Tony Blair Accused Of ‘Mimicking Nigel Farage’ Over Net Zero Comments

Posted on 30/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Tony Blair has been accused of trying to “mimic Nigel Farage” after claiming the government’s attempts to tackle climate change are “doomed to fail”.

The former prime minister said Labour’s attempts to achieve net zero by 2050 would only have a “minimal” impact on global warming.

His comments, in the foreword to a report by the Tony Blair Institute, triggered an angry backlash from No.10.

A source told HuffPost UK: “Net zero is a growth opportunity, and as the PM said last week at the energy summit, we are already seeing the benefits.”

Labour insiders are also furious that his comments emerged on the eve of the local elections, handing the Tories and Reform UK ammunition to attack the party.

In an attempt to defuse the row, the TBI insisted that its report supported what the government is doing on climate change.

A spokesperson said: “The report is clear that we support the government’s 2050 net zero targets, to give certainty to the investors and innovators who can develop these new solutions and make them deployable.

“People support climate action, and it is vital that we keep the public’s support for how we do it.”

But Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, said: “Tony Blair has decided to mimic Nigel Farage on net zero and sounds like he is speaking on behalf of petrol-states like Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan for whom he has lobbied for more years than he was prime minister.

“It is vital that the government distance itself from this latest dodgy dossier from Blair.”

She added: “Labour must not allow yesterday’s man to drag us back into the dark ages. The government must press ahead with the drive towards clean energy and the green economy and all the advantages that will bring in creating good quality jobs, cutting energy bills and creating a healthier society.”

A spokesman for Keir Starmer also defended the government’s backing for net zero.

He said: “The PM has said previously that we will deliver net zero in a way that treads lightly on people’s lives, not telling them how to live or behave.

“We are focused on our mission to be a clean-energy superpower.”

The joy of a visit when you have dementia

Posted on 30/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Visiting a friend or relative with dementia can help reinforce relationships and bring joy.

Living well with dementia

Posted on 30/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Why living with dementia can still mean living well.

NHS trust admits failures led to teenager’s death

Posted on 30/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Staff were tasked with giving one-to-one care to Elise Sebastian, an inquest hears.

Woman’s eyesight saved by cutting-edge test after mystery infection

Posted on 30/04/2025 by Boris Clair

After years of suffering, a cutting-edge test diagnosed Ellie Irwin with a rare bacterial infection.

Even Reform UK Voters Are Getting Sick And Tired Of Donald Trump

Posted on 29/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Even Reform UK voters are growing sick and tired of Donald Trump, according to a new poll marking his 100th day in office.

The US president’s favourability has declined in Britain since his inauguration in January.

But his fall in popularity is even more pronounced among Reform backers – who were previously his biggest supporters in the UK.

According to the More in Common think-tank, when he re-entered the White House at the start of this year, Trump’s net favourability rating among all British voters was minus 36.

With Labour voters that figure stood at minus 42, while with Tories it was minus 27.

However, Reform UK voters gave him a net favourability rating of plus 31. Barely three months later, however, that figure has plummeted by 30 points to just plus 1.

Among British voters as a whole, it has fallen by 8 points to minus 44.

The findings may explain why Reform leader Nigel Farage – a close ally of Trump – has become noticeably more critical of the president in recent weeks.

He said Trump’s plan to end the war in Ukraine “rewards Putin too much”, and has also hit out at the tariffs the president has imposed on virtually all imports to America, including from the UK.

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🇺🇸100 days into the 2nd Trump presidency and his approval among Brits has fallen further since his inauguration to -44. The biggest drop is among Reform UK voters who previously gave Trump positive net approval of 31 and its now just 1. pic.twitter.com/gv4SAYq7YE

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) April 29, 2025

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🇺🇸100 days into the 2nd Trump presidency and his approval among Brits has fallen further since his inauguration to -44. The biggest drop is among Reform UK voters who previously gave Trump positive net approval of 31 and its now just 1. pic.twitter.com/gv4SAYq7YE

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) April 29, 2025

Meanwhile, 67% of Brits believe Trump’s return to the White House has been bad for the world, 61% think it has been bad for the UK and 57% say he has been bad for America.

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67% of Brits think Trump has been bad for the world, 16% good. 59% bad for the UK, 17% think he’s been for UK good. And for the USA 57% think he’s been bad and 27% think he’s been good. pic.twitter.com/4IHx1TXVxR

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) April 29, 2025

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67% of Brits think Trump has been bad for the world, 16% good. 59% bad for the UK, 17% think he’s been for UK good. And for the USA 57% think he’s been bad and 27% think he’s been good. pic.twitter.com/4IHx1TXVxR

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) April 29, 2025

Trump’s First 100 Days: All The Times The US President Has Made Life Difficult For Starmer So Far

Posted on 29/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer was already enduring a particularly rocky first few months in office when Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.

Not only does the prime minister have little in common politically with his American counterpart, but he and his top team openly criticised Trump during his first term in office.

Now, Starmer is much more muzzled. He has to act in the national interest, and he needs to keep the UK-US special relationship alive.

But Trump, while still friendly to the prime minister, has certainly not made life easy for him.

Here’s a look at just some of the chaos the US president has caused for Downing Street in his first 100 days…

Ukraine

Trump upended the west’s united approach to the Ukraine war when he came to office by aligning the US with Vladimir Putin over Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While the Republican made it clear during his campaign that he would push to end the war as soon as possible, his public condemnation of Kyiv left many allies stunned – and delighted the Kremlin.

So Starmer has been walking a tightrope as he tries to make it clear that he still supports Ukraine while also avoiding any direct criticism of Britain’s supposed closest ally.

For instance, whenever Trump has repeatedly accused Ukraine of starting the war, Starmer has been forced to point out that Putin was the one who invaded Ukraine.

Trump has also echoed Kremlin claims that Zelenskyy was a “dictator without elections”, leaving Starmer to point out that the Ukrainian leader was democratically elected in 2019 and that Ukraine cannot have more elections while under martial law.

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington.

And while Starmer’s government has made it clear that it would support Ukraine for as long as possible and that Kyiv would be at the heart of any negotiations, Trump has tried to force Zelenskyy’s hand over the peace talks.

He withdrew military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv after their disastrous meeting in the Oval Office, only resuming the support once Zelenskyy said he was ready to accept a ceasefire deal.

Some reports even credited Starmer with using direct diplomacy to get the US president and Zelenskyy talking again.

But the prime minister’s spokesperson has still had to address Trump’s outlandish claims about the war.

For instance, when the president called one particularly deadly Russian strike on the Ukrainian civilians “a mistake”, Starmer’s representative said the attack was “beyond the pale” and “barbaric”.

And, when Trump suggested Ukraine give up the occupied peninsula of Crimea in the name of peace, the PM made it clear: “It’s up to Ukraine to determine its own future.”

Defence

Trump effectively forced Europe to spend more rearming itself by announcing the US would no longer provide a military backstop for the continent.

This did enable Starmer to step forward as a new leader in Europe, less than a decade after Brits voted for Brexit.

Not only did the UK PM introduce a hike to defence spending, taking it from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income by 2027 – a move which impressed Trump and meant Starmer could present himself as an example to the rest of the continent – but he also created the “coalition of the willing”.

This group of countries have promised to back Ukraine in the event of a US-brokered deal with Russia, and Starmer has even offered to put British “boots on the ground” as peacekeepers.

However, Starmer is still tethered to Trump on this issue, because he has insisted Europe cannot act without a US security guarantee in Ukraine. And so far, the White House has refused to offer any such support.

The PM’s hike in defence also hit him on the domestic front, as he had to take funding from the international aid pot to boost the military – meaning even members of his own party accused him of “betraying the world’s most vulnerable children”.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses military personnel onboard HMS Iron Duke in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024.

Tariffs

Starmer and his team have spent months both before and after Trump was elected trying to curry favour with the Republican.

The PM even extended an invitation for an unprecedented second state visit to the UK, to try and appeal to Trump’s fondness for the Royal Family.

But Trump still slapped the UK with a 10% import tax on all British goods going into the States on April 2, in his sweeping tariff announcement.

That came on top of a global 25% levy on cars and aluminium. So much for the UK’s special relationship with the US.

US tariffs are expected to deliver a 0.7% hit to the UK economy, according to the UK Trade and Business Commission.

That’s seven times the 0.1% growth the government secured between July and September.

Trade deals

Starmer is trying to boost the British economy after putting “growth” at the heart of his government – but has failed to deliver on it so far.

His team have been desperate to do what the Tories never could and secure a trade deal with the States.

The hope is that an economic partnership would not only lower the tariffs on UK goods entering the US.

But in the absence of any firm action from the States, Starmer has also started to look over to the EU.

He is set to sign a formal declaration committing to “free and open trade” with the bloc, according to a leaked draft seen by POLITICO.

The two allies will look at a “new strategic partnership” between London and Brussels based on “maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade.”

But the UK prime minister could now be on a collision course with the Trump administration, as such a deal may upset the US agenda.

Can Keir Starmer Learn Any Lessons From Mark Carney’s Remarkable Election Victory?

Posted on 29/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Mark Carney completed one of the greatest political comebacks of all time by leading his Liberal Party to victory in the Candian election.

They appeared to be out of the running just a few short months ago, with Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives holding a lead of more than 20 points over his rivals.

But Carney, who only took over as prime minister from his predecessor Justin Trudeau in March, oversaw a remarkable turnaround in his party’s fortunes, thanks in no small part to his strong opposition to Donald Trump.

The US president has made no secret of his desire to make Canada the 51st state of the USA, and even made them one of the first countries he imposed tariffs on as he tried to bring his neighbours to heel.

Carney made defending Canada’s independence the centrepiece of his premiership – and was handsomely rewarded by voters.

In his victory speech, the former governor of the Bank of England said: “President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us, that will never ever happen.”

Carney’s fierce anti-Trump rhetoric is in stark contrast to his left-of-centre political ally Keir Starmer’s more cautious approach.

The prime minister has tried to walk a fine line between distancing himself from Trump in areas like trade tariffs and his attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while avoiding any outright criticism of the president.

That is because Starmer is desperate to agree a trade deal with America which he hopes will help to boost economic growth in the UK.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey believes being anti-Trump can be a vote-winner in Britain too, starting with Thursday’s local elections.

He said: “Voters in Canada have elected a Liberal government on a clear mandate to combat Trump’s dangerous populism. Across the globe, it is liberals who are taking the lead in standing up for prosperity, security and democracy in the face of Trump, Putin and the rest.

“Voters in England have the chance to send a similar message on Thursday, by electing Liberal Democrat local champions to stand up for their communities against the hate-fuelled politics of Donald Trump and his bootlicker Nigel Farage.”

Luke Tryl, UK director of the More in Common think-tank, said there were lessons for Starmer to learn from Canada, but cautioned against the election result being seen as a green light for the PM to be more openly critical of Trump.

He said: “I am always nervous about reading across from elections elsewhere and here. There are various potential lessons – the fact that Carney managed to consolidate the left around him.

“For the moment, people tend to think Starmer is getting the balance right [on Trump].

“When Trump got in I was asked if people might want a ‘Love Actually’ Hugh Grant moment. I said I don’t think so. I think the more Trump is seen to behave recklessly, and that’s certainly the case on tariffs, there may be more demand for that.

“In any event, I think the impact on our politics will be much more marginal than in Canada, because obviously they are right next door and Trump isn’t yet asking us to become the 52nd state.”

Asked if the PM will change his approach towards Trump on the back of Carney’s victory, his spokesman said: “We look forward to working with him and Canada to further the relationship we have with Canada for the British national interest. We have a very good relationship with President Trump as well.”

Lily Allen Apologises To Katy Perry For ‘Mean’ Space Flight Comments

Posted on 29/04/2025 by Boris Clair

In a recent episode of her podcast, Miss Me?, Lily and co-host Miquita Oliver discussed the news that Katy and five other women had taken an 11-minute flight into space.

“What the hell was all that about?” the Brit Award winner said (per BBC News). “I mean, in all seriousness, what? Why? For why?

“It’s so out of touch. Like, we’re on the brink of recession. People are really struggling to make ends meet and put food on their tables. And the fact that they’ve, like, made it like some sort of feminist thing…”

However, in the latest instalment of Lily’s podcast, she walked back some of her comments, describing them as “mean” and putting her criticism down to “internalised misogyny”.

“There was actually no need for me to bring [Katy’s] name into it, and it was my own internalised misogyny,” Lily told Miquita. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and it was just completely unnecessary to pile on with her.”

The Smile singer continued: “I mean, I disagree with what it was that they did, but she wasn’t the only person that did it. She was possibly the most famous, and the one that divides people the most, and so there was something in me that decided to choose her [to talk about]. Well, anyway, I’m just sorry.”

Katy was joined on her trip to space by American broadcaster Gayle King, movie producer Kerianne Flynn, journalist Lauren Sánchez (who is engaged to Jeff Bezos, the owner of the space travel company Blue Origin), activist Amanda Nguyễn and rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.

Upon her return to Earth, Gayle King hit back at some of the criticisms levelled against herself and her teammates.

New machine algorithm could identify cardiovascular risk at the click of a button

Posted on 29/04/2025 by Boris Clair

An automated machine learning program developed by researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in conjunction with the University of Manitoba has been able to identify potential cardiovascular incidents or fall and fracture risks based on bone density scans taken during routine clinical testing.

When applying the algorithm to vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) images taken in older women during routine bone density testing, often as part of treatment plans for osteoporosis, the patient’s presence and extent of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) was assessed.

The algorithm shortens the timeframe to screen for AAC significantly, taking less than a minute to predict AAC scores for thousands of images, compared with the five to six minutes it would take for an experienced reader to obtain the AAC score from one image.

During her research, ECU research fellow Dr Cassandra Smith found that 58% of older individuals screened during routine bone density testing presented with moderate to high levels of AAC, with one in four walking through the door unaware that they had high AAC, placing them at the highest risk of heart attack and stroke.

“Women are recognised as being under screened and under-treated for cardiovascular disease. This study shows that we can use widely available, low radiation bone density machines to identify women at high risk of cardiovascular disease, which would allow them to seek treatment.

“People who have AAC don’t present any symptoms, and without doing specific screening for AAC, this prognosis would often go unnoticed. By applying this algorithm during bone density scans, women have a much better chance of a diagnosis,” Dr Smith said.

Using the same algorithm, ECU senior research fellow Dr Marc Sim found that these patients with moderate to high AAC scores also had a greater chance of fall-associated hospitalisation and fractures, compared with those with low AAC scores.

“The higher the calcification in your arteries, the higher the risk of falls and fracture,” Dr Sim said.

“When we look at traditional falls and fracture risk factors, things like have you fallen in the past year and bone mineral density are generally very good indicators of how likely someone is to fall and fracture. Some medications are also associated with higher falls risks. Rarely do we consider vascular health when considering falls and fractures.

“Our analysis uncovered that AAC was a very strong contributor to falls risks and was actually more significant than other factors that are clinically identified as falls risk factors.”

Dr Sim said that the new machine algorithm, when applied to bone density scans, could give clinicians more information around the vascular health of patients, which is an under-recognised risk factor for falls and fractures.

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