Tory MP Calls For Parliament To Be Abolished In Angry Rant Over China Spy Row

Posted on 16/10/2025 by Boris Clair

A Tory MP has called for parliament to be abolished over the government’s handling of the China spy row.

Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister, said the UK “clearly, this isn’t a democracy any more” because it is being run by “bureaucrats” rather than politicians.

He hit out after the government defended its actions following the collapse of a trial involving two British men accused of spying for China.

Critics have accused the government of deliberately sabotaging the case to avoid upsetting China as ministers try to improve relations with Beijing.

But Keir Starmer has insisted the decision to drop the case was taken independently by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The prime minister took the unprecedented move on Wednesday of publishing witness statements provided to the CPS by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser.

In them, he repeatedly described China’s espionage activities make it a “threat” to the UK, but also acknowledged that the government wants to maintain economic ties with Beijing.

In the Commons on Thursday, Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward said: “The prime minister will not, and no government would, interfere with the CPS. It’s entirely their decision to charge.”

He also insisted that the contents of Collins’ evidence had not been influenced by any minister or other government adviser.

But Tugendhat – who had earlier been reprimanded by Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for calling the minister “a pathetic little man” – said it was not good enough for the government to say there was nothing they could do.

He said: “Given that the government’s position is that the bureaucrats run the government, the bureaucrats are in charge of everything, may we dissolve this House and save the taxpayer the money? Because clearly, this isn’t a democracy any more.”

Hoyle replied: “I’m sure [Mr Tugendhat] doesn’t want to give up his seat quite so quickly.”

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Official Secrets Act Urgent Question

Point of Order:

Tom Tugendhat

Calls for dissolution of Parliament seeing as the Civil Servants are running the country.

I think many of us could get behind that request… pic.twitter.com/yXwSEYRkyj

— Baa Ram Ewe 🏴🐑🐷🦃🚜 (@ShepherdWales) October 16, 2025

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Official Secrets Act Urgent Question

Point of Order:

Tom Tugendhat

Calls for dissolution of Parliament seeing as the Civil Servants are running the country.

I think many of us could get behind that request… pic.twitter.com/yXwSEYRkyj

— Baa Ram Ewe 🏴🐑🐷🦃🚜 (@ShepherdWales) October 16, 2025

‘She’s Not A Lawyer Or A Leader’: Starmer Roasts Badenoch Over China Spy Row

Posted on 15/10/2025 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer roasted Kemi Badenoch after she accused the government of sabotaging the case of two British men accused of spying for China to avoid upsetting Beijing.

The prime minister has been under pressure to explain the role Downing Street played after the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry collapsed last month.

They were charged with collecting and communicating information which could be “useful to an enemy” between December 2021 and February 2023. They denied all the accusations.

Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said his team had tried “over many months” to get the evidence it needed against the two alleged spies, but it had not been forthcoming from the government.

Starmer has insisted that because the alleged offences took place under the previous Conservative government, that administration’s refusal to describe China as a “threat” meant his hands were tied.

At prime minister’s questions, the PM announced that the government will publish all of the evidence it submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Badenoch said Starmer had been “dragged” to this position and added: “It is simply unbelievable that he is trying to say the last government did not classify China as a threat.”

The Tory leader said Cash and Berry “were charged under a Conservative government – they were let off under Labour”.

She added: “What is the point of us having a lawyer rather than a leader as prime minister when he can’t even get the law right on a matter of national security?”

But Starmer hit back: “She’s clearly not a lawyer or a leader. The problem for her is that I do actually know the law, I know what’s got to be proven.”

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🚨 NEW: Kemi Badenoch asks Keir Starmer \"what’s the point of us having a lawyer rather than a leader\" as PM if he \"can’t get the law right\" on national security

Starmer: \"She’s clearly not a lawyer or a leader. The problem for her is I do actually understand the law\" #PMQs pic.twitter.com/cRiu73szqs

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 15, 2025

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The problem for her is I do actually understand the law\" #PMQs pic.twitter.com/cRiu73szqs— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 15, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":730,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1978422063619563520/img/en3VgWDrukw78DLK.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1318,"title":"Politics UK on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/1978422842862477691","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"68ef82cfe4b03d2464051cd7","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/shes-not-a-lawyer-or-a-leader-starmer-roasts-badenoch-over-china-spy-row_uk_68ef82cfe4b03d2464051cd7","entryTagsList":"keir-starmer,china,kemi-badenoch,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":3},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"68ef82cfe4b03d2464051cd7","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"keir starmer","slug":"keir-starmer","links":{"relativeLink":"news/keir-starmer","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/"},{"name":"China","slug":"china","links":{"relativeLink":"news/china","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/china","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/china"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/china/"},{"name":"kemi badenoch","slug":"kemi-badenoch","links":{"relativeLink":"news/kemi-badenoch","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/kemi-badenoch/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"backfillRelatedArticles":[],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["

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🚨 NEW: Kemi Badenoch asks Keir Starmer “what’s the point of us having a lawyer rather than a leader” as PM if he “can’t get the law right” on national security

Starmer: “She’s clearly not a lawyer or a leader. The problem for her is I do actually understand the law” #PMQs pic.twitter.com/cRiu73szqs

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 15, 2025

Blow For Putin As Number Of Russian Casualties In Ukraine War Breaks Through The Million Barrier

Posted on 14/10/2025 by Boris Clair

The number of Russian casualties in the Ukraine war has burst through the one million barrier, according to the latest UK intelligence.

An update posted on Tuesday by the Ministry of Defence revealed that Moscow has seen approximately 1,118,000 of its troops killed or injured since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion in February 2022.

Russia has suffered around 332,000 casualties in 2025 so far, the MoD said, while the daily casualty also increased from 931 to 950 between August and September.

“Russia’s casualty rate in October 2025 has been steadily increasing, surpassing 1,000 daily casualties every day from October 5 through to October 12,” the intelligence update said.

The grim statistics are a blow for Putin and demonstrate the human toll Russia has suffered since the war began more than three years ago.

Nevertheless, the MoD said “Russian forces have maintained a high operational tempo across the frontline”, allowing it to make “incremental territorial gains” in Ukraine.

Exclusive: Labour War Of Words As Phillipson And Powell Clash Over 2-Child Benefit Cap

Posted on 12/10/2025 by Boris Clair

A fresh war of words has erupted in the Labour deputy leadership race over moves to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson took a swipe at her rival Lucy Powell as she urged Rachel Reeves to scrap the hated Tory policy.

HuffPost UK revealed last month that Keir Starmer has already decided to scrap the cap, with the chancellor preparing to announce it when she delivers her Budget on November 26.

Phillipson said that she, rather than Powell, had been leading moves inside government to tackle child poverty.

On Sky News, Phillipson repeatedly stressed that she could put pressure on the chancellor to scrap the benefit cap from inside government – a clear reference to the fact that Powell is no longer in the cabinet after being sacked as Commons leader last month.

She said: “There’s an urgency to this. With every year that passes more children are moving to poverty because of the two-child limit.

“It was a Tory policy. We would not have introduced it. I’m clear what needs to happen. I’ll be in Cabinet arguing for that, and that’s why I’ve made tackling child poverty my number one priority during this campaign.”

Presenter Trevor Phillips asked her: “Do you seriously believe Lucy Powell wouldn’t do all she could to end child poverty?”

Phillipson replied: “I’ve got a track record on actually taking action to lift children out of poverty. It’s been a longstanding cause of mine.”

In another jibe at Powell, Phillipson said: “I want to build on the record of people like Angela Rayner and John Prescott, who were in government, running big government departments, but as the members’ voice at the cabinet table. I think that would give me extra clout.”

But an ally of Powell told HuffPost UK: “Lucy has made the running on this. Scrapping the two child benefit cap wouldn’t have been discussed in the contest if Lucy hadn’t put it squarely at the centre of her campaign.

“It’s well documented that she spoke up about the welfare changes because of the impact on child poverty.”

The clash is further evidence of how the battle to be Labour’s deputy leader has grown increasingly bitter.

In a post on X last week accusing Powell of splitting the party, Phillipson said: “Back me to end child poverty or take us back to our divided past”.

Meanwhile, a Labour source told the New Statesman: “Lucy was sacked from Cabinet because she couldn’t be trusted not to brief or leak. She findamentally lost the trust of colleagues.”

Powell has insisted she will be the Labour members’ voice at the top of the party if she becomes deputy leader.

Ballots close in the contest on October 23, with the winner being announced two days later.

BBC Expert Says The Israel-Palestine Conflict ‘Will Continue’ Despite Trump’s Peace Plan

Posted on 12/10/2025 by Boris Clair

The conflict between Israel and Palestine “will continue” despite Donald Trump’s peace plan, a BBC expert has said.

Jeremy Bowen said the US president had “scored a diplomatic triumph” in securing a ceasefire and the imminent release of the remaining Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

As part of the deal, Israeli troops have withdrawn from Gaza and around 250 Palestinian prisoners, as well as 1,700 other Gazan detainees, will also be freed.

Keir Starmer will join world leaders, including Donald Trump, at a peace summit in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt on Monday.

But speaking on BBC1′s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Bowen insisted there were numerous hurdles still to be cleared before a long-term peace is in place.

He said: “The ceasefire at the moment seems pretty OK, not least because the Americans are pushing the Israelis very strongly not to break it.

“However, in terms of governance of Gaza, security in Gaza for the Palestinians and for the Israelis over the border, for the future economy of the territory, and also the idea of having a multi-national force in place, none of these things, the really difficult stuff, has been agreed.

“The Trump 20-point plan points to where they want it to go and what the objective is. How you get there hasn’t been worked out and that’s where the real problems, I think, are going to start.

“When there are problems in that process, that will impact on the stability ultimately of the ceasefire.”

He added: “Today and tomorrow are days for everybody to celebrate and it’s absolutely right to say that Donald Trump has scored a diplomatic triumph in making this happen so quickly.

“But underlying everything that’s happening is this conflict between Israelis and Palestinians for control of the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea that started more than a century ago.

“It’s complicated, it’s multi-faceted, it’s multi-layered, and it’s generational. And until the fundamentals of that are sorted out and settled in a way that both sides can accept, sadly I’m absolutely certain that the conflict will continue.”

‘He’s Gonna Have A Meltdown’: Internet Reacts After Donald Trump Fails To Win Nobel Peace Prize

Posted on 10/10/2025 by Boris Clair

Donald Trump has been passed over for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, despite mounting a not-so-subtle campaign to receive it.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was given the award by the Nobel committee on Friday.

In a post on X, the Nobel organisers said: “Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence.

“Maria Corina Machado has spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people. The Venezuelan regime’s rigid hold on power and its repression of the population are not unique in the world. We see the same trends globally: rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed towards authoritarian rule and militarisation.

“In 2024, more elections were held than ever before, but fewer and fewer are free and fair.”

Their remarks have been interpreted by some as an indirect criticism of Trump, who has been accused of authoritarianism over his legal pursuit of his political enemies.

While the world waits for Trump’s own reaction to being snubbed, the internet reacted as you’d expect.

The announcement came a day after Israel and Hamas agreed to Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which led to increased speculation that the US president could scoop the prize.

However, that was never a real possibility as nominations to the Nobel committee closed on January 31, just days after Trump returned to the White House.

Nevertheless, it is understood he was among the nominees for his work on the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and Arab states, during his first term in office.

Trump also thought he was in with a chance, saying on Thursday: “I don’t know what they’re going to do, really. But I know this, that nobody in history has solved eight wars in a period of nine months.”

Asked about Trump’s campaigning following the announcement, Juergen Warne Frydnes of the Nobel Committee said: “In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize I think this committee has seen any type of campaign, media attention and we receive thousands of letters every year, from people wanting to say what to them means peace.

“This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates and that room is filled with courage and integrity. We base our decision only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”

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Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence.

Maria Corina Machado – awarded the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize – has spent years working… pic.twitter.com/URtYv9uBfV

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"The Nobel Prize","author_url":"https://twitter.com/NobelPrize","cache_age":86400,"description":"Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence.Maria Corina Machado – awarded the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize – has spent years working… pic.twitter.com/URtYv9uBfV— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G24zvWJXMAAqx0x.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1080,"title":"The Nobel Prize on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/NobelPrize/status/1976574190049247348","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"68e8d1b0e4b0e374c3a77442","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/hes-gonna-have-a-meltdown-internet-reacts-after-donald-trump-snubbed-for-nobel-peace-prize_uk_68e8d1b0e4b0e374c3a77442","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,nobel-peace-prize,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"68e8d1b0e4b0e374c3a77442","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"news/donald-trump","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/donald-trump"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/donald-trump/"},{"name":"Nobel Peace Prize","slug":"nobel-peace-prize","links":{"relativeLink":"news/nobel-peace-prize","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nobel-peace-prize","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nobel-peace-prize"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nobel-peace-prize/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"backfillRelatedArticles":[],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["

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Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence.

Maria Corina Machado – awarded the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize – has spent years working… pic.twitter.com/URtYv9uBfV

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025

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There is KARMA

The orange buffoon will lose what’s left of his diseased, corrupt, fascist mind!

Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize despite intense Donald Trump campaign pic.twitter.com/tDMWIGAawJ

— Rick (@colonelhogans) October 10, 2025

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There is KARMA

The orange buffoon will lose what’s left of his diseased, corrupt, fascist mind!

Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize despite intense Donald Trump campaign pic.twitter.com/tDMWIGAawJ

— Rick (@colonelhogans) October 10, 2025

Kemi Badenoch Can Announce All The Tax Cuts She Wants. No One Truly Believes She’ll Ever Be Prime Minister

Posted on 08/10/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has just announced that a Tory government led by her would abolish stamp duty.

The Tory leader also pledged to overturn Labour’s decision to add VAT to private school fees and scrap the changes to inheritance tax which have angered farmers.

She unveiled the eye-catching policies in a better-than-expected speech closing the Conservative conference which should be enough to see off any imminent threats to her leadership.

But the main problem for the party’s leader is that no one truly believes that she will ever be in a position to deliver any of those policies.

New polling from Ipsos shows that barely one in five voters (22%) expect her to ever become prime minister.

Unfortunately for Badenoch, that is not a rogue poll. According to YouGov, just 20% of the public believe she has done well since becoming Tory leader last November, while only 11% believe the Tories are ready for government.

The same pollster also found that half of Tory members believe Badenoch should not lead the party into the next election.

An almost identical number – 49% – do not believe she will still be in post the next time the country goes to the polls.

And even among those who voted for her to be party leader last year, 30% believe Badenoch should be replaced before the next general election.

As if to emphasise the desperate state of the Tories’ popularity, a new poll by More in Common this morning gave Reform UK a 13-point lead over Labour, with the Tories a further point behind on just 19%.

Gideon Skinner, senior UK director at Ipsos ,said: “Kemi Badenoch clearly needs to do more to establish herself as a credible alternative to the current Labour government.

“It’s also the case that Keir Starmer certainly has his own problems in public opinion.

“But so far, it is Reform and Nigel Farage who seem to be benefiting from this more than Kemi Badenoch, while the biggest question still facing the Conservatives is how they can rebuild trust with voters who are still very critical of their legacy, so that they will listen to what they have to say in the first place.”

Like Starmer following last week’s Labour conference, Badenoch will be mightily relieved that this week has gone well for her – despite the noises off about plots to replace her with Robert Jenrick.

However, both leaders still face a date with destiny on May 7 next year, when elections will take place for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd and in councils across England.

If the opinion polls are even remotely accurate, Labour and the Tories are on course for a disastrous set of results which would in all likelihood seal Starmer and Badenoch’s respective fates.

More in Common’s Luke Tryl said: “Conference speeches rarely in of themselves move the dial. And lots of commentators thought Starmer gave a good speech last week and Reform’s lead grew.

“But I think in this case it will be a good test of whether anyone is still listening. If there’s no shift at all hard to see how anything other than major event gets them back in the game.”

The Tory leader’s policy blitz of the past few days – including a pledge to quit the European Convention on Human Rights – may well by her valuable breathing space.

But the chances of her ever being in position to implement them in government are virtually non-existent.

Kemi Badenoch Unveils Tory Plans To Abolish Stamp Duty

Posted on 08/10/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has announced the Conservatives would abolish stamp duty if she wins the next election.

In her closing speech at the annual Tory conference in Manchester, the party leader insisted that she had a plan to fix Britain’s “broken model” – including the housing market.

“Young people trapped in the pain of working,” she said.

“Pensioners wanting to downsize. Stamp duty is a bad tax. We must go further. We must free up our housing market’I have looked at the stamp duty thresholds to see where we can change them. I have decided that we can’t. That simply will not be enough.

“Conference, the next Conservative government will abolish stamp duty on your home. It will be gone.”

Stamp duty is a tax property or land buyers have to buy if purchasing a property over a certain price in England and Northern Ireland.

Badenoch claimed she would be able to afford to do this by introducing a “golden economic rule” where “every pound we save will go to work, at least half will go towards cutting the deficit, because living within our means is our first priority.”

She continued: “And with the rest, we will get Britain growing and bring down the taxes which are stifling our economy.”

Although the Tories have consistently polled at less than 20% in recent months, Badenoch also listed all of the tax hikes Labour has already implemented and called them “shameful”.

“The tax burden is so high it is making Britain poorer because business is giving up, business is leaving,” the MP for North West Essex said.

“Britain is being held back by a broken model,” Badenoch claimed. “To fix our country, we must reverse Labour’s broken measures.

“So, we will cancel their vindictive tax on education,” she said, alluding to Labour’s decision to drop the VAT exemption on private schools.

“We will scrap their tax on family farms,” she added, pointing to the government’s decision to tax inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m at 20%.

“We will scrap their tax on family businesses,” Badenoch noted, after Labour introduced a cap on business property relief.

“We will reverse the terrible measures in Angela Rayner’s Unemployment bill, written by the unions, for the unions,” she claimed, attacking the Employment Rights Bill meant to update workers’ rights.

She also announced that “together we would build something better.”

In her speech, Badenoch insisted that “only the Tory Party can deliver the stronger economy and stronger borders that will give people a more prosperous future,” while claiming Starmer is “utterly useless and weak”.

Her remarks come after her shadow chancellor Mel Stride alarmed fellow Tories by admitting he would raise income tax if he were Rachel Reeves and facing a huge fiscal black hole in the government’s finances.

He said this would be “the cleanest thing to do”, because hiking VAT would be inflationary.

His comments sparked immediate backlash from fellow Tories – including from Tory peer David Frost and shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith, who could not hide his astonishment at Stride’s comments yesterday.

Stride also pledged to save £47bn a year, by cutting welfare, civil service and foreign aid.

This policy blitz comes after a quiet period from the Tories, who – ever since Badenoch was appointed as leader last November – have refrained from unveiling any substantial plans for government, until now.

Over the last week, Badenoch has also vowed to cut the civil service to 2016 numbers, promised to take Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, deport 150,000 illegal migrants each year, and repeal the Climate Change Act.

Robert Jenrick Mocks Liz Truss In Brutal Tory Conference Jibe At Former Party Leader

Posted on 07/10/2025 by Boris Clair

Robert Jenrick mocked former prime minister Liz Truss with a brutal jibe at the Tory Party conference.

In his keynote speech at the Tory conference in Manchester, Jenrick joked about her ongoing unpopularity with voters.

Truss lasted just 49 days in Downing Street after her mini-Budget crashed the economy and sent mortgage rates soaring.

Jenrick drew a comparison between his party’s former leader and two Tories who were quickly booted out of the Big Brother house.

He said: ”[Former Conservative MP] Sir Michael Fabricant went on the Big Brother house. He lasted four days.

“Last week, one of our party’s most energetic campaigners, Emily Hewertson, entered the Big Brother house. She lasted 11 hours. She didn’t even get to spend the night.

“And now I’ve heard that a third Tory blonde is in negotiations to enter the Big Brother house – Liz Truss. But the negotiations have broken down. She’s asking to be paid by the minute.”

As the audience laughed at their former leader’s expense, Jenrick said: “Too soon, perhaps. Too soon.”

His jibe came after he told the conference earlier this week that the mini-Budget had been “cack-handed and un-conservative”.

“There were big mistakes from that period,” Jenrick said. “We have to be honest about that, and in doing so, we can begin to rebuild the public’s trust.”

Truss hit back on X: “Rob is a self-styled critic of the Blairite establishment but has completely failed to take on their false narrative about 2022 or mention the role of the Bank of England.

“Until the Conservative Party is honest about what happened in 2022, they are destined to remain at 16 per cent in the polls.”

Humiliating Photos Reveal Terrible Turnout For Key Speeches At Tory Conference

Posted on 06/10/2025 by Boris Clair

The number of delegates attending key events at the Conservative Party conference seems to be depressingly low, judging by photos of the main hall.

It’s the party’s first annual gathering since Kemi Badenoch won the leadership contest last November and the atmosphere appears to be particularly flat.

While it’s not too surprising – considering the Tories’ historic loss at the 2024 general election and how they are currently polling at just 16% according to YouGov – it’s a bleak reminder of just how much has changed for the party who were in government only 15 months ago.

Sky News’ Amanda Akass noted that it was “not exactly a packed hall” for the shadow chancellor Mel Stride’s speech today – and attached a photo of a room which appeared to be about two-thirds empty.

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Tory Conference.

This is how far they’ve fallen.

Mel Strides speech as Shadow Chancellor should have been packed.

The reality is.

There were more people in Gala Bingo just around the corner. pic.twitter.com/w1kNBBAAuu

— Goosey (@Goosey30111568) October 6, 2025

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Tory Conference.

This is how far they’ve fallen.

Mel Strides speech as Shadow Chancellor should have been packed.

The reality is.

There were more people in Gala Bingo just around the corner. pic.twitter.com/w1kNBBAAuu

— Goosey (@Goosey30111568) October 6, 2025

GB News also said it was the “quietest” Tory conference seen in the last nine years in an interview with Stride – although he tried to pass this year’s gathering off as a “turning point” for the party.

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‘The atmosphere is quite flat.’

‘I think it is a turning point.’

Ellie Costello asks the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, whether the poor attendance at the Conservative Party conference is a sign that the Tories are ‘dying’.

📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604 pic.twitter.com/kT2UpWeHSk

— GB News (@GBNEWS) October 6, 2025

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‘The atmosphere is quite flat.’

‘I think it is a turning point.’

Ellie Costello asks the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, whether the poor attendance at the Conservative Party conference is a sign that the Tories are ‘dying’.

📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604 pic.twitter.com/kT2UpWeHSk

— GB News (@GBNEWS) October 6, 2025

Other journalists pointed out that even regular Westminster protesters have not bothered to turn up to the Manchester gathering.

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Didn’t see a single protester as I came into the Conservative Party Conference this morning. Even Steve Bray’s sat it out so far. Damning

— Dave Burke (@DaveBurke12) October 6, 2025

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Didn’t see a single protester as I came into the Conservative Party Conference this morning. Even Steve Bray’s sat it out so far. Damning

— Dave Burke (@DaveBurke12) October 6, 2025

And acting deputy comment editor at the Telegraph, Poppy Coburn, said the “membership exodus” was palpable.

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Having gone to 2023 Conservative Conference in Manchester, this year feels utterly depressing. You can really feel the membership exodus

— Poppy Coburn (@kafkaswife) October 5, 2025

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Having gone to 2023 Conservative Conference in Manchester, this year feels utterly depressing. You can really feel the membership exodus

— Poppy Coburn (@kafkaswife) October 5, 2025

The embarrassing evidence of the turnout gave Reform UK an easy win, too.

Leader Nigel Farage claiming: “More people have joined Reform in the past 24 hours than were in the room for Kemi’s conference speech.”

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More people have joined Reform in the past 24 hours than were in the room for Kemi’s conference speech.

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) October 5, 2025

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More people have joined Reform in the past 24 hours than were in the room for Kemi’s conference speech.

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) October 5, 2025

Naturally, Labour took a pop too, comparing Stride’s claim that the Tories are the “party of hope” and “the party of the future” to the small audience size…

It all comes as YouGov’s latest MRP model revealed that the Conservative would win just 45 seats if an election were held tomorrow.

However, not every post from the conference has been negative – many fringe events seem to be attracting reasonable crowds.

WellnessMaster

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