Author: James Carter

The Green Party is under mounting pressure to confront allegations of antisemitism within its ranks following revelations of inflammatory messages exchanged by activists, with senior political figures demanding immediate action. Campaign Against Antisemitism has confirmed its lawyers are examining remarks made by members of Greens for Palestine, a left-wing faction within the party, which the organisation described as “straight out of Nazi Germany.” Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake condemned the language as “utterly appalling,” stating: “The Greens appear to be drifting into a pattern of tolerating anti-Semitism, failing to confront even the most blatant expressions of hatred.” The controversy centres…

Donald Trump has claimed US intelligence officials briefed him that Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is gay, making the remarks during a Fox News interview in which he described the assessment as widely held and suggested it would create difficulties for Khamenei within the hardline Islamic republic. Asked whether the CIA had made the assessment, Trump replied: “They did say that, but I don’t know if it was only them. I think a lot of people are saying that, which puts him off to a bad start in that particular country.” Trump has previously dismissed Khamenei as a…

Britain has been hit harder than any other major economy by the fallout from the Middle East conflict, according to the first detailed assessment from a significant international body of the war’s financial impact. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has cut its 2026 growth forecast for the UK by half a percentage point, leaving output expected to rise by just 0.7 per cent this year — the largest single downgrade recorded among OECD member states. The eurozone and South Korea suffered the next biggest reductions. The UK’s particular vulnerability stems from its heavy dependence on imported energy. Rising…

A prominent Oxford economist has challenged Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to abandon what he describes as simplistic messaging on natural gas and adopt a more evidence-based approach to energy policy, as the war in Iran intensifies pressure on the Government over North Sea production. Sir Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at Oxford University, argued that gas will remain a central part of Britain’s energy mix for the foreseeable future regardless of political ambitions, and that producing it domestically in the North Sea would bring clear advantages for both energy security and the broader economy. “We should stop trotting out…

Iran’s military has flatly rejected Donald Trump’s claim that a peace deal is taking shape, with a senior spokesman accusing the United States of conducting negotiations with no genuine counterpart on the other side. Trump told journalists on Tuesday that he was in contact with “the right people” within the Iranian regime and presented a 15-point framework for ending hostilities, insisting Tehran had already committed to abandoning its nuclear weapons programme. “They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. That’s number one, two, and three. They’ve agreed to that,” he said. Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari responded with a pointed…

The Government has imposed an immediate moratorium on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, announcing the measure will apply retrospectively from today while describing it as a necessary step to protect the integrity of British democracy. Housing Secretary Steve Reed confirmed the ban following Prime Minister’s Questions, saying it would remain in place until “sufficient regulation is in place to ensure full confidence and transparency in donations being made this way.” The move follows the publication of the Rycroft review into foreign interference in British politics, conducted by former senior civil servant Philip Rycroft at Labour’s request. The review was commissioned…

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has unveiled sweeping reforms to the regulation of NHS doctors, giving medical watchdogs greater powers to suspend and strike off practitioners who express antisemitic or racist views — in what the Department of Health describes as the most significant shake-up of the system in four decades. The changes follow sustained pressure on the General Medical Council over its handling of cases involving doctors who made inflammatory remarks on social media, with the department acknowledging there had been “too many” recent examples of antisemitic conduct going without swift consequence. Central to the reform is a new power…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to confirm that government support for soaring energy bills will be means-tested rather than universal, as she addresses the Commons following an emergency Cobra meeting focused on the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict. In her statement to MPs, Reeves is expected to outline measures to combat price gouging by companies exploiting the crisis, with the Competition and Markets Authority set to be handed greater powers to identify and act against profiteering. She will also set out plans to bolster Britain’s long-term energy security through nuclear power and government-backed indemnities for critical energy infrastructure…

Donald Trump has suggested the United States could assume joint control of Iran alongside an unnamed Iranian leader, as conflicting claims over whether peace negotiations are even taking place continued to sow confusion in global markets and allied governments. Speaking on Monday, the US President declared that “very serious regime change” was under way in Iran and floated the idea of a power-sharing arrangement, saying the Strait of Hormuz could be “controlled by me and the ayatollah.” He drew a parallel with Venezuela, where the US had pursued leadership change following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, suggesting a similar…

Financial markets swung sharply on Monday after Donald Trump announced a five-day pause in US strikes against Iran, only for Tehran to flatly deny that any negotiations had taken place — leaving traders struggling to assess whether a genuine diplomatic opening had emerged or whether the ceasefire announcement would quickly unravel. Trump posted on Truth Social that he had held “very good conversations” with Iran and was halting planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure while talks continued. The announcement triggered an immediate and dramatic response in commodity markets, with crude oil futures plunging more than 14 per…