Newslinks for Monday 22nd September 2025

Farage announces immigration measures to tackle ‘Boriswave’

“Hundreds of thousands of migrants will be forced out of the UK if Reform wins the next election, Nigel Farage has declared – and insisted the move will save taxpayers more than £230billion. The party’s leader has vowed to end what he called the ‘scam’ of legal permanent settlement for foreign nationals, and warned that not tackling it is a ‘fiscal timebomb’ which could bankrupt the country. Writing in the Daily Mail he promises to abolish the status known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which allows those who have lived here for more than five years to receive benefits and apply for citizenship. Reform estimates 3.8million migrants who arrived after the pandemic will be eligible for ILR between 2026 and 2030, and claims many are either destined for a life on benefits or are low-skilled workers who will bring in dependants to join them. By preventing them from remaining in the UK, Mr Farage insisted it will save £234billion over their lifetimes which would otherwise be claimed in benefits. Under his plan, no new ILR awards would be made and migrants already allowed to live here under ILR – so-called settled status – would have it rescinded. Mr Farage proposes that migrants living here would instead have to apply for a five-year renewable visa with stricter criteria, such as proving they can speak English and can earn a high salary, and would face restrictions on how many dependants could join them. Those rejected would lose state benefits and be expected to leave voluntarily or face removal under the party’s tough plan for tackling illegal migration, known as Operation Restoring Justice. Reform’s policy document, to be published today, states that the changes ‘will be done on a staggered and orderly basis to allow businesses to train British workers to replace them’. Reform said it is giving notice that ‘the era of cheap foreign labour is over’. Mr Farage has also vowed that only UK citizens will be eligible for welfare. The qualifying period for citizenship – which is currently one year after being granted ‘settled status’ – would also be extended to prevent it being given ‘cheaply’. Mr Farage said: ‘The Tories and Labour have turned the UK into a foodbank for the world.’” – Daily Mail

• Farage pledges to expel hundreds of thousands of migrants – Daily Telegraph
• I’ll stop non-Brits from claiming ANY benefits and will close every loophole, Nigel Farage vows – The Sun
• Reform would scrap indefinite leave to remain for migrants – The Times
• Explained: Nigel Farage’s bombshell vow to expel hundreds of thousands of LEGAL migrants – Daily Express

Comment:

• No one voted to let migrants in, so we will put our people first – Nigel Farage, Daily Mail
• The looming Boriswave is a disaster for the UK – but Reform will save Britain – Zia Yusuf, Daily Express
• We will stop this scam on the British people – Zia Yusuf, Daily Telegraph
• ‘Britain is a food bank for the world – this con of our welfare system must end’ – Lee Anderson, Daily Express
• Labour is driving its tribe towards Reform – Trevor Phillips, The Times

> Today: Farage is vulnerable, and will not become PM

David Gauke: Kruger’s defection doesn’t point the Conservatives towards disaster but to a crucial decision

Palestine recognition

Starmer told he’s handing Hamas a ‘prize’ with Palestinian statehood

“Sir Keir Starmer has been accused by the families of Israeli hostages of handing Hamas “its greatest prize” after he formally recognised a Palestinian state. The prime minister said that recognition could help “revive the hope of peace” and end the “horror” of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. “We cannot let the light of peace go out,” he said. He insisted that the move was not a “reward” for Hamas, condemning it as a “brutal terror organisation” and warning that it must have “no future [and] no role in government”. The UK made the move alongside Canada and Australia before a meeting of the UN general assembly. However, the prime minister faced a backlash from Israel and the families of hostages who have been held in Gaza, along with Jewish leaders in the UK. Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said that it was a “huge reward to terrorism”, adding that a Palestinian state “will not happen”. The US has also long opposed the move. Moshe Emilio Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran who is still being held by Hamas in Gaza, said: “While our loved ones are being purposely starved, tortured, and used as human shields, the UK has chosen to hand Hamas and its accomplices the greatest prize — an unconditional recognition of statehood.” Mandy Damari, whose British-Israeli daughter Emily was held hostage by Hamas for more than 15 months, said that Starmer was under a “delusion”. “While one of the states is still run by a proscribed terrorist organisation whose very charter is to annihilate Israel from the river to the sea, a two-state solution can never happen,” she said. “But even if he thinks he is right, he is rewarding Hamas for the October 7 barbaric and savage attack on Israel when the hostages are still not back, the war is not over and Hamas are still in power in Gaza.”” – The Times

• UK, Canada Recognize Palestinian State in Break With Trump – Bloomberg
• How Trump and Netanyahu influenced Starmer’s recognition of Palestine – The i
• Jews will ‘never forgive’ Labour for recognising Palestine – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Starmer is appeasing the cruel brutality of Hamas – Priti Patel, Daily Telegraph
• Hamas sees Keir Starmer’s Palestine statement as vindication for murder – Matthew Syed, The Times
• Recognising Palestine is a grave error and diminishes Britain in the eyes of the world – Suella Braverman, Daily Telegraph
• Starmer’s Chagos deal was bad enough, but recognising Palestine could see Britain facing £2trillion in reparations – Stephen Glover, Daily Mail

> Yesterday: Dear Keir if you must recognise a Palestinian State, why on earth are you doing it now?

Davey calls for arrest of ‘criminal’ Elon Musk for inciting violence and tries to woo business

“Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has appealed to Britain’s business community to help his party fight the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, as he warned “the country is in peril”. Davey claimed that his centrist party, which advocates for the creation of a new UK-EU customs union, was taking the fight to Farage and represented “British values” such as “decency, respect for the rule of law and tolerance”. His comments, made in an interview with the Financial Times, came on the day his party unveiled proposals for a £7bn windfall tax on big banks, but he insisted this did not undermine his claim to have a pro-business agenda. Speaking on Bournemouth beach as the annual Lib Dem conference got under way, Davey issued a plea to business: “If you want to stop Reform, if you love your country, come and join the Liberal Democrats, come and talk to us. Ideally support us financially as well.” He said the Lib Dems were not trying to outflank Labour on the left, although Davey is wooing some of Sir Keir Starmer’s party’s supporters by opposing welfare cuts and taking a more critical stance of Israel on Gaza. Davey denounced a “wealth tax”, supported by many on the Labour left. He said: “We are not a high tax party . . . We want to keep taxes down, we think taxes have gone up too much.” Yet Davey also endorsed a proposal by the Institute for Public Policy Research think-tank, which first floated the idea of a windfall levy on banks, arguing that higher interest rates have generated billions of pounds in excess profits for lenders. The money could be used to fund public services and create a so-called Energy Security Bank that cuts energy bills, the party leader claimed… Davey argued that a party that promoted internationalism, including ripping up trade barriers with the EU, along with tolerance and hope, could take on Reform at a time when the two big traditional parties — Labour and the Conservatives — were on the slide. Polling data from YouGov shows Reform has a comfortable lead of 28 per cent, with Labour 7 points behind and the Lib Dems on 15 points. According to Davey, his party has been more in touch with business leaders and senior figures in the City of London this year than during his whole political career.” – Financial Times

• Limit children’s doomscrolling to two hours, say Lib Dems – The Times
• Sir Ed Davey brands Elon Musk a criminal and calls for his arrest for ‘allowing online harm to children’ – Sky News
• Nick Clegg backs Lib Dem chief Davey’s hardline language on Elon Musk – Express and Star
• Councils ‘should have a say’ over migrant hotels, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey claims – ITV News
• Small boats ‘should be known as Brexit boats in jab at Nigel Farage’ call – Daily Mirror

Comment:

• Badenoch must think about the Lib Dems more than Reform if she is to revive the Tories – Iain Dale, Daily Telegraph
• Ed Davey needs to stop his stunts and defend liberalism – Ian Birrell, The i
• Is it time to retire the stunts? ‘Nooo’ the activists shouted, and Sir Big Ed beamed – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail

News in brief:

• Europe’s reckless warmongering – Wolfgang Munchau, Unherd
• Rory Stewart is the hero of his own story – Max Young, The Critic
• Starmer risks repeating Britain’s Palestine mistake – James Sunderland, The Spectator
• Without the right tax framework, UK will drive wealth creators away – Alastair King, CityAM