Tag Archives: Politics

Farage Dismisses Reform Candidate’s ‘Nazi Salute’ Photo As ‘Fawlty Towers Impression’

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Nigel Farage dismissed a photo of a Reform UK candidate appearing to perform a Nazi salute by describing it as a “Fawlty Towers impression”.

Corey Edwards is Reform’s lead candidate for the Pen-y Bont Bro Morgannwg constituency in May’s Senedd election.

A photo of Edwards appearing to replicate the offensive salute recently resurfaced, though the date and location of the image are unknown.

While launching his party’s local election campaign, Reform Party leader told ITV News that his candidate was doing a “Fawlty Towers impression”.

He said: “The context I have been told, it was taking a Basil Fawlty sketch, and that’s why he did it. He’s a human being.”

Asked if Edwards would remain a candidate, he said: “I get the point – it looks terrible. Things in isolation often do. I wouldn’t approve of it.”

He then compared the incident to what he described “far more serious” case of a Plaid Cymru candidate withdrawing from the race over an offensive social media post from more than a decade ago.

Edwards also issued a statement saying the photo had been “misinterpreted” and that he had made “mistakes”.

“There is a clear distinction between ordinary use of the appalling gesture, compared with me imitating a Welsh footballer’s use of it, or indeed Basil Fawlty’s walk,” the Reform candidate said.

“The Nazi regime was the most barbaric ever and I’d never make light of nor dilute its seriousness.”

A Reform UK spokesperson also told ITV Wales: “We’re not willing to write people off forever because of mistakes they made when they were young.”

The incident is the latest drama threatening to overshadow Reform’s campaign in the run-up to the local elections.

Farage already had to publicly defend Reform’s Scottish leader, Malcolm Offord, after an offensive homophobic joke he made a rugby club dinner in 2018 resurfaced.

Offord later apologised and denied he was homophobic.

At his party launch in Sunderland this week, Farage said: “If we’re going to drum people out of public life for telling a joke at a boozy rugby club dinner that’s amongst friends, we’ll finish up with the dullest group of individuals, looking a bit like, sounding a bit like Keir Starmer.”

He added: “When you take something as it is, yeah, of course it looks awful.”

However Farage said Offord “probably regretted doing it” even on the night, and accused critics of adopting a “po-faced purism attitude”.

Reform also had to drop its mayoral candidate for the Hampshire and Solent 2028 election, Chris Parry, this week, after he compared a Jewish community group to “Islamists on horseback”.

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No Screens Before Two: Inside The UK’s Tough New Guidance For Babies And Toddlers

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New screen time limits have been revealed for children in the UK under five.

The guidance, from the UK government, comes as almost one-quarter (24%) of parents of three‑ to five‑year‑olds say they find it hard to control their child’s screen time, and 98% of two‑year‑olds watch screens every day.

In response to parents calling for support on how much screen time is too much, as well as how to build healthy habits, the government shared new evidence-informed guidance for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

What are the new screen time rules?

Under twos should avoid screen time other than for shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation (ie. FaceTiming family), per the new guidance.

Meanwhile two- to five-year-olds should stick to no more than one hour of screen time a day.

The government also advises avoiding screen time at mealtimes and in the hour before bed, so as not to disrupt sleep.

What else does the guidance say?

  • Opt for slow-paced, age-appropriate content.
  • Fast-paced, social media-style videos and AI toys or tools should be avoided for young children.
  • Parents are encouraged to watch or use screens together to make the experience more interactive, as talking, asking questions, and engaging with the content is better for children’s development.
  • Make safe screen swaps like reading bedtime stories together or playing simple games at mealtimes.

The guidance stems from the findings of an expert panel led by the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner, a paediatrician and expert in children’s health.

The panel reviewed the latest evidence on screen use in under-5s, and found long periods of time spent on screens alone can get in the way of activities critical for development.

Think: sleep, physical activity, creative play, and interaction with parents.

But not all screen use is equal.

Watching screens with an engaged adult where parents talk and ask questions is linked to better cognitive development than solo use.

Slow-paced content is also far better for development than fast-paced social media-style videos.

Evidence also suggests time limits shouldn’t apply in the same way for screen-based assistive technologies to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Parenting in a digital world can feel relentless. Screens are everywhere, and the advice is often conflicting.”

The new guidance “cuts through the noise”, he added, “to keep children safe and make sure healthy habits are baked in from the start”.

Admitting that some will oppose the guidance, he added, “I will always stand on the side of parents doing their best for their children”.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “Young children need their parents to be confident in managing their screen use, but often this can be overwhelming for parents learning to navigate this.

“My hope is that this guidance helps to cut through the conflicting advice available and prioritise children’s development and wellbeing, as well as their safety.”

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, welcomed the new guidance and its emphasis on providing practical tips and advice for parents and carers.

He added he hopes it’s “the first step towards equipping children – and those supporting them – with the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world and ensuring that technology enhances rather than undermines early learning and wellbeing”.

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Exclusive: Reform UK Asked Rival Party Councillor To Be ‘Paper Candidate’ In Local Election

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A Lib Dem councillor was left stunned after being asked by Reform UK to stand for the party at the local elections in May.

Sam Webber, who sits on Bromley Council in south east London, was phoned out of the blue by the party’s membership team and asked if he wanted to be a “paper candidate” on May 7.

A paper candidate is someone whose name goes on the ballot representing a party but is not expected to win or do any campaigning.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Webber accused Nigel Farage’s party of “making a mockery of the election nomination process”.

He said: “Is Reform just randomly calling up people across the country and asking them to stand for election?

“Nominations open in five days time. How much vetting will the party be doing on their candidates in that time? This runs the risk people getting nominated who would be ineligible to serve even if they were elected.

“That would see costly and unnecessary by-elections having to take place after May 7, as we saw after the 2025 local elections.

“Reform UK is making a mockery of the election nomination process. As we have seen in authorities like Kent County Council, it would be total chaos if the party gets anywhere near power. I suspect voters will not like being taken for fools.”

Reform has been contacted for comment.

A staggering 65 Reform councillors who were elected at last May’s local elections have since either resigned as councillors, defected or quit the party.

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Starmer Tells Trump: You Can’t Pressure Me Over Iran War

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Keir Starmer has told Donald Trump he won’t be “pressured” into changing his position on the Iran war.

The prime minister said he “will not be wavering” in his belief that America and Israel’s attacks were illegal and that the president has no plan for what comes next.

Starmer angered Trump by initially refusing permission for American jets to use RAF bases to launch bombing raids.

Giving evidence to the Liaison Committee of senior MPs, the PM said: “The principles I’ve applied throughout is that for any UK action, there must be a lawful basis, and a viable and thought-through plan. That is why we didn’t join the original offensive strikes.”

He added: “This is not our war, and we are not getting dragged into this war.”

Trump has launched a series of attacks on the PM since the war began more than three weeks ago.

His most recent jibe came on Sunday when he shared a Saturday Night Live UK sketch portraying Starmer as weak, indecisive and scared of Trump.

Asked by Liaison Committee chair Meg Hillier about the president’s “quite rude” behaviour, the PM said: “I’m utterly focused on what is in the best interests of our country and I am unapologetic about that.

“Notwithstanding the pressure that comes from elsewhere, I will remain laser focused on what is in the British national interest.

“And a lot of what is said or done is undoubtedly said and done to put pressure on me, I have no doubt about that. I understand what is going on.

“But I am not going to waver on this. I am the British prime minister and my job is to be absolutely focused on what is in the British national interest.

“That has served me well in recent weeks and that is the principle that I will continue to adhere to as we go forward taking difficult decisions.”

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‘This Is Not Our War’: Starmer Distances Himself From Trump’s Attacks On Iran

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Keir Starmer has said America and Israel’s bombing of Iran is “not our war” as he defending his approach to the conflict.

In comments which risk further angering Donald Trump, the prime minister said the UK is “not getting dragged into” the war, despite giving US jets permission to fly their missions from RAF bases.

He also repeated his claim that there is no “lawful basis” for Trump’s war or “a viable and thought-through plan” for what comes next.

His comments, while giving evidence to a committee of senior MPs, came after Trump backed down over his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless they re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

The US president said his decision followed “very good and productive conversations” with Tehran over the weekend.

Starmer said: “On Iran, the principles I’ve applied throughout is that for any UK action, there must be a lawful basis, and a viable and thought-through plan. That is why we didn’t join the original offensive strikes.

“It is why we did take defensive action, collective self-defensive action on our own behalf, when it came to the work that we are doing with our allies in the region, taking missiles out that are coming from Iran. It is also why we allowed our bases to be used for the purposes of collective self-defence.

“But that’s an important divide. So collective self-defence, yes, we’ve taken appropriate action. But this is not our war, and we are not getting dragged into this war.”

Trump has made a number of outspoken attacks on Starmer since the war began more than three weeks ago.

And on Sunday, he posted on Truth Social a Saturday Night Live UK sketch which portrayed the PM as weak, indecisive and afraid of the president.

Asked how he is personally facing the challenges posed by the unpredictable president, Starmer said: “I will remain laser-focused on what is in the British national interest.

“A lot of what is said and done is undoubtedly said and done to put pressure on me, I have no doubt about that, I understand exactly what is going on.

“But I’m not going to be wavering on this. I’m the British prime minister and my job is to be absolutely focused on what is in the British national interest.

“That has served me well in recent weeks and that is the principle that I’ll continue to adhere to going forward, taking difficult decisions, notwithstanding the pressure than comes from a number of different places.”

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Ex-UK Ambassador To Iran Warns Situation Could ‘Flip’ Again After Trump U-Turn

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A former UK ambassador to Iran warned the war in the Middle East could “flip just as quickly” again after Donald Trump declared a five-day pause in hostilities.

Over the weekend, the US president appeared to escalate the war by threatening to “obliterate” Iranian energy sites on Sunday – unless Tehran opened the major oil shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours.

But the president suddenly U-turned on his claim on Monday, after supposedly having “very good and productive” conversations with Iran.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said: “I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period.”

But former British ambassador to Iran, Nicholas Hopton, said this does not mean the war is over.

He told Times Radio: “The war has become clearly ill-conceived from its inception, the possible existence of an off-ramp now and the president’s willingness to retain the idea of negotiations with Iran must be seen as a positive.

“I’m afraid we could see this situation flip around just as quickly again by the end of the week.

“The president could be threatening again or even carrying out attacks on the oil infrastructure which, of course, the Iranians have said they will retaliate to by attacking the Gulf countries’ infrastructure by attacking oil production facilities and other infrastructure if the US carries out that.

“The Gulf countries have been pushing the White House very hard because that would be very difficult, almost existential in some ways, for their normal existence.”

Asked if Tehran will consider Trump’s U-turn a victory, Hopton said: “I think so. They are unlikely to say as much, the regime’s main objective is to survive.

“Of course, for the time being, it is surviving.”

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“I’m afraid we can see this situation flip around just as quickly again.”

Trump’s five-day pause on Iran strikes suggests the US may be seeking an \"off ramp\", but the conflict could quickly escalate again, says former British ambassador to Iran @NicholasHopton. pic.twitter.com/3AsvVdaR2h

— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) March 23, 2026

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“I’m afraid we can see this situation flip around just as quickly again.”

Trump’s five-day pause on Iran strikes suggests the US may be seeking an “off ramp”, but the conflict could quickly escalate again, says former British ambassador to Iran @NicholasHopton. pic.twitter.com/3AsvVdaR2h

— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) March 23, 2026

In response to the president’s post, Iranian IRGC-affiliated news agency, Fars News Agency, quoted an unnamed Iranian source who said there had been “no direct or indirect contact with Trump”.

They claimed that upon “hearing our targets would include all power stations in West Asia, he backed down”.

But the president told reporters he was speaking to the “top person” in Iran – though that was not the supreme leader.

He told CNN: “A top person. Don’t forget: We’ve wiped out the leadership phase one, phase two, and largely phase three.

“But we’re dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader, you know it’s a little tough, they’ve wiped out – we’ve wiped out everybody.”

He added that he is not talking to the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Trump insisted that ending Iran’s nuclear programme is essential for any future agreement.

“We are very willing to make a deal. it’s got to be good deal and it’s got to be no more wars, no more nuclear weapons,” Trump told reporters.

“They’re not going to have nuclear weapons anymore. They’re agreeing to that. Any of that stuff, there is no deal.”

If there was no deal, he claimed “we will just keep bombing our little hearts out”.

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