Category Archives: POLITICS

Why Is The Rochdale Grooming Gang Leader Not Being Deported?

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The Rochdale grooming gang leader has been released from prison – and, despite previous promises, is currently set to avoid deportation.

Shabir Ahmed’s victims were told in 2012 that he would be deported after serving his sentence for 30 child rape and sexual offences charges.

However, it now appears that he will not be sent to Pakistan, where he was born, despite being stripped of British citizenship.

There’s been a furious response to the revelation, with multiple critics calling for an urgent change to the law.

Here’s what we know so far.

What Has Happened?

Ahmed was one of nine men in the Rochdale grooming gang convicted of serious offences against five girls – some of whom were as young as 12.

They were given alcohol and drugs before being gang-raped.

He was jailed for 19 years but has now been released on licence, according to the BBC.

He will be forced to live at accommodation with 24-hour staffing and he will be subject to an “exclusion zone” around Rochdale.

Ahmed had dual British-Pakistan citizenship up until his conviction, when his British conviction removed.

However, documents sent to one of his victims this week showed he cannot be deported due to provisions of the Immigration Act 1971.

Having arrived in the UK before 1973, and having lived in the UK for at least five years before his deportation was considered, he is able to stay in the UK.

“There are two problems here,” skills minister Jacqui Smith told LBC. “Number one, there are a very small number of people who came to this country over 50 years ago from Commonwealth countries where the law doesn’t allow them to be deported.

“And, secondly, of course, in order to deport somebody, the country to which you are going to deport them needs to be willing to take them.

“We’ve removed this man’s British citizenship. He’s a Pakistani citizen.

“But there is also work that needs to happen in order to persuade Pakistan to take him back.”

Has There Been Extensive Backlash?

Labour MP for Rochdale Paul Waugh told the Daily Telegraph that ministers should look at changing the law.

He said: “The people of Rochdale want him booted out of the country.”

Labour MP Jim McMahon for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton said Ahmed is a “very dangerous individual” who poses a “real, present danger”.

“It’s now been confirmed that he will not be allowed to return to either Oldham or Rochdale, but nevertheless that period has really been quite traumatic for many people,” he said.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp told the Today programme: “He’s a vile rapist who didn’t just organise the rape of young girls as young as 12 years old.

“He actually ran a gang, doing it on a huge scale. He should be kicked out of the country, deported back to Pakistan, and the law needs to be changed.”

The Conservative MP said he will be proposing an amending in the coming months to change the Immigration Act 1971.

What Does The Government Say?

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is understood to be looking into the case and all options are being looked at.

The spokesperson said: “The government will always consider all options in these vile cases.”

A spokeswoman from No.10 said: “Ahmed’s horrific crimes were at the heart of the grooming gangs scandal that represents one of the darkest moments in our country’s history.

“He will rightly be on the sex offenders register for life, ordered to stay away from his victims and banned from contacting any child or young person.

“His every movement will be tracked, forced to wear an electronic tag and, on this specific case, we cannot deport someone who is protected by the 1971 Immigration Act.

“These were the same provisions which have protected many individuals caught up in the Windrush crisis.”

Labour MP Andy Burnham, who is expected to succeed Keir Starmer as prime minister in a matter of weeks, has said his government would explore “all possible options” to close the loopholes.

He wrote on X: “Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first. I will ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options – and they should consider nothing is off the table.”

In 2022, when he was Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham called on the Tory government to do “everything within [its] power to deport grooming gang members”.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Analysis: Andy Burnham’s Big Speech Left Big Questions He Refused To Answer

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Andy Burnham today showed exactly why Labour MPs are desperate for him to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister as he laid out his vision for the country.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester was pretty much everything the current PM is not.

From the smart-casual clothes he wore to the easy charm with which he delivered his speech, this was clearly a man who – unlike Starmer – is very comfortable in his own skin.

His remedy for the UK’s ills also stand in marked contrast to the man who he will replace in 10 Downing Street in less than a month’s time.

Burnham was clear that he wants nothing less than the complete “rewiring” of the way Britain is run, with a huge shift of power away from Westminster to local communities and regions across England.

That, he said, would lead to the biggest council house building programme of the post-war period, economic growth “in every postcode”, lower energy bills and prices coming down in the shops.

He also signalled a massive change in education policy, with a greater focus on technical qualifications rather than the drive to get more young people to go to university.

“I am going to do things differently,” Burnham declared. “I am going to break with the ‘more of the same’ approach that has got us here.

“I am going to give Britain the circuit-breaker it needs by building a more collaborative politics in Westminster, by taking power out of the centre and putting it in the hands of the people and places who can use it best.”

A bit like motherhood and apple pie, there was little in the speech that any reasonable person could, in good faith, take exception to.

But for all the soaring rhetoric about putting “hope in every heart”, it lacked one important thing: an explanation of how it will all work in practice.

Burnham failed to explain how putting more power in the hands of local politicians rather than those in Whitehall will magically improve the lives of everyone in the country was not explained.

It was therefore unfortunate, to put it mildly, that the many journalists who had been invited to watch the speech were not then given the opportunity to ask him questions about it.

Because let’s not forget, this is a man who was not even an MP a month ago, and yet stands on the threshold of assuming the highest office in the land without even having to go to the trouble of winning a leadership contest, let alone a general election.

What’s more, he is a man who – for all his previous ministerial experience from 20 years ago – has not even been an MP for the best part of a decade.

If this is not the time for him to answer detailed questions about what exactly he plans to do with the reins of power, then when till it be?

How does he plan to stop the small boats crossing the English Channel, for instance, or get to grips with the ballooning welfare bill?

And that’s before we even come to how he plans to deal with the threat posed by Vladimir Putin or repair the UK government’s relations with Donald Trump’s White House.

Which brings us to another – more worrying – difference between Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer.

For all his faults, the soon-to-be-former PM would not have made a speech like that and then refused to take any questions on it.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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James Cleverly Fails To Back Kemi Badenoch Over Nazi Row

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James Cleverly has refused to back Kemi Badenoch after she compared education secretary Bridget Phillipson to a Nazi.

The Tory leader said the cabinet minister “has acted like a Gestapo officer” by ending a tax break for private schools, which has led to some being forced to close due to falling pupil numbers.

She said: “I compared her to a Gestapo officer, acting like a Gestapo officer, with the way she was closing down those schools which didn’t appeal to her own ideology.”

Responding on X, Phillipson said: “The Gestapo marched hundreds of thousands of innocent people to their deaths. I’ve ended private schools’ tax breaks to invest in state schools.

“No responsible leader makes vile comparisons like this. Kemi Badenoch is not fit to be Prime Minister.”

On BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show, shadow housing secretary Cleverly distanced himself from Badenoch’s choice of language.

Asked by presenter Victoria Derbyshire if he would have made that comparison, he said: “No I probably wouldn’t have done.”

Later in the interview, he said: “That wouldn’t have been the phraseology that I would use.”

Labour chair Anna Turley said: “Kemi’s top team won’t defend the indefensible because they know full well Kemi Badenoch’s comments were completely appalling and deeply inappropriate.

“Time and again Badenoch sinks below the standards the public rightly expect from a Leader of His Majesty’s opposition. The simple fact is she’s not up to the job.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Victoria Derbyshire Roasts ‘Hypocritical’ Lucy Powell Over Liz Truss Snap Election Demand

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Victoria Derbyshire branded Labour’s deputy leader “hypocritical” after she said Andy Burnham should not call a snap election, despite demanding one when Liz Truss quit.

Lucy Powell demanded the country go to the polls after Truss resigned as prime minister in October, 2022, after just 49 days in office.

On BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, which was presented this morning by Derbyshire, Powell was reminded of a post she put on Facebook that day.

Derbyshire told her: “You posted ‘let the public decide the next prime minister. General election now’. Do you want a general election now so the public can decide their next prime minister?”

Powell said: “I think we were in very particular times after Liz Truss had crashed the economy, making big decisions that had nothing to do with the Conservative manifesto.”

But Derbyshire told her: “The principle is the same. Let the public decide on the next prime minister, you wrote. So that situation could apply to now. Do you want the public to decide on the next prime minister now?”

Changing tack, Powell said: “We live in a parliamentary democracy, where the prime minister is chosen by MPs.”

When the presenter pointed out that wasn’t what she was saying in 2022, Powell replied: “What we had then was two prime ministers in less than two months, one of whom who came along and didn’t listen to anyone around her.

“The big institutions that support this country took some big decisions for which every single one of us paid a very, very heavy price in inflation going through the roof and our mortgage rates going through the rook after a period of real disruption.”

Derbyshire said: “So you don’t think there should be a general election now. Is that not hypocritical?”

Powell replied: “No, I don’t think it is, because I think what people want to see now is us getting on with the job, delivering on the manifesto that we were elected on only two years ago.”

Burnham is set to become prime minister on July 20, barely a month after being elected MP for Makerfield.

Keir Starmer announced last Monday that he is standing down after losing the support of his MPs.

With no one else expected to throw their hat into the ring, Burnham will be named Labour leader at a special conference on July 17, and take over as PM three days later.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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‘An Unmitigated Disaster’: Piers Morgan Slams Brexit And Says UK Would Vote To Rejoin EU

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Brexit has been “an unmitigated disaster” and the UK would vote to rejoin the European Union “in a landslide”, Piers Morgan has said.

The broadcaster’s comments come as Britain marks the 10th anniversary of the 2016 referendum, which Leave won by 52% to 48%.

Since then, an astonishing six prime ministers have quit as British politics has lurched from one crisis to another in a period of unprecedented political turmoil.

On BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Morgan put that down to the country having “a succession of terrible governments”.

He added: “What happened in 2016, 10 years ago? We voted to leave the European Union.

“I had an open mind, I voted to Remain, but I said ‘OK, Brexit is the brave new world, if it’s going to change our fortunes for the better I’d be the first to say great’.

“And it’s been a pretty well unmitigated disaster. Every prime minister, every government, has to deal with events. This was a self-inflicted injury.

“When David Cameron called that Brexit referendum, he assumed he was going to win it. And who was it sold this to the country? Nigel Farage, the snake oil salesman.

“I hope he comes on your show next week and I hope you properly grill him about why should we believe you now?”

Morgan added: “The first thing Andy Burnham should do [when he becomes PM], apart from call an election [and if he] calls it and wins it, have another referndum.

“Ask the British public whether they still believe that Brexit has been a great success. And I think this country would vote in a landslide to go back into the European Union, albeit in a leading role to reform the EU.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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‘I’m Not Lying’: Fiona Bruce Clashes With Zia Yusuf In BBC Question Time Bias Row

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BBC Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce clashed with Zia Yusuf after he suggested the show’s audience was not balanced.

Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman complained after only eight people put their hands up when he asked who supported the party.

But Bruce hit back by insisting the BBC was “scrupulous” in ensuring the make-up of the audience represented wider public opinion.

After one audience member said Nigel Farage should never be prime minister, Yusuf said to Bruce: “You did ask earlier who supports Reform, and I make out four people in the audience put their hands up, which is interesting given Reform is at 28% in the polls.

“It’s a genuine question, can we get a show of hands from people who actually support Reform?”

When several people put their hands up, Bruce told him: “I think you’ll see that’s a bit more than four.”

Yusuf said: “I make that eight. It’s certainly nowhere close to representative I’m afraid, Fiona.”

But Bruce told him: “Can I just point out there are more people than that in the audience, they’re just not putting their hands up.”

Yusuf said: “We’ll all have to take the BBC’s word for that.”

In response, Bruce said the corporation was “scrupulous” in ensuring the Question Time audience is balanced.

“I’m certainly not lying about it, I can tell you that,” she said.

When Yusuf then asked “where’s the evidence”, the presenter replied: “As you know, we interview everybody over the phone, we check their social media.

“But what also happens is not everyone wants to put their hand up and show their political allegiance on national television, and there is nothing I can do about that, I’m afraid.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Badenoch And Phillipson Clash In Extraordinary Commons Bust-Up

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Kemi Badenoch accused Bridget Phillipson of “destroying children’s lives” during an extraordinary bust-up after prime minister’s questions.

The pair clashed after several Labour MPs confronted the Tory leader in the Commons.

Badenoch had earlier been reprimanded by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle after she called Phillipson, the education secretary, a “spiteful class warrior” for adding VAT to private school fees.

A Tory source said: “Labour MPs confronted Kemi, including Bridget Phillipson. Kemi replied: ‘I will never stop fighting you. You’re destroying children’s lives’.”

An ally of Phillipson told HuffPost UK: “Badenoch has once again disgraced herself.

“She and her putrid party can’t stand working class women who do well.

“If standing up for the 94% of kids in state schools makes Bridget a spiteful class warrior then she’ll wear it with pride.”

The Conservative leader stunned many within the Labour Party with her visceral attack on Keir Starmer and his most senior ministers in the Commons today.

Speaking during Starmer’s first PMQs since he announced his resignation on Monday, Badenoch even accused Labour MPs of sticking “400 knives” in the prime minister’s back.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle ended up cutting in, telling the Commons: “Let us think about the language that we use.

“When we leave this chamber, don’t be surprised when constituents think they can use the same language against each other. Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect to each other.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Trump Criticises Keir Starmer Yet Again After Resigning as Prime Minister

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Donald Trump has described Keir Starmer as a “lovely man” who “really hurt himself” following the prime minister’s decision to resign.

The US president – who bizarrely posted on social media that Starmer was going to quit a day before he actually did – took the opportunity to attack Labour policies when asked about the PM by reporters.

He said: “I think he’s a lovely man, but you’re really messing up energy, you’ve got windmills all over the place and in the meantime you have the North Sea oil and they won’t let anybody drill! It’s one of the great fields in the world.”

He continued: “The UK buys much of its energy – you know where? Norway. You know where they get their oil? The North Sea.

“The UK has a much better portion of the sea. They don’t want to do it for environmental purposes.”

The UK does allow drilling in the North Sea for oil but only for the existing licences. It has permanently banned any new explorations.

The fossil fuels extracted is then be sold on to the highest bidder on the international stage.

The oil can not be used domestically for UK energy because domestic refineries are not able to refine it, meaning expanding North Sea drilling would not directly ease the country’s energy problem.

Even so, Trump has regularly criticised Labour’s refusal to “drill, baby, drill”.

The president continued: “I told him [Starmer] – he’s sort of a friend of mine – I mean, he was not good to us with Nato, he said we can’t use the island to land, that was a first, for a couple of weeks.

“He said, but I gave it to you – that was a bad move, that hurt him badly. But I’m going to wish well. But he’s got two problems, energy and immigration. And crime.

“He’s really hurt himself very badly.”

Starmer did fall out with Trump after he refused to let the US use UK military bases to launch offensive strikes on Iran.

He did grant permission for limited, defensive strikes on the Middle East, but the president was deeply offended and lambasted the PM in public for weeks.

No other Nato ally offered to help Trump with his war against Iran, either.

But Trump regularly chose Starmer as his main punching bag, saying he is no “Winston Churchill” and comparing him to Neville Chamberlain, the PM who associated with Nazi appeasement.

Starmer declared he was stepping down as Labour leader on Monday, and laid out a timetable for his departure as prime minister.

Andy Burnham, the new Makerfield MP and most popular politician in the Labour, is the only person to put themselves forward into the contest so far.

If no other MP can build up enough support from fellow MPs, he will run uncontested and likely be in No.10 by July 18 at the latest.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Starmer Opens Door For Burnham To Start Receiving Government Briefings ‘As Soon As Possible’

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Keir Starmer has opened the door for his likely successor Andy Burnham to start receiving government briefings as soon as possible.

The spokesperson for No.10 told reporters: “The prime minister wants a smooth transition, and has been clear that he wants to make this as easy as possible.

“That’s why the prime minister has agreed that access talks can take place with prospective candidates for the Labour leadership as soon as possible and before formal nominations have closed [on July 16].”

The prime minister’s spokesperson said that means they could start before nominations open on July 9.

So far only Burnham, who was sworn in as the Makerfield MP on Monday, has publicly confirmed that he will be running to replace Starmer.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting was expected to join any contest, but he has since announced he will be backing Burnham.

All eyes are on chief secretary to the PM Darren Jones and former Armed Forces minister Al Carns to see if they have the backing of the 81 MPs needed to join the race.

If Burnham runs uncontested, he could be in No.10 by July 17 or 18 at the earliest.

If there is a competition, Starmer explained on Monday that a battle for the crown will run across the summer and his replacement would be installed by September 1.

It’s unclear how the Cabinet Office will define a “prospective” candidate.

These confidential “access talks” will be led and coordinated by cabinet secretary Antonia Romeo.

Ministers will not be present and will not receive a report of discussions in line with the Civil Service Code.

Romeo will have overall responsibility for coordinating the process “once a request has been made and authorised by the prime minister”, according to the spokesperson.

The talks will focus on “formation of government and key policy priorities” so the civil service can “prepare for any outcome”.

“The civil service’s focus remains on serving the government of the day in line with the Civil Service Code,” the spokesperson said.

It’s understood there has not yet been a request to see these government briefings.

The prime minister also held his first cabinet meeting this morning since he announced his resignation.

According to the readout released by Downing Street, Starmer told his colleagues “he wanted whoever became the next prime minister to succeed.”

“He added he wanted an orderly transition, as he had set out yesterday, and would seek to resolve difficult issues in the coming weeks to support his successor.

“The prime minister said he would seek to make the transition as easy as possible, giving his full support to whoever followed in his footsteps.”

His official spokesperson also revealed the government will not make any major announcements or spending commitments until the new PM is in no.10.

As the UK’s top civil servant, Romeo has written to heads of departments advising them on how to continue as the “business of government will proceed as normal”.

However, the spokesperson said the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan will still be published before the Nato summit on July 7 – and is expected to include new spending plans.

This may prove to be an obstacle with Burnham as he allegedly wants to make a decision on spending himself, according to The Times.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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‘Not Good!’: Trump Blasts Italy’s Prime Minister Again As G7 Feud Spills Over

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President Donald Trump slammed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni again on Sunday, accusing her of refusing to support the US military after he unilaterally waged war against Iran.

In a Truth Social post that did not mention her by name but by her job title, Trump wrote: “After spending Trillions of Dollars on NATO, Italy, and its Prime Minister, wouldn’t even think of becoming involved with the Islamic Republic of Iran and their very serious Nuclear Threat. For decades, we defend them but, when tested, they are not there to defend us, and the rest of the World. Not good!”

A spat that began at the G7 summit last week is boiling over, in part due to Trump’s propensity to beef with fellow world leaders, most of whom are allies.

Trump earlier claimed that Meloni essentially groveled for a photo op with him during the get-together. “She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her,” he said. He repeated the claim.

Meloni, who reportedly challenged Trump on issues related to the war in Iran during the summit, said he showed more deference to enemies than to allies. She said his claims were “completely made up.”

Trump suggested Meloni was trying to cozy up to him because of her “falling numbers.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a visit to the US in the wake of the spat, calling Trump’s accusations “serious and offensive.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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