13 h. ago Man passed details on minister to police posing as Russian spies, UK court told

Howard Phillips gave information on then defence secretary Grant Shapps for ‘easy money’, prosecutor saysA retired man passed on the personal details of the then defence secretary, Grant Shapps, to two undercover police officers, believing them to be Russian intelligence operatives, for “easy money”, a court has heard.Howard Phillips, 65, was struggling financially and in the process of applying for a job at UK Border Force when he was approached by the undercover officers, who were posing as Russian agents called Dima and Sasha, Winchester crown court heard. Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago We should focus on what Kneecap are concerned about, says Swinney

The First Minister was mentioned at the rap trio’s show in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Politics

18 h. ago ‘They can’t stop us’: Kneecap hit back against Swinney at Glasgow gig

The band played a sold-out O2 Academy show after their spot at TRNSMT was axed following calls from the First Minister and warnings from police.

Events

40 h. ago Trump promises to send Ukraine 10 Patriot missiles after weapons U

Ukrainian officials say they are grateful but number is ‘minuscule’, as defence ministry seeks details on policyDonald Trump has promised to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, after announcing on Monday that US weapons deliveries would resume days after they were halted by the Pentagon, according to an official familiar with the matter.Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday they were grateful for the US president’s U-turn but described the number of Patriots being supplied to Kyiv as “minuscule”. Ukraine’s defence ministry said it was seeking to clarify the details. Continue reading...

Events

43 h. ago UK government backs French police immobilising small boats, minister says

Heidi Alexander says new tactics are ‘welcome’ and would prevent people leaving French shores to cross ChannelUK politics live – latest updatesFrench police slashing the boats of people smugglers was not “pleasant” but the right tactics, a UK cabinet minister has said, saying the government welcomed the new tactics from the authorities.It comes as Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are expected to announce new plans for French police to do more to block small boats crossing the Channel when the French president arrives for his state visit in London this week. Continue reading...

Politics

63 h. ago Top South African official accuses police minister of colluding with crime syndicates

A South African security official has accused top police leaders of colluding with crime syndicates

Politics

4 d. ago Voices: Could Nigel Farage do worse as prime minister? You better believe it

We ought to take Reform seriously as a possible party of government – and Nigel Farage as a possible PM – so let’s give his ideas the scrutiny they deserve, writes John Rentoul

Politics

6 d. ago Keir Starmer must improve or Nigel Farage will be the next Prime Minister

Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Keir Starmer must learn from the failures of strategy and policy if he is to thrive as Prime Minister.

Politics

6 d. ago Austria deports man with criminal conviction to Syria for first time since fall of Assad

The 32-year-old was granted asylum in 2014, but lost his refugee status because of his recordAustria has returned a Syrian with a criminal conviction to his birth country in what it described as the first such deportation since the fall of the Assad regime.“The deportation carried out today is part of a strict and thus fair asylum policy,” Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago The Guardian view on Labour’s welfare rebellion: Starmer must learn from his mistakes | Editorial

A poorly devised cuts policy was mis-sold as reform and MPs were dismissed when they pointed out the problemA clash between the government and Labour MPs over disability benefits was foreseeable long before this week’s Commons rebellion. That doesn’t mean a crisis was inevitable. Compromise might have been reached before the 11th-hour climbdown that averted a defeat in parliament.The conflagration that burned a lot of Sir Keir Starmer’s authority was all the greater because trust had broken down. The twin causes were failure of political judgment in Downing Street and bad policy. The prime minister underestimated the potency of MPs’ objections to the withdrawal of personal independence payment (Pip) from disabled people, and overestimated the capacity of his whips to bully and cajole his party into accepting the changes.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to...

Politics

8 d. ago John Swinney urged not to drop Scotland's ban on cash for weapons in face of Russia threat

The First Minister said he could 'reconsider' the SNP's longstanding policy against directly funding munitions amid the threat from Putin.

Events

8 d. ago How Labour welfare vote rebellion compares to previous revolts by MPs

Keir Starmer has suffered a blow inflicted by his own Labour MPs, but how does it stack up against previous votes under other prime ministers, including Tony Blair’s controversial policies on university tuition fees and the Iraq war?

Politics

9 d. ago Lesotho activist arrested after video on unemployment rates angers prime minister

Tšolo Thakeli had long campaigned on youth joblessness, but a post questioning Sam Maketane’s promises on work creation landed him in prisonIt took a single video complaining about Lesotho’s unemployment rate to turn Tšolo Thakeli into the prime minister’s enemy. Within a day of posting there were armed police at his door.It was Father’s Day, and the 31-year-old father of two was in his pyjamas when they arrived. He had no idea his post would land him in trouble; after all, he had campaigned for a long time, under different governments, for action on jobs for young people. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Cannabis bigger danger than heroin and must be changed to class A drug, top cops say

Fourteen top cops have written to the policing minister Diane Johnson calling for weed to be upgraded which could land suppliers in jail for life

Events

1 week ago Cannabis 'is worse for our society than heroin,' police tsars say

More than a quarter of police and crime commissioners have written to the policing minister calling for cannabis to be upgraded to a class A substance.

Events

1 week ago Hampstead Heath Ladies' Pond faces legal action over 'failure to bans trans women despite Supreme Court ruling'

The famed women-only bathing spot has maintained its trans-inclusive policy pending a 'review' in spite of the UK's highest court ruling in April that trans women are not legally female.

Events

1 week ago Air stewardess Brit smiles and chats to guards as she leaves court following latest appearance before judges over drug smuggling in Sri Lanka where she faces 25 years in prison

Despite the gravity of the charges, Charlotte Lee, from Couldson, south London , seemed to be in high spirits as she walked down the stairs of the court.

Events

2 w. ago Swinney says sorry to Gypsy Travellers for ‘trauma’ of the ‘tinker experiment’

Scottish First Minister John Swinney made clear the policies, pursued between 1940 and 1980, were ‘wrong’.

Events

2 w. ago New corruption scandal, same old story? Why Spanish politics keeps failing to clean up its act | María Ramírez

With the prime minister now mired in scandal, a culture shift is towards accountability is crucialMaría Ramírez is journalist and deputy managing editor of elDiario.esOn 31 May 2018, Pedro Sánchez, then the socialist opposition leader, delivered a powerful speech introducing the motion of no confidence that led to him becoming prime minister for the first time. It was a passionate speech, laced with detail. His target was the serving conservative PM, Mariano Rajoy, and his central argument for ousting Rajoy was the widespread corruption in the governing party, which Spain’s highest criminal court had confirmed just days earlier.“Corruption acts as a corrosive and profoundly harmful force for any nation. It erodes society’s trust in its leaders and consequently weakens the authority of the state. But it also strikes at the very root of social cohesion,” Sánchez said. “Corruption undermines faith in the rule of law when it is left to run rampant or when there is no political response ...

Politics

2 w. ago Why defeat on unpopular welfare reforms could prove to be the end of Starmer

After less than a year as prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion on a crucial policy which could leave him severely weakened or even force him out, warns David Maddox

Politics