UK Border force on standby to aid 6000 Britons in Lebanon amid rising fears of war between Hezbollah and Israel
“Border Force officers are being deployed to help up to 6,000 trapped Britons flee Lebanon amid rising fears of a war between Hezbollah and Israel. Some UK officers have already been sent to Lebanon to work with consular and military staff in helping Britons already seeking to leave the country after appeals to do so by Sir Keir Starmer. A bigger contingent of Border Force officers are on 24 hour notice ready to fly to the region in the event that Britain has to start evacuating stranded workers and families. The Prime Minister has also not ruled out deploying troops on the ground to evacuate Britons from Lebanon if necessary” – Daily Telegraph
- PM tells UK nationals to leave Lebanon ‘now’ as British troops sent to Cyprus – The i
- Middle East is on the brink of ‘all-out war’, Biden warns: Israel prepares for a ground assault of Lebanon to pound Hezbollah with ‘blows it could never imagine’ as Britain scrambles more forces to save 10,000 stranded Brits – Daily Mail
- US and its allies call for 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah – FT
- France and US push for 21-day Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire in Lebanon as UN chief warns ‘hell is breaking loose’ – Guardian
Comment:
Military briefing: The intelligence driving Israel’s ‘victory doctrine’ against Hizbollah –FT
Is this the end for Hezbollah? – Michael Karam The Spectator
>TODAY Why Hezbollah’s new commanders are trapped between seeing their arsenal bombed and provoking an Israeli invasion – Garvan Walshe
UK public awareness of military threat is ‘alarmingly low’
“The British public has an “alarmingly low” awareness of the threats facing the country, and the UK army is “inadequate” to meet its Nato commitments, the Lords defence committee has said. In a hard-hitting report, released on Thursday, the committee said that even spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence — which the government has pledged to do — “may not be enough” to fix the military. “The public’s awareness of the true state of the UK’s defence posture is alarmingly low [and] the mindset of a nation under genuine threat is absent,” it said.” – FT
Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised for “sin taxes”, and talking down the NHS
“Drinkers and smokers face being clobbered in a Budget “sin tax” raid to boost Treasury coffers. But pub chiefs fear the move — which could see prices hiked for beers, cider and spirits — would be a crushing blow for beleaguered boozers. The fresh threat comes as Health Secretary Wes Streeting — who previously insisted he’s not the “fun police” — called for a national debate on an outdoor smoking ban. And earlier this week health minister Andrew Gwynne caused alarm when he mooted a licensing law overhaul to cut opening hours. The idea was quickly quashed” – The Sun
- “Wes Streeting ‘spooking’ the sick and facing backlash over repeated claims that the NHS is broken, health leaders warn” – Daily Mail
- NHS to use ‘Formula 1 pit stop’ approach for crack teams of surgeon – The Times
- Keir Starmer Covid broadcast urging work from home came from donor’s £18m penthouse – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
Wanted: a plan to reform the NHS – Henry Hill, The Critic
To fix the NHS, Labour need better spin doctors – CapX
Starmer faces down criticism on freebies, winter fuel payment defeat, Union pay deals, and Sue Gray’s pay in BBC interview
“Sir Keir Starmer has said that public servants like Sue Gray should not be the subject of “public debate” as he defended his chief of staff. The prime minister sought to draw a line under angry briefings against Gray by some senior Labour figures, as she travelled with him to the United Nations in New York. Asked if he would sack Gray or the people in government voicing frustration with her, Starmer said he would not discuss individual staff members. “I don’t believe that my staff should be the subject of public debate like this, and I’m not going to play any part in it,” Starmer told the BBC” – The Times
- Sue Gray’s salary is not for the public to debate, says Starmer – Daily Telegraph
- ‘I’m not working class any more’: Sir Keir Starmer admits after it was revealed Prime Minister had paid off the mortgage on his £2million townhouse – Daily Mail
- The Tories have also challenged Sir Keir seemingly using £20k accommodation freebie so his son could study for GCSEs – The Sun
- Labour crackdown on non-doms may raise no money, officials fear – Guardian
- Keir Starmer warned he has ‘lost Labour Party support’ after winter fuel vote humiliation – Daily Express
- ‘It changes nothing’: Labour MPs dismiss vote against winter fuel payment cut – The i
- Woe? No, it’s all grow. Sir Keir Starmer hits back at claims he’s spreading ‘doom and gloom’ and talking UK down – The Sun
Comment:
Is anyone convinced by Starmer’s feeble excuses? Brendan O’Neill, Daily Telegraph
Can Labour deliver a government that works? – Andrew Haldenby, CapX
Spluttering Streeting steps in on final day of Labour’s misery-fest – Madelaine Grant, Daily Telegraph
Labour plans US style reforms to let prisoners ‘earn points’ to cut jail time
“Ministers are drawing up plans for Texas-style prison reforms that would enable inmates to earn points to reduce their time behind bars by taking part in workshops. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, plans to visit the US state later this year to see how Britain could emulate its success in reducing its high prison population and rate of reoffending. Prisoners in Texas can reduce the time they serve in jail by earning credit for good behaviour. They also accumulate points by participating in courses aimed at tackling the underlying causes of offending such as drugs.” – The Times
- “Inmates could do classes to cut prison time under Texas-style reforms” – Guardian
- “Revealed: Wife beaters among those on the run after 37 prisoners were incorrectly freed under Keir Starmer’s early inmate release scheme – as system blunder sparks chaos” – Daily Mail
Comment:
“Why Labour is looking to Texas for prison reform” – The Times
Net zero costing Britain ‘billions’ more than needed, warns Tory ex-minister
“Britons’ energy bills could be cheaper if the Government ditches “clunky old rules” about power generation, a former Tory minister has said. John Penrose, an MP from 2005 to 2024, called for the modernisation of the country’s energy system to lower costs and decarbonise faster. He warned that getting to net zero was costing “billions of pounds more than it needs to” without these improvements. The former MP said: “Families and businesses are facing enormous energy bills that are much higher than they should be, because of ‘clunky old’ rules”– Daily Express
News in Brief:
Michael Gove is the new editor of The Spectator – Fraser Nelson, Spectator
Quango Watch: Who really decides UK immigration policy? – CapX
Labour needs to kill Britishcore A nation’s identity must go beyond terminal mediocrity – Unherd
