Category Archives: POLITICS

Exclusive: Why Jamaica Is Filing A Petition For Slavery Reparations With The King Now

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The government of Jamaica is filing a petition calling for slavery reparations to coincide with a particularly horrific chapter from the country’s past, a minister told HuffPost UK.

Jamaica’s culture, gender, entertainment and sports minister Olivia Grange is in Britain to ask King Charles, as Jamaica’s head of state, to refer three specific questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

That includes whether the seizure of Africans, their forced transportation to Jamaica and their chattel enslavement was ever lawful under English law, whether it is a breach of international law, and if the UK has a legal obligation to offer a reparatory remedy.

Grange said: “This is an unprecedented and historic moment in the global fight for reparatory justice.”

However, the UK has previously rejected calls for slavery reparations.

In 2024, Keir Starmer’s government insisted the UK would not pay reparations for the part it played in the transatlantic slave trade, with some estimates putting the potential bill at £18 trillion.

Yet Grange told HuffPost UK: “We are not focused on monetary value at this time. We are focused on getting answers to the questions we have asked. And then we will determine next steps.”

Asked why the petition is being filed now, after Britain’s previous rejections, Grange said it was to honour the 245th anniversary of particularly horrendous episode.

She said: “The timing of the petition is to coincide with our reflections on the Zong massacre.

“The Zong massacre happened on the 6th [September].

“There was a Zong slave ship that sailed from West Africa on route to Jamaica. And it carried about 400 Africans, and during that journey, 140 Africans were thrown overboard.

“And the reason for doing so was primarily to claim insurance. Chattel slavery was the most horrendous type of slavery that one could find, and our ancestors were treated as property.

“And so, in Jamaica, when we have observances, a church service is always an important part of what we do. And the service today, the 6th, is the observance of the anniversary when the ship sailed from West Africa.

“And so we thought it’s timely to have the anniversary service and then the next day to file the petition.”

Charles himself has previously spoken up about the injustice of slavery, claiming he in 2024 that he understands the “most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”.

However, he added said that “none of us can change the past” and called on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHoGM) to find “creative ways to right inequalities” from our shared history.

Grange told HuffPost UK: “I do not want to preempt his Majesty, but what I can say is that Jamaica started this journey many years ago.

“It started with a motion moved in parliament and parliament voted unanimously across political divide that Jamaica should seek reparations and should create a road map on this journey.”

She added: “We have been mandated by the Jamaican parliament to pursue reparation. We have an obligation to do so on behalf of the people of Jamaica.”

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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‘Stop The Boats’ Balaclava Protests Draws Cross-Party Condemnation

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Politicians from across the political spectrum have criticised the “stop the boats” protests which erupted in Dover this weekend.

Hundreds of masked men gathered in Dover town and at the ferry port to oppose irregular migration, causing a major disruption to the local community.

They gathered in a large group in an intimidating display, and reportedly claimed: “This is our warning.”

Kent Police later confirmed no arrests had been made on, writing on X: “Kent Police responded to a spontaneous protest in Dover during the morning of Saturday 5 September.

“No arrests were made. Traffic is flowing normally, and all involved had dispersed by midday.”

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, welcomed the footage on X, saying: “The time for asking is over.”

One of Robinson’s associates has taken credit for the disruption, though the exact origins of the organised protest remain unclear.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage – who is a vehement opposer to the small boats – slammed the demonstration.

He said: “It is disgusting. Nobody in any political protest, on the left or right, should appear in balaclavas.”

“Nobody feels more strongly about stopping the boats than me,” he told GB News. “But turning up in balaclavas is not the way to do it.”

Labour’s business secretary Jonathan Reynolds also told Sky News he “condemns” such displays.

He said: “I condemn it. Peaceful protest is an essential part of British life but that’s not dressing up in costumes like this and disrupting people’s lives.

“I’d condemn the disruption for local people’s lives as well. But it was resolved. Clearly that’s not something we would want or expect to see on the seas of Britain.”

Asked why Kent Police were not aware it was due to take place, Reynolds said: “I do think our police forces deal with a great deal across British towns and cities.

“These days, people can use modern communications in ways that do make things happen quickly.

“And I think on the whole, the police handle it very well.”

Local Labour MP and former immigration minister Mike Tapp was less sympathetic towards the authorities.

He wrote for the Mirror: “This was clearly organised, yet Kent Police appear to have had little advance warning.

“I will be asking why, whether intelligence was missed, and whether additional officers – including mutual aid from forces such as the Met – can be mobilised quickly enough when Dover is targeted again.”

He also pointed out that small boat arrivals were down 46% this year compared to last year.

He added: “People have every right to protest about immigration. They have every right to demand stronger borders. But intimidating a town in balaclavas and blocking one of Britain’s most important ports? That isn’t the way to do it.”

However, Restore Britain’s leader – Great Yarmouth MP and a former member of Reform – Rupert Lowe appeared to defend the protests.

He said: “Peaceful protest can play an important role, and it must be peaceful. From what I understand, today’s protest was exactly that.

“These are ordinary Brits who are pissed off. I agree. I’m pissed off too.

“It’s easy to insult and abuse these men and women. But it’s more important for politicians to understand their concerns and offer an effective route through the ballot box for them to express that.

“Nobody wants disruption to anybody’s lives, and I urge all participants in any protests to do their best to reduce that. But the Government needs to start listening.”

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‘Straight-Up Racism’: Minister Slams Zia Yusuf Over Attack On Labour Council Leader

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Zia Yusuf was accused of “straight-up racism” by a Labour cabinet minister over the Reform politician’s criticism of a Somali-born council leader.

Sagal Abdi-Wali is among those in the running to stand for the party in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election triggered by Keir Starmer’s resignation as an MP last week.

She is a former child refugee who came to this country 30 years ago.

She became a Labour councillor in 2022, and has been leader of Camden Council in north London since May.

Abdi-Wali is also a close ally to the seat’s last MP, former prime minister Keir Starmer, who resigned last week.

Reform’s home affairs spokesperson Yusuf – whose parents came to the UK from Sri Lanka – hit out at the potential candidate, writing on X: “The front runner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in our Parliament was born in Somalia.

“Do you understand what’s happening?”

When questioned about Yusuf’s post on Sky News’s Sunday Morning programme, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds described it as a “pretty straightforward racism”.

“A potential candidate referenced there, spent decades in this country, huge contribution to her local community so I think that speaks for itself,” he said.

Asked by presenter Jon Sopel if it was “plain racism”, Reynolds said: “Absolutely.”

Reform’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick rejected the claims Yusuf’s remarks were racist later on the same programme.

He said: “I don’t know this person, so I’m not here to cast aspersions upon her, but I do want people to sit in our parliament who are entirely committed to our country,

“Maybe she is someone who is entirely patriotic and supportive of this country. I would just say, and this is the point I think Zia was making, that is not everyone sadly in our current House of Commons…

“I want people who are solely interested in putting the interests of our country first.”

He continued: “It’s not about whether she’s from Somalia or the United States or wherever.

“I’m saying that if you weren’t born in this country and you stand for parliament, it’s a legitimate question to ask: Where are your loyalties? Are you going to put the interests of Britain first?

“And you would not believe how much time is wasted in the House of Commons debating things that have nothing to do with this country whatsoever, and how many people stand up and make the case for Pakistan or Gaza as if they were representing those places and not their own constituents, and I want that to end.”

Yusuf’s remarks triggered a huge social media storm last week, with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey calling it “racism, straight out of the Trump playbook”.

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 Wasn’t Even Listening’: Nigel Farage Comes Up With New Excuse Amid Reform Funding Row

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Nigel Farage has said he “wasn’t even listening” at a meeting he attended with an undercover journalist claiming to be an American donating money to Reform UK.

The party leader has insisted no laws have been broken after a Channel 4 News report showed senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources.

Accepting donations from a foreign company, including donations in kind such as polling, could constitute a criminal offence, and the party has been reported to the police.

Two of Farage’s closest aides, Dan Jukes and James Orr, have been suspended by the party pending an internal investigation into the row.

Secretly-recorded footage showed Farage and Jukes having lunch during the recent Clacton by-election with the journalist claiming to be the wealthy American, and another man pretending to be his UK-based son.

The “American” is heard discussing how he paid for polling via his son, and Farage is heard thanking them both.

The Reform leader said the polling was “amazing” and provided “bang for buck”, adding: “It worked. Boom.”

When the discussion turned to a larger donation to Reform, one of the undercover journalists explained that the money would be paid by the US-based father to his son in the UK, who would then pass it on to the party.

Such an arrangement would be illegal under electoral law.

Farage is heard saying “it’s all above board” before later adding: “Thank you. Both of you, thank you.”

But speaking to the BBC on the final day of Reform’s conference in Birmingham, Farage insisted he had not been paying attention to what was being discussed at the lunch.

He said: “I am not a compliance officer. I was in the middle of canvassing in the Clacton by-election. I turn up. I frankly wasn’t even listening.

“ I just asked, “Is it all above board?” I was just there to come and say hello.”

Farage added: “I was told there was a global family office based in London, so the money could have come from Singapore. The money could come from all over the world, you know. Income could have came from all over the world into a family office based in London.

“I know electoral law. I know donation law better than anybody. Frankly [Jukes and Orr] have never been involved in fundraising before and they shouldn’t have been involved directly in fundraising. They should have done basic checks and nobody, nobody should be brought to me, unless they’ve been vetted.”

The row over the Channel 4 report has overshadowed Reform’s annual conference, which had been billed as setting out the party’s plans for its first 100 days in office.

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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Can Zack Polanski ‘Regain His Mojo’ In A Crunch London By-Election?

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When Keir Starmer dramatically resigned as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras this week, all eyes quickly swivelled to Zack Polanski.

He was elected as Green Party leader just a year ago but he has quickly made a name for himself.

Polanski quadrupled the party’s membership numbers within just six months in the post, led the Greens to victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election and oversaw their best-ever performance in the local elections in May.

A YouGov poll even put them at second place, on 21%, behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK for a brief stint in March.

But what goes up must come down, as the Greens soon found out.

Polanski attracted intense scrutiny after it emerged he had failed to vote in the local elections and that he had not paid council tax while living on a narrowboat for three years – though he has since been cleared by an ethics inquiry over the latter.

The London Assembly member was then slammed for questioning the police response to the Golders Green attack online and for sharing an Instagram post of a t-shirt featuring a picture of a guillotine and the words: “We’re only making plans for Nigel.”

Some progressives began drifting back to Labour after Keir Starmer was replaced by Andy Burnham in July, too.

The Greens are now down in fourth place on 13% according to YouGov’s latest poll, while Polanski himself has the lowest favourability ratings of all party leaders on 19%.

So it’s worth asking: why is he putting himself forward for a by-election now?

Polanski is still the most high-profile person within the left-wing party and it would a historic victory if the Greens took the seat, making it their first ever London constituency win.

The Green leader has long said he would consider running for parliament if a London seat became available, too.

He wasted no time signalling his desire to be selected by local Green members to be the party candidate for Starmer’s former constituency in the capital this week.

While the decision is not yet set in stone, Polanski is widely expected to be the party’s choice for the crunch vote in a head-to-head with Labour.

As Sky News elections analyst Robert Ford wrote on X, the stakes are high for both parties.

He said: “Greens have chance to turn the tide on recent decline and show Polanski is a winner. Labour have a chance to show that the Burnham bounce is real, consolidate the left in a London heartland seat, and deal a potential knockout blow to Green insurgency.”

He added that Polanski’s decision to join the contest meant it is “no longer just Green vs Lab”.

Ford claimed voters are now being asked: “Would you like the national leader of the Green party or a generic Lab backbencher as your local representative?”

Green MP Hannah Spencer with Polanski after she won the Gorton and Denton by-election in February
Green MP Hannah Spencer with Polanski after she won the Gorton and Denton by-election in February

via Associated Press

It’s rather precarious, though, especially as the seat is traditionally Labour.

The Greens themselves are trying to put their best foot forward, with one party official telling HuffPost UK they feel “confident” about Polanski’s chances.

Another senior insider shrugged off the idea that it was risky to put the Green leader forward, insisting he would be a “brilliant candidate”.

A third pointed out that the Greens won “lots of traditionally Labour seats” in London back in May during the local elections.

If he is chosen for the seat, he may have also have a slight advantage when it comes to winning over the left-wing votes.

Former independent candidate Andrew Feinstein announced he would not be standing in the by-election, and would instead back the Green leader.

Feinstein secured 19% of the vote in the constituency back in 2024, coming in second place behind Starmer.

If his 7,312 votes and the Greens’ 4,030 votes from the general election had been combined at the time, it would have significantly reduced Labour’s majority – though the party would still win by some margin on 18,884 votes.

Still, as Luke Tryl, the UK director for More in Common, told HuffPost UK if Feinstein’s voters “switch en masse to the Green Party, Polanski will need a much smaller swing to win”.

He said: “The seat’s demographics could help the Greens too: young, diverse, Remain-voting, with lower concern about migration than recent by-elections, it’s strong territory for Polanski, whose approval among 18-24s is almost nine times what it is among the over-75s.

“We know that high-profile candidates – whether it be Burnham in Makerfield or Farage in Clacton – can motivate voters and boost turnout in by-elections.”

Labour is yet to choose its own candidate for the crunch vote.

HuffPost UK was told by one source that it is “a slam dunk” that Camden Council leader and Starmer ally, Sagal Abdi-Wali, will be Labour’s candidate.

The local insider said: “It will be a straight Lab-Green fight, so Polanski has a chance. Sagal will be a strong candidate with cast-iron local credentials and a personal story that will resonate with huge chunks of the electorate.

“Her being Muslim and Somali will limit Polanski’s ability to attract people angry about Gaza.”

However, other party sources insist the candidacy is still up for grabs.

Tryl told HuffPost UK this by-election “will be a fascinating test of what the electoral landscape looks like on the left of British politics”.

He noted Burnham started to unite the left since replacing Starmer, he has “halved the share of 2024 Labour voters defecting to the Greens since the spring”.

A separate YouGov tracker shows 50% of respondents think Burnham is a better PM than Polanski would be, compared to 8% who believe it is vice versa.

Tryl added: “Polanski’s own popularity has tumbled, leaving him the least popular party leader in the country.

“On the raw numbers, that makes Labour look like a safe seat: Holborn and St Pancras isn’t even a top-100 target for the Greens, who’d need a 19-point swing to take it outright.”

But the pollster also observed that “support for Labour has eroded in the seat in recent years”.

“For Labour, this is one of the first real tests of whether Burnham has really managed to unite the left behind Labour again,” Tryl said. “For the Greens, it’s a test of whether Polanski can regain his mojo after a difficult few months.”

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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Zia Yusuf Accused Of Plotting To Replace Nigel Farage Amid Donations Row

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Zia Yusuf has been accused of plotting to replace Nigel Farage amid heightened scrutiny over Reform UK donations.

The party has been reported to the Metropolitan Police after an undercover sting operation accused Reform of accepting foreign funding, which goes against British electoral law.

Investigative journalists from Verbatim accused the party of allegedly taking funding from a US company to commission three supposedly independent polls at £32,500 earlier this year.

Reform’s head of policy James Orr and Farage’s close aide Dan Jukes organised the donation and were unaware the donors were actually undercover reporters.

Jukes has been accused of suggesting a way to work around British electoral law, too, so an American donor could give £500,000 to Reform UK.

Jukes and Orr have stepped down after the report was broadcast by Channel 4 News.

Reform insists it is not guilty of any wrongdoing and called the incident a “hoax”.

Farage has downplayed the concerns about breaching electoral rules, claiming it was “loose pub talk” and “jack-the-lad-dery”.

Amid this serious chaos, Yusuf chose to publish a glossy social media, telling a detailed story about his childhood and life before politics.

“I’ve dedicated my life to serving,” the unelected politician said in the clip.

“I’ve spent my career getting things done, doing hard things in the real world. That’s exactly what I’ll bring to the office of home secretary.

“If you want another career politician doing TikToks about crisps, there’s plenty to choose from. If you want someone who will do whatever it takes to deliver on our promises, vote Reform.”

The clip was published shortly before Yusuf’s major speech in front of the party conference where he told Reform delegates the “fate of this country is down to us”.

It quickly sparked speculation that the Reform politician’s timing may have been strategic.

Former Farage ally Tim Montgomerie, who was recently suspended for publicly criticising the party, said: “The sooner Nigel Farage realises this man is running to replace him as leader, the better.”

Reform UK has been approached for comment.

Plenty of other commentators on social media seemed to think Yusuf might also have his eye on the crown.

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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Has Trump Finally Lost It? How The President Caused More International Chaos This Week Than Ever

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Donald Trump may actually have finally lost it this week.

While the US president already has a reputation for being unpredictable, mercurial and chaotic – to say the least – he seems to have taken it to a new level in the last few days.

The maverick Republican picked a fight with Canada by starting a trade war and then rubbed salt in the wound by renaming Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes on the border between their countries, Lake America.

He upped the pettiness by sharing AI videos showing Canadian geese with his trademark blonde hair and carrying machine guns patrolling the shores of “Lake America”.

Trump is also all over the place with the Iran war, a conflict he started in February.

The US-Israeli strikes against Tehran gave the Iranians the chance to seize control of the major oil shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz.

They have let almost no trade through the major waterway in the last six months and the global economy continues to suffer.

America’s allies in the Gulf are suffering the real-world consequences as Iran has retaliated by hitting US military bases in the region.

But the president seems to be in denial about the reality of the war.

He even posted an AI video of a US attack on an Iranian oil hub which never actually happened.

Trump appears to be testing new UK prime minister Andy Burnham, too.

The president has refused to deny reports America could stop supporting Britain’s claims to the Falkland Islands.

If the States did withdraw its backing for the British Overseas Territory – and instead start supporting Argentina’s claim to the archipelago – then it would spell major trouble for the UK-US “special relationship” and trigger Burnham’s first international crisis.

Could Trump be looking to punish the UK for not supporting his offensive on Iran, as a leaked Pentagon email from April suggested?

Or is it his way of forcing the government to spend more money on defence. With Trump, you simply can never tell.

This is not the first time the president has upended international diplomacy, of course – his insistence Greenland belongs to him continues to rile Nato members – but his behaviour does appear even more illogical than usual.

It hardly seems politically savvy to focus on the international stage when Americans are preparing to elect members to Congress in the November midterm elections.

The president may not be on the ballot paper but he needs Republicans to hold the Senate and the House of Representatives to get key legislation passed.

Current predictions suggest the electorate are poised to deliver a brutal blow to Trump and his party by handing control of Congress to the Democrats.

Americans are concerned about the cost of living and elected Trump on the promise that he would put “America First” and bring prices down.

Instead, his war in Iran has led to a spike in oil prices and pushed up the cost of living both in the US and around the world.

There is growing anger that he rarely seems focused on the everyday problems of the very people who voted him into the White House.

So why is he still doubling down on that bizarre decision this week?

Listen to Commons People as we unpack the fallout from the recent Trump drama and why he cannot continue to ignore his domestic problems.

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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Exclusive: Labour Mock Nigel Farage Over £5m Gift At Reform UK Conference

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Labour plans to mock Reform UK over the ongoing investigation into Nigel Farage’s £5 million gift at the party’s annual conference, HuffPost UK cam reveal.

A van will be circling the NEC venue in Birmingham showing an image of Farage shoulder-deep in wads of cash with the slogan: “You have 5 million questions to answer, Nigel. Tell us about the money.”

Labour will also be using the same slogan and picture to taunt Reform across its social media accounts.

The Reform conference comes less than after Farage won back his seat in the Clacton by-election last month.

He triggered the contest by resigning after a parliamentary standards probe was launched into his failure to declare the £5 million gift, which he received from Thailand-based crypto billionaire, Christopher Harborne, in 2024.

Farage claims he has not broken any rules, insisting “it was not a political donation”.

He has repeatedly pointed out that he was not even an MP when he received the gift, months before he ran in the general election.

Farage’s return to the Commons means the parliamentary investigation into the £5 million donation has resumed.

If he is found to have broken the rules, and is then suspended by parliament’s standards committee for more than 10 days, he could face yet another by-election.

The Metropolitan Police are also separately investigating four large donations to Reform.

A senior Labour source told HuffPost UK: “The scandals are piling up for Farage and Reform.

“Farage needs to realise that no amount of bluff and bluster at his party conference is going to make the questions go away.

“It’s time he finally came clean with the public and proved he’s not just in it for himself.”

When asked for comment, a Reform source said: “Boring.”

The ongoing controversy over Farage’s finances have coincided with a slump in the Reform’s fortunes.

The party has lost its dominant lead in the opinion polls to Andy Burnham’s Labour.

Earlier this week, Reform even slipped into third place after being overtaken by the Tories for the first time in 18 months in a poll for the More in Common think tank.

Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice also told the Spectator this week that the conference was geared towards making Britain “fall in love with Nigel Farage again.”

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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BBC’s Chris Mason Accuses Nigel Farage Of Spouting ‘Conspiracy Theories’ In Tense Interview

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Nigel Farage has been accused of sounding “conspiracy theory-like” by the BBC’s political editor in a tense exchange.

The Reform UK leader clashed with Chris Mason during his first sit-down interview since winning back his seat in the Clacton by-election last month.

Farage triggered the contest by resigning after a parliamentary standards probe was launched into his failure to declare a £5 million gift he received from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire.

Farage insisted he has not broken any rules, claiming “it was not a political donation” and pointing out that he was not even an MP when he received it in 2024.

Although the Reform boss increased his majority, his main challenger was Count Binface because Labour, the Tories, Lib Dems and Greens all refused to take part.

Now Farage back in the Commons, the parliamentary investigation into the donation has resumed.

If he is found to have broken the rules and is suspended by parliament’s standards committee for more than 10 days, yet another by-election could take place.

When Mason asked what “on earth was the point” of last month’s by-election, Farage insisted the committee – which is made up of Tory, Labour and Lib Dem MPs plus seven members of the public – would not give him a fair hearing.

Asked about the a separate Metropolitan Police investigation into four large donations to Reform UK, Farage insisted “we live in a complainant society”.

He said: “If you complain about me, automatically that triggers an investigation. So we’re under investigation every day for virtually everything we do, because the other political parties are constantly writing to all the authorities.

“There is a whole ecosystem with a century of development around this, and we come along from virtually nowhere and threaten the whole thing.

“So I think what you’re seeing is the establishment, in a very coordinated way, fighting back. But do you know something, it isn’t going to work.”

Mason replied: “Doesn’t that sound a bit conspiracy theory-like? This ‘the whole world’s out to get us’ stuff.”

Farage insisted there was a “degree of collusion” between Reform’s opponents, who he claimed have been working to “attack” his party since its success in May’s local elections.

He added: “It’ll keep coming. This won’t stop. Every single thing we do will be questioned in all sorts of ways. This will not stop. They will continually try and do this to us.”

Asked who “they” are, Farage said: “People who, people who hold positions of power, influence, and money don’t want new kids on the block succeeding.

“It’s the whole ecosystem.”

He then suggested he and Donald Trump had “sat and talked” about the people who allegedly work against them, before changing his mind and adding: “I haven’t actually discussed this with him.

“But I can see the similarities because again, he was an outsider, he wasn’t part of the system.”

When Mason put it to Farage that scrutiny was “inevitable” considering he is angling to one day be prime minister, the Reform leader replied: “There’s been a wilful attempt, and it’s gone on now for months, to say that everything to do with Reform, that every individual involved with Reform is somehow a crook.

“That’s been the attempt that’s been made.”

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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Diane Abbott Dubbed ‘Putin’s Useful Idiot’ For Claiming Russian Threat Is ‘Nato Fiction’

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Diane Abbott has been dubbed “Putin’s useful idiot” after she downplayed the threat posed to the West by Russia.

The veteran Labour MP said it was “a Nato fiction” being used to justify a boost in defence spending, which she opposes.

Her comments come just a month after it emerged she had previously described the war in Ukraine as “a Nato campaign against Russia”.

Andy Burnham has insisted that the UK will hit Nato’s target of spending 3.5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.

In a post on X, Abbott said: “The imminent threat from Russia is a Nato fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Trump’s demands for more military spending. The increase should not go ahead.”

Her comments sparked an angry backlash from politicians and pro-Ukraine campaigners.

A spokesman for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Those views are reprehensible. Ukraine is an innocent party in this. Everyone should be foursquare behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression.”

Posting on X, Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty said Abbott was “playing the role of Putin’s useful idiot”.

“To rail against increased defence spending by claiming the threat Russia pose is ‘a Nato fiction’ shows she is dangerously out of touch,” he said.

“Over four years into the war in Ukraine, and with escalating sub-threshold activity, we are agreed that increasing defence spending is a matter of national security. It beggars belief that a senior Labour politician could be so naïve.”

The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign said: “There are legitimate debates to be had about defence spending.

“Denying the Russian regime is a threat to democracy all over the world is not legitimate, particularly when the speaker describes Russia’s war on Ukraine as ‘the Nato campaign against Russia’.”

Abbott, the longest serving female MP in the Commons, lost the Labour whip last year after she argued in a letter to The Observer in 2023 that Jewish, Irish and Traveller communities experience prejudice rather than racism.

She got the whip back after Burnham replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister in July.

A No.10 spokesman said: “As the PM said yesterday, the UK stands in full solidarity with Germany following Russia’s egregious and reckless attack in Leipzig.

“Our commitment to supporting Ukraine from Russia’s illegal invasion is ironclad.”

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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