Author: UK News

Jess Phillips admits fears over her personal safety after Elon Musk social media attacks Jess Phillips has spoken about her fears for her life for the first time since Elon Musk unleashed a torrent of abuse against her over the child grooming scandal. The safeguarding minister found herself at the centre of an international storm when she decided not to agree to a national inquiry into child grooming and rape across towns in the north of England because one had already been conducted. The attacks were led by the X social media platform boss who described her as “a witch”…

Much of Wednesday’s newspapers continue their front page coverage of the ongoing spat between the UK and Elon Musk – and the latest from the Trump inner circle. 

The cheapest supermarket of 2024 has been named – and it’s not Lidl The cheapest supermarket in 2024 has been revealed by consumer website Which?. Using an independent price comparison website, the research tracked thousands of grocery prices across eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose – to find out how much each shop was charging for everyday items throughout the year. And the winner is… Aldi. The German discounter beat its supermarket rival Lidl as the cheapest. The results showed a December shopping list of 56 groceries cost £100.29 on…

Jess Phillips says her ‘world turned upside down’ by Elon Musk social media attacks Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has spoken about her fears for her safety after Elon Musk unleashed a torrent of abuse against her over the child groming scandal. Ms Phillips found herself at the centre of an international storm when she decided not to agree to a national inquiry into child grooming and rape across towns in the north of England because one had already been conducted. The attacks were led by the X social media platform boss who described her as “a witch” and a “rape…

A New year’s Budget blow for Prime Minister Keir Starmer as retailers have issued a warning of the impact of the budget with price hikes and job cuts. Retailers will be particularly hard hit by chancellor Rachel Reeves’s planned hike to employers’ national insurance. Retailers warn of price hikes and job cuts The British Retail Consortium and global accounting firm KPMG said costs are projected to eclipse sales growth this year, forcing traders to pass higher prices onto consumers. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the crucial quarter between October and the end of December had “failed to give 2024 the send-off retailers…

The ongoing spat between the prime minister and Elon Musk continues to dominate the UK news cycle this Tuesday morning. 

Labour to crack down on deepfakes and sharing of illicit intimate images Ministers are to crack down on sexually explicit deepfake images, as the practice will become a criminal offence. Those who take intimate images of other people without their consent, or who install equipment to take these pictures, could meanwhile face up to two years behind bars under new offences. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said perpetrators of the new offences would “face the full force of the law”. Labour to crack down on deepfakes and sharing of illicit intimate images https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-crackdown-sexually-explicit-deepfake-images-b2674818.html

This is the moment fed-up commuters helped undercover police officers catch an alleged pick-pocketer on the London Underground. Footage shows a man being arrested on suspicion of pickpocketing as angry Londoners shout on the Northern Line platform at Leicester Square station. A plain-clothed police officers can be soon pushing the suspect against a wall. One woman in a white coat shouts: ‘I want to punch you. No one cares.’ She can be heard shouting to the man to ‘f*** off’ while holding him as he is placed under arrest. But was so enraged she warned by the officer to back…

A Metropolitan Police officer has admitted causing death by careless driving after knocking a rider off his moped. Constable Ian Brotherton was driving at 47mph in a 30mph zone in Enfield, north London, in October 2023 as he responded to an emergency call with the car’s lights and sirens on. He drove through a red light in Southbury Road and collided with 26-year-old moped rider Cristopher De Carvalho Guedes, who was turning right into Baird Road. Cristopher was taken to hospital, but he died the next day. Brotherton was charged after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct…

One of the prisoners behind the savage attack with a tuna can lid on Sara Sharif’s father has been unmasked as the killer of Sarah Mayhew, it has been alleged. Urfan Sharif, who is serving a life sentence in the high-security prison HMP Belmarsh for the murder of the little girl, was battered and sliced by fellow inmates in a cell on New Year’s Day. Sharif reportedly suffered cuts to his face, and it is alleged that he received medical treatment inside the in london prison. Steve Sansom, who murdered Sarah Mayhew in 2024 before scattering her body parts around…

A man has been charged with helping Daniel Khalife, the former British army soldier who passed secrets to Iran, after his escape from prison. Imran Chowdury 25, allegedly assisted the inmate after he broke out from HMP Wandsworth in south London. Khalife bolted for freedom by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery truck in September 2023. At the time, he had been placed in the jail on remand after being arrested for spending two years spying for Iran’s regime while serving with the Royal Signals Regiment. He spent 75 hours on the run as the Metropolitan Police deployed…

A prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate in his cell has been sentenced to 15 months in prison. Footage of Linda De Sousa Abreu and prisoner Linton Weirich at HMP Wandsworth in south London was widely shared on social media last summer. The video shows the pair having sex while De Sousa Abreu’s radio crackles with messages in the background. Weirich’s cellmate filmed the liaison on his phone, and can be heard saying: ‘This is how we roll in Wandsworth.’ At another point, someone appears to try to come into the cell, and the camera operator…

A group of youths caused chaos as they raided a busy Apple store in the middle of the day on Sunday. Video footage shows a security guard shove one person away from the shop door as at least seven others, dressed in black, storm in. Panic then spread through shopped already inside the tech store in Brent Cross shopping centre, north London. As the robbers plucked electronic devices off tables, parents with children fled outside. Seconds after entering, the robbers then sprinted away with their haul. Six teenagers, aged between 14 and 18 have been arrested. A Met Police spokesperson…

Weather UK latest: Man’s body found near Yorkshire river as dozens rescued from flooded homes Fresh weather warnings are in place for Tuesday morning across the UK as heavy rains, flooding and snow continue to disrupt travel and cause school closures. One man has died in the winter storm impacting much of the country, with North Yorkshire police saying a body pulled from floodwater near the River Aire has been formally identified. The man’s next of kin are still being informed. Snow and ice warnings are in place across most of southwest England and Wales, and parts of northwest England…

Full list of school closures across UK as snow and ice warnings issued The information below has been gathered from local council websites by The Independent. Scotland Aberdeenshire Moray Highlands England – West Yorkshire Bradford Kirklees Leeds Wakefield England – Lancashire Burnley Chorley Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Pendle Rossendale England – County Durham England – North Yorkshire England – Cheshire England – Derbyshire Wales – Wrexham Wales – Flintshire Full list of school closures across UK as snow and ice warnings issued https://www.independent.co.uk/weather/uk-snow-school-closures-weather-warnings-b2674877.html

Who is Rupert Lowe? From unpopular football chairman to Musk’s candidate to lead Reform after Farage fallout Elon Musk called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as Reform UK leader – and has since appeared to endorse Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP, as his possible successor. The US tech billionaire turned on Mr Farage after the party leader distanced himself from Mr Musk’s support of Tommy Robinson. Reform UK needs a new leader, Mr Musk said on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, before adding: “Farage doesn’t have what it takes.” Hours later, Mr Musk said: “I have not met…

Has there been a UK grooming gangs inquiry, what were the results and why are there calls for a new one? Billionaire and owner of X Elon Musk has attacked Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour government over its response to grooming gangs in the UK. Pressure has mounted on the prime minister after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips denied requests for the Home Office to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation and grooming in Oldham. The tech billionaire triggered an attack on the government on Thursday, as he suggested Ms Phillips “deserves to be in prison”. He also…

Elon Musk’s father tells public to ignore son as Starmer hits out at billionaire’s lies: Live Elon Musk’s father has urged the public to “ignore” his son in response to a growing row over grooming gangs. The billionaire’s father, Errol Musk, told LBC that “people don’t have to listen to what he says”. “I’d say don’t worry about it. Tell him to get lost,” he added. The Tesla owner launched a series of baseless attacks on Sir Keir over grooming gangs, while also calling for the release of jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson – a development which saw him turn…

Man charged with sending malicious communications to Labour MP Jess Phillips  A man has been charged with sending malicious communications to Home Office Minister Jess Phillips just days after criticism from Elon Musk. Devon and Cornwall police confirmed that a man was charged following three reports of malicious communications in a case involving three victims. The revelation comes just hours after Sir Keir Starmer came out fighting on behalf of Ms Phillips, saying the “poison of the far right” had led to “serious threats” to the safeguarding minister. Man charged with sending malicious communications to Labour MP Jess Phillips https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jess-phillips-elon-musk-grooming-gangs-man-charged-b2674643.html

New snow warnings as cold snap causes travel chaos, school closures and flooding Fresh snow and ice warnings have been issued as freezing weather is continuing to cause travel chaos, school closures and multiple major incidents to be declared due to widespread flooding that has left children stranded. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said it declared a major incident in response to widespread flooding across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland on Monday morning, after receiving more than 200 calls. Crews have freed cars stuck in flood water, evacuated residents from flooded homes, and rescued at least 17 members of the…

Starmer hits back at Musk and Tories over rape gangs claim, attacking those ‘spreading lies’ and ‘amplifying far right’ Beth Rigby, the Sky News political editor, also asks about Elon Musk, and about his attacks on Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister. Starmer says that he thinks most people are more interested in the NHS “than what’s happening on Twitter”. But he says he does want to address in detail this issue. Let me start with this, child sexual exploitation is utterly sickening, utterly sickening. Having defended his record as DPP, Starmer goes on to attack those who have criticised him and Jess Phillips. He does not name…

Farage and Musk in war of words after billionaire says Reform leader should quit Elon Musk has suggested that Reform UK needs to replace Nigel Farage with a new leader amid a row between the pair over jailed far-right political activist Tommy Robinson. The Tesla tycoon said Mr Farage, who founded the party and is credited with its recent surge in the polls, “does not have what it takes”. His call for change comes as a bitter blow after days of Mr Farage fawning over the world’s richest man, describing him as “a hero” and claiming he makes Reform “look…

Rain and snow clears eastwards, with brighter skies to follow. Staying cold in brisk northerly winds, with wintry showers bringing hail, sleet and snow showers expected throughout the day. Gales around some coasts. Some clear spells developing but further wintry showers expected across the north and west, with a few moving across central areas. Widespread frost expected with a rick of ice.

Manchester and Liverpool Airports have closed runways as workers try to clear heavy overnight snowfall. The Met Office has issued rare amber weather warnings for snow and ice bringing a risk to life for some people amid temperatures as low as -10°C this weekend. It’s proved too much for Bristol Airport, which has already diverted 17 flights to other airports in Cardiff, Birmingham and London. An easyJet flight has even been diverted 400km away to Newcastle. Meanwhile, there have been a ‘number of collisions’ on the M5 motorway between Weston-super-Mare and Taunton in nearby Somerset. Emergency plans have been activated…

A man in his 30s after falling from a block of flats in east London. Officers were called to Gillender Street in Bow after reports a man had fallen from a height. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the dead is not thought to be suspicious at this time. They said: ‘Police and ambulance colleagues were called at 14:21hrs on Friday, 3 January, to Gillender Street, E3. ‘A man had fallen from height at a block of flats. Sadly, the man – aged in his 30s – was pronounced dead at the scene. ‘The family…