Coffee House Shots Live: Are the Tories toast?
If you would like a reminder to join the livestream tonight at 7.00pm, please enter your email address below:
*Please note this is a subscriber-only exclusive. If you would like to sign up and get your first 3 months for just £3, subscribe today.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Shouts of 'shame' ring-out during Swindon council asylum debate
Conservative councillors were heckled with shouts of "shame" during a council debate on asylum motion, which failed to pass, proposed the Cabinet produce a report on how Swindon can avoid its housing stock from being used to house asylum seekers, saying working Swindon people feel like "second class citizens".Council Leader Jim Robbins said there are no asylum seekers in council properties calling the proposal "poorly thought out".During the debate which included several passionate speeches, Labour Councillor Repi Begum, spoke about her lived experience and called the arguments from the opposition "racist tropes" - something that was denied. The motion was proposed by Conservative Councillor Daniel Adams and seconded by fellow Tory Councillor Gayle Cook who said that local people should be "put first" adding "charity starts at home".Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors voted unanimously against the motion with 12 Conservatives voting for it - resulting in it failing to Adams also asked for £238,000 of council money to be put into local services and not into housing asylum Robbins said this money is used for emergency accommodation which prioritises Swindon families with children but that also includes giving those granted a right to remain in the UK a temporary home whilst permanent accommodation is that he was "really pleased the motion was defeated" and that he was "proud" of Swindon's history of "welcoming people from all over the world". During the debate references were made to the youth of Swindon being unable to afford housing or rent in the Begum said using arguments like "our children can't get homes is an age-old racist trope - they're taking our homes"."When people hear leaders using that language it allows the average Joe Bloggs to act up and that's why we had the race riots of Summer 2024," she added."It endangers people like me, a third generation Brit, a hard working, law abiding, higher rate tax paying, decent, civilised human being who happens to be British - like it or not."After several arguments for and against the motion, Mr Adams, said: "I never mentioned race once, I'm truly shocked, it's this rhetoric that's designed to shutdown debate and lead to the issues we're seeing on our streets today."Ms Begum closed the debate by saying: "When you say this isn't about racism, you haven't been attacked with a baseball bat walking down the street because politicians like you decide to tell who has a right to be here and who hasn't got a right to be here." In a recent report by the BBC the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds said the government shared the public's "huge frustration" at the pressure the asylum system puts on housing acknowledged concern about the Home Office competing with local councils to find temporary homes for asylum seekers and homeless people said the solution lay in building more homes, processing asylum applications faster, removing those with no right to be in the UK and cutting small boat crossings.
Daily Mail
10 minutes 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.'
Western Telegraph
18 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Former SNP Westminster deputy leader leader Mhairi Black quits party
Ms Black said while she still supported Scottish independence there had been 'too many times' when she did not agree with decisions made by the party. She told The Herald newspaper: 'Basically, for a long time, I've not agreed with quite a few decisions that have been made. 'There have just been too many times when I've thought, 'I don't agree with what you've done there' or the decision or strategy that has been arrived at.' Ms Black said she was 'still just as pro independence, absolutely' but claimed the party's 'capitulation on LGBT rights, trans rights in particular' had been an issue for her. She added: 'I thought the party could be doing better about Palestine as well.' The former MP said: 'If anything, I'm probably a bit more left wing than I have been. I don't think I have changed all that much. I feel like the party needs to change a lot more.' Ms Black was catapulted into the political limelight when she was elected to Westminster at the age of just 20 and became the youngest MP since 1832. She was elected as the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, ousting the former Labour cabinet secretary, Douglas Alexander, with her victory there coming as the SNP captured all but three of the seats in Scotland in the 2015 general election – the first since the independence vote in 2014. She later became her party's deputy leader in the House of Commons when Stephen Flynn took over as group leader, but stepped down at the 2024 general election, blaming the 'toxic' environment at Westminster. She was also diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during her time at Westminster, saying previously that the condition was picked up after she became unwell with 'burn-out' during her time as an MP. An SNP spokesperson said: 'The SNP is the largest political party in Scotland, united under John Swinney's vision of creating a better, fairer Scotland for everyone. 'After a year of disappointment and let-downs from the UK Labour Government, it's clear that real change will never come from Westminster and that independence is essential for a better future.'
