The process of repealing the 2004 Hunting Act is set to begin within a month, reports The Telegraph, following meetings between David Cameron and senior colleagues to discuss how to organise a free vote. However, pro-hunting campaigners fear that the
Teachers, students and parents rallied at a French school this week in support of a pupil who received death threats for publishing an edition of the school newspaper in support of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, reports AFP. The 17-year-old student
A secretary at the Bank of England (BoE) has exposed its secret taskforce investigating the economic risks of a UK exit from the European Union working under the name ‘Project Bookend’. The BoE’s cover appeared to be blown when a
John Bryant, a veteran animal rights activist standing for election to the ruling council of the RSPCA, has called for all pets to be neutered and likened their situation to slavery. He wants pet ownership “phased out” and all breeding
The government of the Netherlands yesterday approved a bill for a partial ban on Islamic face-covering veils worn in public, rejecting a stricter ban previously proposed by Geert Wilders. Those choosing to ignore the new law by wearing a burqa
The parent company of Rockstar Games, developers of Grand Theft Auto, is suing the BBC over an upcoming film telling the story of the creation and phenomenal success of the best-selling action video game series and legal censorship battles which
Germany’s famous Spreewald gherkins, so iconic a regional speciality they receive the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication, are under threat. International competition is not to blame, not yet, rather it is the country’s own politicians introducing a higher minimum wage that
In an extraordinary meeting held last night Thanet District Council (TDC), the first authority in the country to be controlled by UKIP, took a significant step towards fulfilling the party’s key election manifesto pledge to reopen Manston airport following its
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, the eighth century public house listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the UK’s oldest, has faced down pressure from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and refused to change its name. Since
A group of 10 suspected illegal immigrants, including one juvenile, has been discovered hiding in the boots of Maserati cars en route from the Italian factory to a dealership in Surrey. The stowaways, who police believe are from Vietnam, were
The European aerospace and defence giant Airbus said yesterday that it would reconsider investment in the UK if the country chose independence from the European Union in the promised in/out referendum. In doing so the company contradicted previous comments it
Anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi groups have been using social media to promote a demonstration “against Jewish privilege” in London. In a deliberately provocative move, the rally is scheduled to take place at Golders Green, the heart of London’s biggest Jewish community,
Fears that Nigel Farage’s warning of a “real and genuine threat” of Islamic State (IS) fighters entering Europe posing as migrants are accurate were confirmed last night with the arrest of a major terrorist suspect near Milan. The 22-year-old Moroccan, Abdel Majid
This evening at the Annual Dinner of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) the organisation’s President, Sir Mike Rake, will use his speech to boost the “In” campaign for the promised in/out referendum on the European Union. A 1,000-strong audience
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made a characteristically combative appearance before the European Parliament yesterday, drawing fire from some MEPs. He took the opportunity to return to recent controversies that arose following comments he made on the death penalty and immigration.
Sunday 24 May marks the first anniversary of the murder of four people by a French jihadist at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels. Since that attack, Jews have also been targeted by Islamists in both Paris (with the
The French Minister of State for European Affairs yesterday ruled out his country’s support for any British renegotiation of European Union treaties ahead of the promised referendum on membership. He insisted that the basic principles of the EU, specifically referencing
It didn’t take long. Within a fortnight of the general election the Scottish National Party has been tempted into revealing that it may break the party’s long-standing position of not voting on matters that only affect England. If a free
UKIP leader Nigel Farage MEP, Douglas Carswell MP and deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans MEP publicly offered UKIP’s support yesterday to those calling for what they argue is a fairer voting system. This follows what analysts claim is the most disproportionate
In the aftermath of its recent defeat, the Labour Party faces further turmoil and division in the four months before the new leader is announced in September. Infighting has broken out involving both trade unionists and senior politicians differing on
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), one of Britain’s largest conservation charities, faces a hefty fine for chopping down trees without a licence after up to 100 acres of highland forest was cleared during bog and peatland restoration
EU foreign and defence ministers are meeting today to approve a naval mission to destroy boats used by people-smugglers operating in the Mediterranean out of Libya. The scheme under discussion represents a break from the usual conduct of EU affairs
A poll taken across the UK has found that most Britons believe Scotland will be independent within the next decade. Those polled in England were more sure of Scotland’s future with 59% believing it will be independent by 2025 as
Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, today announced the findings of its investigation into ‘Ukip: The First 100 Days’, Channel 4’s “ground-breaking and provocative fictional documentary set in a fabricated future where UKIP have won the 2015 general election.”
“God has enabled the soldiers of the caliphate to cleanse all of Ramadi” announced Islamic State (IS) on Sunday night as the capital of Iraq’s largest province, Anbar, fell to the extremist Islamic terrorists. The loss of the city, just
Following the premature end to Chuka Umunna’s leadership ambitions, his fellow MPs are setting about the traditional process of exposing the Labour Party’s dirty laundry in public. Splits are appearing between former Cabinet colleagues over their party’s financial record with
Adding to similar comments made by the Governor of the Bank of England earlier this week, newly-reappointed Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the Financial Times he wants to see a renegotiated deal with the EU “as fast as possible” in
Following the most difficult 24 hours of his party leadership, Nigel Farage’s position at the top of UKIP appears to be safe. There will now be a change of direction and tone at the top of the party following the
Bono, lead singer of Irish rock band U2, has defending his band’s tax efficiency measures following accusations of hypocrisy. Speaking to Sky News Bono explained that while he and fellow band members paid a lot of tax they merely wanted
One year after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that people could force search engines to remove links deemed “inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive” from search results – the so called “right to be forgotten” – it has been announced that Google
Signalling a return to normal service following the end of coalition government in the UK last week, Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May has come under attack from former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown regarding her stance on resettling African migrants
On a slow news day reports of civil war within the upper echelons of UKIP were stoked by those keen to pronounce the political death of both Nigel Farage and the party he leads. The BBC excitedly declared the party
Britain’s referendum on membership of the European Union must be held “as soon as necessary” according to Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he warned that business uncertainty fuelled by concern
David Cameron’s newly-elected Conservative government will include a counter-terrorism bill in this month’s Queen’s Speech designed to confront “head-on the poisonous Islamist extremist ideology.” The measures were first considered in 2013 following the murder of the British soldier, Fusilier Lee
Analysis of last week’s general election results has shown that in seat after seat the Labour Party lost to the Conservative Party by margins smaller than the vote share taken by UKIP in the same constituencies. Senior Labour figures admit
Britain, the EU’s 8th largest state in terms of area, will overtake Germany to become the EU’s most populous nation by 2060 according to the “2015 Ageing Report” published by the European Commission yesterday. The population is projected to rise to
The International Trademark Association (INTA) has joined the legal battle against plain packaging for tobacco products in order to champion property rights. In doing so it stands alongside the governments of the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia and Ukraine. Those countries
In casting around for who to blame for losing last week’s UK general election other than themselves, Labour supporters in Britain have found a new target for their anger – American Republicans. The in-house journal of the liberal left, the
For the third time this year a secular blogger critical of Islam has been murdered on the streets of Bangladesh. Four masked men attacked Ananta Bijoy Das as he left his home on Tuesday morning to work at a bank,
Gay-themed traffic lights have been introduced to Austria’s capital city, host of next week’s Eurovision Song Contest. Reuters reports that pedestrian crossings in central Vienna have been altered to show male or female couples with hearts replacing the usual single, gender-neutral
