Newslinks for Tuesday 5th August 2025

Migrants crisis 1) Small boat deportation scheme to begin this week

“The process of deporting the first Channel migrants under a new deal with France will begin within days, Sir Keir Starmer has announced. The Prime Minister disclosed that Britain had ratified a treaty with France which means those entering the UK on a small boat can now be detained on arrival and returned across the Channel. It is believed that around 50 migrants will be returned to France each week, with the numbers expected to climb by the end of the year. Sir Keir is facing continued public dissent over mass migration, with protests outside hotels housing migrants across Britain, prompted in part by reports of crimes by asylum seekers.” – Daily Telegraph

• UK to start small boats returns to France ‘within days’ after EU gives green light – Guardian
• Labour ‘must stop 8 in 10 migrant crossings’ to break smuggling model – The Times

Comment

Migrants crisis 2) PM urges police to give more information about criminals ‘to rebuild trust’

“Sir Keir Starmer has put pressure on police chiefs to release more information about offenders as unrest grows over the government’s handling of the migration crisis. Downing Street said all authorities — from police to central government — should be “as transparent as possible” about those charged with crimes such as rape and sexual assault. Government sources suggested that would help “rebuild public trust”. On Monday Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, accused police of a “cover-up” over the identity of two men arrested for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton last month.” – The Times

• PM calls for police to be ‘as transparent as possible’ over ethnicity of sex offence suspects – Daily Mail
• Farage says police should release ethnicity of alleged offenders – FT
• Top Tory slams soft sentence – The Sun
• Police still hunting dozens of Southport rioters a year on – Daily Telegraph
• Police chief ‘pressured over statement linking riots to migration’ – The Times
• The ex-soldier who has raised £30k to fund anti-migrant protests – The Times

Migrants crisis 3) Reform council leader challenges Attorney General to prosecute him over migrant rape claim

“A Reform council leader has challenged the Attorney General to prosecute him for contempt of court over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl by Afghan asylum seekers. George Finch, 19, the Warwickshire county council leader, commented on the case at a Reform UK press conference – in which he suggested, without evidence, that the men were guilty – adding that he was told beforehand he “would be in contempt of court” for doing so. The suspects have appeared at Coventry magistrates’ court and were both remanded in custody until an appearance at Warwick Crown Court on Aug 26.” – Daily Telegraph

• Home Office slammed for not knowing how many sexual offences carried out by asylum seekers – Daily Express

Badenoch not telling truth about Tory failures, says Truss

“Liz Truss has said Kemi Badenoch is not telling the truth about Tory failures. Writing in The Telegraph, the former prime minister says the Tories are in “serious trouble” unless they begin to admit the failings they made in their last government on human rights and the economy. It comes after Mrs Badenoch wrote in The Telegraph that Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves were making “even bigger mistakes” than Ms Truss and had not learnt the lessons of her mini-budget. Responding, Ms Truss says: “It is disappointing that instead of serious thinking like this, Kemi Badenoch is instead repeating spurious narratives. “I suspect she is doing this to divert from the real failures of 14 years of Conservative government in which her supporters are particularly implicated.” – Daily Telegraph

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>Yesterday:

Prisons days away from collapse under Tories, claims Labour-backed report

“The prison system was “within days of collapse” on several occasions under the Tories and ministers feared riots on the streets, a review commissioned by the Government has claimed. Dame Anne Owers, a former chief inspector of prisons during the New Labour years, found spare prison capacity in England and Wales fell to fewer than 100 cells at one point in 2023, and that the then government was days away from telling police to stop arresting criminals. Her independent review into prison capacity, commissioned by Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, and published on Tuesday, criticised Rishi Sunak’s administration for presiding over a “permacrisis” on the prison estate.” – Daily Telegraph

• Prisons system ‘within days of collapse’ – FT

Robinson arrested over alleged assault at St Pancras station

“Tommy Robinson has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault at St Pancras station last week. The 42-year-old far-Right activist was arrested at Luton airport after landing on a flight from Faro in Portugal. A British Transport Police spokesman said on Monday: “Officers from BTP have tonight arrested a 42-year-old man from Bedfordshire in connection to an assault at St Pancras station on July 28. The arrest took place at Luton airport shortly after 6.30pm, following a notification that the man had boarded an incoming flight from Faro. He was arrested on suspicion of GBH [Grievous Bodily Harm] and will now be taken to custody for questioning.” – Daily Telegraph

• Robinson arrested at Luton Airport – The Times
• Watch moment Robinson is arrested getting off flight after ‘St Pancras assault’ – The Sun

Iran asks Taliban for ‘kill list’ so it can hunt down MI6 spies

“Leaders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have asked the Taliban for access to a leaked list of Afghans who helped Britain so they can hunt down MI6 spies. The Tehran regime hopes to examine the list of nearly 25,000 Afghans who worked with British forces as they seek leverage with the West ahead of nuclear negotiations this autumn. The so-called “kill list” contains the names of Afghans who were applying for asylum, including soldiers who had worked with the British Army, intelligence assets and special forces. Some are believed to have subsequently fled to Iran.” – Daily Telegraph

Fears of SNP lurch to left after Forbes decision to quit

“The SNP is poised to move substantially to the left after Kate Forbes announced her shock departure from Holyrood, party sources believe. Forbes, the deputy first minister and standard bearer for its moderate wing, was seen as the party’s “sole voice of reason” by centrist allies who were stunned by her decision to quit politics ahead of next year’s Scottish elections. In an interview with The Times, Forbes 35, a committed Christian, said she had experienced an epiphany during summer recess while on a visit to an Indian orphanage.” – The Times

• Forbes to quit Scottish politics – FT
• Inside SNP’s internal battle as ‘real reason’ for Forbes resignation revealed – The Sun

Corbyn hits back at Rayner’s war on allotments

“Jeremy Corbyn has accused Angela Rayner of hammering a “nail in the coffin” of community allotments after she said councils could sell them off to raise money. The former Labour leader criticised his former colleague after The Telegraph revealed she had agreed for eight allotments across England to be sold since last year’s general election. Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Corbyn said the decision would “fill many with deep dismay” and accused Ms Rayner of making “the future of these precious spaces even more perilous”. – Daily Telegraph

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Other political news and comment

• Exposed: Palestine Action supporters’ plot to overwhelm police – Daily Telegraph
• UK is being ‘left behind’ on crypto, says Osborne – FT
• Foreign governments warning their citizens about visiting Britain – Daily Telegraph
• Chinese students ‘pressured to spy’ on UK campuses – The Times
• Rayner told ‘there’s still time’ to reject Chinese Super Embassy – Daily Express
• And Deputy PM pushes higher wages for 18-year-olds as Labour woos young – Daily Telegraph
• How will Nigeria and Nigerians survive now Badenoch has cut us adrift? – Nels Abbey, Guardian
• US to build nuclear reactor on the moon – Daily Telegraph
• The VAT raid on private schools continues to unravel – Editorial, Daily Telegraph
• Parents pay £500m to beat private school VAT raid – Daily Telegraph
• State pension age to hit 80 without reforms, expert warns – Daily Telegraph
• British man smuggled out of US migrant detention centre by Left-wing activists – Daily Telegraph

News in Brief