Category Archives: sky news

George Galloway Tells Journalist To ‘Suck It Up’ After By-Election Win

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George Galloway has clashed with Sam Coates of Sky News as the veteran left-winger faced criticism from the prime minister after winning the Rochdale by-election.

The Workers Party of Britain leader dismissed “little” Rishi Sunak’s comments, and urged Coates to “suck it up” after repeated questions about the conduct of his supporters during the campaign.

The journalist faced shouts of “bye-bye” and chants of “free Palestine” from Galloway activists as the interview at the new MP’s headquarters wrapped up.

Galloway ran on a pro-Palestine ticket, and pulled off a stunning victory to be elected to parliament for the fourth time, comfortably defeating Azhar Ali, the Labour candidate who was dumped by the party during the campaign.

Ali finished a lowly fourth place behind independent candidate David Tully and Paul Ellison of the Conservatives.

Galloway’s win prompted a reaction from Sunak during an unexpected address from Downing Street on Friday night. The prime minister said: “It’s beyond alarming that last night, the Rochdale by-election returned a candidate that dismisses the horror of what happened on October 7, who glorifies Hezbollah and is endorsed by Nick Griffin, the racist former leader of the BNP.”

When pressed by Sky News, Galloway was dismissive of the PM. “You talk as if this is God,” he said. “You’re talking about little Rishi Sunak, in the fag end of his prime ministership. Don’t talk to me as if he’s come down from the Mount with tablets of stone – the things that he says are somehow meant to awe me. They may awe you, they don’t awe me.”

The interview with Coates, the broadcaster’s deputy political editor, became increasingly edgy.

“Who won the election? Me or Rishi Sunak?,” said Galloway. “I’ve got the democratic mandate here, not Rishi Sunak. He didn’t even come second. He was lucky to come third. So don’t put to me statements made by Rishi Sunak as if I’m supposed to be impressed by them. He don’t impress me much.”

When asked if he respected Sunak, the Rochdale MP fired back: “I despise the prime minister. And guess what? Millions and millions and millions of people in this country despise the prime minister. I do not respect the prime minister at all.”

The mood intensified further as Coates asked about the conduct of Galloway’s supporters during the contest amid allegations of intimidation from rival campaigns.

Again dismissing Sunak’s concerns, Galloway said: “What I care about is that the returning officer, a man of unimpeachable integrity, I’m sure you’ll agree, declared it a free and fair election. And me as the winner, and Rishi Sunak as one of the crushed two big parties of the state.”

He added: “You just have to suck it up. I won the election.”

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Labour’s By-Election Candidate Will Still Stand espite ‘Completely Wrong’ Remarks About Israel

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Pat McFadden has confirmed a Labour councillor will still be running as the party’s candidate in the upcoming Rochdale by-election, after apologising for “completely wrong” remarks about Israel.

The shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster appeared on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips and discussed The Mail on Sunday’s story about Azhar Ali.

According to recordings obtained by the newspaper, the councillor allegedly said Israel deliberately allowed 1,400 people to be killed on its own soil on October 7.

Ali reportedly said Israel did so in order to give the “green light” to invade the Palestinian territory of Gaza, when at a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party.

When pressed about the incident, McFadden told Phillips: “His comments were completely wrong, he should never have said something like that, it is of course, completely wrong to say that.”

He added: “He’s issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it, he should never have said something like that.”

Ali issued a statement to The Mail on Sunday, saying: “I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false.”

He called for the Hamas hostages to be released, recognised rising anti-Semitism in the UK and across the world, and promised to apologise to Jewish leaders “for my inexcusable comments”.

Phillips said: ’An apology is not the same thing as a denial. It seems everyone is agreeing he said it, presumably he thought it.

“Is Labour happy with a candidate who thinks that?”

“No, that’s why he has issued a complete retraction and apology,” McFadden said, “It’s right that he has completely apologised now.”

Asked if he would still be the Labour candidate, McFadden said: “In the upcoming by-election? Yes he will.”

Ali will be defending a Labour seat which has a majority of more than 9,000 after the death of former MP Tony Lloyd.

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James Cleverly Urges Israel To Show ‘Restraint And Discipline’ In Gaza

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The UK government urged has Israel to show “restraint and discipline” as it steps up its military action against Hamas in Gaza.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said that while he supports Israel’s right to defend itself, they must do everything they can “to minimise civilian casualties”.

His comments came as he was being interviewed by Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning.

Phillips asked him: “As steadfast as you might be in your friendship, one element of friendship is giving good advice.

“The Israelis say that they plan to eradicate or eliminate Hamas. Are you saying to your Israeli counterpart, this is a realistic objective?”

Cleverly said: “We have a very, very good working relationship with the Israeli government and whenever I have spoken to them, I’ve reinforced the UK’s position about the preservation of life, the avoidance of civilian casualties.

“I know the Israelis completely understand that.”

He added: “Restraint, discipline. These are the hallmarks of the Israeli defence force that I want to see.

“And indeed, those are the hallmarks of a high-functioning military organisation which the Israel Defence Force is, in stark contrast to the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and I’ve maintained that clear distinction.”

More than 1,300 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage following attacks by the Hamas militant group a week ago.

Some 2,300 have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign of the Gaza Strip launched in the aftermath.

Around 1.1 million people in northern Gaza have also been ordered to leave by Israel ahead of an expected ground invasion.

The UK government has faced mounting pressure to be clearer in their stance on the war amid claims Israel is breaking international law.

Phillips said: “So to be absolutely clear, our government’s position is full support for Israel, full support for military action, but we are urging restraint and discipline?”

Cleverly said that was “a pretty good synopsis”.

He added: “Of course we respect Israel’s right to self defence. They’ve experienced the most horrendous terrorist atrocity which is still being perpetrated.

“Images of people being held, images of bodies being desecrated, are still sloshing around on social media, so of course, they have every right and we support this right to protect themselves whilst doing it.

“We’ve said though, do everything you can to minimise civilian casualties. Do everything you can to prevent Hamas getting what they want, which is this to escalate into a wider regional conflict.

“No country, including the United Kingdom, would give carte blanche to any other nation and that is a universal truth not not specifically about Israel.”

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Tory Cabinet Splits Erupt As Minister Warns Chancellor Against Cutting Benefits

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A senior Tory minister has warned chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to cut benefits in real terms in order to pay for tax cuts ahead of the next election.

In a sign of cabinet splits over the issue, justice secretary Alex Chalk said the government must “ensure, that we are decent, humane and that we support people”.

Hunt is reportedly looking at ways in which welfare payments can be increased by less than normal in a bid to raise billions of pounds.

At the moment, benefits increase by the rate of inflation – which led to them going up by 10.1% this year.

However, according to Bloomberg, the Treasury is considering putting benefits up by less than inflation next year.

Asked on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky NewsA this morning whether he would support such a move, Chalk made clear he would be opposed.

“We must do everything we can for the most disadvantaged in society,” he said.

“That’s why we put up benefits by 10.1% and universal credit and also the pension as well.

“I will want to ensure, my colleagues will want to ensure, that we are decent, humane and that we support people.”

Phillips said: “I’m taking that as a no.”

Laughing, Chalk replied: “Take it as you like.”

Former prime minister Liz Truss was hit by a furious backlash from Tory MPs – including senior ministers – when she considered increasing benefits by less than inflation.

An ally of the former prime minister said: “This was very much part of Liz’s plan to kick-start economic growth last year: she wanted to raise benefits in line with wages, not inflation – a move that was calculated as likely to cut at least £6 billion off the benefits bill.

“Yet a significant minority of her parliamentary colleagues refused to go along with it, including a number of people holding senior roles in the current cabinet.”

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‘Designed For Disaster’: Justice Secretary Alex Chalk Savaged Over Prison Conditions

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Justice secretary Alex Chalk was told prisons are “designed for a disaster” as he was grilled by Trevor Phillips on Sky News.

The former soldier managed to escape from Wandsworth Prison in London by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery van.

Ministers have faced intense criticism over the state of security at the jail.

On Sky News this morning, Phillips told Chalk: “We don’t have enough prison staff – you’re trying to recruit more.

“Of the ones that we do have, a lot of them are off sick, with the number of sick days claimed since 2018 annually is up 60%.

“And here is the most concerning thing perhaps. Of those who are on duty, a high proportion are inexperienced. Overall one in six are in their first year in the job.

“Add it up – isn’t this a system designed for a disaster?”

Chalk – who revealed that 40 inmates had been moved from Wandsworth in the wake of Khalife’s escape – insisted the government was determined to make working in the prison service an attractive profession.

He said: “The condition of our prisons is of course very important. This is the government that has done more to put its money where its mouth is to invest very heavily in our prison service.”

Chalk added: “We accept that they are phenomenal people who do an extremely difficult job. We value them hugely and I really want to encourage people into the service.”

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Why Martin Lewis And Economists Think Raising Interest Rates Is A Bad Idea

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The Bank of England raised UK interest rates again – lifting the “base rate” to 4.5% from 4.25%.

It’s the 12th increase in a row since rates started going up in December 2021, pushing borrowing costs up further, particularly impacting homeowners with a mortgage.

Soaring food prices – and the fact they remain stubbornly high – appears to be the key factor behind the decision.

But experts are not sure it’s the right policy

Some economists think the Bank could has gone too far since the impact of the repeated rises has yet to pass through to households and businesses.

Take homeowners. Around 85% of all borrowers are tied to fixed-rate mortgages – but the majority are yet to switch to a higher-rate home loan, and could be in for a shock when they do.

One prominent commentator predicted “screeching U-turns are coming” – and the Bank will soon have to cut rates to avoid tipping the UK economy into recession.

So how do interest rates work?

Hiking the base rate increases the cost of borrowing, making both credit and investment more expensive. The idea is to put the brakes on the economy and curb the soaring cost of goods and services – known as inflation.

Bringing rates down is an attempt to have the opposite effect – stimulate growth by making borrowing cheaper, and in turn, encourage investment.

The Bank is tasked with keeping inflation under control, targeting 2% a year. Inflation hit 10.1% in March, and raising rates is the blunt instrument it has to bring it down.

This is the bind the Bank is in: raise interest rates to combat inflation, but then stall the economy and make people’s lives miserable and make any downturn potentially deeper and longer.

Why are experts calling it out?

Put simply, some economists argue that pushing up rates is having little to no effect on inflation – mainly because the war in Ukraine has been the driving force, chiefly through higher energy costs that are now easing. The same applies to two other factors, namely higher oil prices and economies emerging from a pandemic.

Consumer champion Martin Lewis suggested on Twitter that the Bank was sending signals more than anything else. Lewis wrote: “I’m no economist, but I struggle with the logic behind base rate rises currently. Inflation seems supply-side driven – but rate rises dampen demand. Then again the BoE is charged with bringing down inflation and this is it’s only tool. So it has to do it. Co-ordinated effort with govt would help.”

An actual economist went much further.

David “Danny” Blanchflower, who sat on the Bank’s monetary policy committee for three years, accused the central bank of “terrible incompetence”.

He told Sky News in a lengthy diatribe:

“This is utter incompetence. The market doesn’t believe them. I don’t believe them.

“I don’t believe a word that they say and it’s going to make things much worse for your listeners.

“Housing market’s going be in trouble. Mortgages are going to go up, housing quantities are going to decline.

“It’s the same utter group-think incompetence in 2008, and the same bank missed the greatest financial crisis since 1929.

“And here they go again. The market doesn’t believe them. I don’t believe them.

“Your listeners shouldn’t believe them. Screeching u-turns are coming and bad economic data is coming.

“This is terrible incompetence and this lot should just quit.”

Others were of a similar mind.

Suren Thiru, economics director at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, said the Bank risked “overdoing” rate rises, which could compound the cost crisis for many.

He said: “With most of the interest rate rises yet to pass through to households and businesses, the Bank of England risks overdoing the rate hikes, adding to the squeeze on our growth prospects and aggravating the cost-of-living crisis.”

The IPPR think tank argued the Bank should have held off raising interest rates again, warning of a “continued increase in inequality”.

Carsten Jung, senior economist at IPPR, said: “The Bank of England should have held off raising rates.

“The current approach risks creating big economic costs, in the form of lower future growth and fewer jobs, while not actually being effective enough at bringing down inflation.”

What does the Bank say?

The Bank had previously been more optimistic that inflation could fall as low as 1% by the middle of 2024, but it is now predicted to reach about 3.4%, meaning it will fall at a significantly slower rate.

Andrew Bailey, the Bank’s governor, said there had been a “very big underlying shock” to food prices.

He added: “It appears to be taking longer for food price pressures to work their way through the system this time than we had expected.”

“But, as we said before, we are in very unusual times.”

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Michael Gove Says He Made A ‘Mistake’ By Seeing Drug Use As Acceptable

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Michael Gove said he made a “mistake” by thinking drug taking was “somehow acceptable”.

The senior Conservative MP was grilled over his own previous drug use after he revealed plans to ban laughing gas in Britain.

Nitrous oxide is set to be banned under government plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.

However, during the 2019 Tory leadership race Gove himself admitted to taking Class A drug cocaine.

“I took drugs on several occasions at social events more than 20 years ago,” he told the Daily Mail. “At the time I was a young journalist. It was a mistake. I look back and I think, I wish I hadn’t done that.”

The levelling up secretary said he had learned it was a “mistake” and it was “absolutely vital” to deal with the “scourge” of laughing gas.

Asked if the public might view his stance on laughing gas as “hypocritical”, he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “No, I think it is because I have learned.”

Pressed on what he had learned, Gove said: “That it is a mistake — worse than a mistake — to regard drug taking as somehow acceptable.”

Empty cannisters of laughing gas lying on the street in Birmingham.
Empty cannisters of laughing gas lying on the street in Birmingham.

Mike Kemp via Getty Images

Confirming the ban on laughing gas, Gove said: “I think anyone who has the opportunity to walk through our parks in our major cities will have seen these little silver canisters, which are examples of people not only spoiling public spaces but taking a drug which can have a psychological and neurological effect and one that contributes to antisocial behaviour overall.”

Laughing gas is the second most commonly used drug among 16 to 24-year-olds in England after cannabis.

The decision goes further than the recommendations of a review commissioned by the Home Office, which stopped short of recommending a ban after examining the dangers of the substance.

Gove accepted that ministers had been advised not to ban laughing gas but said the government had taken a different view.

“Of course it is absolutely right that we uphold the law in this case,” he added.

“Yes, the advisory committee offered their advice but ultimately it is ministers who are responsible.

“And we believe collectively that it is absolutely vital that we deal with this scourge and in the same way.”

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16 Year Olds Are Old Enough To Decide Gender Change, Education Secretary Says

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The Education Secretary has suggested that 16 year olds are old enough to decide to change their gender.

Gillian Keegan knocked back suggestions that 16 was too young, saying: “I was making decisions for myself at 16.”

It comes after Rishi Sunak moved to block Scottish reforms of the gender recognition process passed by Holyrood.

The new law would make it easier for trans people to change gender by reducing the time the process takes and lowering the age at which it can happen to 16.

Asked if she would be content for children in schools at 16 to say whether they want to change their gender, Keegan told Sky News: “We have to be very sensitive to children. We are actually going to publish some guidance and consult because it is a very tricky area to get right.

“It has to be age-appropriate, but children have to be supported as well.”

Pressed on her personal view, the minister was asked if 16 was too young.

“No I don’t actually. “I was working at 16, I was paying tax at 16, I was making decisions for myself at 16,” she replied.

“But it’s not really about what I think, it’s how we make sure we get that right balance of supporting children, but also making sure that what they’re getting taught in schools is age-appropriate.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer said he has “concerns” over Scotland’s gender recognition law because he considers 16 to be too young to decide to change gender.

Yesterday, the UK government took the unprecedented step of blocking Scotland’s gender reforms from becoming law.

It is the first time Westminster has used the power since devolution came into being nearly 25 years ago.

Scottish secretary Alister Jack wrote to Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon to inform her that he was making a so-called “section 35 order” vetoing the bill which was passed at Holyrood before Christmas.

It followed advice from government lawyers that the bill would cut across the UK-wide Equality Act.

In a statement, Jack said: “Transgender people who are going through the process to change their legal sex deserve our respect, support and understanding. My decision today is about the legislation’s consequences for the operation of GB-wide equalities protections and other reserved matters.”

Responding to the news, Sturgeon accused the UK government of “a full-frontal attack” on the Scottish parliament.

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Minister Addresses Ongoing Monkeypox Worries: ‘Cautious, Not Concerned’

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The government is monitoring the monkeypox outbreak but is currently “not concerned”, according to minister Simon Clarke.

The chief secretary to the Treasury was responding to the public worries around the recent uptick in cases now there are 80 cases across 12 countries.

The rare viral infection usually does not spread easily between humans, but is common in parts of West and Central Africa. There were only three UK cases reported in 2021, one in 2019 and three in 2018.

On Monday, Clarke told Sky News: “As with any new disease, and after the Covid pandemic, doubly-so, we continue to monitor this very, very closely.

″I think I would say I’m cautious but I’m certainly not concerned about our ability to handle the situation.

“Crucially there is a vaccine available which works for monkeypox, and all the evidence is that it’s spread by physical contact.

“That being the case, the risk of community transmission is much lower. We have a working vaccine, if people present the symptoms or they have very close contact, then we are advising that the quarantine for three weeks, but the threshold for that is quite high – it really does need to be close physical contact or sexual contact.”

He continued: “We do urge particular caution with the immunosuppressed, with pregnant women, all the groups who are normally more vulnerable.

“We’re cautious but we’re certainly not in a position where I would worry about some repeat of Covid because it does not appear to be anywhere near the same platform of seriousness.”

Monkeypox has ben compared to smallpox, but it is actually milder, less infectious and less deadly.

People usually recover within a week and the virus disappears on its own, prompting no long-term health impacts. However, among a few people a more severe illness can occur.

It usually spreads through close physical contact with an infected person. The symptoms include a fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can occur too, starting on the face before moving to other parts of the body. The rash can transform to look like chickenpox or syphilis, before forming scabs which do gradually fall off.

People without symptoms are not considered infectious.

The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed 20 cases in this outbreak so far in the UK, with further details to be revealed later on Monday.

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Martin Lewis On Rishi Sunak Tackling The Cost Of Living Crisis: ‘Nowhere Near Enough’

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Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has said Rishi Sunak’s spring statement announcements to help tackle the cost of living crisis were “nowhere near enough”.

On Wednesday, the chancellor brought fuel duty down by 5p until next March, raised the national insurance contribution thresholds to remove more low-paid workers from paying it, and took a penny off the basic rate of income tax by 2024.

But the founder of moneysavingexpert.com, speaking to Sky News, made clear there was very little to help with soaring household bills.

Lewis said the national insurance change would have a limited impact on people claiming Universal Credit. and extra cash for a “starving or freezing” fund would only help those in the most extreme circumstances.

Lewis said: “The chancellor has done more than I expected him to do but still nowhere near enough.

“We are still standing on a personal finance precipice in the UK.

“The chancellor is now the only person who can pull us back from that and I don’t think what we saw today is enough to do it.”

Lewis pointed to a “very dangerous time” where typical households will see their energy bills in October go up by £1,300 compared to the same time a year earlier.

“There is nothing close in this budget to covering that amount of money,” he said.

The consumer journalist said the country was reaching the point where people were “heating the human not heating the home”. He explained: “Don’t turn your central heating on, sit in a sleeping back. This is not advice, this is the tangible situation people are putting themselves in. Whether you have to get an electric blanket to get the heat you need, then leave the house to be cold. That is a tactic I am seeing people doing. Stark, isn’t it?”

He added in a message to Sunak: “Chancellor, you are the only person who can help.”

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