Newslinks for Tuesday 30th December 2025

Egyptian extremist claims ‘Zionists are out to get me’

“The Egyptian “extremist” at the centre of a deportation row has backed claims he is the victim of a “Zionist campaign”. Labour is resisting calls for Alaa Abd el-Fattah to be stripped of his British citizenship and deported over historical posts he made calling for Zionists to be killed. Mr Fattah apologised for the comments, in which he also denied the Holocaust and branded British people “dogs and monkeys”, in a statement on Monday in which he also claimed his words had been “twisted”. However, his official Facebook account subsequently liked a post which said that “Zionists against Alaa Abd el-Fattah” were behind a “campaign”. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: “At the same time as el-Fattah is apologising ‘unequivocally’, over on Arabic Facebook he is liking posts claiming he’s just the victim of a ‘Zionist campaign’.” – Daily Telegraph

• Starmer says ‘extremist’ is still welcome in the UK – Daily Mail
• Labour issues bombshell update after Starmer celebrated ‘extremist’ returning to UK – Daily Express
• Facebook slow to act on posts celebrating murder of Jews, anti-hate group says – Guardian

Comment

>Today:

BBC boss blamed for discredited Gaza documentary handed OBE

“A former BBC executive blamed over a now-discredited Gaza documentary has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List. Charlotte Moore was the corporation’s chief content officer when Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone was broadcast in February. It later emerged that it was narrated by the son of a Hamas official. She has been recognised for services to public service broadcasting in an honours list that risks accusations of rewarding people for failure. Others given awards include a police chief who blocked job applications from white candidates and the National Trust chief who ordered a “woke” audit of its properties’ links to the slave trade.” – Daily Telegraph

• Two of Starmer’s closest allies named in new year honours list – Guardian
• New year’s honours list 2026: recognition for leaders in culture war – The Times
• Services to woke: Honours go to darlings of the right-on Lefties – Daily Telegraph

Cabinet Office withdraws Andrew papers after ‘error’

The Cabinet Office has blamed an “administrative error” for mistakenly sharing official papers referring to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. A No 10 file from 2004 and 2005 relating to royal visits – released as part of the government’s annual transfer of records to the National Archives under the 20-year rule – was briefly made available to journalists before being withdrawn. The version originally released under embargo included minutes of a meeting about the overseas travel of various royals, including the then-Duke of York, who was serving as a UK trade envoy. That information was later redacted from the file before it was made public on Tuesday at the National Archives in Kew, west London.” – BBC News

• The Cabinet Office accused of royal cover-up after Andrew files withdrawn – The Times
• Government accused of cover up after censoring details of Andrew’s taxpayer-funded travel – Daily Mail
• Official files related to Andrew royal visits hastily redacted from public view – The Sun

Union boss: Inevitable that Starmer will be replaced

“It is “inevitable” that Sir Keir Starmer will be replaced as Labour leader, the leader of the party’s biggest trade union donor has said in a warning to the prime minister’s would-be successors. Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, writes in The Times that the government risks “sowing the seeds of its own destruction” if Starmer’s successor in Downing Street does not “depart from its current path”. Denouncing Labour’s agenda as “rudderless” and “austerity lite”, she urges ministers to increase borrowing for investment, introduce a wealth tax, ditch its net zero policies and use increased defence budgets to buy more weapons from British arms manufacturers.” – The Times

>Today:

>Yesterday:

Conservatives order increased ‘hotspot patrols’

“The Tories will bring in ‘hotspot patrolling’ of the UK’s top crime neighbourhoods in a bid to target policing where it is most needed. The party has identified 2,000 crime ‘hotspots’ across the UK where crimes such as theft, possession of weapons and anti-social behaviour are most likely to occur. These locations represent 5 per cent of the country but 25 per cent of violent crime. Under the Tories’ plans, dedicated officers would be deployed in pairs for the 40 highest-risk hours of each week in each crime hotspot, and would patrol every week of the year. This would eventually see 5,500 officers delivering 8.3 million patrol hours annually, with the Tories forecasting that 35,000 crimes would be prevented.” – Daily Mail

Blair ignored warnings WI speech would be a disaster

“Tony Blair ignored warnings to avoid being too political in one of the most disastrous speeches of his premiership, official files revealed. The Labour prime minister was urged to steer clear of “capital P politics” before his infamous Women’s Institute speech, but proceeded anyway, according to documents released to the National Archives. The speech to a 10,000-strong audience at Wembley Arena in June 2000 descended into chaos as he was heckled, jeered, booed and slow-hand clapped by WI members. They were furious that he had used their conference as a platform for what they considered to be a “party political broadcast”. He was forced to cut short the speech, and the reaction was widely seen as evidence that New Labour had lost touch”. – Daily Telegraph

• Brown’s allies could wreck Labour’s 2005 election hopes, Mandelson warned – Guardian
• Mandelson warned Blair about Brown’s ‘envy’ before Labour win – The Times
• Portillo warned Elizabeth Line would never be built – FT
• Foreign Office warned against deposing Mugabe like Saddam – The Times
• Inside the secret plan to build a bunker at Downing Street – The Times

Civil servants ‘defying Supreme Court trans ruling’

“Trans guidance for civil servants defies the Supreme Court ruling and must be “withdrawn immediately”, Sir Keir Starmer has been told. The Cabinet Office’s guidelines for transgender Civil Service staff, which is mirrored broadly across government, were drawn up in 2019. The guidance remains unchanged despite the Supreme Court judgment in April, which ruled that sex under the Equality Act means biological sex. It is understood that internal Civil Service policy is being reviewed with a view to it being updated in light of the judgment.” – Daily Telegraph

Hamas will have ‘hell to pay’ if it fails to disarm, Trump warns

“Donald Trump has warned that Hamas will have “hell to pay” if it fails to disarm while offering full-throated support to Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with the Israeli prime minister in Florida. In a bravura display of mutual admiration, Netanyahu announced that the US president would be awarded the Israel prize, the country’s highest civilian honour, which since its inception in the 1950s has never before been given to a non-Israeli person. The trip by Netanyahu to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence came amid a new push by officials in Washington to force concessions from Israel to allow progress towards the second phase of a Gaza peace plan, which in October halted the devastating two-year-long war.” – Guardian

• Rebuilding of Gaza will begin very soon, Trump promises – Daily Telegraph
• Trump criticises Ukraine for ‘attacking Putin’s house’ – Daily Telegraph

Comment

Net zero fanatic Miliband plots £13bn solar panel plan

“Ed Miliband is preparing to unveil plans for a mass expansion of solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage in a bid to create “zero bill” homes. Up to £13 billion has been allocated for the plans which will see millions of homes across the country eligible for grants to install the eco-friendly equipment, according to reports. It is thought the Energy Secretary, Labour’s chief net-zero supporter, will set out the proposals under the ‘Warm Homes Plan’ next month. Ministers reportedly believe the mass rollout of the technology will see some homes effectively bill-free, paying little or nothing for their power, while others will have a major reduction in costs.” – Daily Express

• Miliband plots £13bn solar panel blitz to create ‘zero bill’ properties – Daily Telegraph
• Rise of the zero-bill home? Miliband pins hopes on solar power – The Times

Other political news

• Number of people who say Britons must be born in UK is rising, study shows – Guardian
• Scotland to elect large pro-independence majority in 2026, poll finds – The National
• Morgan faces up to the fight of her career – WalesOnline
• She burned down her house but rebuilt Italy. Can Meloni rescue Europe? – Daily Telegraph

News in Brief