It’s much the same pattern observed in the US, with conservative administrations moving the goal posts and democratic administrations (at least) keeping them, thus steadily moving the country towards authoritarianism.

Source is here: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2025/02/20/c33bd/1

That source allows you to see the results according to political affiliation. Pluralities of supporters of the Conservatives, Labour, and Lib Dems think that supporting Ukraine is more important.

The exception is Reform UK, whose supporters think that good relations with the USA are more important than supporting Ukraine.

Nigel Farage has given up ownership of Reform UK, with the party saying it wants to give more control to its members.

Unlike most political parties, Reform was founded in 2018 as a private limited company, with Farage holding the majority of shares.

This is now being taken over by a newly registered business called Reform 2025 Ltd, according to Companies House filings, with Farage and his deputy Richard Tice no longer holding shares.

Party chairman Zia Yusuf said the move was "an important step in professionalising the party".

The two directors of Reform 2025 Ltd are Farage and Yusuf, according to Companies House. However, it says there will be "no persons with significant control".

...

Ben Habib, who quit the party after being ousted as its deputy leader, welcomed the move.

However, he said the party's constitution was "flawed" and puts Farage's leadership "in a virtually unassailable position".

Under Reform's new constitution, which was agreed at the party's conference in September, members can remove their leader in a no-confidence vote, triggered if 50% of them write to the chairman requesting one.

Reform MPs can also force a vote if 50 of them, or 50% of them, request one. But this only applies if there are more than 100 Reform MPs in Parliament and the party currently only has five.

Under the constitution, only three members of the party's board would be elected, with the remainder made up of the leader and chairman and other members chosen by the leader.

Asked why the board was not made up solely of elected members, Farage told GB News that the party he previously led, UKIP, had a fully elected National Executive Commission and it "became completely and utterly and totally ungovernable".

The Guardian says: "Foreign secretary’s speech comes as UK continues to tread fine diplomatic line between supporting Ukraine and not offending Trump"

Maybe the UK should just offend Trump

Should've been jailed

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/39370190

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson sees the provision of free breakfast clubs in all primary schools as vital to breaking what she calls the “unfair link between background and success” in education. Numerous academic studies show that a good breakfast improves attendance and pupil performance.

But with the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, considering further spending cuts for major departments, concerns are growing among headteachers, unions and charities that the plans will not be properly funded and will lack the flexibility required to be successful.

This weekend, the independent publication Schools Week highlighted how some headteachers in primaries, while enthusiastic about the overall aims, were refusing to take part in an “early adopter” pilot scheme for 750 volunteer schools because only 60p was being provided by the government per pupil.
[…]
Guidance sent to schools taking part in the pilots say they will receive a £500 set-up payment to cover equipment and materials as well as £1,099 for “start-up staffing costs” to cover the summer term. A payment will then be made in arrears, based on the number of pupils taking part.

Lindsey MacDonald, CEO of the charity Magic Breakfast, which has more than 20 years of experience in the field and provides breakfasts to more than 300,000 children and young people every day, said ministers must allow schools to offer a variety of ways to feed pupils, rather than just in formal “breakfast clubs” set up in one hall or building, before the normal school day. This is by far the most expensive model as it requires extra staff to be employed out of normal hours, and does not maximise the chances of all pupils being fed.

The UK hopes to act as a bridge between Europe and Donald Trump’s US, the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has said before what could be a crucial week of diplomacy in deciding Ukraine’s future.

With Keir Starmer expected to travel to Paris on Monday for an emergency summit of European leaders, in advance of a possible trip to Washington the following week, Reynolds said the UK had still not given up on persuading the US to allow Ukraine to join Nato.

The US had a reasonable point in asking European nations to contribute more in defence spending towards the protection of Europe, Reynolds told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

“So that is how Europe has to respond,” he said. “I believe we in the UK can play a part, as that bridge between the US and Europe as we adjust to this new era – and it certainly is a new era.

“But I think it would be wrong to portray this as some sort of fundamental breach. There is still a great deal of common ground between the US and its European allies. We must play our part in strengthening that.”

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, was on Saturday night seeking to convene an emergency meeting of European leaders, including the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, as concerns grew over Donald Trump’s attempts to seize control of the Ukraine peace process.
[…]
The meeting, likely to be held on Monday, is expected to discuss US efforts to exclude European leaders from the peace talks, the position Europe should adopt on Ukraine’s future membership of Nato and how Ukraine can be offered security guarantees, either through Nato or some European force.

Downing Street confirmed on Saturday it had heard about the proposed meeting and officials made clear that Starmer would attend and take messages from the meeting to Washington this week, when he will meet President Trump. UK sources said they believed those invited to Paris by Macron would be the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the UK and Poland.

Starmer said: “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for our national security where we engage with the reality of the world today and the threat we face from Russia. It’s clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine’s future and face down the threat we face from Russia. The UK will work to ensure we keep the US and Europe together. We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face.”

Macron’s speed in trying to unite European leaders behind a joint response shows the extent of anxiety in Europe about US efforts both to control the process and exclude European governments from any detailed negotiations between the US and Russia.

The prospect of Starmer’s involvement also highlights how the UK prime minister is becoming drawn into a European response, despite the UK having left the EU. With European leaders expected to convene in Paris, it is anticipated that Russian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to map out what they intend to be the peace process.

Blackburn with Darwen borough currently has seven rough sleepers on its streets the council's leader has revealed.

Three weeks ago, I was living in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Terre Haute has a population of less than 60,000. Blackburn and Darwen has a population of over 150,000.

Terre Haute has an estimated 500 homeless people.

It will get down to -17 °C there on Wednesday night.

Well she stole from a bank, so I suppose that's ok eh?

Archive link Written by Josiah Mortimer

Keir Starmer’s Government has abolished the role of Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption, with the controversial appointee Lord Walney, aka John Woodcock no longer working for the Government as of tomorrow, Byline Times can reveal.

Woodcock, who is a former Labour MP, was appointed by Boris Johnson’s Government to the position in order to lead a review into tackling political extremism.

However, he was criticised by civil liberties groups after publishing his report under Rishi Sunak’s administration, in which he called for draconian new anti-protest measures, while also being a paid lobbyist for firms with arms industry and fossil fuel clients.

This week Byline Times revealed that Lord Walney’s role was only meant to last six months – but had been held by him since 2021, long after he completed his official report in May 2024.

Walney’s former responsibilities will be transferred to a new expanded Commissioner for Counter-Extremism role, as part of a wider reorganisation of how protest and extremism are monitored.

In a statement, Home Office Minister, Dan Jarvis thanked Walney for his work and confirmed they would now be seeking a candidate for the new role.

As part of the shakeup, the Home Office also confirmed that Conservative-appointed adviser Robin Simcox, the Government’s Commissioner for Countering Extremism (CCE) would also need to reapply for the newly expanded job when it comes up for renewal in July, with the role being advertised for open competition.

Last March, some Jewish Londoners and pro-Gaza campaigners slapped down Simcox’s claim that London had become a “no-go zone for Jews” during the weekly pro-Palestine marches.

Calling for tougher action against the Palestine protests, Government anti-extremism tsar Robin Simcox told the Telegraph: “We will not have become an authoritarian state if London is no longer permitted to be turned into a no-go zone for Jews every weekend… All these things and more have become normalised in the UK.” His comments dominated the paper’s Friday front page and led the BBC’s agenda. Simcox, a right-wing think tanker, was seen as close to the Conservative Party.

In a statement, Home Office Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said: “To continue our fight against extremism and terrorism in whatever form they take we need expert advice and oversight. The role holders will be crucial in those efforts, and I look forward to working with the successful candidates.

“I would also like to thank Lord Walney and Robin Simcox for their work in their respective roles as Independent Advisor on Political Violence and Disruption and as Commissioner for Countering Extremism.”

Lord Walney worked closely with the last Conservative Government after backing Boris Johnson for Prime Minister in 2019. He had left the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn amid an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied.

The Home Office also confirmed that the role of the current Counter-Extremism Commissioner will be expanded to incorporate parts of the Home Office’s ‘Prevent’ anti-extremism programme from Lord Walney. Simcox’s term ends in July.

Byline Times understands Simcox would be able to apply for the new expanded counter-extremism role.

Civil liberties groups have previously expressed concern about the increasing overlap between counter-terrorism powers and the policing of peaceful protest.

The changes mean that after today Woodcock will no longer have any Government responsibilities.

The Background

Walney’s 2024 report called for the Government to “expand the grounds on which a police force can recommend a march is not permitted to go ahead,” implement a blanket ban on face coverings at protests and extend anti-terrorism agencies’ role in policing protest.

It even called for forces to issue guidance on “statements, chants, or symbols that, in the context of a political protest, may constitute a [criminal] offence”.

Woodcock’s role itself is unpaid, with the independent peer earning income through his own lobbying roles with The Purpose Coalition (part of lobbying firm Crowne Associates) and lobbyists Rud Pedersen. Crowne Associates reports having clients in the private healthcare and transport sectors.

Woodcock’s own declaration of interests shows he was the paid chairman of the Purpose Defence Coalition, members of which include Leonardo, one of the world’s largest arms manufacturers, with “extensive links” to Israel’s military. His official report called for tough clampdowns on direct action groups such as Palestine Action, which had targeted defence firms. He was also paid adviser for the Purpose Business Coalition, members of which include fossil fuel giant BP.

Woodcock remains a senior adviser to lobbyists Rud Pederson, clients of which include the fossil fuel commodities giant, Glencore. Glencore has been the target of climate protests in recent years for its role in the coal, oil and gas industries.

The peer’s Government role is officially up for review under a domestic counter-terrorism ‘sprint’ review launched when Labour came to office last July. But there has been no update since the election. Until today.

Hannah Greer, campaigns manager for Good Law Project, told this newspaper earlier this week: “The Home Office told us and MPs that a decision over Lord Walney’s independent advisory role will be made with the completion of the counter-extremism sprint. However, months later and even after the leaking of some of the findings of the sprint, there’s been no update.

“We’ve now written to the Home Office again to demand an answer and to highlight yet more questions surrounding his conflicts of interest, on the back of new information unearthed by Byline Times”.