Pressure on Farage to sack ‘racist’ Reform candidate as he doubles down on claim Lammy should ‘go home’

Nigel Farage is under pressure to sack the former Royal Navy rear admiral that Reform UK picked as its candidate for mayor of Hampshire after he doubled down on remarks about the “loyalties” of David Lammy and praised Enoch Powell.

Mr Farage has stood by Chris Parry, 72, after he suggested that deputy prime minister Mr Lammy, who was born and brought up in London, should “go home” to the Caribbean where his “loyalties lie”.

But despite being widely condemned, Mr Parry has now defended his original comment, posting on X (Twitter): “Well, home is where the heart is. That’s the point.”

An additional tweet, Mr Parry also described the dead rightwing former Tory politician Enoch Powell as “unfulfilled”.

In 1968 Powell made the infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech about the impact of black migrants in the UK warning it would lead to violence on the streets and opposing anti-discrimination laws. The speech has for many gone down as a benchmark of racism in the UK although others claimed it was misinterpreted.

Mr Farage has also praised Powell calling him a “political hero”.

In a separate tweet Mr Parry also attacked Sir Lenny Henry in a similar way when the comedian and actor supported calls for the UK to pay £19 trillion in slavery reparations.

Mr Parry posted: “Where does his primary loyalty lie?”

Another tweet in March saw Mr Parry describe Birmingham as “a failed colony”.

Commenting on Sir Keir Starmer ordering an emergency Cobra meeting to deal with the Birmingham bin strikes, he posted: “Stupid and unnecessarily diluting importance of Cobra. Just take this failed colony into special measures.”

Mr Parry also described four female colleagues as “harpies” and suggested parliament would be filled with Muslim MPs by 2035.

Labour chair Anna Turley told The Independent that Mr Farage now needs to ditch the candidate for the postponed Hampshire mayoral election in 2028.

She said: “How big does the mountain of racist and grossly offensive comments Chris Parry has made have to get before Nigel Farage throws him out of Reform? It’s disgraceful.

“Farage’s refusal to take action against racism in his party shows what a dark place he’s dragging politics to. He should finally drop Chris Parry as a candidate, kick him out of his party, and apologise for failing to take action sooner.”

It comes as Mr Farage himself has faced accusations of racism when he was at school. Among the allegations were claims he said “Hitler was right” and mimicked gas chamber hissing noises.

Mr Farage said that he had never been racist or antisemitic with “malice” and ended up having a rant at the BBC about 1970s comedian Bernard Manning at a press conference recently when asked about the allegations.

In the past week, Ian Cooper, Reform’s council leader in Staffordshire, stated in reference to Mr Lammy that “no foreign national or first-generation migrant should be allowed to sit in parliament”.

While Mr Cooper has been thrown out of Reform, Mr Parry still remains the party’s candidate in mayoral Hampshire.

Another Reform councillor, Chris Large, has denied endorsing a comment describing Mr Lammy as “just another greedy non-thoroughbred”.

Hitting out at the comments before, Mr Lammy issued a personal challenge to Mr Farage: “I will never be cowed by racism. But I will call it what it is. Nigel Farage, you need to clean up your party and stamp out this 1950s-style hate.”

The Independent has approached Reform UK for comment.

David Walliams denies inappropriate behaviour claims as he is dropped by publisher

Comedian and children’s author David Walliams has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour after being dropped by his publisher Harper Collins.

The TV star, known for appearing in comedy shows including Come Fly With Me and Little Britain, “strongly denies” any claims and was not informed about or party to an investigation by HarperCollins, his spokesperson said on Friday evening.

A spokesperson for HarperCollins told The Independent: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams.”

It comes after The Telegraph reported the publisher made the decision after he was accused of behaving inappropriately towards young women. A junior colleague is said to have complained about his conduct, leading to other staff members being interviewed.

Former employees alleged to The Telegraph that they were advised to work in pairs when meeting with him and not to visit his home.

A spokesperson for Harper Collins added: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals, we do not comment on internal matters.”

A spokesperson for Walliams said in a statement: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins. He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.”

Walliams, 54, rose to fame more than 20 years ago through the comedy series Little Britain, alongside Matt Lucas, and has since become one of the UK’s most established and successful award-winning children’s authors, selling an estimated 60 million copies worldwide.

His books have been adapted for television by the BBC and are widely used in schools, with Harper Collins stating that they have been translated into 55 languages.

In recent years, Walliams has faced criticism after he was caught making obscene comments about contestants on Britain’s Got Talent.

In 2022, a leaked transcript revealed that he called one auditioning contestant a “c***” and said of another: “She thinks you want to f*** her, but you don’t.”

The remarks were made during an audition at the London Palladium in early 2020 and leaked to The Guardian, with Walliams subsequently leaving his role.

At the time, Walliams said that he wanted to apologise for the “disrespectful comments” and that they were part of a private conversation which was “never intended to be shared”. His comments were picked up by the microphones on the desk and were seemingly not intended to be heard publicly – and he sued FremantleMedia, the production company that makes BGT, for the leaking of his private remarks. The matter was settled in November 2023.

He also sparked outcry after giving two Nazi salutes during a recording of BBC series Would I Lie To You?’s Christmas special. He reportedly gave the offensive salutes while filming the episode with host Rob Brydon after an anecdote that was shared by Call the Midwife star Helen George.

US launches airstrikes in Syria after Isis gunman kills three Americans

The United States military has launched extensive airstrikes against Islamic State targets across central Syria, officials confirmed on Friday, in direct retaliation for a recent attack on American personnel.

The strikes follow a pledge by President Donald Trump to respond forcefully after an incident last weekend, which saw a suspected Islamic State member target a U.S. convoy.

An anonymous US official characterized the current military action as a large-scale response.

That attack, which occurred on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmyra, resulted in the deaths of two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter.

Three additional U.S. soldiers sustained injuries before the assailant was shot dead, according to the US military.

These latest actions are part of an ongoing campaign by a US-led coalition, which has been conducting both aerial and ground operations against suspected Islamic State militants in Syria, often in conjunction with local security forces.

Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out further tax rises in 2026

Chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to rule out further tax rises, but said they are “less necessary” following her November Budget.

Ms Reeves increased taxes by £26bn in the Budget, including freezing thresholds on income tax.

In an interview with The i Paper, she said the moves had provided the government with cover for problems arising in an “incredibly volatile” world.

She said: “What I did do in the Budget a couple of weeks ago was increase the fiscal headroom that the government has, more than doubled that, which means that when further disruption and shocks come our way – we’re better able to withstand those sorts of shocks, which will mean further changes to taxes are less necessary.”

She refused to make predictions on future moves because “it would be wrong to start writing future budgets just a couple of weeks after the last Budget”.

Ms Reeves identified helping people get on the housing ladder by keeping interest rates low as a key issue.

“There has been a decline in home ownership over the last 10 or 15 years,” she said.

“I want to move in the other direction and find more people being able to get a mortgage and get on the housing ladder, because I know that that is the aspiration for so many people.”

She backed proposals for more flexible mortgages being considered by the Financial Conduct Authority, which would allow people to “borrow more and also borrow a bigger multiple of what your income is”.

Liverpool sweat on Szoboszlai fitness for trip to under-fire Tottenham

Tottenham host Liverpool in Saturday’s late kick-off in the Premier League, with the hosts looking for an unlikely win against the champions to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Thomas Frank.

The Dane has overseen a turbulent opening few months of the season in north London – with the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last week Spurs’ sixth in the league – but reports suggest his job is still safe.

And while a win over Liverpool this weekend would certainly buy Frank more time, the Reds arrive in the capital in improved form, with Arne Slot’s side having won their last two matches, including against Brighton last time out.

Slot seems to have steadied the ship somewhat at Anfield, even though the Mohamed Salah saga still hangs over the club, but a loss to a struggling Spurs could see the pressure piled back on the Dutchman this evening.

Follow all the latest updates from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium below:

It’s about experience: Further Education teachers share what it takes

In the modern world, many of us are working longer than ever. Research based on ONS Labour Market data found that there are almost one million more workers aged 65 and above since the millennium and the state pension is set to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by the late 2030s. Subsequently, having multiple careers is becoming increasingly popular. And after decades working in a specific industry, sharing the work-based knowledge you have gained via teaching in further education is one of the most rewarding career shifts you can make.

Further Education teaching (defined as any education for people aged 16 and over who aren’t studying for a degree) allows you to switch up your working days and harness the skills and experience you have developed, all while helping shape the next generation of workers in your field.

To find out more about the role, from what it takes to the best parts of the job, we spoke to Further Education teachers who have switched from doing their day job to teaching it…

John Ryan, 51, from Weston Super Mare, worked for more than a decade on site in the construction industry, mainly in bricklaying and supervising roles, before an opportunity to become a Further Education assessor changed his path in his thirties. Travelling nationally to assess the work of new bricklayers in order to sign off their NVQs (National Vocational Qualification), the college John was associated with then started offering him some teaching work.

With no prior teaching qualifications, John completed these alongside his assessing and teaching roles with the fees picked up by the teaching college. “I liked the idea of passing on my knowledge and giving young people the skills and confidence to progress in a trade,” he says. “Teaching in Further Education felt like a natural next step because it would allow me to combine my practical background with coaching and mentoring.” There were practical draws too. “On site in the construction industry you are self-employed so you do not get holidays or sick pay. The stability of income and regular paid holidays was a big draw of Further Education teaching,” he adds.

Since his first assessing role 18 years ago, John has worked between assessing, teaching and jobs back on the construction site and now, he currently teaches bricklaying and groundwork full-time at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.

John’s extensive site and supervisory experience has proved to be hugely valuable when it comes to teaching his students there. “I can explain not just the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ behind industry standards,” he explains. “Learners often respond well to hearing about real jobs, site challenges, and the professional behaviours that employers expect. It makes the lessons more relatable and credible,” he shares.

“For example, I can share stories of accidents when teaching site safety, or explain how a mistake of a few millimetres on a construction site can cost you time to rectify, which in turn will cost you money,” he says. “These hands-on, real world experiences make the theory relatable and show learners the real value of getting it right.”

Coral Aspinall, 52, who became a full-time Further Education teacher 12 years ago, agrees. “My experience allows me to put my teaching into context,” she says. Coral started out her engineering career at 16 as an apprentice in a local engineering company. Following a BSc in Engineering and Business Management, she worked for many years in the engineering industry before enrolling on a part-time PGDE (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education) course for teaching. She’s now the Engineering Programme Leader at the Stockport campus of the Trafford and Stockport College Group. Here, they offer qualifications such as Level 2 Performing Engineering Operations as well as engineering-focused Level 3 T Levels and Level 3 Btec Awards. They also offer Level 3 apprenticeships across engineering including Technical Support, Engineering Fitter and Maintenance Management.

“Because I’ve been an engineering apprentice myself, I understand what the student needs to be successful in terms of skills, knowledge and behaviour,” she explains. “I also have contacts in the wider engineering community and understand what an employer is looking for in an apprentice, and can also share insights in terms of how the sector is shifting and evolving to help support their progress.”

Working for an extensive period of time in a field before passing on that knowledge gives teachers maturity and empathy which can be hugely helpful for students, especially those facing complex life situations.

Beyond the practical techniques, a big part of John’s role is helping learners build confidence, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills that employers look for. “Many of my learners have different challenges, so they value teachers who are approachable, who believe in them, and who prepare them for real opportunities in work or further study,” he says. For John, his previous work experience has allowed him to do this. “On site, I worked with people facing all sorts of pressures, from work to life issues, which taught me to be patient and supportive,” he explains.

Coral has had a similar experience. “I see my role as more than imparting knowledge; it is about preparing the young person for the next stage of their journey. The students trust me to have their best interests at heart; they come to me for advice on their next steps and how they can achieve their aspirations, and I’ll support them with both practical advice and words of encouragement.”

For Coral, teaching later in life allows her to draw from a mature perspective, and teach her students positive workplace behaviours alongside skills and knowledge. “Students thrive when they have clear unambiguous boundaries, so I’m firm around expectations in terms of timekeeping, attendance and attitude. This is particularly important to succeeding in the workplace as employers value these behaviours as much as, or even more than having specific expertise or know-how (which can generally be developed).”

If you’re looking for a fresh career option, and keen to share your skills with the next generation, Further Education teaching could be a really enriching new phase. Further Education covers a huge range of career sectors including construction, law, engineering, digital, hospitality, tourism, beauty and more. This includes BTECs (Business and Technology Education Council qualifications), T Levels, NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) or City & Guilds Qualifications.

Teaching in a mixture of colleges (often General Further Education Colleges or Sixth Form Colleges) and Adult and Community Learning Centres as well as workplace and apprenticeship settings, further education teachers share their years of real world industry skills with a diverse mix of people from those straight out of school aged sixteen to those making career switches later in life.

You don’t always need an academic degree or prior teaching qualifications to start teaching in further education. You can undertake teacher training on the job, often funded by your employer, so you can start earning straight away.. Furthermore, it doesn’t mean you have to stop working in your chosen field. Further education offers hybrid opportunities – so you could teach part time alongside your other commitments. This means you could have the best of both worlds, where you are still working in your chosen industry and teaching alongside it at a time that suits your schedule. Find out if it’s the right move for you here.

If, like John and Coral, you see the appeal in sharing the knowledge and skills you’ve developed with the next generation, exploring the option of becoming a Further Education teacher can be a great next step. As John shares, the reward is always worth it: “It never gets old passing on my knowledge to people starting on their journey, knowing I have made a difference and getting a smile and thanks in return!”

Looking for a new role that’s rewarding, flexible and draws on your current career? Why not consider sharing your experience where it matters most – helping inspire the next generation of workers in the field you love? Visit Further Education to find out more

Murder investigation launched after man shot dead in London

Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was shot dead in London last night.

The 55-year-old victim died at the scene on West End Close in Stonebridge, Brent, despite the efforts of police and paramedics to save his life.

Officers were called at 9.35pm on Friday night, with no arrests made by Saturday afternoon.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John from the Met’s specialist crime team said: “There’s no doubt this incident will cause concern in the local community and more widely, but we have increased patrols in the area.

“I’d like to reassure the public that our investigation remains a priority.”

No other injuries were reported, and police are supporting the victim’s next of kin, they said.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim at this incredibly difficult time,” he added.

“Enquiries are well underway, and my team is working at pace to determine the circumstances that led to this man’s tragic death,” DCI John said.

Police had closed off the A404 Brentfield from Twybridge Way to Wyborne Way on Saturday. A forensic tent could be seen within the cordon.

Forensic teams joined police with sniffer dogs at the site on Saturday afternoon.

Dawn Butler, Labour MP for Brent East, said that she was “very sad to hear of the shooting in Stonebridge” and urged anyone with information to contact the police.

One local businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, told MyLondon that he longer felt safe working in the area.

“[It] doesn’t feel safe anymore, shoplifters come in gangs masked up. For the first time in seven years I have installed cameras,” he said, adding that he had formerly been in the police.

Members of the public who may have witnessed the shooting, or who could have information, including dashcam footage, are urged to contact the Met Police as soon as possible.

Police understand there was a large group of people congregated nearby at the time and are keen to hear from them.

Anyone with information has been urged to call police on 101 quoting CAD 8120/19DEC25 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555.

Why these Ashes will be the end for one of England’s Bazball brothers

The Clapham boys are finally parting ways.

Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have been bound at the hip for years. Born a month apart, the pair have been cut from the same privately educated cloth. The two prodigies who captained their school teams against each other played the same national age-group competitions together and scaled the heights of international cricket together.

The journey ended in Adelaide.

Crawley made 85. An innings where he batted as well as he ever has in an England shirt. He was on one run off 27 balls, but was calm. Driving when the opportunity arose, pulling powerfully in front of square also.

“Good players pull the ball square of the wicket,” Graeme Swann said on TNT Sports. “Great players pull it in front of square. That’s the best I’ve seen him play.”

Pope, on the other hand, arrived needing a miracle in the city of churches. Since his dismissal in the first innings at Perth, he has looked like a tortured soul. A pre-match press conference in Brisbane spoke to a muddled mind where he gave a 200-word word salad answer to what England’s approach is with the bat that concluded with, “it’s just about having that complete clarity”.

Right.

Careers end in Australia. Of the 50 men to play for England on an Ashes tour this century, 26 have never played for their country again. Pope’s relative youth, 27, means he still has a chance to come again. His domestic record is excellent and bulk runs will see him return to the equation again. But it looks increasingly unlikely that chance will be in Melbourne next week. In 16 innings against Australia, he averages 17. Walking out to bat today, he needed at least a century to stave off the feeling his place in the England XI was hanging by a thread. Instead, he made 17.

“I feel like Popey gets a hard time sometimes,” Crawley said of his friend and teammate after play. “I’m trying to work out why. He’s got big hundreds when we need him to against tough opposition.

“Yeah, he’s had a couple of quiet games, but I think he’s an unbelievably good player who plays in a really hard role at number three. I think he’s playing well.”

For years, the two have been the Bazball brothers. Backed on qualitative metrics as much as quantitative, where people who know the sport said they could play. Pope was run shy in junior age-group cricket at Surrey but had the temperament and the technique that saw him backed through and make his international debut at 20. And Crawley was the same, but as an adult. His domestic record at Kent was modest, but his tall frame and ability to dominate a day meant that people believed he was tailor-made for the big stage.

Players of potential but with over 60 Test appearances each, both have been given more opportunities than any other batters in history, with this Ashes in mind. Back talent, and let it shine through.

But in Pope’s last eight matches, all of which have come against Australia and India, he has averaged 28.7 with only two scores above 50. A pattern has also emerged, where Pope starts the series strongly but then fades away. Pope has spoken publicly about his inability to sleep during a Test match. In the first innings of matches, he averages 45, in the second, it is 20. Sleep-deprived and run-deprived.

His last century came in the opening match of the series against India last summer, following which he made the point he was determined to kick on and make “runs after runs after runs”. He has since averaged 24 and made a single 50.

You can’t be a player of potential forever. And the returns for Pope have never arrived. He’ll always have Hyderabad.

Crawley, however, continues to tease. As of the end of the 2025 summer, no batter in Test history had opened the batting so often, but averaged so little. He started the Ashes with a pair, but unlike Pope, whose initial failure overwhelmed him, Crawley brushed it off and came back with quality. A 76 and 44 at Brisbane impressed and frustrated in equal measure. So too his 85 here.

“No, if anything, I felt really relaxed today,” Crawley answered when it was put to him that he looked like a man batting with extra motivation. “I think that’s why I played nicely.”

Nevertheless, his contributions have been excellent innings that were gone too soon. It is unclear whether they are evidence of his career turning a corner or if they are instead one final gaslighting.

The Ashes, in theory, are still alive, but England’s post-mortem is already gathering pace. Who stays, and who goes.

When Pope won his 50th Test cap last year, it was Crawley who presented it to him.

“Popey, we’ve known each other a long time,” Crawley said then. “We’ve played with and against each other for a long time, and now we obviously run Clapham together.

“I was thinking about when we were 17 playing together and what we’d have given then to just play one game for England. You’re one of the best players in the world, and it’s why this is still just the beginning.”

A year later in Adelaide, it turned out to be much closer to the end.