Nigel Farage latest: Reform leader acted incorrectly over gifts, says new poll as approval ratings slip

A minister did not say whether changes to the law to allow the deportation of grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed would come in the form of fast-track emergency legislation.

Justice minister Catherine Atkinson told BBC Breakfast: “I haven’t seen any emergency legislation, but the Government is clear that it will take the steps necessary to ensure we can do what we want to do and that we don’t have men like that in our country.”

Asked what the UK would do if Pakistan said no to taking Ahmed back, he said: “What we’ve seen before with other countries and their repatriation policies saying they won’t take people back, Shabana Mahmood has taken some really strong steps to ensure that changes.”

“So I hope and anticipate that a way out will be found, and the Home Office is committed to providing that.”

He said no options had been ruled out in terms of steps that would put pressure on Pakistan, but he would not speculate on what these might be.

He said Ahmed’s renunciation of his Pakistani citizenship was “a legal issue that needs to be overcome”.

The home secretary will introduce changes to the law to allow Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed to be deported.

Shabana Mahmood is expected to present proposals on Monday to amend the 1971 law that prevents the dismissal of Ahmed, who was released from prison earlier this month.

However, it appears that Pakistan is unlikely to get it back.

Ahmed was released on July 2, 14 years after his 2012 conviction for rape and sexual offenses against girls, some as young as 12. Ahmed was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

The government has been exploring ways to deport him since his release last week. The 1971 law prohibits the deportation of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago.

Ms Mahmood is expected to detail a way to close the loophole in the Immigration Act that prevents her from being deported, even though she has been stripped of her British citizenship.

It is unclear whether Ms Mahmood’s planned changes will come as part of a separate fast-track bill or as an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which will be debated in the House of Commons on Monday.

The UK economy is expected to remain stagnant for another month as industries remain under pressure and geopolitical tensions hinder growth.

Economists predict that GDP will either remain flat or fall in May, following a 0.1 percent decline in April. This marked a sharp decline from growth of 0.3 percent in March and 0.4 percent in February, the first contraction since last August.

A campaigner whose son died in the Hillsborough disaster says he is “overjoyed” following news that a bill to increase accountability in public offices is likely to be approved in the House of Commons this week.

The amendment, formally known as the Public Office (Liability) Act, will create a legally enforceable duty of candour, obliging public servants and officials to act transparently when conducting inquiries and investigations.

It takes its name from the Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans were crushed to death during an FA Cup semi-final match at the football stadium in Sheffield in 1989.

Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James in the disaster, told the Daily Mirror she was “absolutely delighted, it was completely made up”.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said last week he was “confident” the draft bill would be sent to his letterbox “in the coming days”, but other Government officials suggested it would not return until after the summer holidays.

If passed, the bill could be one of Sir Keir Starmer’s final acts as prime minister.

Ms Aspinall, who chairs the Hillsborough Family Support group, told the paper: “When I spoke to Keir Starmer I told him this would be a beautiful legacy for you to leave behind.

“I always believed he wanted to give us the Hillsborough Act. It was others who stopped him. It’s over now.”

He continued: “Our families worked hard for this, but it is not for us, it is for the country. We did this for the people of this country. I am very proud.”

“People have to tell the truth, no matter who they are. The lies cost millions. The cover-ups cost millions. The truth costs nothing.”

Kemi Badenoch now has the highest approval rating of any party leader after Nigel Farage suffered his biggest fall since the election.

The latest Opinium poll found the Tory leader’s approval rating had risen to -3 percentage points, while Mr Farage’s had fallen to a net -27, his lowest score in this parliament.

Ed Davey remains at -5, Andy Burnham is at -8, Zack Polanski improves slightly to -16 and Keir Starmer drops to -45.

Opinium found that Farage’s decline is also reflected in his leadership qualities.

His weakest scores are being trustworthy (-32), looking like a future prime minister (-26), and being trusted to make big decisions (-24).

Rachel Reeves has insisted Andy Burnham will inherit a “much stronger economy” thanks to the actions of his Labor predecessors.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday in her final on-air interview as Chancellor, Ms Reeves admitted the public was “impatient for change” when asked why Sir Keir Starmer’s government was toppled in the Labor leadership contest.

He said: “I am impatient for change and I certainly understand that people want to see their lives change more quickly and that will be Andy Burnham’s job when he becomes prime minister of our country in just over a week.

“But thanks to the majority we gained, he becomes prime minister.

“I also know that, thanks to the work I have done, Andy will inherit a much stronger economy than the one I inherited from the Conservatives just two years ago.”

There’s an overriding sense of deja vu to the Nigel Farage donation/non-donation saga.

Once again British politics has fallen into a pit of rich people paying for favors, if you believe Farage. Yet people’s trust in our democratic process has fallen another notch or three; even though it is so low that it no longer matters; We’ve been through so many scandals, investigations and investigations that it doesn’t make any difference.

Today, the Reform UK leader is similarly asking Clacton voters to show what they think of the parliamentary inquiry into the £5 million gift Farage received from billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before becoming an MP. There is also controversy surrounding George Cottrell, who was convicted of wire fraud in the US in 2017, paying for Farage’s staff and security. The Metropolitan Police are investigating donations worth £500,000 to Reform from Cottrell’s mother.

BBC journalist Bell emerged as an independent anti-sleaze candidate and won the seat of Tatton, previously a Hamilton and Tory stronghold, with a majority of 11,000. “This wasn’t my victory, it was your victory,” Bell said in his victory speech. “I think you have lit a beacon that will shed light into some dark corners, illuminating the mother of parliaments. This is a message to be heeded.”

It remains to be seen whether Binface will triumph and use the same rhetoric, but the parallels are clear. The sad note is that Bell uttered these words in 1997 and we are still playing the same record almost 30 years later.

There were many discussions in between. They all focus on one thing: the connection between money and power. They, too, follow a familiar pattern: a newspaper exposé (where would society be if journalists did not investigate? A question to keep in mind as Hacked Off and others call for restrictions on press freedom); denials and more accusations; MPs jumping up and down; Serious statements from Number 10 and a formal investigation, a report and, if the person is found guilty, punishment and possible destruction.

The US is getting involved in the fight between Nigel Farage and Count Binface, betting on whether the satirical candidate will become Clacton’s next MP.

Binface has a 65 percent chance of getting at least 15 percent of the votes, according to prediction market platform Kalshi.

According to Kalshi, Nigel Farage has a 92 per cent chance of winning the by-election and Binface has a 92 per cent chance.

On Polymarket, another prediction market, the Reform leader has a 92 percent chance of winning.

This puts him at a seven percent chance of getting more than 40 percent of the vote.