“A second migrant sex offender – who should have been deported five years ago – has been mistakenly freed from prison. Algerian Ibrahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was released in error from HMP Wandsworth, in south-west London, a week last Wednesday. A manhunt for Cherif, a convicted sex offender and serial thief, has been launched by the Met Police. The force expressed frustration at his “six-day head start”, having only been told he had been freed this Tuesday. On Wednesday, a second manhunt was also mounted by Surrey police after HMP Wandsworth accidentally released another prisoner, William Smith, 35, on Monday.” – Daily Telegraph
“The deputy prime minister rejected calls to give a Commons statement on the accidental release of a second migrant sex offender amid concerns it would be “career suicide”, The Times has been told. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the Commons, asked a minister from the Ministry of Justice to come to the Commons and make a statement about the accidental release of Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian prisoner. Lammy was aware of his release when he stood in for Sir Keir Starmer at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday but refused to answer a series of pointed questions from the Tories about whether another migrant offender was at large.” – The Times
“Electric vehicle (EV) drivers will be hit with a new pay-per-mile tax in the Budget, The Telegraph can reveal. Under current plans, to be announced by the Chancellor on Nov 26, drivers of electric cars will be charged 3p per mile on top of other road taxes. The scheme, set to kick in from 2028 after a consultation, will mean the average driver faces paying an extra £250 a year. The Treasury will make the move amid falling fuel duty revenue as people move from petrol to electric cars. Up to six million people are set to be driving EVs by the time the tax comes in. Ministers will frame the move as one of fairness, as drivers of petrol cars currently pay £600 a year on average in fuel duty.” – Daily Telegraph
“Kemi Badenoch has called for Britain to ‘get drilling again’ as she declared an oil and gas emergency in the North Sea. The Tory leader warned that Labour’s net zero policies were endangering jobs and livelihoods and putting the sector ‘at serious risk’. Urging the Prime Minister to champion homegrown energy, she told him to ‘find the backbone to ditch Ed Miliband’s net zero fanaticism’. Her comments came as Sir Keir Starmer flew to the Cop climate summit in Brazil to repeat the Government’s commitment to clean energy. Reacting to his visit, she warned that the policy was putting up bills for consumers and accused Labour of failing to put the ‘national interest first’. – Daily Mail
“The BBC’s trans coverage is subject to “effective censorship” by specialist LGBT reporters who refuse to cover gender-critical stories, one of the broadcaster’s own advisers has warned. BBC staff have expressed concerns that the LGBT desk – which is shared by all the corporation’s news programmes – has been “captured by a small group of people” promoting a pro-trans agenda and “keeping other perspectives off air”. This has led to “a constant drip-feed of one-sided stories … celebrating the trans experience without adequate balance or objectivity”, a leaked internal BBC memo concludes.” – Daily Telegraph
“Labour’s plan to strengthen workers’ rights risks harming jobs and hurting growth, Sir Tony Blair has warned. The former prime minister’s think tank said controversial “day one” protections against unfair dismissal would make it more expensive and risky to hire workers. The Tony Blair Institute said the “extreme” reforms threaten to undermine a critical strength of the British economy, “eroding business confidence to hire and ultimately undermining growth”. “Well-intentioned efforts to improve worker protections through the Employment Rights Bill risk increasing the cost of starting and growing businesses,” Sir Tony’s think tank said.” – Daily Telegraph