Reform UK announces ghost and UFO expert as latest defection to party
Reform UK has been mocked after announcing their latest defection to the party – a police and crime commissioner who is an expert on ghosts, aliens and UFOs.
Rupert Matthews, who holds the post in Leicestershire and Rutland, was introduced on Monday as having joined the party from the Conservatives, breaking a 40-year membership.
Before being elected in 2021, he served two years as a European parliament member for the Tories. He has also written a number of books about ghost sightings, UFOs, cryptozoology and other paranormal subjects.
Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience focusing on legendary animals, such as the Sasquatch, in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence.
Responding to the announcement, the prime minister’s press secretary said: “Their big defection is very interested in the fantastical and the unexplained. It’s no surprise he’s added Reform’s fiscal plans to that list.”
Meanwhile, a Labour source said: “It’s not just the ghost of Tory past that is swelling the Reform ranks. Their latest recruit Rupert Matthews peddles alien conspiracy theories and believes the removal of abortion rights overseas is a ‘triumph’ for democracy.”
During a press conference at the party’s London HQ on Monday, unveiling the move, Mr Matthews took aim at the criminal justice system, saying the “dark heart of wokeness” needed to be removed, as well as accusing politicians in Britain of taking inspiration from “failed states” for their policies.
“It’s almost as if they’ve looked at countries like Lebanon and Libya, the policies that have led to them becoming failed states and thought, ‘that looks good, let’s try that here in Britain’”, he said.
“The self-serving, self-entitled liberal elite who have let our country down time after time after time are now on notice. Their day is almost done. Be they Conservative or Labour governments, everyone knows our politicians have failed us all.
“They have let this country down. They have let the British people down. Enough. Now is the time for Reform.”
He also said police officers were all too often working with “one hand tied behind their back”.
“I daily face a fight against crime. I see ordinary, hard-working people burgled, robbed and mugged. Shoplifting is getting out of control. Antisocial behaviour is turning too many of our town centres into an apocalyptic wasteland of lawless Britain.”
Reform also announced that a retired prison governor of Wormwood Scrubs, Vanessa Frake-Harris, had joined the party and would be contributing to its law and order task force.
Ms Frake-Harris, who joined the prison service in 1986, detailed increases in escapes, attacks on prison officers and increases of drugs, weapons and mobile phone finds in the last year.
She said: “Successive governments, Conservative and Labour, have driven the prison service to its knees through lack of investment, support and an unwillingness to allow people who know what they are doing to get the job done.”
She continued: “Our prisons are in a crisis caused by Labour and the Conservatives. What have their solutions been? They have let 10,000 prisoners out of jail early. To let criminals out of jail before they even serve their full sentence is a disgrace.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “It’s farcical that Farage can’t say what his policies are, how much they would cost, or how they would even work. Reform aren’t serious and don’t have a clue as to how they would address the challenges facing working people.”
Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
‘One-in-one-out’ migrant returns deal set to ‘begin next month’
The UK’s one-in-one out returns deal with France is reportedly set to begin in a matter of weeks, as pressure piles on the government to take further action to stop people from making the dangerous journey across the Channel.
The agreement, announced by the prime minister in a joint press conference with Emmanuel Macron last month, means that for each small boat migrant sent back across the English Channel, an asylum seeker will be allowed to enter the UK from France under a legal route.
Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “breakthrough moment” which would “turn the tables” on the people smugglers who bring them here.
Sources told The Times that home secretary Yvette Cooper, will sign a deal on Wednesday meaning that about 50 people a week who enter the UK on small boats can be sent back to France, starting from next month.
Government sources told the newspaper that the signing ceremony was an indication of the endorsement of the deal by the European Union – amid concern that the bloc could oppose the agreement.
Labour has put a pledge to crack down on the number of people coming to the UK on small boats at the centre of its plan for government.
But with boat crossings at a record high, and the asylum backlog still above 75,000, there is mounting pressure on ministers to take more drastic action – pressure which is exacerbated by the success of Reform UK in the polls.
Last week figures showed that the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel topped 25,000 – the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 25,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018
It comes amid escalating protests across the UK opposing the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, with a number of people arrested after a protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf in London on Sunday.
Protesters jeered at people going in and out of the hotel, and officers were forced to step in after flares were let off in the crowd, the Metropolitan Police said.
A group of people outside the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf were “harassing occupants and staff”, trying to prevent people make deliveries, as well as trying to “breach the fencing and access the hotel”, a statement said.
In recent days, the government has announced further measures to support their crack down on illegal migration, including pouring an extra £100m into their efforts.
The money will support the pilot of the new returns agreement with France, paying for up to 300 more National Crime Agency (NCA) officers and new technology and equipment to step up intelligence-gathering on smuggling gangs.
Meanwhile, anyone who advertises small boat crossings or fake passports on social media could be face up to five years in prison under a new offence to be introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Speaking on Monday, Dame Angela Eagle told Sky News ministers are “doing the detailed work” to bring down the asylum backlog, adding: “We’ve taken 35,000 people off our streets who have no right to be in our country and sent them back to their countries of origin within a year.”
“We are doing all we can to deal with the challenges that the police are facing on the streets to make sure that women and girls are safe, and in fact, that everybody is safe on our streets.”
But as tensions continue to flare over the issue, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said he thinks the “public’s patience has snapped”.
“This is issue is beyond party politics – it is causing immense harm to communities, people’s lives are being wrecked as a result of it, and we simply have to fix it.
“I respect people who are peacefully protesting outside hotels this weekend. I understand why they feel so concerned. They’re seeing their communities damaged”, he added.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
Britain’s ‘biggest rat’ found in Yorkshire home
A supersized rat thought to be the UK’s biggest has been captured by pest controllers in a home in the north of England.
The giant animal, which measured 22 inches long, was found in the Normanby area of Redcar and Cleveland after a resident called in exterminators.
Councillors who were sent an image of it described the rodent as “almost the size of a small cat”, and have claimed pest control issues have got “out of control” since the end of free services for residents in the Labour-run local authority.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Eston ward councillor David Taylor said the rodents were becoming “brazen” and had “settled into the neighbourhood”.
“The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get,” he added. “It is a growing problem.”
The council insisted it has a “dedicated pest control officer” who works on council-owned land, and said it also “offers advice to residents where possible”.
Writing on a joint Facebook page, Mr Taylor and fellow councillor Stephen Martin said the area needed “a proper vermin control strategy”.
“As many of you have seen, the rat infestation we raised has now made national headlines,” the Conservative Party councillors wrote. “What started with 100 comments on social media has grown to nearly 1,000 on Teesside Live, and now it’s been picked up by both local on Teesside, Yorkshire, Birmingham, and London and national press.
“It’s clear this needs a joined-up response — from government, local councils, housing providers, landlords, the NHS, commercial developers, and the water board. We need a proper vermin control strategy and fast. This situation should never have been allowed to get this bad.
“There’s no doubt plenty of blame to go around, but what matters now is what we do next to stop it getting worse.”
Mr Taylor said councillors would now be calling for an “urgent action plan” including a borough-wide survey into the vermin and a treatment plan.
A Redcar and Cleveland council spokesperson said: “The council has a dedicated pest control officer who manages pest issues on council-owned land.
“While we no longer provide a wider pest control service, we do offer advice to residents where possible.
“The council continues to work with Beyond Housing, Northumbrian Water and other partners to address complex issues and explore potential solutions.
“There is also helpful guidance and preventative measures on our website to support people in dealing with pests.”
The largest rat believed to have been caught in Britain measured 21 inches from tip to tail and was found in a property in Bournemouth in November 2018. According to the RSPCA, rats in the UK can grow up to 11 inches on average.
Girl, 4, dies in tragic incident at Waterworld
A four-year-old girl has died following an incident at a swimming pool at Waterworld, Staffordshire Police said.
The force was called to the water park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, at around 4.20pm on Monday to reports of a girl in a critical condition.
She was treated at the scene and then taken to hospital for further treatment but she died there.
Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers, police said.
Waterworld will remain closed on Tuesday “out of respect for the family”, the water park said.
A witness told Stoke-on-TrentLive: “There are people everywhere outside. There was at least 8 police cars and around 4 ambulances when I went drove past the first time, all with their emergency lights on.
“Then I saw the air ambulance land on Autobrite Direct car park, with the paramedics running back towards Waterworld. I hope everyone’s okay. It looks very serious from there being so many police and ambulances present at the scene.”
Another witness told the outlet: “I’m not sure what’s happened, but it seems major!”
The Waterworld statement continued: “It is with great sadness that we learned of this little girl’s passing this evening.
“All our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during these extremely difficult times.
“Waterworld is in shock and has decided to remain closed tomorrow out of respect for the family.”
They added that the park is working with the authorities.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Maskew said: “Our thoughts are with the family at this terribly sad time.
“We are now making inquiries and looking to establish the circumstances of the incident.
“We would ask that members of the public avoid speculating in these early stages of the investigation and allow the family to grieve.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting incident number 460 of August 4.
Rachel Reeves under pressure to ‘urgently rule out’ tax hikes
The Conservatives are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to “urgently rule out” increasing share taxes in the upcoming autumn budget, following the leak of a memo from Angela Rayner suggesting a series of tax hikes.
The Tories argue that leaving investors “in limbo” could harm the economy.
The party claims that scrapping the £500 dividend allowance would pull an estimated 5.22 million more individuals into paying investment levies.
This pressure on ministers comes after a document, reportedly sent by the Deputy Prime Minister to Ms Reeves, was leaked to the press.
In the memo, Ms Rayner proposed removing the dividend allowance to generate approximately £325 million annually, as well as axing inheritance tax relief for AIM shares and increasing dividend tax rates, according to The Telegraph.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride commented: “The Government need to urgently rule out these tax hikes on savers and investors before speculation causes further economic harm.
“Labour don’t understand how business works and how to create growth. More taxes on investment, entrepreneurship and saving are the last thing our economy needs right now.”
The Government’s U-turns over welfare reform and winter fuel payments have left the Chancellor with a multibillion-pound black hole to fill, fuelling speculation that she will seek to raise revenue through tax hikes.
The Tories claimed axing the dividend allowance would drag “an estimated 5.22 million more people into paying dividend tax”.
This figure appears to be based on an assumption that at least 8.82 million people in the UK hold shares that pay dividends.
Some 3.6 million are already subject to dividend tax, according to data obtained by investment platform AJ Bell through a Freedom of Information request.
The Chancellor last year said she would not be “coming back with more borrowing or more taxes” after her first budget but has since refused to rule out raising specific levies, saying it would be “irresponsible” to do so.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Conservatives have some brass neck. They’ve still not apologised for the damage caused by the Liz Truss mini-Budget, nor the £22 billion black hole they left – which hammered firms and families across the country.
“Labour is doing more to support business than the Tories ever could.
“We’ve already delivered three historic trade deals and four interest rate cuts – to reduce costs and put money back in people’s pockets.”
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Ukraine war latest: Kremlin warns US over nuclear rhetoric
The Kremlin has warned that everyone should be careful about nuclear rhetoric, after Donald Trump ordered a repositioning of US nuclear submarines.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down the significance of Mr Trump’s announcement last Friday that he had ordered two submarines to be moved to “the appropriate regions”.
The move came after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made remarks about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
“In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that’s the first thing,” Mr Peskov said.
“But in general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way,” he added.
“Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric.”
Mr Peskov said that Russia did not see Trump’s statement as marking an escalation in nuclear tension.
He also declined to answer directly when asked whether the Kremlin had tried to warn Medvedev to tone down his online altercation with Trump.
Broadcaster James Whale dies after battle with cancer, aged 74
James Whale, the veteran radio DJ and TV personality, has died from cancer aged 74.
In a statement shared on social media, his employers TalkTV said: “We are sad to announce that James Whale MBE died earlier today, aged 74, following a lengthy battle with cancer. As a broadcasting legend for over 50 years, James will be missed by so many at Talk and the wider News UK family.”
His wife Nadine Lamont-Brown also confirmed the news in a brief statement that said: “James slipped away very gently this morning. It was a beautiful passing, and he left with a smile on his face.”
Whale was first diagnosed with cancer back in 2000 and had to have one of his kidneys removed. Then, in 2020, the TalkTV host revealed that the cancer had returned to his remaining kidney and spread to his spine, brain and lungs.
His colleague, Mike Graham, announced his death to listeners on Talk on Monday (4 August) while paying tribute to his friend whom he had worked alongside on Talk for the past six years.
“James began his remarkable career in the early 1970s when he pioneered a new kind of radio in Britain, the late night shock jock phone in,” James began. “By the late 1980s, the James Whale Radio Show had become a cultural phenomenon, broadcasting every weekend on ITV. He attracted millions of viewers, making him a household name.
“James would go on to host a variety of programmes for ITV, Sky and the BBC before finding a new audience for talk radio, all the while continuing to make headlines during his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
“In 2006, after surviving kidney cancer, James launched Kidney Cancer UK, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. In 2024, James was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, recognising his extraordinary contribution to broadcast and charity.”
He concluded: “James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves, and did it all on his own terms. For millions, James wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a companion, a provocateur, and a good friend that we’ll all never forget. God bless you, James. We’ll miss you.”
The news comes just days after Whale recorded his final ever podcast from a hospice with his wife, as he thanked fans for listening. He said a farewell in an emotional clip shared on TalkTV on Friday (1 August).
Speaking with his wife Nadine, the presenter said, “We’ve had a good time together haven’t we?” to which she replied: “The best”.
He told his audience: “Thank you for being a listener. I hope it helps in some way and who knows what’s next, so I can only say au revoir.”
TalkTV host and political pundit Julia Hartley-Brewer paid tribute in a social media post and said: “So sad that my amazing, wonderful @TalkTV colleague James Whale has died.
“He was a legend both on air and off air. It was a pleasure and an honour to know him. Sending Nadine and his family all my love xxxx.”
Whale, who has been a fixture of British radio and TV for five decades, announced in May that he had stopped his treatment and was “at the end of his cancer journey”.
The industry veteran was awarded an MBE for his services to broadcasting and charity in the 2024 New Year Honours List. Whale called the moment the “pinnacle” of his career.
Due to his past experience with cancer, Whale, who competed on Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, formed the James Whale Kidney Fund in 2006, which merged with Kidney Cancer UK in 2015. In 2018, his first wife, Melinda Maxted, died after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Whale rose to fame in the 1980s with his frank style, dry wit and no-nonsense approach on late-night programme The James Whale Radio Show, gaining a legion of loyal listeners.
He spent 13 years at TalkSport before hosting the drivetime show on LBC and the breakfast show on BBC Essex.
During his career he also hosted Whale On, Dial Midnight and Central Weekend Live for ITV, and Talk About for BBC One. His autobiography Almost A Celebrity: A Lifetime Of Night-Time was published in 2008.
Despite the respect that he garnered, Whales’s career was peppered with controversy. In 2008, he was sacked by TalkSPORT after he called on listeners to vote for Boris Johnson when the former prime minister was campaigning to become London mayor.
While employed on TalkRadio, he clashed with listeners and activists over the Brexit referendum campaign, but later suggested he had changed his mind in response to the behaviour of the European Union.
In 2018, he was suspended by TalkRadio after appearing to laugh during an interview with a sexual assault survivor.
Whale later caused a stir while on Celebrity Big Brother, when broadcaster and Loose Women panellist Saira Khan asked him if he was racist.
Khan said she had researched Whale before entering the house and had seen the claims online.
He responded: “I’ve never heard so much rubbish in my entire life.”
He added: “I don’t think I am known for that. Am I known for that? I don’t know. I really don’t know. I’ve been one of the judges of the British Curry Awards for 10 years.”
He was the sixth contestant to be eliminated from the show and left in a double eviction alongside The Only Way Is Essex’s Lewis Bloor.
Further tributes have been paid to Whale by his colleagues and friends in the media. The entrepreneur Charlie Mullins wrote: “This morning I heard the sad news of the passing of the broadcasting legend and my dear friend – the one and only James Whale MBE. James, mate, rest in peace now.”
Chuck Thomas, an executive producer at TalkTV said that the world would be “a lot quieter without him”. Thomas added that his friend “faced the end with courage and wit” and that “broadcasting has lost a giant”.
LBC host Nick Ferrari added: “Anyone who has spent any time working in speech radio knows what a trailblazer James Whale has been. Radio just got a lot quieter.”
The illusionist Uri Geller remarked that Whale was a “brave man” and a “true friend” and that he had never met anyone “quite like James Whale”.