News Round-Up

“EU plans to overhaul policy forcing nations to take in asylum seekers” – The EU is planning to overhaul the 1951 Refugee Convention that forces nations to take in asylum seekers, reports the Mail.
“Burning a Quran shouldn’t be a crime” – A man has been arrested on suspicion of a “racially aggravated public order offence”. That’s a lot of words to say “blasphemy”, says Brendan O’Neill in the Spectator.
“Man admits burning the Koran in Manchester, ‘triggered’ by his daughter’s death in the Middle East” – A man has admitted a racially and religiously aggravated public order offence after setting fire to a Koran which was live-streamed on social media, according to Rayo. He’s been released on bail is due to be sentenced in April.
“Angela Rayner to set rules on Islam and free speech” – Angela Rayner is planning to create a council on Islamophobia and is lining up a former Tory minister to lead it, reveals the Telegraph.
“Donald Trump hints UK might escape US trade tariffs” – The US President has fuelled fears of a global trade war, vowing levies on the “atrocious” EU and forcing Starmer to choose between Washington and Brussels, reports the Mail.
“Starmer refuses to side with Europe after Trump trade war threat” – The PM says choosing between Brussels or Washington is not an “either/or” question in the wake of a US threat to impose tariffs on EU, reports the Telegraph.
“Reeves to review £700 million tech tax as trade war looms” – Rachel Reeves is gearing up to review a £700 million tax on American tech giants as Trump escalates a global trade war, says the Telegraph.
“Jaguar Land Rover EU factory move backfires as tariffs loom” – Jaguar Land Rover’s decision to build its Defender model in the EU after Brexit is at risk of backfiring as Trump threatens Brussels with sweeping tariffs, reports the Telegraph.
“The era of free trade is well and truly over. We must look out for Britain first” – Trump’s tariffs may backfire domestically, but in the meantime we must do everything in our power to protect ourselves, says Robert Tombs in the Telegraph.
“Britain’s growth forecast slashed after tax rises shatter business confidence” – Britain’s growth outlook has been slashed for 2025 as the economy struggles with tax rises, high borrowing costs and a slump in business confidence, reports the Telegraph.
“Starmer voice coach travelled between lockdown tiers in new rule-breaking row” – Keir Starmer’s personal voice coach appears to have travelled more than 50 miles between lockdown tiers to meet him while Stay at Home orders were in place, says the Sun.
“Pity poor Leonie Mellinger, voice coach to Keir Starmer” – Some jobs are from Hell. Voice coach to Sir Keir Starmer is one of them, writes Quentin Letts in the Mail.
“Starmer hands prisoners pay rise at cost of £4.4 million” – Labour has handed prisoners their first pay rise in eight years at a cost of £4.4 million, according to the Telegraph.
“Angela Rayner signs off on council tax rises of up to 10%” – The Deputy PM has given six councils permission to raise bills beyond the ‘maximum’ 5% and without the need for a local referendum, reports the Express.
“Reform UK leads Labour in YouGov poll for first time” – For the first time, Reform UK leads Labour in a YouGov poll, hitting 25% as Labour drops to 24% and the Tories to 21%, according to GB News.
“Turn the clock back and scrap the Supreme Court” – In the Telegraph, Charles Moore argues that Britain should reverse Blair’s reforms by restoring the Lord Chancellor to power and abolishing the Supreme Court’s constitutional role.
“Ed Miliband will crucify your savings along with the economy” – The ‘high priest of Net Zero’ is importing hardship and poverty – and doing nothing to ameliorate climate change, says Brian Monteith in the Telegraph.
“CDC holds no evidence for claim that Covid vaccines do not alter DNA” – The CDC and Australia’s TGA claim Covid vaccines don’t alter DNA – but they have no evidence, and internal emails show they knew it was possible but stayed silent, writes Rebekah Barnett on her Substack.
“Vaccine injury groups – Anna Morris KC’s closing statement” – The UK Medical Freedom Alliance highlights Anna Morris KC’s fierce closing statement at the Covid Inquiry, slamming the broken social contract and demanding justice, compensation and care for the vaccine-injured.
“Dirty deeds done dirt cheap” – On the WATN? Substack, Profs Martin Neil, Norman Fenton and Mr Law expose the rejection of their paper on the “cheap trick” – a long-standing statistical sleight-of-hand misclassifying the vaccinated as unvaccinated – as proof that peer review remains as captured as ever.
“Surrogacy is a huge business – and an exploitative one” – Surrogacy is a booming $18 billion baby trade where the rich buy, the poor sell and mothers are mere waste products in a world where every part of a woman is up for grabs, says Suzanne Moore in the Telegraph.
“Take Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans seriously, not literally” – The US President is trying to force Middle Eastern leaders to take more responsibility for the Palestinians, writes David Christopher Kaufman in the Telegraph. And that’s a good thing.
“Canada folds to Trump’s demands and strikes $1.3 billion border deal” – Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has announced a 30-day pause on swingeing tit-for-tat tariffs and said he would push ahead with a massive round of border security measures after crisis talks with President Trump, reports the Mail.
“Trump’s tariffs are already bearing fruit” – The US President seems to be using the tariffs for coercive rather than revenue-raising purposes, notes Tim Stanley in the Telegraph.
“All the shocking ways USAID spent your money” – The Mail breaks down some of the most shocking ways the Agency for International Development has spent US taxpayer money.
“Trump sets Government dark with web pages stripped from internet” – More than 8,000 web pages from across the Government have been taken down as President Trump demands the federal workforce comply with new orders destroying DEI, reports the Mail.
“The railway blob has taken virtue-signalling to extremes” – Rather than fix abysmal service failures, Network Rail is putting on a spectacular display of navel-gazing nonsense, says Ben Marlow in the Telegraph.
“This ruin reveals everything that’s wrong with the National Trust” – After it was gutted by a fire ten years ago, Clandon Park has been left half-destroyed. Why has the National Trust refused to rebuild it? asks Simon Heffer in the Telegraph.
“Even the Green party is shunning Stonewall” – At long last, Stonewall’s toxic influence on free speech, equality law and government policy is coming to an end, says Julie Bindel in the Spectator.
“Ibram Kendi moves from Boston University to Howard University” – The Why Evolution Is True blog tracks Ibram X Kendi’s move from his struggling Antiracist Center at Boston University to Howard University, where he will lead a new institute, despite questions over his leadership.
“The BBC always knew that Russell Brand was a lout” – If you regret having sex with Russell Brand in a disabled lavatory, then perhaps don’t go into a disabled lavatory with Russell Brand and take all your clothes off, says Rod Liddle in the Spectator.
“SNP drops idea of cat ban after mockery” – John Swinney has insisted that the Scottish Government “is not going to be banning cats or restricting cats”, according to the Herald.
“Columnist Sarah Vine’s car ‘rammed by Porsche in road rage attack’” – Sarah Vine says her car was rammed by another driver in a road rage incident while driving through South West London with her daughter, reports the Standard.
“This one is for you” – Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria dutifully clapped at the height of the pandemic. But were they clapping for ‘essential workers’ such as voice coaches?

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