Badenoch accused of ‘hypocrisy’ after opposing energy project in her constituency

Kemi Badenoch has been accused of “staggering hypocrisy” after privately opposing an energy infrastructure project in her constituency, despite taking aim at the government for not doing enough to tackle nimby blockers.

In a letter to constituents last month, seen by The Independent, the Tory leader said she has “joined six other Conservative MPs from across East Anglia in writing to Ed Miliband to demand a fair and thorough assessment of alternatives to the Norwich to Tilbury pylons project”.

She said the project – which passes through her Saffron Waldon constituency – “risks permanent environmental and visual damage, would hurt house prices, disrupt farms, businesses and community spaces”.

The project will see a new 400-kilovolt electricity transmission line built between Norwich and Tilbury, spanning more than 110 miles.

Ms Badenoch said she told the energy secretary to consider laying the pylons underground, even though such a move is estimated to cost taxpayers far more.

When the Tory leader’s office was asked about her opposition to the plans, they claimed “there is evidence it is just as cost-effective” to put the cables underground. But when asked to provide the evidence, they failed to do so.

National Grid sources said that burying the cables would not only be up to seven times more expensive, it would also not meet the requirements of the project.

Meanwhile, a report from the Institution of Engineering and Technology said underground cables are, on average, around 4.5 times more expensive than overhead lines.

Writing in The Times less than a month ago, Ms Badenoch said: “Politically, government is increasingly powerless in the face of legal challenges.

“Last week I spoke about the tangle of domestic and international rules that block us building new homes and infrastructure.”

And last year, as shadow housing secretary in the weeks after the election, she suggested that new Labour backbenchers would turn into nimbys when they face complaints from voters.

“Many of them have been thinking they’d get into government and concrete over lots of Tory constituencies,” she told the Commons.

“Three weeks ago just 15 per cent of the green belt was in Labour constituencies, now it’s 50 per cent. They aren’t Tory constituencies now, they are Labour.

“They are now your voters and you’re going to have to tell them that you’re going to do something that many of you promised locally that you would never do.”

Labour MP for Milton Keynes North, Chris Curtis, warned that Ms Badenoch’s decision to oppose the pylon line demonstrates “the same ‘one rule for us’ mindset that brought us wild parties in Downing Street while the country suffered in silence”.

“Kemi Badenoch is fast becoming the poster child for everything the British public rightly despises about politics,” he said.

“She rails against legal blockages in the media while using them at home when it suits her. Voters have had over a decade of being lectured by politicians in Westminster, only to watch them flip flop whenever they could benefit personally or politically.

“It is the same ‘one rule for us’ mindset that brought us wild parties in Downing Street while the country suffered in silence.”

He added: “But that kind of hypocrisy is not just insulting, it is holding Britain back.”

Meanwhile, David Taylor – Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead – said it was “staggering hypocrisy”, warning that Britain “can’t afford more Tory nimbyism when our country’s future is on the line”.

He said: “After her government did their best to bankrupt the country, she’s joined fellow Tory MPs to block the Tilbury pylons project in her own patch, while the country urgently needs new energy infrastructure to keep the lights on and power new homes.

“This is classic one rule for them, another for everyone else. The Conservatives were in power for 14 years and left us with the worst housebuilding record since the 1920s, a time when pylons hadn’t even been invented.

“Now Labour’s in government, we’re serious about building the infrastructure and homes Britain desperately needs.”

A spokesperson for National Grid said: “We’re committed to consulting extensively and listening to the views of communities and stakeholders as we develop and shape our plans.

“Our role is to find a way to take the home-grown, more affordable and cleaner energy from where it’s generated to where it’s needed in our homes, business and public services, and we share our plans with Ofgem to ensure value for money for bill payers.

“We consider all technology options, offshore, underground, and overhead lines, and then balance a range of factors, including what’s possible from an engineering and environmental point of view and feedback from local communities.

“The secretary of state for energy security and net zero will then make the final decision, following a recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate, on whether we have got that balance right when considering granting planning permission.”

A spokesperson for Ms Badenoch said: “She’s pushing for the cables to be buried. She’s on the record calling for this and that there is evidence it is just as cost-effective.”

The Independent has contacted the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for comment.

Police arrest 42 at protest in support of banned Palestine Action

Officers have carried demonstrators into police vans as 42 people were arrested at a protest against Palestine Action being designated as a terrorist group.

Groups gathered in central London on Saturday for the second week in a row to protest the decision ban the direct-action group.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police arrested 29 people for a similar demonstration last weekend.

Two small groups sat at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues shortly after 1pm in Parliament Square for the demonstration, organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries, and received a brief round of applause.

The individuals then wrote “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” with black markers on pieces of cardboard and silently held the signs aloft, surrounded by Metropolitan Police officers.

Police carried away at least two of the protesters lying in front of the Gandhi statue and carried them through crowds to waiting police vans.

Others were led away from the statues by officers into police vans parked around the square.

Other officers were seen searching the protesters bags and taking their ID cards. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other while police held their handmade signs.

The force confirmed 41 people had been arrested on suspicion of supporting a proscribed terror group and one person for common assault.

More demonstrations were due to take place in London, as well as in Manchester, Cardiff and Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, the campaign group said.

Before the protest, Scotland Yard said that officers will act where criminal offences, including support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed.

The force added that this includes “chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos”.

The terror group designation means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The move to ban the organisation came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June in an incident claimed by Palestine Action which caused an estimated £7 million worth of damage.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action, saying that the vandalism of the planes was “disgraceful” and the group had a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage”.

Fiona Phillips’ husband ‘angry’ about lack of support for his wife’s Alzheimer’s

Fiona Phillips’s husband, Martin Frizzel, has opened up about the frustrations he is facing over his partner’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

The broadcaster, 64, learnt that she had the condition, which causes cognitive decline, in 2022. She went public with her diagnosis the following year in a bid to raise awareness and tackle stigma surrounding the disease.

Phillips, who married Frizzel in 1997, has documented her experience in a new book titled Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s, written with the help of her husband as well as former Daily Mirror editor Alison Phillips.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Frizzel, the former editor of This Morning, revealed that he only intended to write “a few paragraphs” for his wife’s book, but ended up writing 24,000 words when his anger about the situation began to simmer.

“I started off writing about what a great woman she is and just how horrible it is and dreadfully unlucky that she is the latest in the long line of her family to get it,” Frizzel explained.

“Then I just got very angry as to what little support there is. You realise that there are about 70,000 people who have early-onset Alzheimer’s, a million or so roughly in the country who have Alzheimer’s, and you realise that there’s not a lot of help out there.”

He continued: “As a family, we just kind of get through it and at some point we will need more support, but there’s just nothing really.”

Appearing on This Morning on Friday (July 11), Frizzel shared that Phillips sometimes becomes confused over who she is. Referring to a recent photo taken of the presenter, he said: “She’s looking great and she’s kinda smiling… And what you don’t know is she thought I’d kidnapped her.”

He added that she recognises him as her husband “most of the time”.

Frizell stepped down from his role as the editor of This Morning in 2024 after a decade on the show, in order to focus on “family priorities”.

The journalist recently made the heartbreaking admission that he wished his wife had been diagnosed with cancer rather than Alzheimer’s.

“It’s a shocking thing to say, but at least then she might have had a chance of a cure, and certainly would have had a treatment pathway and an array of support and care packages,” he wrote in another extract from Remember When.

“But that’s not there for Alzheimer’s. Just like there are no funny or inspiring TikTok videos or fashion shoots with smiling, healthy, in-remission survivors.”

Frizell and Phillips have two sons: Nathaniel, 26, and Mackenzie, 23.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO cancel farewell gig on doctors’ advice

Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) have cancelled their planned farewell performance on Sunday (13 July) at BST Hyde Park, the band have confirmed.

The rock band, best known for their hit song “Mr Blue Sky”, was due to perform on Thursday night (10 July) at Manchester’s Co-Op Live but cancelled at the last minute due to “illness”.

Although the festival organisers had expected the band to play, they have now confirmed that the performance will not be going ahead.

In a statement released on social media, the group explained: “Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform at tomorrow’s BST Hyde Park show. Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule.

“The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff’s mind today — and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time.”

Fans are encouraged to visit the BST Hyde Park website to seek a refund.

A spokesperson for the festival organisers had previously vowed that the concert was going ahead and said: “As reported, Jeff Lynne was unwell and unable to perform on Thursday 10th July.

“We are advised that there are currently no concerns with regards to Sunday’s performance.”

Fans were told that the gig in Manchester would not be going ahead due to “illness” moments before the support act was supposed to take to the stage. The gig, part of the “Over and Out” tour, marked the band’s second-to-last performance.

In a statement released on X/Twitter, Jeff Lynne’s ELO said: “Unfortunately, due to illness, tonight’s scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne’s ELO at the Co-Op Live will not be going ahead.

“Jeff is devastated that he cannot perform this evening.”

Fans who attended Lynne’s ELO’s first performance in Manchester on Wednesday (9 July) claimed that the star looked unwell.

While on stage, Lynne, 77, said that he had recently injured his hand in an incident involving a taxi, meaning he could not perform with a guitar.

The band was founded in Birmingham in 1970 by frontman Lynne and keyboardist Roy Wood.

Wood later left the group and was replaced by Richard Tandy, who had been the bassist but became the keyboardist until he died last year at the age of 76.

The group, which split in 1986, is known for fusing classical music, Beatles-style pop and futuristic rock visuals, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

They are behind the ’70s and ’80s hits “Livin’ Thing”, “Mr Blue Sky”, “Telephone Line” and “Evil Woman”.

Singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Lynne reformed the band in 2014 and they released the album From Out Of Nowhere in 2019.

The album reached number one on the UK albums charts, joining their albums Discovery (1979), Time (1981) and their compilation album, All Over the World: The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra (2005).

ELO also had a number of top 10 songs in the UK singles charts, including “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “Hold On Tight” and “Shine A Little Love”.

Lynne was made an OBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to music, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.

ELO are expected to perform this Sunday at BST Hyde Park.

Additional reporting by PA.

Springboks bid to seal series in second clash with Italy

South Africa and Italy tussle again after a hard-fought first Test in Pretoria last week.

The Springboks emerged as 42-24 victors to go 1-0 up in this short series, though the world champions did not have it all their own way by any means as the Azzurri gave an excellent account of themselves. Confidence will be high in the Italian ranks after relocating to coastal Gqeberha on the Eastern Cape as they seek another statement performance.

Rassie Erasmus makes a number of changes to the hosts’ side as the Springboks supremo continues to develop depth within his squad with the Rugby Championship to come next month. It will be a proud day for Willie le Roux as the full-back becomes the eighth South African to reach a century of caps, with the veteran still going strong as he nears his 36th birthday.

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How Macmillan Cancer Support built a movement that reaches everyone

Reform UK selects 18-year-old to run county council

Reform UK has selected a teenager to permanently run a major county council, overseeing hundreds of millions of pounds of public spending.

George Finch, 18, took over temporarily after the previous council leader, also a member of Reform, resigned just weeks after being elected.

Now the 18-year-old has been selected by Nigel Farage’s party to head Warwickshire County Council, which has £1.5bn of assets and a budget of around £500m.

The Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Preet Gill, has criticised the decision, saying the people of Warwickshire “frankly deserve better”.

“This is not work experience,” she told the BBC. “This is not about learning on the job.”

Mr Finch, a former Tory, was installed as the full-time leader of the Reform group after a vote on Friday.

Reform is the largest party on the council but does not have an outright majority, meaning he will need the support of other parties, such as the Conservatives, when a vote is held later this month to officially appoint him council leader.

Rachel Taylor, the Labour MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, said she was “deeply concerned” that Reform was “proposing that an eighteen-year-old with no previous work experience should be running our county council”.

She called on the Tories to “vote this down”, adding: “I would ask them to reflect on whether they are willing to blindly rubber stamp what is clearly an inappropriate appointment.”

Last month Reform’s Rob Howard said it was with “much regret” that he was quitting as council leader, citing health challenges which he said prevented him from “carrying out the role to the level and standard that I would wish”.

His resignation came in the wake of chaos that followed Reform’s surge at the local elections, when it took hundreds of seats across England.

One newly-elected councillor resigned from the party just days after being elected.

Firing a parting shot as she left, Donna Edmunds also called for ousted Reform MP Rupert Lowe to establish a challenger party on the right of Reform and said Mr Farage “must never be prime minister”.

Another councillor, Wayne Titley, elected in Staffordshire, quit the council after just two weeks, following criticism over a Facebook post about small boats arriving in Britain.

And a Reform councillor’s failure to declare he worked for the council forced a by-election to be announced in Durham just a week after the local elections.

The chaos appeared to do little to dent Reform in the polls.

But a leading pollster recently suggested that support for the party has “topped out”, and that the momentum that was leading it to soar in the polls has ground to a halt.

Conservative peer Robert Hayward told The Independent that the results of recent council by-elections which Reform lost while defending seats, coupled with a small fall in the party’s national polling figures, suggest that the march of Mr Farage to Downing Street at the next general election could be facing a setback.

It came after business leaders and senior figures in the Labour Party urged Sir Keir Starmer to “stop obsessing” about the rise of Reform.

The best and worst barbecue foods for your health, according to the experts

Barbecue season should be a golden time for health. You’re outside, cooking from scratch, eating slowly (ish) and enjoying yourself. The method is simple and fire-kissed. No deep-fat fryers or ultra-processed ready meals in sight. But the way most of us do barbecues? That’s a different story. Salty supermarket sausages. White bread buns. A plastic pot of coleslaw sweating in the sun. Possibly some scorched halloumi if someone’s feeling fancy.

What should be a wholesome, gut-friendly way of eating – grilled proteins, heaps of vegetables, fermented sides if we’re really doing it right – quickly turns into a bloated, beige pile of processed meat, saturated fat and sugar-laden sauces.

And it’s not just the waistband-tightening aftermath we should worry about. Experts warn that the typical British barbecue could be quietly sabotaging your gut, heart and long-term health – but it doesn’t have to be that way.

“It’s easy to exceed the recommended daily salt intake (6g for adults) in just one plate of barbecue food, with salt in processed meats like sausages and burgers (both meat and meat alternatives), bread rolls, shop-bought marinades, sauces and sides such as coleslaw and potato salads,” says Zoe Davies, senior nutrition projects officer at Action on Salt and Sugar.

She adds: “Consistently eating too much salt, which we often all are without realising, increases our risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Early studies suggest high salt intake could also decrease certain health-promoting gut bacteria, however, there’s still more research to be done in this area.”

Reducing salt intake across the population, she says, could prevent thousands of premature deaths and ease pressure on the NHS.

Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, agrees that “some barbecue favourites, like processed meats and salty sauces, can add significant amounts of salt and saturated fat to your diet, which isn’t great news for our hearts. Over time, eating too much salt can increase your blood pressure, and too much saturated fat can raise your ‘bad’ cholesterol levels – both risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.”

From a cancer risk perspective, the type of food on the grill matters more than the flame itself. “When it comes to [the disease], what you eat is more important than how you cook it,” says Maxine Lenza, health information manager at Cancer Research UK. “But some things that are often cooked on barbecues, like processed and red meats, can increase the risk of bowel cancer, and eating foods high in fat, sugar and salt can make it harder to keep a healthy weight, which can also increase your risk.”

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology and co-founder of the ZOE health study, adds: “Processed and red meats, when eaten regularly, are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer and poorer gut health. It’s fine to enjoy them occasionally, but best to avoid having them often. They have pro-inflammatory effects on the gut and can increase the presence of unhelpful microbes, disrupting the balance of the microbiome.”

The point is clear: it’s not the barbecue that’s the problem. It’s what we’re putting on the grill.

But that doesn’t mean your barbecue is doomed. Here’s how to make it better – without sacrificing flavour.

Cheap sausages, supermarket burgers and fatty steaks are some of the biggest offenders. They’re often ultra-processed, packed with salt and high in saturated fat. Many also contain nitrates or nitrites, which have been linked to increased risk of bowel cancer and cardiovascular disease.

“Your choice of meat is important,” says Spector. “Choose fish or white meat, like chicken or turkey, when you can. It’s best to only eat red and processed meats once in a while, but if you do, go for leaner cuts and chop off excess fat.”

Homemade burgers made from lean mince (beef, turkey, lamb or plant-based) are a huge improvement, both nutritionally and in flavour. Marinated chicken thighs are another great alternative – and more forgiving on the grill than chicken breast. You could also opt for fish, like salmon or mackerel, which are high in omega-3s and far lower in salt and saturated fat.

“To enjoy a healthier barbecue without compromising on flavour,” says Parker, “choose leaner cuts of meat, such as loin of pork instead of ribs, or lean steak rather than a fattier cut. Firm-textured fish, like salmon, tuna or mackerel, and meatier vegetables like mushrooms, aubergine, peppers and courgettes are also great alternatives.”

And if you’re cooking meat, how you prep it matters. “Evidence suggests that cooking meat on a BBQ can produce chemicals that are harmful to heart health,” says Spector. “One way to reduce the production of these compounds is by marinating the meat in something acidic. For instance, lemon juice works well with chicken, giving it extra flavour and helping retain moisture.”

Barbecue sauce, ketchup and even some honey mustards can pack in alarming amounts of salt and sugar – often without tasting particularly complex or interesting. And because they’re slathered on top of already salty food, the totals add up fast.

“Salty and sweet BBQ sauces aren’t great for gut health, but because we tend to have them in smaller amounts, their effect on health will also be smaller,” says Spector. “However, if you want healthier condiments, try to find ones with ingredient lists that are low in salt and sugar. Alternatively, you could make your own.”

“Instead of shop-bought marinades and salad dressings, which are often high in salt,” Parker suggests, “try making your own with fresh herbs, citrus juices and spices to help keep salt levels low without missing out on flavour.”

Davies agrees: “Opt for lean, unprocessed meat, fish and vegetarian sources of protein, with home-made marinades using citrus, garlic, chilli and vinegar for a far better flavour.”

This is perhaps the biggest barbecue fail – and the easiest to fix.

“Most importantly, as far as gut health goes, make sure you include plenty of plants,” says Spector. “Make a fresh salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil, grill some vegetable skewers, or steam some mixed beans. These provide fibre and other healthy plant compounds to support your gut bacteria. Try to include as many different coloured plants as you can to get the maximum amount of healthy plant bioactives.”

Grill vegetables as eagerly as you grill meat. Courgettes, peppers, mushrooms, aubergines, asparagus and sweetcorn all take on beautiful char. Add wholegrains, legumes, herbs, seeds – anything that ups variety and fibre. The more colour, the better.

The classic British barbecue setup often includes a drink in one hand and a paper plate in the other. But alcohol paired with salty food, low fibre and heavy meats is a combination that can leave you bloated, tired and uncomfortable, and it’s not great for your gut either.

Enjoy a glass or two, but alternate with kombucha, sparkling water with citrus, or a wine spritzer. The point isn’t abstinence – it’s balance.

As Lenza reminds us: “If people are concerned about their cancer risk, there are other proven steps they can take too, such as not smoking, staying safe in the sun and drinking less alcohol.”

The takeaway? The grill isn’t the problem. In fact, it might be your greatest tool – simple, flavourful, social. With a little thought and a few tweaks, the classic British barbecue can become something that actually supports your health, rather than quietly undermining it.

Get the right ingredients on the grill and you’re laughing: grilled fish or spiced vegetable skewers, yoghurt-dressed slaw, fibre-packed sides and a plate full of colour. Your gut bacteria, heart and waistband will all be better off for it – and you don’t have to miss out on any of the fun.

So yes, you can still have your sausage. But maybe just the one. Wrapped in a flatbread. Next to a salad. And chased with something fermented.