News Round-Up
- “Tories demand asylum seekers are moved from migrant hotel” – Labour is facing mounting pressure to shut The Bell Hotel in Epping, reports the Mail.
- “Two-tier policing is the nail in the coffin for Britain’s social contract” – The law-abiding majority now feel they are being punished to help shield the state from its own failures, says Sam Ashworth-Hayes in the Telegraph.
- “Trump-Starmer meet in Turnberry, Scotland for talks” – Donald Trump has told Sir Keir Starmer that he should slash taxes and stamp out illegal immigration if he wants to beat Nigel Farage during an extraordinary hour-long press conference, reports the Sun.
- “‘Sadiq Khan is a ‘nasty person’ doing a ‘terrible job’’” – Donald Trump has reignited an old feud in Scotland, taking potshots at London Mayor Sadiq Khan as Keir Starmer was forced to look on, says Politico.
- “Has Starmer forgotten which country he’s running?” – In the Telegraph, Brendan O’Neill slams Keir Starmer for staging an emergency Cabinet on Gaza while Britain burns.
- “UK Government secretly paid foreign YouTube stars for ‘propaganda’” – Declassified UK reveals that the UK Government is secretly paying foreign YouTubers to push pro-Western propaganda – silencing them with NDAs and funnelling nearly £10 million through a Tory-linked media firm.
- “NHS braced for more strikes chaos as nurses ‘vote to reject pay deal’” – The NHS is braced for more chaos amid fears nurses will reject their pay deal and join junior doctors in taking strike action, reports the Mail.
- “More than 600,000 graduates on benefits” – More than 630,000 graduates are claiming benefits, according to official figures that cast doubt on the value of “Mickey Mouse” degrees, says the Telegraph.
- “Could the Bishop of Sheffield’s inquiry into the ‘Battle of Orgreave’ bring the Church of England into disrepute?” – In Anglican Mainstream, Julian Mann argues that Bishop Pete Wilcox’s push to lead an inquiry into the 1984 Orgreave clash risks dragging the CofE further into disrepute.
- “‘Net Zero could destroy civilisation’” – Matt Ridley sits down with Spiked’s Brendan O’Neill to discuss why climate hysteria is more dangerous than climate change.
- “July snow forecast in Alps shocks Europeans… up to 30cm as global temps plummet!” – On NoTricksZone, P. Gosselin flags a startling July snow forecast in Europe, challenging earlier climate-scare predictions with evidence of cooling rather than warming.
- “Owing me, owing you” – In Climate Scepticism, Mark Hodgson warns that the ICJ’s climate ruling could ignite decades of legal chaos, global finger-pointing and spiralling reparations – with Britain likely footing the bill.
- “Joe Romm soldiers on (remnants of a failed crusade)” – On the Master Resource blog, Robert Bradley Jr. slams Joe Romm – now holed up with Michael Mann at Penn State – as a stubborn veteran of the climate wars, clinging to alarmist dogma.
- “Energy Secretary Wright threatens to take US out of International Energy Agency over climate-cult supporting forecasts” – Instead of sipping champagne while making up fantasy stories of dying polar bears, Energy Secretary Wright challenges narratives and promotes policies that will not only help the US, but the rest of the world, says Leslie Eastman in Legal Insurrection.
- “AI revolution drives huge gas plant build-out” – Most new AI data centres will run on freshly built gas plants, writes Steve Goreham in TriStar Daily, as Net Zero fades in the rear-view mirror.
- “No country for climate hawks” – In RealClearEnergy, Danielle Franz charts the fall of the climate hawks in California and beyond.
- “Trump has just triumphed over the EU” – In the Telegraph, Matthew Lynn argues that President Trump has scored a major victory with the new US-EU tariff deal, while Brexit Britain benefits from more favourable terms.
- “This trade deal is the EU’s greatest humiliation since Britain voted to leave” – Even Labour now admits that a favourable agreement with the US was only made possible by Brexit, writes Kwasi Kwarteng in the Telegraph.
- “Why couldn’t Britain have dealt with the EU like Trump?” – Why did UK Brexit negotiators never threaten punitive tariffs on German cars and French wine? wonders Ross Clark in the Spectator.
- “Trump gives Putin ‘10 to 12 days’ to agree Ukraine ceasefire” – Donald Trump has given Vladimir Putin less than two weeks to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face heavy sanctions, according to Reuters.
- “How the WHO report proved a Wuhan lab leak” – On Substack, Jim Haslam argues that the WHO’s own Covid origins report inadvertently supports both a Wuhan and a US lab leak.
- “‘Schools of Sanctuary’ and their link to HOPE Not Hate Charitable Trust” – On Substack, Charlotte Gill exposes how the charity-backed Schools of Sanctuary scheme, linked to HOPE Not Hate, quietly imports US-style open-borders activism into UK classrooms.
- “Is the tide turning against woke comedy?” – Mainstream comedy stalwart Andy Parsons bombed in front of a West London crowd last week, writes C.J. Strachan on Substack – is this a sign that even in Ealing, of all places, the public are losing patience with performative political correctness?
- “Sydney Sweeney sparks ‘woke’ backlash over new ad campaign” – Sydney Sweeney fans have rushed to her defence after her new campaign for American Eagle was branded “Nazi propaganda” by woke critics, reports the Mail.
- “Christopher Nolan accused of ‘colonialism’ over Odyssey filming” – Christopher Nolan has been accused of enabling colonialism by filming in Western Sahara, says the Times.
- “Laurence Fox’s ‘paedophile’ post not taken ‘seriously’, court hears” – Laurence Fox is challenging a £180,000 libel award over tweets calling two men “paedophiles”, with his lawyer arguing that no one took the slur seriously, reports the Mail.
- “Chloe Kelly says she is ‘so proud to be English’ after scoring penalty” – England’s penalty queen Chloe Kelly has won a legion of new fans after she used her victory interviews to repeatedly and passionately evangelise about her pride at being English, says the Mail.
- “Anger at ‘miracle’ recovery of fans in disabled area at Oasis gig” – Fans at a recent Oasis concert in Manchester were seen abandoning their wheelchairs and crutches, prompting suspicion that tickets had been sold to able-bodied customers, reports the Mail.
- “‘The public is waking up’” – On GB News, Toby slams the new Online Safety Act, saying the public are finally waking up to the threat it poses to free speech.
If you have any tips for inclusion in the round-up, email us here.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
Covid Jab No Lives Saved – latest leaflet to print at home, deliver to neighbours, forward to your bad MP & friends online. Start a local leaflet campaign. Deliver 100 leaflets a week (5200 a year). Over 300 leaflet ideas on the link on the leaflet.
“Anger at ‘miracle’ recovery of fans in disabled area at Oasis gig”
Liam Gallagher is the Messiah? That’s a bit of a stretch…
Trump gives Putin ‘10 to 12 days’ to agree Ukraine ceasefire ‘At the outset, U.S. officials viewed developments in (Ukraine) with ambivalence. On the one hand, they opposed (Russian incursions into Eastern Ukraine) and the rise of (Russian) militarism in the area, in part because of their sense of a longstanding friendship with (Ukraine). On the other hand, most U.S. officials believed that it had no vital interests in (Ukraine) worth going to war over with (Russia). After (July 2025), the United States combined a strategy of increasing aid to (Ukraine) through larger credits and the Lend Lease program with a gradual move towards an embargo on the trade of all militarily useful items with (Russia)…… Unable or unwilling to control the military, Russia’s political leaders sought greater security by establishing the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”. In so doing they announced Russia’s intention to drive the Western imperialist nations (out of Ukraine). The United States responded to this growing threat by temporarily halting negotiations with (Russian) diplomats, instituting a full embargo on exports to (Russia), freezing (Russian) assets in U.S. banks, and sending supplies into (Ukraine) Faced with serious shortages as a result of the embargo, unable to retreat, and convinced that… Read more »
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war-sanctions-ukraine-oil-trump/33428713.html
‘Another round of sweeping sanctions would come at an inopportune time for Moscow, with Russia’s economy slowing sharply amid falling oil prices and prohibitively high interest rates.
Trump has not described any potential measures in detail.
the chief focus of decisions about potential new US punishments is a bipartisan bill
The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 would hit Russian banks and other entities supporting Moscow’s war on Ukraine with primary sanctions, while using secondary sanctions to slap penalties on countries, companies, and individuals worldwide that do business with the targeted entities.
In addition, it would impose tariffs of at least 500 percent on imports from any country that “knowingly sells, supplies, transfers, or purchases oil, uranium, natural gas, petroleum products, or petrochemical products that originated in the Russian Federation,”
China, India, and Turkey are among the biggest buyers of Russian energy exports.
the bill aims to “hold China accountable for propping up Putin’s war machine by buying cheap Russian oil from the shadow fleet” — hundreds of often aging vessels of opaque ownership that Moscow uses to evade Western sanctions on its most lucrative product. Oil exports account for about a third of Russia’s federal budget revenue.’
But this site is interested in Britain and Britain may not be interested in war, but war (Russia) is very much interested in Britain…… So how is Britain prepared for war? Royal Navy: ‘The current 5-boat attack submarine force comprises HMS Astute, just about to begin a mid-life refit in Devonport. HMS Audacious in dry dock in Devonport. HMS Ambush has been in Faslane and not put to sea for 3 years. HMS Artful is also in Faslane, having not put to sea in more than 2 years. Boat 6, HMS Agamemnon, is afloat in the test and commissioning dock at Barrow and is expected to commission later this year in the shipyard but is unlikely to be fully operational for at least 18 months after that…..there are no RN SSNs at sea for now.’ The King’s Army: ‘When the Berlin Wall fell, the British Army had 152,800 soldiers. Tony Blair’s government cut this to 110,000; David Cameron’s reduced it to 87,000. Plans to let that number fall to 82,000 were accelerated by the former defence secretary Ben Wallace. It’s generally accepted that by next year numbers will have dropped to 72,500. That’s a generous estimate: there are credible reports the army… Read more »
My chum in the game assures me it’s even worse than we know… too little, for too long.
That won’t be a problem because Russia couldn’t give a fig about Britain, especially after Starmer’s comedy relief show at Turnberry yesterday..
Russia is two generations of missile development ahead of anyone else. The west is 5 years off a production ready hypersonic missile.
Make peace you fools.
‘Russia’s novel nuclear-capable weapons will have a minor but real impact on Russian war-fighting capabilities in Eastern Europe.
Russia has already used two systems—the Kinzhal and the Tsirkon—in its war against Ukraine.
These capabilities are not strategically revolutionary.
The underperformance of the Kinzhal and the Tsirkon, the limited deployment of the Avangard, and the Burevestnik and the Poseidon remaining in development grant the United States and NATO time to respond.
Responding to Russia’s novel nuclear-capable weapons will not require drastic new action.’
Russian Novel Nuclear Weapons and War-Fighting Capabilities, March 2025
‘Vladimir Putin’s forces have rehearsed using tactical nuclear weapons at an early stage of conflict with a major world power, according to leaked Russian military files that include training scenarios for an invasion by China. The classified papers, seen by the Financial Times, describe a threshold for using tactical nuclear weapons that is lower than Russia has ever publicly admitted, according to experts who reviewed and verified the documents.’
‘six towns with historical connections to the Armed Forces are most at risk…..This includes Aldershot, Colchester, Portsmouth, Chatham, Tidworth and Salisbury……The information includes details of a high-level attack in addition to a low-level strike’
Leaked Russian military files reveal criteria for nuclear strike, FT Feb 2024
‘This time’ sanctions will work, eh?
‘If sanctions were ineffective, there would be no urgent need for Russia, China, or other adversaries to build costly new workaround networks.
The reality remains that sanctions impose significant economic, military, and political costs on targeted states, making them a critical instrument of modern statecraft.’
CSIS 2025
Reporting from the Netherlands.
As every European country, the State needs more and more money, some of it to pay for the increase in NATO spending.
Because Russia will invade?
Some interesting numbers.
Russia’s GDP is between 2 and 2.4 trillion USD. Which is about the same as the Benelux.
Russia’s defence spending is just under 7%.
If the whole of the EU is going to 5% of GDP spending this will result in a massive overspend compared to Russia, which has to defend a huge border compared to the EU.
I think it unlikely Russia will invade Europe.
Russia to invade UK is preposterous. Unless the Russian army is planning to land in rubber dinghies, of course.
A justified hypothesis but why would Russia want to invade the uk ? If the world were a giant pair of Y- Fronts the once GT Britain is the Skid Mark !
Nasty!
Well done.
‘These military exercises, drills, are purely defensive and are not a threat to any other country. They were planned and all the objectives of these drills have been achieved.’
Putin 2022
‘In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the Ukrainian defence industry,” Mr Putin said in a televised address.
“One of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested in combat conditions, in this case, with a ballistic missile in a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead. We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.’
Putin 2024
‘The times are dangerous now, we need to be ready…..We have a military threat from Russia, and we are preparing for this.’
Capt. Adam Sielicki, Polish Army 2025
Where do you find these non-entities from. A captain from the Polish Army – really?
‘Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday that General Alexus Grynkewich, the newly appointed NATO commander in Europe, confirmed U.S. assessments that Russia could be ready for a confrontation with Europe as early as 2027.’
‘General Grynkewich (Commander, Allied Command Europe) voiced concern that the U.S. and European Union may have as little as 18 months to prepare for a potential global conflict involving both China and Russia. He made the comments earlier this year at a defense conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, where NATO’s Security Assistance and Training Command for Ukraine is headquartered.
‘If Xi Jinping decides to launch military action against Taiwan, it is likely he will coordinate it with Vladimir Putin, which creates the potential for a global conflict.’
The trouble is when the scummedia strip all context and history from their reporting – “unprovoked invasion” etc – all sorts of nonsense fills the gap: Putin won’t stop there. Putin thinks he’s Peter the Great.. etc etc. No, Putin has said the same thing from the start: Yanks go home. Ie no NATO, and stop funding fascists in Ukraine.
‘These military exercises, drills, are purely defensive and are not a threat to any other country.
They were planned and all the objectives of these drills have been achieved’
Putin 18 Feb. 2022
I doubt if non NATO members of the EU will increase defence spending.
The 30cm snow story looks like bs. Can’t find a single live temperature map that confirms any such low temperatures, and if you go on live cams in ski resorts it’s all green.
So… is that deep snow in the room with you now?
“Tories demand asylum seekers are moved from migrant hotel”
More lipstick on a pig politics from Kemi and the new liberals!
Much more “diverse” sources this time and not so Telegraph-centric, thank you!
Always better when Richard Eldred does the NR.
In the final paragraphs of his article in the Spectator Ross Clark is right to point out that the 15% tariffs imposed on EU imports to the US will eventually be paid by US consumers. However, he does not explore that thought far enough. All governments take money from their citizens in order to function. To a greater or lesser extent governments can chose which of their citizens will pay more for their government, though countries which are bound into a trading bloc like the EU are more constrained on how they balance the tax burden (VAT springs to mind). Governments that can be voted out at the next election are always keen not to alienate their voters too much and so tread carefully when imposing taxes. The one thing far too few governments seem prepared to consider is spending (and taxing) less. I have nothing but contempt for governments that borrow beyond their country’s means – they’re effectively saying that future taxpayers will pay for our profligacy today and will not be able to avoid paying even if they vote us out. Mr Trump has essentially decided that those US citizens who want to consume EU-made and other imported… Read more »
In the Netherlands there is talk of raising VAT to fund the ever increasing government’s spending.
And you are right, they never look to cut down government spending to the essentials.
Isn’t there an EU rule that countries can raise VAT but can never lower it? Or is that my bias showing again?
I don’t know, so asked ChatGPT…
It states that EU countries can play around with VAT, but there are strict parameters…
May I add this important news this evening, which throws a whole new light on the Lefties shrieking that “Tommy Robinson assaulted someone and then fled the country”. It’s all a pack of lies, as you will see from Dan Wooton’s video interview with Tommy’s close friend Don Keith starting at 51:21 minutes in:
https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/svg/1f6a8.svgLIVE! POLICE LAUNCH NEW HUNT AGAINST TOMMY ROBINSON AS HE FLEES UK AFTER BEING ATTACKED AT STATIONhttps://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/svg/1f6a8.svg