house asylum seekers, on Sunday evening, chanting 'save our kids' and holding placards that read: 'I'm not far-Right, I'm worried about my kids.'
Essex Police said six people had been arrested, including a 17-year-old male on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a police car.
The demonstration was among protests outside the hotel since Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old asylum seeker, was charged with sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl.
Kebatu denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates' court last week.
On whether there were any plans to close the asylum hotel in Epping, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'When it comes to asylum hotels, we are committed to ending the use of costly asylum hotels.
'We saw that peak under the previous government, around 400 hotels being used, we're now at just over 200 with more expected to close soon.'
Sir Keir has vowed to significantly reduce both legal and illegal immigration and warned in May that Britain risked turning into an 'island of strangers'.
But he went on to say he 'deeply' regretted the specific wording of the comments, which were made in the wake of Reform UK's success at the county council elections on a 'one in, one out' migration policy.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK's huge plan to launch direct trains from Britain to EU hotspot 681 miles away
UK's huge plan to launch direct trains from Britain to EU hotspot 681 miles away

Daily Mirror

time22 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

UK's huge plan to launch direct trains from Britain to EU hotspot 681 miles away

A 'landmark' partnership between the UK and Germany will 'explore a direct rail link' between London and a stunning EU city dripping in history and culture - but it won't happen any time soon Millions of passengers could benefit from new trains connecting Brits to yet another European hotspot - but there's a catch. In what has been described as a 'landmark' partnership, the UK and Germany have unveiled a joint taskforce to 'explore a direct rail link' between the two countries. ‌ The move, announced as part of the bilateral treaty to be signed by Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz, will see the nations break down logistical barriers stagnating European connectivity and establish the necessary border and security controls for direct long-distance rail passenger services. ‌ ‌ READ MORE: Beautiful 31-mile train journey past both mountains and beaches named UK's best It aims to provide an effective route linking London to Berlin, the capital and largest city of Germany renowned for its rich history, stunning architecture and vibrant nightlife. Here, you'll find the Holocaust memorial, the Berlin Wall's graffitied remains, and the 18th-century Brandenburg Gate. However, it appears the new route won't be launching any time soon, and could take as long as 10 years to get up and running. While the exact demand for a direct train from London to Berlin isn't clear, the route will provide a greener way of travelling than flying. ‌ Currently, travelling from London to Berlin via train takes around 10-11 hours, and includes stopovers in both Brussels and Cologne. "We're pioneering a new era of European rail connectivity and are determined to put Britain at the heart of a better-connected continent," said Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander. "This landmark agreement – part of a new treaty the Prime Minister signed with Chancellor Merz - has the potential to fundamentally change how millions of people travel between our two countries, offering a faster, more convenient and significantly greener alternative to flying." ‌ The politician went on to explain how a new taskforce will help bring the two nations 'closer together' as well as create new opportunities for tourism, business and cultural exchange. She described the economic potential as 'enormous', adding: "A direct rail link would support the creation of jobs and strengthen the vital trade links that underpin our economic relationship with Germany. "British businesses will have better access to European markets, whilst German companies will find it easier to invest and operate in the UK. This is central to our Plan for Change – breaking down barriers, thinking boldly about the future, and making long-term decisions that better connect Britain to the world. Working with Germany, we're building bridges between our people and paving the way for a more sustainable, connected future." ‌ The news comes hot off the heels of Eurostar's announcement that it will soon whizz Brits over from London to Frankfurt, home to one of the largest financial hubs in Europe, as well as launching direct routes from London to Geneva in Switzerland. As previously reported, the railway firm is ramping up its offerings as part of a major €2 billion (approximately £1.7bn) investment- following its impressive 2024 earnings. "Despite the challenging economic climate, Eurostar is growing and has bold ambitions for the future," Eurostar's CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said. "Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality – notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here."

Alan Turing Institute scraps diversity drive under pressure from ministers
Alan Turing Institute scraps diversity drive under pressure from ministers

Telegraph

time22 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Alan Turing Institute scraps diversity drive under pressure from ministers

Britain's leading artificial intelligence (AI) institute has scrapped a key diversity scheme after coming under pressure from ministers. The initiative from The Alan Turing Institute, which last year was handed £100m in taxpayer funding, had aimed to get more women into science and promote 'equity in the data science and AI fields'. However, the programme has now been axed following a review by the organisation's board amid calls for it to focus increasingly on defence. The decision means the institute will no longer have a mandate to investigate 'diversity and inclusion in online and physical workplace cultures', while it will also end inquiries into how 'social bias' risks being built into machine learning systems. It comes just days after Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, urged the institute to 'reform'. In a letter to Doug Gurr, the former Amazon executive who is now chairman of the organisation's board of trustees, Mr Kyle said it must 'evolve and adapt' to 'prioritise its defence, national security and sovereign capabilities'. Drift from core mission Originally launched by David Cameron in 2015, the institute has come under growing scrutiny after it was awarded the £100m government funding. This week, a report from British Progress argued the organisation had 'lost its way' and needed 'major reform'. The think tank said the institute had a 'fragmented and thinly spread research portfolio' and that it had been 'susceptible to mission creep'. The report added: 'The most significant example of this has been its drift away from its core technical mission toward work rooted in social and political critique.' British Progress warned that, if it failed to reform, there would be grounds to 'decommission the institute entirely'. While the institute has made moves towards reforming its research, its staff have also criticised its allegedly chaotic management and a lack of diversity in senior roles. Last year, more than 180 staff signed a letter questioning its decision to hire four top male academics, as they criticised a 'trend of limited diversity within the institute's senior scientific leadership'. In December, The Telegraph reported that external consultants had raised concerns from staff about 'tokenism' and 'nepotism' at the institute, warning of 'pervasive issues of low morale'. That month, staff also sent a no-confidence letter to its leadership team and board, warning it had been left 'rudderless'. The scrapping of the gender representation scheme comes amid a wider retreat across the technology sector, with many businesses rowing back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies after Donald Trump's return to the White House. The institute was named after the Second World War computer scientist Alan Turing, who was persecuted for his homosexuality. The mathematician, who died in 1954, led Britain's codebreakers at Bletchley Park and helped to design a machine to crack Nazi Germany's Enigma messages. Yet in recent years, the institute has been dogged by concerns that it missed out on the emergence of a new wave of technology. In 2023, a report from the Tony Blair Institute argued it had 'not kept the UK at the cutting edge of international AI developments '. A spokesman for the institute said it was in the process of reviewing 100 projects, two of which had been axed. They added: 'We're shaping a new phase for the institute focused on delivering real-world impact against society's biggest challenges and will respond to the national need to double down on our work in defence, national security and sovereign capabilities.'

Africa to be hit hard as foreign aid cuts revealed
Africa to be hit hard as foreign aid cuts revealed

BBC News

time22 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Africa to be hit hard as foreign aid cuts revealed

The government has revealed details of its plans to cut foreign aid, with support for children's education and women's health in Africa facing the biggest government said in February it would slash foreign aid spending by 40% - from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% - to increase defence spending to 2.5% after pressure from the US. A Foreign Office report and impact assessment show the biggest cuts this year will come in Africa, with less spent on women's health and water sanitation with increased risks, it says, of disease and death. Bond, a UK network of aid organisations, said women and children in the most marginalised communities would pay the highest price. As well as less support for Africa, including big cuts in children's education, funding for the Occupied Palestinian Territories will fall by 21% despite promises to the the government said spending on multilateral aid bodies - money given to international organisations like the World Bank - would be protected, including the Gavi vaccine alliance, and it said the UK would also continue to play a key humanitarian role in hotspots such as Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. Baroness Chapman, minister for development, said: "Every pound must work harder for UK taxpayers and the people we help around the world and these figures show how we are starting to do just that through having a clear focus and priorities."The government said the cuts follow "a line-by-line strategic review of aid" by the minister, which focused on "prioritisation, efficiency, protecting planned humanitarian support and live contracts while ensuring responsible exit from programming where necessary".The Foreign Office said bilateral support - aid going directly to the recipient country - for some countries would decrease and multilateral organisations deemed to be underperforming would face future funding cuts. It has not yet announced which countries will be said it was clear the government was "deprioritising" funding "for education, gender and countries experiencing humanitarian crises such as South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, and surprisingly the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Sudan, which the government said would be protected"."It is concerning that bilateral funding for Africa, gender, education and health programmes will drop," Bond policy director Gideon Rabinowitz said."The world's most marginalised communities, particularly those experiencing conflict and women and girls, will pay the highest price for these political choices."At a time when the US has gutted all gender programming, the UK should be stepping up, not stepping back."Foreign aid has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, with the one cabinet minister admitting the public no longer supports spending on it. One organisation that escaped the cuts was the World Bank. The Foreign Office confirmed that the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's fund for the world's lowest income countries, would receive £1.98bn in funding from the UK over the next three years, helping the organisation benefit 1.9 billion Labour governments under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown committed to increasing the overseas aid budget to 0.7% of national target was reached in 2013 under David Cameron's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, before being enshrined in law in aid spending was cut to 0.5% of national income in 2021 under the Conservatives, blaming the economic pressures of Covid.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store