Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that Britain is starting to have a “mob rule” because of the protests against the Israel-Hamas war. According to a human rights group, his remarks were too theatrical and hyperbolic.
Sunak spoke to a group of police officers and said that he has noticed a growing trend of violent and threatening behavior. This behavior is meant to silence discussions and prevent elected officials from doing their job.
“More and more people agree that mob rule is taking over instead of democratic rule,” he said, according to a transcript from the prime minister’s office. “We all need to quickly make a change together. ”
Tom Southerden from Amnesty International said on Thursday that when people talk about mob rule, they are making the problem seem much bigger than it actually is. This could make peaceful protests seem less legitimate.
Many people are protesting in London every week to stop a fight that has killed over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel says that Hamas has killed about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and kidnapped around 250 people in October. 7 people tried to hurt someone or something.
The protests have mostly been calm, but many people have been arrested for holding signs and chanting in support of Hamas, which is not allowed in Britain. Jewish groups and many politicians say the large marches have made Jewish people in London feel scared, even though some Jewish people have also joined marches for peace.
Disagreements about the fighting in Gaza are causing problems in British politics. Some politicians are worried about their safety because they have been threatened for their views on the war. Reports of more hate towards Jewish and Muslim people in Britain have gone up a lot since October when Hamas did something. Israel was attacked, so they went into Gaza.
Last week, a discussion in the House of Commons about whether to ask for a stop to fighting turned into a mess. There were claims that the speaker of the house broke the rules because of pressure from people who support Palestine.
During the argument, people showed a message on the Parliament building that some think means they want to destroy Israel.
On Saturday, Sunak stopped Conservative official Lee Anderson from being in the party because he said London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim, was influenced by Islamists and let them take control of the city.
Protesters who support Palestine were at a Conservative lawmaker’s house. Environmental activists also went to Sunak’s family home in northern England.
The prime minister met with police chiefs to discuss the 31-million-pound fund to make sure lawmakers are safe. This is because some politicians have been threatened and intimidated because of the war.
At the meeting on Wednesday, the government told police chiefs that protesting outside of politicians’ homes should be seen as intimidating.
Sunak instructed the officers to take strong action to protect our democratic processes from being threatened, disrupted, or undermined.
British officials usually meet with people in their local areas, but security has been increased because of past attacks. In 2016, a Labour politician named Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist. In 2021, a Conservative named David Amess was murdered by someone who was influenced by the Islamic State group.
Sunak said these things after the government started making it harder for people to peacefully protest for several years. New laws have been made to stop behaviors that are considered bothersome to the public. People who are found guilty of this may be put in jail for up to 10 years. The police now have more authority to control protests that they believe are causing trouble. Many environmental activists have been taken by the police and put in jail for stopping traffic and doing other peaceful actions.
“Being able to speak and gather with others are very important rights in a fair and free society,” explained Southerden, who is the director of law and human rights at Amnesty U. K
The United Kingdom “These past few years, the government has been cracking down on people’s right to protest. They’re making it illegal to use peaceful protest tactics and giving the police a lot of power to stop protests from happening,” he said.
People in Rochdale, a town in northwest England, voted on Thursday to choose a new lawmaker. The election campaign was messy because of the war in Gaza. The Labour Party rejected its candidate, Azhar Ali, because he said that Israel let Hamas enter Gaza. 7 attacks were planned as an excuse to invade Gaza.
His name is still listed as an option to vote for, along with other people running for office. These include George Galloway, a former member of the Labour party who is against their position on the Israel-Hamas conflict, and Simon Danczuk, another former Labour politician who now supports the right-wing Reform U. K
Tag: Sunak
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UK sliding towards mob rule – Sunak
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I was caught off guard by the £1,000 Rwanda wager – Sunak
The prime minister was surprised when he agreed to bet £1,000 on his policy about Rwanda.
Rishi Sunak said he doesn’t like to take risks, but he also said it wasn’t a mistake to promise deportation flights before the next election after shaking hands with Piers Morgan from TalkTV.
On BBC Radio 5 Live, Mr. Sunak said he was trying to show that he is fully committed to the policy.
Labour said it proves that he doesn’t understand the needs of working people.
Opposition parties criticize Prime Minister for betting £1,000 on Rwanda.
What is the UK going to do with asylum seekers by sending them to Rwanda.
MrSunak said he understands the financial struggles of regular families and doesn’t agree with people who say he doesn’t.
The money raised from the bet will go to charity and it is more than the £900 payments given to households on means-tested benefits.
The prime minister wanted to reduce inflation by half by the end of last year because people were struggling with high living costs. He said that inflation went down from 11% to 4%, which makes it easier for families to afford things.
When asked if he knew about the struggles of poor families, Mr. Sunak said he felt upset to hear that some parents don’t have enough money to buy proper baby formula for their babies.
He said that reducing taxes helped families who work, and also gave a lot of money to help the people in society who need it the most.
“He said that many people are getting the help they need. ”
The Prime Minister promised to keep prices from going up and to send some people seeking asylum to Rwanda. It is meant to stop people from crossing the Channel, and is an important part of Mr Sunak’s promise to “stop the boats”.
However, the plan has been delayed because of legal problems, and no flights to deport people have taken off yet.
Mr Sunak said he is really committed to this policy and really wants to make it happen in parliament and get it started.
The government wants to make Rwanda a safe country with a new law. But the House of Lords needs to agree to it first, and some people there don’t like the idea.
The government still wants to have flights taking off by the spring.
During an interview on TalkTV, Mr. Morgan dared the PM by saying, “I bet you £1,000 for a refugee charity that you won’t get anyone on those planes before the election. ”
MrSunak said, “I want to help people get on planes” as he shook hands with the presenter.
MrSunak thinks there will be an election in the second part of this year. And it has to happen by the end of January 2025.
Opposition parties have criticized Mr. Sunak for making the decision.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said that when people get an unexpected bill of £1,000, they worry about how to pay their mortgage and buy food for their children.
The prime minister doesn’t realize how important that much money is. Sunak is really disconnected from reality.
The SNP said they told on Mr Sunak for maybe breaking the rules for ministers with the “disgusting” bet.
The party’s Cabinet Office spokeswoman, Kirsty Blackman, has asked for an investigation into whether Mr Sunak broke the rules for government ministers. She wrote to the PM’s independent adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
In her letter, she talked about the rules that say ministers should make sure there is no problem between their job and their personal interests. They also should not take any gift that could make people think they are not making fair decisions or owe something to someone. -
UK is not looking for conflict with the Houthis – Sunak
The UK will attack Houthi targets in Yemen again if they keep attacking ships in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
Mr Sunak said the UK doesn’t want to fight with the Iran-backed group, but will defend itself if necessary.
It comes after the US attacked Yemen overnight.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he supported the “focused action”.
Speaking to the members of the House of Commons on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak said: “We don’t want to argue. ” We ask the Houthis and their supporters to stop these illegal and unacceptable attacks.
However, if needed, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to defend itself again.
“We can’t just watch these attacks happen without doing anything about it. ” Not doing anything is also a decision.
On Monday night, the US and UK worked together to launch strikes for the second time since they last did on January 11th.
Since November, the Houthis have attacked lots of ships in the Red Sea, which is a very busy place for ships.
The pro-Hamas group is attacking Israeli ships because of the military operation in Gaza.
Mr Sunak said that the military had to act against the Houthis as a last option because they didn’t listen to warnings. -
MPs support Rwanda bill as Sunak defeats Tory rebels
Rishi Sunak got his important Rwanda bill approved by the House of Commons, despite a rebellion from some members of the Conservative party not happening.
The bill to prevent legal challenges against sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was passed with 320 votes for and 276 votes against.
Many Conservative party members thought the bill was wrong and had said they would not support it, but in the end, only 11 of them voted against it.
The bill will now be reviewed by the House of Lords, and it’s expected to meet strong resistance.
Mr Sunak thinks that sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda will stop others from trying to come to the UK by crossing the Channel in small boats. But the Labour party thinks this plan is just a costly trick.
The government wants to start the flights to Rwanda by the spring.
The prime minister will give a speech at Downing Street about the policy at 10:15 GMT.
In the last two days, some Conservative Party MPs have tried to make changes to the bill. They say that, without changes, the government’s plan for Rwanda could be stopped by the courts.
On Wednesday, ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick proposed a change that would allow the UK government to not follow some human rights laws when sending people to Rwanda.
Mr Jenrick suggested a change that would make sure that government officials will always say no to temporary orders from the European Court of Human Rights that come at the last minute.
This rule stopped a flight to Rwanda in June 2022.
The amendment was not supported by Members of Parliament but 61 Conservative members backed it – the largest rebellion during Mr. Sunak’s time as leader.
Some Members of Parliament said they might not vote at all or vote against the whole bill if it didn’t change.
If about 30 Conservatives had voted against the bill, it could have failed. This would have hurt the prime minister’s power a lot and could have been very bad for him.
However, only 11 Members of Parliament, including Mr. Jenrick and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, voted against it.
Other members of the Conservative party on the list are Miriam Cates, Sir Simon Clarke, Mark Francois and Danny Kruger.
Eighteen Conservative Members of Parliament didn’t vote, but some might have just missed the vote instead of intentionally choosing not to vote.
Danny Kruger, a Conservative, voted against the bill. He said some of his colleagues supported the bill even though they were worried about it, to avoid causing problems in politics.
Sir Simon Clarke, who is against the bill, said: “All Conservatives want the Rwanda policy to work well. Some of us are worried about the bill, but history will show who was correct.
Labour did not like the bill. Yvette Cooper, who is in charge of home affairs for Labour, called the policy a “expensive trick” because it has not yet sent any asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Home Secretary James Cleverly supported the plan by saying that it clearly shows if you come to the United Kingdom illegally, you can’t stay.
“He said that this law was carefully written to stop the cycle of court battles. ”
The argument about the law showed that Conservatives are still divided. On Tuesday evening, two deputy chairmen, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, gave up their positions to vote for the changes proposed by rebels.
Mr Clarke-Smith supported the bill at the end, even though he had worries about it, while Mr. Anderson did not vote.
One person opposing the government told the BBC that the vote tonight won’t be the last decision.
If the House of Lords decides to send back changes that make the bill less strong, some Conservative MPs might propose different changes to make the bill stronger.
The new law may face even more resistance in the House of Lords, where many members are worried about if it follows the rules of international law.
Crossbench peer Lord Carlile, a top lawyer and former independent reviewer of terrorism laws, said that although peers won’t stop the government, the Lords have a duty to safeguard the public from the government doing things that are not legally correct or principled.
He told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that we have seen in other countries the harm caused when governments think they are more important than the courts because of their political goals.
“This is a move towards a totalitarian government, which the United Kingdom usually disapproves of. ”
Mr Sunak will ask the other leaders to pass the bill quickly so that the policy can start.
However, some members of the conservative party who oppose the bill disagree and think that planes will still be stopped from flying due to legal challenges even after the bill is passed.
Chris Philp, who works for the government, said on BBC Breakfast that they want flights to start in the spring.
He downplayed disagreements in the party and said that almost everyone agreed that the bill was a good idea and a big step forward for the Conservative side.
On Wednesday, the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, said that he would give the money back to the UK if they didn’t send any asylum seekers to his country.
The UK has already given £240 million to the east African country and plans to give another £50 million.
A Rwandan government spokesperson said that they don’t have to give the money back, but they will think about returning it if the UK asks.
In Westminster, a person from Downing Street said they are not trying to change the Civil Service rules to say that emergency orders from the European Court of Human Rights should be ignored.
Earlier in the day, Minister Michael Tomlinson from the Home Office said the government was considering changing the rules, but later No 10 said they were not trying to change them.
The Cabinet Office said that civil servants should follow a minister’s decision to not listen to court rulings. -
Yemeni strikes meant to be temporary measure – Sunak
The US and UK worked together to attack Houthi targets in Yemen, but it was meant to be a small and one-time thing, according to Rishi Sunak.
The prime minister didn’t say if he would use the military again after the rebel group attacked more ships in the Red Sea.
He said the UK will protect our security, our people, and our interests when needed.
Labour supported the “targeted action”.
However, Sir Keir Starmer, the leader, said in the meeting that any military action must have a clear plan behind it.
He said that the attacks could still cause problems and “we need to prevent things from getting worse in the Middle East”.
The Houthis, a group that runs the north of Yemen and its capital Sanaa, have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea since November.
On Thursday, the US and UK launched air attacks on Houthi military sites in retaliation.
Mr Sunak told MPs that the government thinks all 13 planned targets were destroyed, and there’s no proof of civilian deaths yet.
He said the action taken was fair in self-defence and was not meant to make the situation worse.
He said this after American officials said the Houthis shot a missile at a ship owned by the US near Yemen.
Before, the UK Maritime Trade Operations security agency said that a ship near the city of Aden in Yemen was hit by missile fire.
Mr Sunak was asked if he will do more military action if he needs to, he said, “I won’t guess about what might happen in the future. ”
We only wanted to do one thing, and we hope the Houthi’s will stop their attacks now.
Sure We will protect our security, our people, and our interests as needed without hesitation. -
Sunak to “exonerate” postmasters connected to Horizon controversy
The government is considering the idea of clearing the names of all postmasters who were part of the Horizon scandal.
Over 700 Post Office branch managers were found guilty of crimes because a computer mistake made it look like money was gone from their stores.
The problem has become important again after a TV show called Mr. Bates vs the Post Office aired. The Metropolitan Police have said they are now investigating the Post Office for criminal activities just days after the show.
Rishi Sunak told the media that the justice secretary is considering clearing all postmasters involved in the scandal.
He was asked if the government would take away the Post Office’s power to investigate and punish people. He said, ‘The justice secretary is thinking about this and it wouldn’t be right to make a decision before that. There is legal complexity but he is looking at these areas.
‘Everyone is very surprised and upset by the things that have happened recently. It is a terrible mistake in the justice system. ’
It happened in the 90s, but now we can see and hear about it again. It was a terrible mistake that hurt a lot of people, and it’s important that they get the justice they deserve. Compensation schemes are meant to help them get that justice.
The government has given £150 million to thousands of people so far.
‘We want to give the money to people as soon as we can, so we can make interim payments of up to £600,000. ’
‘There are three options to choose from and if you are impacted, you should speak up. ‘
At the same time, people affected by the Horizon scandal feel very upset and say it has been very difficult to get the money they should have received.
Lee Castleton used to be in charge of a small post office, but he has gone broke because he had to go to court and was told to pay a lot of money.
He said: “The victims are very upset and scared. ” It has been 25 years and £135 million has been given to some of the victims, but we have also paid over £150 million to lawyers.
“These lawyers are being very demanding and it’s tough. ” The plans are hard.
‘We are just regular people. ‘ We have lawyers on our side, but it’s really tough and feels like a battle.
“Why would the Post Office and DBT be responsible for compensating the victims. “ -
Revolt over Rwanda bill put down by Sunak
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has overcome a disagreement within his party about the Rwanda bill, but he still needs to work hard to pass it through Parliament.
The law passed its first test in the House of Commons with a lot of support, but there will be more votes in the new year.
None of the Tory MPs voted against, but some people who don’t fully agree with the party chose not to vote.
The rebels said that the Prime Minister had told them he would think about making the bill stricter.
However, doing this may cause some moderate Conservative Members of Parliament to withdraw their support. They have cautioned that they would resist any future changes that would violate international law.
The new law was created to support the government’s idea to send some refugees to Rwanda.
The government wants to stop migrants from using small boats to cross the Channel. Sunak thinks this is very important.
Nervousness in Downing Street about a close result made Climate Minister Graham Stuart come back from a climate conference in Dubai to vote.
However, even though some conservative members threatened to vote against the bill, only members from the opposing party actually did, and the bill was approved with 313 votes in favor and 269 against.
About 29 Conservative Members of Parliament, including former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, decided not to support the bill and chose to abstain.
In total, 37 Tory MPs didn’t vote. Some of them might not have been able to go to the vote instead of choosing not to vote.
Just before the vote, five groups of lower-ranking MPs said they couldn’t agree with the bill the way it is.
They want to suggest changes to the bill. They also said they might vote against the bill in the new year if their changes are not accepted.
Mark Francois, who leads a group on the right side of the party called the ERG, didn’t vote. He said to BBC News: “We didn’t vote because we don’t think the bill is strong enough to guarantee that flights will go to Rwanda. ”
The prime minister said he would consider making the bill stricter. “He said that we believe what he said. ”
“Many members of parliament supported the government’s vote. ” Because they were told in private that changes would be made later.
However, if the government agrees to their requests, it will cause more problems.
The One Nation group, made up of over 100 Tory MPs, suggested that its members should vote for the bill. However, they also said that they would not support any changes that would make the UK government break the law or its agreements with other countries.
Matt Warman, a member of the group, said on the BBC’s World Tonight program that they don’t want the bill to break international law. Anything that breaks those laws is not an option.
He said that we might be able to find a fair agreement as we continue working on this bill.
It might be harder to pass stricter laws in the House of Lords.
Damian Green, the head of One Nation, told BBC News that the vote had less people not voting than he thought and that if the government keeps their position, they can probably pass this law without changes.
Chris Philp, who is the Home Office Minister, said that the government is willing to consider suggestions from MPs on how to make the bill better.
“Government ministers will talk to members of Parliament to see if they can make the bill stricter and better so that there are no ways to get around it,” he said.
Ben Bradley, a member of the Common Sense Group in Parliament, said on BBC Newsnight that sometimes practicality needs to be balanced with beliefs. What is the most powerful thing we can deliver compared to what is completely flawless.
The bill wants to make it a rule in UK law that it is okay to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, because the Supreme Court said the old policy was not allowed.
However, some people in the party’s conservative wing say that it is not powerful enough right now to stop legal challenges to deportations.
A spokesperson from No 10 said that this bill is the strictest law ever brought to Parliament. It also makes it clear that the Parliament is the highest authority, not any court from another country.
“We will now work to make sure that this bill becomes a law so that we can have flights to Rwanda and stop the boats,” said the spokesperson.
Labour, along with other parties, voted no on the bill. They said that if they win the next election, they will get rid of the plan for Rwanda.
The money given to Rwanda could be used to stop groups that smuggle people.
Yvette Cooper, who is a member of the Labour party and speaks for them on home affairs, said that the Conservative party’s disagreements are still going on, and it is causing problems for the country.
“Today’s debate showed that Rishi Sunak is not very strong, and the problems within the Tory party are still going on into the new year. “ -
‘Weak’ Rwanda strategy put out by Sunak will not succeed – Jenrick
Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick said Rishi Sunak is choosing to bring back the Rwanda asylum plan in a way that probably won’t succeed.
In his first talk since leaving his job, Mr. Jenrick told the media that the proposed law was not strong and would face a lot of legal challenges.
However, he mentioned that the Prime Minister had decided to go ahead and introduce it.
He said he won’t vote for the bill on Tuesday.
The government has made a new law to restart its plan to send people looking for asylum in the UK to East Africa, because the old plan was said to be against the law by the Supreme Court last month.
The law wants to say that Rwanda is a safe place for refugees in the UK. This means flights won’t be stopped because of legal issues.
But, when talking to BBC One’s Sunday program with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr. Jenrick said the law as it is now would still allow many different legal complaints that will slow down our plan.
“I believe they decided to propose a bill that won’t work,” he said.
He said that the plan for Rwanda might lead to a few symbolic flights, but it wouldn’t stop enough people from coming to the UK in small boats to seek asylum.
The plan to bring back the program has caused different beliefs among Conservative lawmakers. Sunak needs their support to make sure the plan moves forward in Parliament next week.
Last week, the prime minister said in a news conference that the new immigration law is very strict. People arriving in small boats can only challenge it in court if they have strong proof that they are in serious danger.
Some liberal Tories think it goes too far in trying to go around the courts and could make the UK break its promises to refugees.
Some people in the party’s right side think the plan isn’t good enough and will still face problems with the law.
Mr Jenrick said that he and other Conservative MPs want to convince government ministers to make the new law in a better way. He also said he wants the law to be effective and to stop people from doing bad things.
On the same show, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the government’s law is strong and legal.
He also said that there would be very few legal challenges. -
Starmer questions Sunak on his ties with China and David Cameron
Sir Keir Starmer has challenged Rishi Sunak over David Cameron’s appointment as foreign secretary, raising concerns about his links to China. The Labor leader asked when there would be “full public disclosure of your work to support China’s interests”.
Sir Keir cited Lord Cameron’s previous work for a Chinese investment fund which he said may have been “engineered by the Chinese state”.
The Prime Minister said Sir Cameron had “wonderful experience”. Defending his appointment, Mr Sunak said he would help the UK navigate “an uncertain world”. He added: “Like all other ministers in government, he will follow the usual procedure with independent counsel. ”
The former prime minister made a surprise return to the cabinet as part of Mr Sunak’s dramatic reshuffle on Monday, when he sacked Suella Braverman as home secretary.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “The Prime Minister clearly cares so little for his own MPs that he had to remove David Cameron from his seven-year exile in a shepherd’s hut sheep and appointed him Foreign Minister.
Raising concerns about Mr Cameron’s interests in China, the Labor leader highlighted his previous role as vice-chairman of a Sino-British investment fund.
He cited a report released by the National Assembly’s Intelligence and Security Committee earlier this year that said it was possible that the role was “partly designed by the Chinese state to lend credibility to Chinese investments. ”
China, as well as Chinese brand image in a broad sense. ”
In response, Mr Sunak said: “China represents a historic challenge. That is why we have taken strong and robust measures to protect against the risk it poses. ”
When he was Prime Minister, Sir Cameron hailed a “golden age” of closer ties between Britain and China. Since leaving Number 10, some of his business activities have also involved China. For example, he gave a speech supporting investment in a new port in Sri Lanka, which was strongly supported by Beijing.
Relations between Britain and China have been strained in recent years, with tensions over issues including the crackdown on human rights in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Last year, Mr Sunak declared the “golden age” was over, calling closer economic ties over the previous decade “naive”.
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Hospital explosion ‘misreporting’ had negative effect on area – Sunak says
Sunak says that spreading misinformation about the incident at the Gazan hospital had a bad impact in the area, including on an important US diplomatic effort and on tensions within the country.
“He says we should learn from our mistakes and in the future, we should take more time before making a decision,” he tells the members of Parliament.
The people in charge of Gaza (Hamas) said that Israel purposely bombed the Al-Ahli hospital last week.
Israel has accused Islamic Jihad, a militant group in Gaza. Islamic Jihad said that they did not have anything to do with the explosion. -
Israel-Hamas conflict could spread to the Middle East – Sunak
Rishi Sunak stated that the actions done by Hamas are terrible, and there is no good reason for them. He said this while a large number of people were protesting in central London against Israel’s restriction of movement in the Gaza Strip.
The prime minister came back from a very fast tour of the Middle East where he had urgent discussions with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt about how to stop the situation from getting worse and war from happening.
He emphasized that the fighting between Israel and Hamas could lead to more conflicts in the surrounding area.
The Prime Minister said that everyone they talked to this week strongly believes that we must do everything we can to prevent a spreading conflict in the area.
‘We should continue to aim for a future with peace and stability as we unite against terrorism. ‘
He left just as President Biden announced that President Sisi of Egypt agreed to open the Rafah crossing so that 20 trucks of aid could enter Gaza.
Sunak said that the opening represented what is possible through diplomacy.
He said: ‘The opening of the Rafah crossing into Gaza shows how diplomacy can work, with the US, Israel, and Egypt making an agreement to make sure that essential help gets to the Palestinian people. ‘
We are working closely with Egypt to make sure that the UK helps provide Palestinians with the important things they urgently require, such as food, water, and medicine.
The Prime Minister and the foreign secretary both went on separate trips to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar at the same time.
James Cleverly said that he wants British people currently stuck in Gaza to be able to leave by using the Rafah crossing. He acknowledged that it is currently not safe for them to do this.
‘At the end, we want the Rafah crossing to be safe enough so that people from other countries in Gaza can go away,’ he said to the Sunday Times.
We will only call British citizens forward to leave Gaza when we are sure they will have enough time to leave safely. But right now, we are not able to do so.
He mentioned that they were working closely with the Egyptian government, Qataris, and other countries in the area, like Israel, to create a stable situation for a considerable period of time. This stability would allow British citizens to have a real chance of leaving the region safely. -
Sunak’s remarks diverge significantly from Biden’s caution
Benjamin Netanyahu made very clear comments. He labeled Hamas as the “new Nazis”, the “new Isis” and “monstrous barbarians”, and presented the conflict as a fight between Western civilization and the “axis of evil” led by Iran.
He also said that the war will last for a long time and emphasized the importance of ongoing support. He also implied that Western governments should not be hesitant or uncomfortable when Israel’s retaliation becomes more intense.
The UK PM Rishi Sunak believed it was important to show support for Israel.
However, there were some clever and careful things in his speech – he told Israel to try their best to avoid hurting innocent people, even though he said it in a positive way because he was sure that Israel would do it, unlike Hamas.
He also talked about the rules that countries agree to follow and emphasized the importance of help for people in need.
However, the message from the US President to not let anger control us was not as serious.
And as many Western leaders visited Israel one after another, Sunak also played his role in showing Iran that if a bigger conflict were to happen in the region, there would be negative outcomes. -
Sunak promises to support Israel during its ‘darkest hour’
Rishi Sunak promised to support Israel during its toughest times and expressed his desire for Israel to succeed in its conflict with Hamas.
After a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli counterpart, the Prime Minister said that the Palestinian people are also suffering from the actions of Hamas.
He said that the UK agrees with Israel’s ability to protect itself, as allowed by international law.
Mr Netanyahu said that Israel needs ongoing help for a lengthy period of conflict.
The two leaders are meeting as part of Mr Sunak’s two-day visit to the broader area. Number 10 has stated that he will go to Saudi Arabia later today, along with visiting other cities in the region.
The Israeli Prime Minister compared the Palestinian militant group to the Nazis, and described the conflict with Hamas as a battle that involves all civilized countries.
Israeli warplanes and artillery have been continuously attacking Gaza after an unusual Hamas attack on Israel resulted in the death of over 1,400 people on 7 October.
Gaza is still being restricted, with Israel stopping the delivery of water, electricity, and fuel.
Talking to the press after the meeting with Mr. Sunak said that the UK fully supports Israel’s ability to protect itself, but it should do so while following the laws of the international community.
The UK prime minister said that Israel is being very careful to avoid hurting innocent people, which is completely different from what Hamas is doing.
He also said that he was glad that Israel announced on Wednesday that it would allow aid to enter southern Gaza from Egypt.
Israel has said that it will not let any help go through its own land until the people captured by Hamas in an earlier attack are set free.
After meeting Israel’s president Isaac Herzog before, No 10 said Mr Sunak has expectations for more positive advancements in providing help to Gaza.
Before, the leader of the government said that Israel had experienced a very terrible act of violence committed by Hamas.
The visit is happening right after US President Biden’s visit, because world leaders are working hard to stop the conflict between Hamas and prevent it from affecting the whole area.
After visiting Israel, Mr Sunak will have a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while he is in Saudi Arabia. We have not yet figured out the specific plans for the rest of the trip. -
Sunak calls for advancement in Israel-Gaza aid discussions
Rishi Sunak wants to continue helping Gaza after meeting with the Israeli president, according to Downing Street’s statement.
A spokesperson for the British Prime Minister said that he talked about the problem with President Isaac Herzog after reaching Israel for a two-day trip to the area.
He is also having discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Western leaders try harder to stop the conflict with Hamas from getting worse.
Downing Street said that Mr. Sunak is pleased with Israel’s announcement on Wednesday about allowing aid to reach southern Gaza from Egypt.
Israel says it will not let any help go through its land until Hamas releases the people it kidnapped during their recent attack.
Mr Sunak and President Herzog both agreed that it is very important to provide immediate help to the people in Gaza who are in need of humanitarian support, according to a spokesperson from 10 Downing Street.
The UK prime minister said that he really hopes that they can make more progress in getting important food, water, and medicine to people.
Mr Sunak expressed gratitude to the Israeli president for helping British citizens affected by the attacks, including the families of British hostages, according to No 10.
The leaders promised to keep working very hard to free them, the statement said.
Western diplomatic trips refer to the visits made by diplomats from Western countries to other countries for the purpose of carrying out diplomatic activities and building relationships.
Before, Mr Sunak said Israel experienced a terrible act of terrorism done by Hamas, and the UK supports Israel.
The visit is happening just after President Biden’s visit, as leaders from around the world are trying harder to stop the conflict with Hamas from spreading to other areas.
After his visit to Israel, Mr. Sunak will go to other important cities in the area. His exact schedule is uncertain because many security and diplomatic elements are involved.
The journey, which happens after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s trip on Tuesday and Mr. Biden’s 24 hours later, shows that the Western leaders are working together.
These countries, called the Quint, include the US, UK, Germany, France, and Italy.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, will come to visit Israel soon.People close to Mr. Sunak said that besides supporting Israel and advocating for humanitarian aid to Gaza, he would also stress the importance of Israel conducting a ground invasion in a calm and measured manner.
Mr Biden’s visit was not the main focus of attention because there was a powerful explosion at a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday, which caused the loss of lives.
The United States stated that the explosion seemed to be from a rocket that Palestinian militants tried to launch but didn’t work. This supports Israel’s explanation of what happened.
The hospital was hit by an Israeli air strike, according to Palestinian officials.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Chancellor Sunak stated that British intelligence agencies are trying to find out who caused the explosion. He advised Members of Parliament not to make hasty decisions without proper evidence.
In a later statement, Mr Sunak said: “The attack on Al-Ahli Hospital should be an important moment for leaders in the area and around the world to work together to prevent more dangerous escalation of conflict.
The prime minister is visiting Gaza because Israel has warned about launching a ground attack there. People are worried about the living conditions in Gaza.
Israeli warplanes and heavy weapons have been attacking Gaza since over 1,400 people died in a huge attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October.
Over 3,000 people have died in many air attacks on Gaza by the Israeli military.
After Hamas attacked, Israel stopped the delivery of fuel, water, food, and medical supplies to the area. They are also asking for the release of many people who were taken hostage into Gaza by Hamas.
Over one million people in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes. Gaza is extremely crowded, and there is not enough of necessary items like food and water.
Mr Sunak said that the UK is working nonstop to rescue hostages who were captured by Hamas.
At least seven people from Britain have been confirmed as dead after the attack on Israel. The UK government said that they are still looking for nine more UK citizens who have not been found.
In the meantime, James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, met with his Egyptian counterpart while he was on his own trip to the Middle East.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said they talked about ways to prevent the conflict from getting worse and how to send help to Gaza. Cleverly will also have meetings with leaders in Turkey and Qatar soon. -
Sunak calls for widespread immigration reform in Europe
Rishi Sunak wants Europe to work together to handle the increasing amount of people coming into the continent without following proper procedures.
At a special meeting of European leaders in Spain, the prime minister said that the situation was not right and cannot continue in the long term.
He asked for new and creative solutions for the migration problem in Europe. This means that he wants to stop people who smuggle others into the continent and make the borders more secure.
On Thursday, the prime minister asked European leaders to work quickly to deal with illegal migration. This request was made in an article written together with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in The Times newspaper.
The duo mentioned that the current plan is not effective and we need to work together more closely and take stricter actions to stop the people who help others illegally immigrate.
Italy has had over 100,000 migrants arrive on its shores this year, which is five times more than the UK.
During the summit, Mr Sunak and Meloni led a meeting with other leaders. They reached agreements with Belgium, Bulgaria, and Serbia to combat criminal networks. This would be achieved by sharing more information and collaborating more closely in their actions. Serbia is an important country for migrants coming into Europe and moving through.
The summit is a meeting of 47 leaders from European and non-European countries. They are part of a new organization called the European Political Community, which was created last year after Russia invaded Ukraine. The main point of this is to talk about the war, but it is also a chance for leaders to have broader, less formal talks.
Even though Mr Sunak spoke out against the UK getting closer to the European Union in his speech, he does seem more open to working with other European countries on immigration, which was one of his important goals during the election.
He said he will stop the little boats with people coming from other countries from coming across the English Channel. Even though the numbers are lower than last year, more than 20,000 people have already come this year.
We do not know yet if other European leaders have the same priorities as Mr. Sunak, or if they might work together on common goals. EU countries, especially, have had a hard time coming to an agreement on how to divide the challenges of migration.
The EU agreed on Wednesday to change its internal asylum rules. This will make it simpler for countries such as Italy and Greece to receive assistance from other EU members when there is a sudden increase in irregular migration. Some EU countries, including Spain, want to talk about new ways for people to migrate legally.
But Mr Sunak is mainly concentrating on dealing with the main reasons for the problem, which are criminal people smugglers. This would need countries from both inside and outside of the EU to work together more closely.
In a statement before the meeting, Mr. Sunak said that the amount of people migrating illegally to mainland Europe is the highest it has been in almost ten years. Many people are dying in the ocean due to the actions of people who smuggle them. This is wrong and cannot continue. We cannot let bad groups decide who enters Europe.
When it comes to dealing with the problems caused by Russian President Vladimir Putin, dealing with the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence, or addressing illegal migration, it is better to work together and be united.
“I will be talking about these problems that go beyond one country and need innovative solutions that cover all of Europe with my fellow leaders at the European Political Community summit in Spain today. ”
Mr Sunak also said that more help will be provided to Ukraine for humanitarian reasons. He also talked about how Western allies can assist Ukraine in increasing its grain exports.
The government has shared information saying that Russia is getting ready to put explosive devices in the sea near Ukrainian ports.
The Foreign Office wants to prevent Ukrainian grain from being sent out of the country by going after civilian ships that transport it through the Black Sea. -
Would be illegal to forbid trans students from changing pronouns at school – Lawyer
Per to reports, a government attempt to forbid trans youngsters from changing their name or donning a different school uniform was defeated when attorneys cautioned that such a prohibition would be illegal.
Rishi Sunak was supposed to provide new transgender guidance for schools by the end of the week, but it’s understood that as a result of the advise, the announcement has been postponed.
The Times reported that a previous version of the guidelines let kids to socially transition with their parents’ permission, which would allow them to change their name or pronouns at school and wear a different uniform.
But the newspaper said that an effort by Sunak and Kemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, to ban the behaviour instead has run up against legal advice.
Attorney-general Victoria Prentis is believed to have been asked whether such a ban would be possible, and to have come to the conclusion it would not under current legislation.
A government source described social transition to The Times as allowing children to ‘act as though they are the opposite sex’.
They said: ‘We have consistently said that this is about protecting children, empowering parents, and supporting teachers and school leaders by providing guidance for them to implement.
‘It’s a complex and sensitive area and it’s right we get it right.
‘More information is needed about the long-term implications of allowing a child to act as though they are the opposite sex and the impact that may have on other children too.’
Social transition can involve someone using a different name, getting a haircut or wearing clothes to match their gender identity.
Earlier this month, Tory backbencher Miriam Cates told the Sun on Sunday: ‘I really think that anything other than a ban on schools socially transitioning children is wrong.’
But Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has previously described efforts to stop social transition from taking place in schools as ‘unreasonable’ – particularly when parents have given their consent.
She told The Times last month: ‘It’s a tricky subject but I think parental consent is the key driver for this. Schools aren’t there as doctors or parents. They are there as educators.
‘Parental consent is the most important thing. Parents are responsible for their child.’
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Sunak suffers as UK court declares Rwanda deportation plot illegal
A British judge has indicated that Rwanda cannot be regarded as a safe third country, hence the government‘s contentious plan to deport asylum applicants there is unconstitutional.
In a major setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has pledged to deter people from arriving across the Channel in small boats, three Court of Appeal judges on Thursday said the “removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda” would be “unlawful”.
“The deficiencies in the asylum system in Rwanda are such that there are substantial grounds for believing that there is a real risk that persons sent to Rwanda will be returned to their home countries where they face persecution or other inhumane treatment,” judge Ian Burnett said, but added that he, himself, disagreed with the other two judges on this point.
The United Kingdom government has been planning to deport asylum seekers to the East African country as part of a 120 million pound ($148m) deal to deter people from crossing the English Channel from France in small boats.
Asylum Aid director Alison Pickup said many of her clients were breathing a sigh of relief.
“Some of them have experienced torture, they’ve had very traumatic journeys, and have been waiting for over a year to find out if they will be able to make a case in the UK – or if they will be sent to Rwanda, a country they know nothing about,” Pickup told Al Jazeera.
She added that the ruling will “hopefully give them that reassurance of safety”.
Sunak under pressure
As well as fighting against criticism from his own right-wing party and the public on migrant and refugee arrivals, Sunak is dealing with stubbornly high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.
Sunak made “stop the boats” one of his priorities and hopes a fall in arrivals might help his Conservative Party pull off a win at the next national election.
The Rwanda plan was announced in April last year, but the first deportation flight was blocked by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which imposed an injunction preventing any deportations until the conclusion of legal action in Britain.
In December, the High Court ruled the policy was lawful, but that decision was challenged by asylum seekers from several countries, along with human rights organisations, who blasted the plan as “cruel”, “inhumane” and “neo-colonial”.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman in April said Rwanda was a safe country for the resettlement of asylum seekers but declined to set any deadline for the first deportations there.
The government has put forward a series of bills aimed at curbing migration that have been strongly criticised by civil society.
In March, it proposed a contentious new law that would allow authorities to deport people arriving on its shores via small boats across the English Channel that divides the island from France.
Several charities and human rights groups criticised the plan – known as the Illegal Migration Bill – saying it criminalises the efforts of thousands of genuine refugees.
More than 45,000 people entered by crossing the channel in 2022, according to government figures – a jump of more than 17,000 from the previous year’s record.
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Sunak to address trade issues with Biden
The United States’ Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has expressed his anticipation to engage in discussions with President Joe Biden regarding the notable investment package in green industries.
On the plane to Washington DC, Mr Sunak said “subsidy races” were not a solution to hitting climate goals.
Some British ministers have criticised Mr Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as harmful to world trade.
The law includes $370bn (£297bn) to boost green technology in the US.
In a drive to cut carbon emissions, billions in tax credits and subsidies has been allocated to speed up the production of solar panels and wind turbines, and encourage the up-take of electric cars.
The European Union has described the law as anti-competitive, while earlier this year, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said the package was “dangerous because it could slip into protectionism”.
It is expected to be one subject of discussion when Mr Sunak meets Mr Biden for the fourth time this year, for talks at the White House on Thursday, following meetings with business leaders and senior politicians.
The prime minister’s spokesman suggested Mr Sunak would also talk about boosting green tech, the war in Ukraine, and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
Tensions over the global implications of Mr Biden’s economic package have been building ahead of the visit, Mr Sunak’s first official trip to Washington DC as prime minister.
The UK government has said it had no plans to emulate the scale of the US plans, prompting accusations from Labour that the UK could fall behind in a global race to attract future industries.
During his flight to Washington, reporters asked Mr Sunak if there was anything Mr Biden could do to ease the economic impacts of his package on the UK.
“It’s something that he [President Biden] and I have discussed in the past and you’d expect us to continue discussing it,” Mr Sunak said.
When asked whether Mr Sunak accepted President Biden’s argument that a resilient economy sometimes required a protectionist approach to key sectors, the prime minister referenced a joint statement issued by the G7 at the end of its latest summit in Japan.
The statement, he said, “makes it very clear that G7 countries don’t believe in protectionism as the answer to this challenge and also don’t believe in in subsidy races that are zero sum”.
There have been reports his trip could see the two sides unveil a critical minerals pact that would allow British carmakers that export electric vehicles to the US to benefit from some of the tax credits offered to American firms.
The US signed such a deal with Japan earlier this year, and has entered into talks with the EU.
However, one area where progress has stalled is over a wider UK-US free trade deal, where President Biden has put talks on ice, leaving the UK to deepen trade ties through less comprehensive mini-deals with around 20 states.
AI regulation
Another area where Mr Sunak hopes to hold discussions is the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), where Mr Sunak is seeking to carve out a role for the UK as a global player.
The prime minister is hosting a global summit on AI regulation in the autumn, and has reportedly expressed an interest in the UK hosting any new international regulator for the emerging technology.
However, the extent to which the UK will be able to shape new global rules outside the EU is unclear, with the UK now shut out of key gatherings between European and American regulators such as the Tech and Trade Council (TTC).
The two leaders will also discuss the war in Ukraine, which is expected to enter a decisive period soon, with signs a long-awaited counter-offensive from Ukrainian forces may have begun.
It comes after Ukraine blamed Russia for the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in Russian-held Ukraine, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. Moscow has denied destroying the dam, instead blaming Ukrainian shelling.
Speaking to reporters on the plane to the US, Mr Sunak said it was “too soon” to make a “definitive judgement” on whether Russia was behind the attack.
But he said if Russia were found to be responsible, it would “demonstrate the new lows that we will have seen from Russian aggression.