Author: James Carter

Zack Polanski has claimed he is the target of a “smear campaign” and described the media scrutiny he has faced since becoming Green Party leader as “incredibly disproportionate” — as a string of revelations about his past and conduct continue to dog his leadership at a moment when the party is otherwise enjoying its strongest electoral position in years. The Green leader made the remarks to Sky News political correspondent Rob Powell, framing the sustained attention on his background and record as a politically motivated attempt to undermine both him and his party. His comments echo those of his supporters,…

The security concerns that led the UK’s vetting agency to recommend against granting Lord Mandelson security clearance for his appointment as British ambassador to the United States included his ties to China’s finance minister, a sanctioned Russian oligarch and a former head of Israeli military intelligence, according to a report by The Guardian. The nine-page summary produced by UK Security Vetting in January last year flagged Lord Mandelson’s links to Lan Fo’an — China’s finance minister since 2023, who greeted Sir Keir Starmer on the runway during the Prime Minister’s visit to Beijing in January this year — noting the…

The Makerfield by-election on 18 June is shaping up to be one of the most consequential votes in recent British political history — a contest that could determine who leads the Labour Party and, ultimately, who occupies Downing Street. Andy Burnham, the widely popular Greater Manchester Mayor, is standing as Labour’s candidate in a seat engineered specifically to give him a path back into parliament. If he wins, he is widely expected to mount a challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s beleaguered leadership — a prospect that has drawn national attention to what would ordinarily be a safe northern seat. But…

Energy bills are set to jump by £221 a year from July after Ofgem confirmed the price cap will rise from £1,641 to £1,862 — and with bosses warning prices are likely to remain elevated through winter, here is what you can do right now to soften the blow. The increase, driven by surging wholesale gas prices following Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, equates to £18 more per month for the average household on both gas and electricity. Gas bills will rise by 24 per cent, while electricity bills will see a 5 per cent increase. Tim Jarvis,…

A local resident has publicly challenged Nicola Sturgeon’s insistence that she had no knowledge of a £125,000 campervan bought by her embezzler husband with SNP funds — saying he saw the former Scottish first minister shopping near her mother-in-law’s Dunfermline home in the same period the vehicle was parked on the property’s driveway. Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive and Ms Sturgeon’s estranged husband, pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzling £400,310.65 from the party between August 2010 and October 2022. Court papers revealed an extraordinary list of items purchased with the stolen funds, including the campervan, Lalique salt and…

Spanish police have raided the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party in Madrid as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces mounting pressure on two fronts — a deepening corruption crisis enveloping his inner circle and fierce backlash over plans to legalise the status of 500,000 undocumented migrants. Civil Guard officers searched the party’s central Madrid offices on Tuesday under judicial orders linked to an ongoing probe into alleged financial wrongdoing involving a former Socialist Party member connected to a state-run company. The raid represents the latest in a series of corruption blows to strike Sanchez’s government since he came to power…

Ferrari’s first ever electric vehicle has been savaged online, condemned by the brand’s former chairman and sent the company’s share price tumbling — in one of the most turbulent launches in the Italian marque’s history. The Ferrari Luce, priced at £474,320 and the company’s first five-seater, was unveiled this week to a reception that ranged from sceptical to outright hostile. Luca di Montezemolo, who served as Ferrari chairman from 1991 to 2014, was among the most cutting in his assessment. “If I had to say what I really think, I would be hurting Ferrari,” he told Italian media. “This is…

The leader of Belgium’s Vlaams Belang party has ignited fresh controversy after sharing footage of a densely packed Ostend beach during last weekend’s heatwave, declaring that “foreigners are ruining” one of Belgium’s most beloved coastal destinations — in a post that drew both widespread support and fierce accusations of racist fearmongering, and arrives against a backdrop of dramatic demographic transformation across Belgium and Europe. Tom Van Grieken posted the approximately 44-second clip on X, filmed on the beach at the popular North Sea resort during the 25-26 May weekend when temperatures hit 25 to 26 degrees Celsius. Alongside the footage,…

The kidnapping of a cryptocurrency executive whose finger was severed before French special forces rescued him has thrown a spotlight on a growing and violent threat facing those who profit from digital currencies — as physical attacks on crypto figures surge to record levels and the UK emerges as one of the worst affected countries in the world. David Balland, co-founder of hardware wallet company Ledger, was abducted from his home in the quiet French town of Vierzon by a criminal gang demanding a $10 million ransom. His wife was taken separately. Police launched a frantic manhunt and special forces…

Restore Britain’s Makerfield candidate has admitted she has not read her own party’s 42-page energy policy document, handing Reform UK fresh ammunition in its argument that the splinter party is handing Andy Burnham a clear path back into parliament. Rebecca Shepherd, a 53-year-old local businesswoman from the Wigan area, made the admission during a YouTube interview with Vox Populi that was rapidly circulated online. Reform UK supporters seized on what they described as underprepared and simplistic responses from Shepherd, with critics labelling her a “dud” and renewing their central argument that every vote for Restore Britain on 18 June is,…