“A Channel migrant deported to France under the “one in, one out” scheme has returned to the UK on a small boat. The unnamed Iranian arrived on a dinghy on Aug 6 and was deported on Sept 19. However, he skipped a migrant shelter in Paris, where he had been housed, headed back to the coast and arrived back in Britain on Saturday. He is being held in an immigration detention centre after being identified on arrival by border officials. His return is a major embarrassment for Sir Keir Starmer who has hailed the one in, one out scheme as a deterrent to Channel crossings. Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, was said to be “furious”. It came on the same day that the number of Channel crossings so far this year exceeded the total for the whole of 2024. Some 150 migrants are thought to have reached the UK on Wednesday, taking the number past last year’s total of 36,816 people to some 36,900. It means this year will be at least the second highest annual total, only behind the record of 45,774 in 2022. Responding to the migrant’s return, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, said: “Does that mean we now have to take two people from France to return him? This Labour Government is in total chaos. No backbone, no plan and too weak to take the tough decisions to secure our borders.” – Daily Telegraph
“The frontrunner expected to lead the grooming gang inquiry has quit, saying it has become a “toxic political football” as the minister in charge faced accusations of lying to “save her own skin”. Jim Gamble became the second senior figure to withdraw from chairing the inquiry, claiming the appointment process was beset by “political opportunism and point-scoring”. His withdrawal followed that of Annie Hudson, a former director of children’s services for Lambeth, who was also in the running. Four victims on the inquiry’s advisory panel have also resigned. Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister responsible for the inquiry, was under growing pressure to quit after she was accused of lying to MPs. Phillips had denied claims by Fiona Goddard, a victim of the grooming gangs, that the scope of the inquiry could be widened to include other forms of sexual abuse. However, Goddard then produced evidence which appeared to contradict this. Last night the four women who resigned from the advisory panel said they would return to the inquiry if Phillips resigned. In a letter to Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, they set out five conditions for their return. They said Phillips’s ‘conduct over the last week has shown she is unfit to oversee a process that requires survivors to trust the government. Her departure would signal you are serious about accountability and changing direction’” – The Times
Comment
“Angela Rayner embarked on the comeback trail today as she delivered a belated resignation speech to MPs. The former deputy PM told the Commons that the ‘last few weeks have been incredibly tough on my family’ with the ‘toll of the incredible scrutiny’. She said failing to pay stamp duty had been an ‘honestly made mistake’ and she recognised senior politicians needed to be held to the ‘highest standard of transparency and accountability’. Revealing that she is in touch with HMRC about handing over money – thought to be more than £40,000 – Ms Rayner said: ‘There is no excuse not to paid taxes owed and I will do so.’ The Labour benches were packed for the appearance – following six weeks in which Ms Rayner has stayed largely under the radar. Much of the Cabinet were on the front bench, although the premier himself had already left after PMQs. She quit as deputy PM, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader on September 5 when a sleaze probe found she had broken ministerial rules. It followed her tearful admission she had paid around £40,000 less property tax than she should have done when buying an £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex.” – Daily Mail
Comment
“Sir Keir Starmer is preparing emergency measures to save Sir Sadiq Khan’s London housing plans after a slump in construction. Ministers are set to push through a package of changes aimed at improving London’s dire housebuilding rate. An announcement could come as soon as Thursday. Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, and the Mayor of London have been locked in crisis talks over short-term policy proposals to revive the capital’s plummeting construction levels. The changes reportedly include lowering the number of affordable homes that developers are required to build from 35pc to 20pc for projects that can be fast-tracked through the planning process. Looser design rules are also thought to be part of the measures. Bloomberg, which first reported the plans, said the package could be unveiled as soon as Thursday.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment
“British households are facing the most sustained rise in living costs since the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – with fears mounting of worse to come in the Budget. In a bleak report today, the Office for National Statistics said inflation remained stuck at 3.8 per cent in September, the third month in a row. While this was lower than the 4 per cent feared by analysts, UK inflation is the highest in the G7 and nearly twice the 2 per cent target. Inflation has not been so high for so long since early 2024 when the surge in energy and food prices following Russia’s action was still being felt. And with the economy flatlining over the summer – when growth of 0.1 per cent in August merely offset a decline of 0.1 per cent in July – Britain faces a painful bout of ‘stagflation’. That is when low or no growth combines with sharply rising prices to leave families worse off. The latest squeeze comes as households and businesses brace for another punishing round of tax hikes in next month’s Budget. The Chancellor has warned that those with the ‘broadest shoulders’ will bear the brunt – fuelling fears of raids on pensions, savings and homes.” – Daily Mail
Editorial
Comment
“The US is imposing sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, aiming to “degrade” Vladimir Putin’s war chest and support Donald Trump’s effort to end the war in Ukraine. The move marks the first time the Trump administration has imposed direct costs on Moscow over its full-scale invasion. “These are tremendous sanctions,” the US president said. “We hope that they won’t be on for long. We hope that the war will be settled.” Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said: “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine.” Bessent said the US was prepared to take further action. “We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.” – FT
“Dramatic footage shows the moment an NHS doctor who celebrated Hamas’ October 7 atrocity is arrested. Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, 31, a junior medic training to be a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, was arrested in South Gloucestershire on Tuesday. Footage showed the junior doctor being told she is under arrest for three alleged offences relating to malicious communications and one for inciting racial hatred. Aladwan is seen being cuffed by two police officers in the video. In the video, Aladwan appeared to tell officers that they were arresting ahead of “my tribunal on Thursday”. She added: “This is what the UK does to their doctors.”The doctor has also ranted about the Holocaust being a “concept”. Aladwan marked the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel with social media posts appearing to glorify “the day ‘Israel’ was humiliated” – The Sun