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Its cost was estimated at 33 billion pounds in 2011, but has soared to more than 100 billion pounds ($122 billion) by some estimates. Sunak said Conservative lawmakers would be given a free vote in Parliament on the smoking ban. He used the speech to give party members and voters a glimpse of the man behind his technocratic exterior. Home Secretary Suella Braverman used her conference speech to appeal to the party’s authoritarian, law-and-order wing, advocating tougher curbs on migration and a war on human rights protections and “woke” social values. “I am confident we can win,” said Balwinder Dhillon, deputy mayor of the town of Slough, west of London.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, he's, ”, ” Sunak, Andy Burnham, ” “, Rain Newton, Smith, “, Margaret Thatcher —, Liz Truss, Akshata Murty, Suella Braverman, Balwinder Dhillon Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Leeds, Conservative, Manchester, of British Industry, Health, New, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, London Stock Exchange, Treasury, United, British Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Manchester, London, “, Birmingham, Midlands, North, Britain, Britain’s, New Zealand, Rwanda, United Kingdom, Slough

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman railed against unauthorized migrants, human rights laws and "woke" critics of her hard-line policies Tuesday, as she tried to secure her place as the flag-bearer of the Conservative Party’s authoritarian law-and-order wing. Political Cartoons View All 1196 ImagesBraverman's speech to party activists contained little new policy and had the feel of an election rally. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are lagging behind Labour in opinion polls with an election due by the end of 2024. Many members attending the four-day conference are looking ahead to a leadership contest that would likely follow a defeat. Braverman makes some Conservatives worry the party is regaining its image as “the nasty party,” as former Prime Minister Theresa May once called it.

Persons: Suella Braverman, Braverman, ” Braverman, Rishi Sunak’s, ”, shouldn't, Theresa May, Sunak, “, Gideon Skinner, Ipsos, Andrew Boff, ” Sunak Organizations: Home, Conservative, Conservatives, Labour, Human, Englanders, Kingdom's, Delegates, London Assembly, Conservative Party, BBC Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Britain, Rwanda, Cambridge

☆ Britain’s PM seeks to rally his party ahead of an election they are tipped to lose
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —Rishi Sunak will gather with members of his governing Conservative Party on Sunday for what is likely to be their final party conference before the UK’s next general, which Sunak is currently projected to lose. Party conference season is an important date fixture in the annual British political calendar. For the governing party, conference is typically a time when members rally around the leadership and unite against the opposition, insulated from whatever is happening in the wider world of politics. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak led the UK government through much of the Covid pandemic. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking in June on his plan to "stop the boats."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Dan Kitwood, Priti Patel, Margaret Thatcher, Johnson, Rishi, Reuters Johnson, He’s, ”, Yui Mok, “, Will Jennings, it’s, Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, for Fiscal Studies, Party, Conservatives ’, British, Conservative, Daily Mail, Greenpeace, Reuters, University of Southampton, Labour Locations: tacking, Sunak, France, “, Manchester

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s immigration minister argued Tuesday that international refugee rules must be rewritten to reduce the number of people entitled to protection, as the Conservative government seeks international support for its tough stance on unauthorized migration. Britain’s government has adopted an increasingly punitive approach to people who arrive by unauthorized means such as small boats across the English Channel. Sonya Sceats, chief executive of campaign group Freedom from Torture, said: “LGBTQI+ people are tortured in many countries for who they are and who they love. The U.K. has sought international allies in its attempts to stop Channel crossings and toughen refugee laws, with limited success. British authorities also leased a barge to house migrants in a floating dormitory moored off England’s south coast.

Persons: Suella Braverman, ” Braverman, “, Braverman, ”, Braverman’s, Sonya Sceats, Alejandro Mayorkas, General Merrick Garland Organizations: —, Conservative, Nations Refugee Convention, American Enterprise Institute, Conservatives, U.S, Homeland Locations: Washington, Cambridge, Britain, France, Rwanda

☆ UK Interior Minister to Raise 'Unsustainable' Migration Pressures During U.S. Visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British interior minister Suella Braverman will raise the "the unsustainable pressures" created by illegal migration when she makes a three-day visit to the U.S. this week, her office said on Sunday. "Illegal migration and the unprecedented mass movement of people across the globe is placing unsustainable pressures on America, the UK and Europe," Braverman said in the statement. Almost 45,000 people were detected arriving by small boats in the 12 months to June, a 26% year-on-year rise, according to official data. Braverman, who will travel to Washington on Monday, will seek closer collaboration with the U.S. on addressing illegal migration and organised immigration crime. "I'm going to Washington to discuss this (illegal migration) crisis with our American counterparts.

Persons: Suella Braverman, Braverman, Rishi Sunak, Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Muvija, Mike Harrison Organizations: Home Office, U.S, Homeland, American Locations: Britain, America, Europe, Rwanda, U.S, Mexico, Washington

☆ Suella Braverman, UK interior minister, to raise 'unsustainable' migration pressures during U.S. visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Home Secretary Suella Braverman walks on Downing Street on the day of a cabinet meeting, in London, Britain September 5, 2023 REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - British interior minister Suella Braverman will raise the "the unsustainable pressures" created by illegal migration when she makes a three-day visit to the U.S. this week, her office said on Sunday. "Illegal migration and the unprecedented mass movement of people across the globe is placing unsustainable pressures on America, the UK and Europe," Braverman said in the statement. Braverman, who will travel to Washington on Monday, will seek closer collaboration with the U.S. on addressing illegal migration and organised immigration crime. "I'm going to Washington to discuss this (illegal migration) crisis with our American counterparts. If we fail to meet these challenges, then our political institutions risk losing their democratic legitimacy," Braverman said.

Persons: Suella Braverman, Peter Nicholls, Braverman, Rishi Sunak, Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Muvija, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Home Office, U.S, Homeland, American, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, America, Europe, Rwanda, U.S, Mexico, Washington

CNN —Six people died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the English Channel, authorities say. The English Channel is one of the world’s busiest waterways and crossing on small boats is extremely dangerous. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – whose governing Conservatives have been struggling in the polls – made stopping boats making the perilous crossing across the English Channel one of his top priorities. Pascal Rossignol/ReutersBut 755 migrants were detected crossing the channel to the UK Thursday, government figures showed. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said in a tweet that her “thoughts are with the victims” of the migrant boat that capsized.

Persons: Franck Dhersin, ”, Rishi Sunak –, Pascal Rossignol, Elisabeth Borne, Herve Berville, Suella Braverman Organizations: CNN, Channel, Local, Twitter, Conservatives, Reuters, Paris, French, French Navy, Border Force Locations: Calais, Dover

London CNN —Asylum-seekers have been removed from a controversial barge in southern England after Legionella bacteria was discovered in the water – days after experts warned of the risk of infection. Thirty-nine asylum-seekers disembarked the Bibby Stockholm barge, a UK Home Office spokesperson said in a statement Friday – just days after they were first housed in it. Legionella bacteria, which is commonly found in water, and can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a serious lung infection. The spokesperson said that no individuals on board the barge showed symptoms of Legionnaires’ and that the asylum-seekers were being provided with appropriate advice and support. “The presence of life-threatening bacteria onboard the Bibby Stockholm is just another shocking revelation that we’ve seen unfold over the past few weeks.

Persons: Bibby, Ben Birchall, Kolbassia Haoussou Organizations: London CNN —, Bibby, Home, Channel, Fire Brigades Union, CNN Locations: England, Portland, Bibby Stockholm, Dorset, Portland , Dorset, Britain

☆ U.K. Moves First Group of Asylum Seekers Onto Barge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thousands of migrants travel to Britain every year on small boats, risking their lives to cross the English Channel and hoping to claim asylum when they reach dry land. Fifteen asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65 were transferred onto the 222-room Bibby Stockholm on Monday, with more set to arrive in the coming days. Plans to make the barge operational were delayed several weeks by fire safety concerns. On Monday Downing Street said that checks were complete and the 47-year-old vessel was safe, though campaigners and some other groups disagreed. The Fire Brigades Union, which represents rank and file firefighters, said that barges housing asylum seekers were “a potential deathtrap,” describing the policy as “cruel and reckless.”

Persons: Bibby Organizations: Conservative Party, Monday Downing, Fire Brigades Union Locations: Britain, Bibby Stockholm

☆ Man who visited every country without flying has finally returned home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

After nearly ten years of travel, Pedersen successfully visited his 203rd and final country, the Maldives, and began his long-awaited voyage back to Denmark. In early 2020, the intrepid traveler suddenly found himself stuck in Hong Kong for two years with just nine countries left. “I look back at Hong Kong, and it’s a bit of a paradox. Next came a 16-day journey back to Hong Kong, where he returned to hotel quarantine for another two weeks. Pedersen in Hong Kong, where he spent an unexpected two years during the pandemic.

Persons: Torbjørn, Thor ” Pedersen, Pedersen, He’d, ” Pedersen, ”, “, Le, I’ve, He’s, ‘, ’ ”, Maxime Champigneulle, Gunnar Garfors, it’s, It’s, you’ve, he’s, “ There’s, Mike Douglas Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Maersk, “, Port, Le, UN, Danish, Hong, Denmark, Pacific, Tonga, National Museum, Ross Energy, Aarhus . Port Locations: Denmark, Maldives, Danish, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Aarhus, Kenya, Colombia, Australia, Norway, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Nauru, Angola, Ghana, Iceland, Canada, Hong Kong, Everest, Palau, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Pacific, Tuvalu, Fiji, Singapore, Malé, Norwegian, Aarhus ., Aarhus What’s, Suez, Germany

London CNN —A barge on which the United Kingdom government plans to house hundreds of asylum-seekers has been described as a “death trap” by the country’s Fire Brigades Union. Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images/FileThe Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it will write to the UK Home Office on Wednesday to set out its safety concerns. The government’s plans to house migrants on the barge has been widely criticized by human rights groups. “We’ve got British taxpayers stumping up millions of pounds a day to house migrants in hotels.”Rival protesters argue in Portland, Dorset, where the Bibby Stockholm docked on July 18, 2023. Ben Birchall/PA/APThe Home Office announced plans to house around 500 single adult males on the barge in April.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Bibby, it’s, ” Sunak, hasn’t, ”, Sunak, Yui Mok, Ben Selby, ” Selby, Selby, ” Natasha Tsangarides, “ We’ve, Ben Birchall Organizations: London CNN, country’s Fire Brigades Union, LBC, Channel, Fire Brigades, Office, Sky News, CNN, “, ”, Home Office, United Nations Locations: United Kingdom, Portland, Dorset, England, Bibby Stockholm, “, Britain, Australian, Dover, London, Portland , Dorset, France

☆ A CEO quits and the BBC apologizes to Trump ally Nigel Farage. A banking scandal erupts in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Alison Rose, NatWest chief executive, (right) departs 10 Downing Street in London, after meeting with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several members of his Conservative government issued statements condemning the bank and characterizing the termination of Farage's account as an affront to free speech. Farage was offered an alternative account at regular main street bank NatWest, but declined. His critics maintain that although frequent references are made to Farage's political profile and controversial views, the reasons outlined for allowing the banking relationship to lapse were primarily commercial, and he was not "de-banked" as he claims. Without the mortgage, the bank indicated that Farage's account value would fall below its commercial criteria.

Persons: Jonathan Bachman, Alison Rose, Nigel, Coutts, Rose, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Farage, Coutts —, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, James Manning, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage, —, DANIEL LEAL, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Frances Coppola, Coppola, Dave Rushen Organizations: Getty, LONDON, NatWest, BBC, UBS, Conservative, Brexit Party, Independence Party Leader, U.K, Independence Party, UKIP, Sky News, NatWest Group, Company Locations: London, U.K, inclusivity, Leicester, British

☆ Barge to House Asylum Seekers Meets Several Shades of Anger in U.K.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a rough reception for the Bibby Stockholm, a hulking metal barge intended to house up to 500 asylum seekers, as it pulled into its new berth in Portland, on England’s picturesque southern coast, on Tuesday. Protesters holding signs reading “No to the barge” and “No floating prison” gathered at the dock as television crews filmed them. The barge will be docked in the port for at least 18 months, according to the government, and will eventually house adult male asylum seekers who have entered Britain by crossing the English Channel on small boats. From next week, about 50 asylum seekers will be moved onboard the vessel according to the Home Office, before the number is increased over the next few months. The barge showed up in Portland at a time when the political rhetoric around asylum seekers in Britain has grown increasingly heated.

Persons: Bibby Organizations: Home Office Locations: Bibby Stockholm, Portland, Britain, Rwanda

☆ Andy Murray Returns to Wimbledon a Man in Full and on a Mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In late May, with most of the world’s best tennis players focused on the red clay at the French Open, Sir Andy Murray was 300 miles away on the other side of the English Channel, dialed in on preparations for the grass at Wimbledon. But then his wife, Kim Sears, had to head up to Scotland for a few days to handle some business at the hotel she and Murray own. It’s all part of the next phase of Murray’s quixotic, late-career quest to finish his journey on his terms, metal hip and all. Maybe that means somehow recapturing the magic of 10 years ago, when he became the first British man in 77 years to win the most important title in his sport. Maybe it’s simply cracking the top 30 or 20 once more, proving wrong all the doctors and doubters who called him foolish for entertaining a future in professional tennis after hip resurfacing surgery in 2019.

Persons: Sir Andy Murray, Kim Sears, Murray, quixotic, doubters Locations: Scotland, Roehampton

☆ I drove an electric RV from London to Paris. One big problem on the way back gave me serious range anxiety.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I took a different route home and suffered serious range anxiety after almost running out of charge. Route to ParisThe electric ID. Unfortunately, the availability of charging stations on this road was a very different experience. For some reason, this charging station required drivers to have their own cable. The French countryside was beautiful, but the lack of charging stations on one road was stressful.

Persons: Buzz that's, that's, there's, It's, Tim Levin Organizations: Volkswagen, Morning, US, Wild Drives, Folkestone, Seine Locations: London, Paris, England, France, Brighton, Folkestone, Calais

Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday his plan to stop migrants arriving in small boats had reduced crossings by 20%, an update he hopes will ease criticism from his party and in the country over immigration policy. "In the five months since I launched the plan, crossings are now down 20% compared to last year," Sunak told a news conference in southern England. "The plan is working," he said, adding his government was not complacent and would work hard to make sure parliament passed a new law. Sunak urged parliament to pass his new Illegal Migration Bill, which will allow for the swift detention and deportation of people arriving on small boats back to their homeland or to so-called safe third countries such as Rwanda. Reporting by Sarah Young, writing by Farouq Suleiman and Elizabeth Piper; editing by Kate Holton and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Yui Mok, Sunak, Sarah Young, Farouq Suleiman, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Nick Macfie Organizations: Western Jet, REUTERS LONDON, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Dover, Britain, England, Albania, London, Rwanda

☆ Cardiff to sue Nantes for damages over transfer after Sala's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stephane MaheMay 9 (Reuters) - Cardiff City are preparing to take further legal action against Nantes after the Swiss Federal Tribunal decided the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) had no jurisdiction to deal with the their claim for damages over Emiliano Sala's transfer, the club said on Tuesday. Cardiff were told by FIFA to pay the first instalment of the transfer fee agreed before Sala's death, which amounted to six million euros ($6.60 million), and they were placed under a transfer embargo in December after failing to pay the amount. After Cardiff's appeal at the CAS failed, they paid the amount after which FIFA lifted the embargo but the Welsh club then went to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. "The Swiss Federal Tribunal has decided that the Court of Arbitration in Sport doesn't have jurisdiction to deal with Cardiff City's claim for damages against FC Nantes," the Welsh club said in a statement. "This will be to recover what the club paid for Emiliano and additional damages for further consequential losses."

☆ ‘A Trump tribute act’: Meet Suella Braverman, the commander-in-chief of Britain’s culture wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

London CNN —Late last year, after a breakneck ascent of British politics put her in charge of the country’s migration, crime and national security agenda, Suella Braverman revealed her political fantasy. Leon Neal/Getty ImagesAnd she is an equally furious culture warrior, borrowing rhetoric from the American right when lambasting “woke” culture, transgender rights and climate protesters. Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty ImagesIt is a stance that has drawn sharp criticism – including from within the traditional wing of Braverman’s Conservative Party. Should Braverman succeed at her next bid for the party leadership, her critics fear another rightwards shift in British politics. “She’s recognized that in the current political climate, her way of creating an impact… (is) positioning herself as a Trump tribute act.

☆ Here's why Rolex watches are so expensive and how the brand gained its luxury status
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With their precision manufacturing, specially sourced materials, and exceptional craftsmanship, Rolex watches have never come cheap, but neither were they out of financial reach for 1960s working professionals in search of perfect timekeeping and technical innovation. "Back then, anybody could afford a Rolex," Hess told Insider. Dealers would buy luxury watches in Switzerland to carry across the border and sell in Italy. That reputation has helped Rolex crush the competition with a quarter of the luxury watch market — more than double that of runner-up Omega. "They all buy the little wannabe Rolex brands in the beginning and finally, when they achieve success, they buy that Rolex."

[1/2] Migrants are escorted into Dover harbour, after being rescued while attempting to cross the English Channel, in Dover, Britain, August 24, 2022. REUTERS/Henry NichollsLONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Britain is anticipating that 56,000 migrants will cross the Channel in small boats to its shores this year, court documents show, meaning it would be need to house as many as 140,000 asylum seekers. Already this year, more than 5,000 more people have arrived in Britain across the Channel. "Significantly, the number needing support is predicted to grow still further: Home Office operational plans are based on scenarios of up to 56,000 small boat arrivals in 2023," the document said. ($1 = 0.8055 pounds)Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ British interior minister Braverman says Rwanda is safe for migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 2 (Reuters) - Britain's interior minister Suella Braverman said she was convinced Rwanda was a safe country to resettle migrants who had arrived in Britain illegally but she declined to set any deadline for the first deportations to the country. London's High court ruled in December the scheme was legal, but opponents are seeking to appeal that ruling. "The High Court - senior expert judges - have looked into the detail of our arrangement with Rwanda and found it to be a safe country and found our arrangements to be lawful." Braverman, who visited Rwanda last month, would not give a deadline for the first flight to depart. "We had a very strong victory in the High Court at the end of last year on Rwanda.

The contracted use of hotels was envisioned as a temporary measure, but adds strain to the asylum accommodation system. The cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels has increased over the past year, now exceeding £6 million ($7.4 million) a day, the Home Office told CNN in a statement. On Tuesday, the UK Home Office also said Afghans who have been living in temporary UK accommodation for 18 months will be given three months’ notice to move out of so-called bridging hotels. There are currently around 8,000 Afghans living in 59 bridging hotels in the UK, according to the Home Office. But campaigners also warned that the plan could exacerbate the trauma experienced by people displaced by political strife and conflict in Afghanistan.

☆ Council of Europe urges UK lawmakers to stop new migration law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A RNLI boat, with migrants onboard, is met by Border Force Officers and Police at the harbour in Dungeness, Britain, September 13, 2021. Sunak has said he believes Britain could introduce the new legislation while remaining compliant with the ECHR and international obligations. "It is a tough piece of legislation, the likes of which we've never seen," he told reporters on Monday. "It's important that it's effective, which it will be, but it's also important that we abide by our international obligations. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Kylie MacLellan; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain's BBC battles mutiny in its sports department after social media clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gary Lineker's tweets and the BBC's response caused public backlash and a weekend of disrupted sports programing as fellow presenters walked out in protest. LONDON — The BBC, Britain's public service broadcaster, is trying to navigate itself out of crisis mode following a mutiny within its sports department regarding social media usage. The BBC suspended Lineker, who is employed by the broadcaster on a freelance basis, on Friday. "We consider [Lineker's] recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines," a BBC statement read. The BBC's response led to walkouts among Lineker's colleagues, which disrupted sports programing across Saturday and Sunday.

☆ 'A thin existence': man stranded in Turkey after being refused entry to Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Twala holds South African citizenship, has lived in the UK since 2004 and is father to a British son. The UK Home Office has not responded to a request for comment Reuters made on Saturday. 'BAD DREAM'Twala said his son, Mason, was in shock when he heard that his father could not board the plane. After receiving a family court order for the part-time custody of his son, Twala said he believed he could travel outside the country. "It just feels like I'm in a bad, bad dream," Twala said, adding that he's had "dark" thoughts throughout his time stranded in Turkey.

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