Friday, February 13, 2026
A costly use of power
The paper says that Huda Ammori, co-founder of the group, has challenged the government’s decision to ban the organisation under anti-terrorism laws in the courts:
Since the proscription, thousands of people have been arrested for holding signs declaring support for Palestine Action and the move has been condemned as “an enormous overreach of the UK’s terrorism powers” by human rights groups. A decision by the High Court in the case is expected tomorrow.
The Home Office has been charged £694,390.03 exclusive of VAT for work on the case against Ms Ammori, freedom of information data shared with The Independent shows. This includes the legal fees of the government legal department, fees of counsel instructed in the case, and other court fees.
The fees are however dwarfed by the costs of policing protests in support of Palestine Action since the terror ban was enforced, which run into the millions of pounds. The ban came into force in early July last year making supporting Palestine Action a criminal offence, with membership or expressing support for the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The Metropolitan Police told the London Assembly in October last year that it has cost around £3.6m to police protests, arrests and carry out other enforcement action associated with the proscription of Palestine Action - a figure which will have grown over recent months.
Lawyers for Ms Ammori argued in the High Court that the decision by the then-home secretary Yvette Cooper to proscribe Palestine Action was “novel and unprecedented”.
Raza Hussain KC said that the group was a “direct action civil disobedience organisation that does not advocate for violence”. He said that any examples of serious violence committed by the group against property or person “are not the norm, they are rare”. Government data shows that in the year up to September 2025 there were 1,630 arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action.
Activists who have organised protests against the proscription believe this is much higher, with 2,787 people arrested for holding signs in support of Palestine Action.
The group was proscribed after an incident in June last year where activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two military planes with red paint. Ms Cooper cited the group’s protest at a weapons equipment factory in Glasgow in 2022, and its targeting of Israeli defence technology company Elbit Systems UK in Bristol in her reasoning for proscribing Palestine Action.
Ms Cooper had faltered over the decision, initially deciding to go ahead with the terror ban in May last year before she paused the decision and requested further information. One month later, on 20 June, she then confirmed that the proscription should go ahead.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, who have campaigned to lift the ban on Palestine Action, said: “None of the costs arising from this crackdown are in the public interest. These are unnecessary and politically-driven costs that serve only to protect companies which the UN has named as profiting from genocide and the state of Israel itself”.
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, said: “The staggering costs of this court case emphasise how committed the UK government is to stifling legitimate criticism of Israel.
“The use of counter-terrorism legislation to proscribe Palestine Action is a grave abuse of state power and just one of a suite of measures this government is using to curtail people’s right to protest”.
Given that the government has not been able to publicly provide any proper public justification for the proscription, this seems a lot of money to spend to suppress dissent about Israel's actions in Palestine.
UPDATE: The high court has ruled that the proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
It's all about the cats
The website says that with one in four Welsh households (24%) owning a cat, Cats Protection is using its Cat Manifesto Wales to call on MSs to make cats a priority during policy-making:
The charity also highlights areas where Wales falls behind the rest of the UK.
This includes cat breeding and the regulation of animal welfare establishments which are already licensed in Scotland; compulsory microchipping which is required by law in England and pet theft which is a specific offence in England and Northern Ireland.
Alice Palombo, Cats Protection Advocacy and Government Relations Manager, said: “Our manifesto gives voice to cats, who cannot speak for themselves, and provides a framework by which cats across Wales could be safeguarded from becoming victims of cruelty, neglect or poor welfare and ultimately enjoy better lives.”
Key focus areas
The manifesto advocates for five key focus areas through which MSs could improve the welfare and wellbeing of the 480,000 owned cats in Wales.
It calls for regulating breeding, animal welfare establishments, and ending practices that harm cats’ wellbeing.
The charity wants a total ban on breeding cats with extreme physical traits that cause pain or chronic health problems, including Scottish Folds, extremely flat-faced Persians, Munchkins, and so-called ‘Dwelf’ or ‘XL Bully’ cats.
They also said activities such as cat cafés, where cats’ welfare can be compromised, should also be carefully regulated or discontinued.
The charity is also calling for protections in the digital world. This includes tightening rules around selling cats online, encouraging social media platforms to tackle harmful content involving cats and urging advertisers and media outlets to portray cats responsibly.
Such measures would prevent breeds known to have health or behavioural issues from being normalised or promoted.
Cats Protection wants compulsory microchipping of all pet cats with a single searchable database, more pet-friendly rental housing, the inclusion of animal welfare in school curricula, and greater awareness of the welfare risks associated with cat hoarding or multi-cat households.
The manifesto also highlights practical steps to keep cats safe and secure. These include better labelling of products toxic to cats, such as lilies, which over half of Welsh cat owners were unaware could be harmful, and restrictions on fireworks to reduce stress and injury.
Speaking as somebody who has lived with cats for over 40 years, and as somebody involved with a local animal charity, I fully endorse this manifesto.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Have the wheels come off Reform's DOGE experiment?
The reality though is that all the promised savings have failed to materialise, while the expected freezing of council tax has proved to be just a pipe dream.
The Independent reports that Reform-led Worcestershire County Council will issue the biggest council tax rise in England this April after the government gave it special permission to raise it by up to 9 per cent, despite the party’s pledge to slash rates.
The paper says that the local authority had applied for exceptional financial support after its newly appointed head of strategic delivery, operations, governance, and efficiency (Doge) said it was facing a “financial emergency”.
This record hike has come about despite the fact that the council has hosted a visit from Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf and his national Doge team:
Reform-led Worcestershire County Council will issue the biggest council tax rise in England this April after the government gave it special permission to raise it by up to 9 per cent – despite the party’s pledge to slash rates.
The local authority had applied for exceptional financial support after its newly appointed head of strategic delivery, operations, governance, and efficiency (Doge) said it was facing a “financial emergency”.
The council is one of seven across the country to get permission to raise council tax beyond the 5 per cent limit.
In a written statement by local government minister Alison McGovern on Monday night, she said Worcestershire, Shropshire and North Somerset councils can raise their share by a maximum of 9 per cent.
As part of a three-year settlement for local authorities, she also said Trafford, Warrington, and Windsor and Maidenhead can increase their tax by up to 7.5 per cent, while Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council can raise its share by up to 6.75 per cent.
Worcestershire is a Reform-led authority, but because it only has 25 of the 57 county council seats, it operates a minority administration, which means it relies on support from other parties to approve its budget.
However, the council has hosted a visit from Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf and his national Doge team, the Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting team that pledged to work with councils on cutting wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money.
In January, the council created its own Doge cabinet role to drive efficiency. Councillor Nik Price, on her appointment to the position, said the authority was “facing a financial emergency, a situation we inherited and which we are dealing with”.
On its Facebook page, after Labour’s decision, Worcestershire Conservatives wrote: “Back in May, Reform promised to cut your taxes. Today Labour gave them power to raise your tax by up to 9 per cent.” The group has launched a petition calling for a U-turn.
Over the weekend, a Reform councillor announced he was quitting over the plans to increase council tax. David Taylor, who represents Redditch East, will now sit as an independent councillor.
Worcestershire County Council has blamed significant financial pressures caused by a rise in demand and costs of child and adult social care. The cabinet member for finance, councillor Rob Wharton, said every 1 per cent increase in council tax would generate an extra £3.6m for the local authority, which he said was “vital for sustaining statutory services”.
Local government is in trouble, with all councils facing these pressures, irrespective of which party is in charge. If only Reform could have been more open about what is really going on when they promised voters the earth.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Fighting like cats and dogs
The Independent reports that Keir Starmer is clinging on to power with the support of key cabinet figures – even after being rocked by the departure of a second key aide, and public demands for his resignation by Labour’s own leader in Scotland.
The paper says that the prime minister is supported by colleagues, including former deputy Angela Rayner, when previously loyal Anas Sarwar urged him to step down over the Mandelson scandal, saying he had made “too many mistakes”:
On a day of drama, the PM was also hit by the resignation of Downing Street director of communications Tim Allan, less than 24 hours after chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned.
But Sir Keir insisted: “I am going nowhere.”
As the embattled prime minister prepared to address the parliamentary Labour Party to save his premiership, leading pollsters suggested his departure had become “inevitable”.
It all appeared to be unravelling after the controversial aide, Mr McSweeney, stepped down on Sunday over his advice calling for the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States despite his ongoing association with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Sarwar, whose Scottish Labour Party is trailing both Reform and the SNP ahead of crucial Holyrood elections in May, held a press conference to say Sir Keir should also now step down.
He said he was calling for his “friend” to resign “with a heavy heart”.
“The distraction needs to end, and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,” he told reporters.
“We cannot allow the failures at the heart of Downing Street to mean the failures continue here in Scotland, because the election in May is not without consequence for the lives of Scots."
But almost as soon as he had spoken, health secretary Wes Streeting – once accused by Downing Street officials of plotting against the PM – said: “Give Keir a chance.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves posted: “With Keir as our Prime Minister we are turning the country around.”
Deputy prime minister David Lammy added: “Keir Starmer won a massive mandate 18 months ago, for five years to deliver on Labour’s manifesto that we all stood on.”
As ministers lined up to pledge loyalty, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, another candidate to replace Sir Keir, also appealed for calm.
She said: “I urge all my colleagues to come together, remember our values and put them into practice as a team. The prime minister has my full support in leading us to that end.”
Labour grandee Alan Johnson warned that ditching the PM would “turn Labour and the country into an international laughing stock”.
But amid the febrile atmosphere in Westminster, one Labour MP said: “It’s over. It is just a matter of when, not if.”
Behind the scenes the Parliamentary Labour Party don't appear to be convinced. The paper says that a number of MPs on the Labour left have already described his position as “untenable”, and there were plans to heckle the prime minister at the Parliamentary Labour Party event on Monday evening.
Time to get the popcorn.
Monday, February 09, 2026
They seek him here, they seek him there
They say that Dan Thomas, the former Conservative leader of Barnet council in London, was introduced on February 5 by Nigel Farage as his handpicked leader in Wales but there is speculation has as to whether the claim that he is living in Islwyn is correct:
Thomas resigned at the end of last year after 19 years as a councillor, saying he moved away from Barnet so that he and his wife could raise their young sons in the countryside and live closer to their families in south Wales.
Blackwood-born Thomas told the conference in Newport: “After 27 years I’m back home. Raising my two boys in the south Wales valleys. I’ve come back to where I belong.”
However, a source contacted us to say: “I read the NationCymru article about Dan Thomas, the new Welsh Reform leader. What he omits to tell is that he lives in a £1m house in Bath. The ‘countryside’ is not Wales. I feel this is a calculated misdirection if not blatant lie and one your readers would like to know about.
“He moved there last year from London – his parents live in Blackwood. He doesn’t. They [Thomas and his wife] sold their house in Edgware in London for a huge profit and moved to Bath last year.”
Mr Thomas was the Tory leader of Barnet council until 2022, when the party lost power to overall Labour control for the first time since the borough was established in 1964. He defected to Reform UK in June 2025 and in December 2025 resigned his seat on the council.
At the time his successor as leader of the now opposition Conservative group on the council, Cllr Peter Zinkin, told the London Standard: “He informed us several months ago that this would be his final year serving as a councillor in Barnet, having moved to the West Country to be closer to his family and raise his children there.”
Nation.Cymru contacted Cllr Zinkin, who told us: “Our understanding is that he sold his house in Edgware and moved to the Bath area, where he is working for a large financial institution.
“He has two very young children, the older of the two being three or four years old.”
Blaenau Gwent Labour MS Alun Davies said: “When he was announced as Reform’s leader in Wales, we were told that after spending his adult life in England he had returned to his roots in the Valleys. Now we learn that isn’t true, but that he moved from London to the Bath area. At the beginning of their Senedd election campaign, their narrative has been built on a fraud and a lie.
“As James Evans [the Tory MS who defected to Reform this week] said quite recently, Reform is full of hypocrites who have no principles.
“The last time this shower had seats in the Senedd, when they stood as UKIP, they were led by Neil Hamilton, who lived in a mansion in Wiltshire. This time their leader lives 10 miles nearer to Wales. At this rate they will have a leader who actually lives in Wales by 2050.”
Since then Reform have reiterated their claim that Thomas has moved his family to Wales, claiming he rents out the property in Bath. However, the details are sketchy. Where exactly does he live? Which schools is he sending his children? Is he renting or did he buy? These are oustanding questions.
A later article on Nation Cymru tells us that Thomas does not appear in the electoral register compiled in December 2025 that covers the part of Wales where he has his roots, and despite continuing to claim that he is on the voters’ roll in Wales, Reform has refused to answer the long list of questions which the journalist posed to them about the matter and is seeking to close scrutiny down.
The qualification to stand for the Senedd is very clear: a candidate has to be a registered local government elector in Wales and has to certify on the nomination form that the address they give is their main home. No doubt it will all be sorted out by then.
Sunday, February 08, 2026
McSweeney’s think tank paid PR firm to investigate journalists
They say that according to documents they have seen, the influential Starmerite think tank, once run by Morgan McSweeney and then by Josh Simons, now a minister in Starmer’s government, hired APCO Worldwide to investigate journalists from the Sunday Times, the Guardian and other outlets and to identify their sources:
ACPO was hired in 2023, when Simons ran Labour Together. Sources close to Morgan McSweeney, who joined Starmer’s team in 2020, said that he did not make the decision to hire APCO but did not dispute that he was aware of it.
A political think tank hiring a PR firm to investigate journalists is highly unusual, and the revelations have sparked furious response from a senior figure in Labour Together’s formation.
Former Labour MP Jon Cruddas, who helped found the organisation in 2015, said our findings were “shocking” and “extraordinary”.
“I have heard of black briefings, but never heard of anything like this,” he told us. “This is dark shit.”
The news that Labour Together put private investigators onto journalists will raise fresh questions about the conduct of senior figures around Starmer as the prime minister fights for his political survival.
Starmer today declared ‘full confidence’ in McSweeney, who pushed for Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador despite his known friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
November 2023. Panic at Labour Together. The Sunday Times had just published an explosive investigation into the organisation, revealing in detail how McSweeney had failed to declare £730,000 in donations to his think tank between 2017 and 2020. The money paid for polling and campaigning powered Starmer’s rise to the Labour leadership.
The story, bylined by Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke, was filled with serious accusations. At its core, is that McSweeney had intentionally kept Labour Together’s donors secret so the think tank would look like a humble, grassroots initiative when in fact it was a well-funded vehicle to take over the party.
With a general election now pending, questions about Labour Together’s money - and its genesis - could seriously derail an operation that had become a pivotal part of Starmer’s Labour.
So Labour Together turned to APCO Worldwide, a controversial PR firm whose work includes crisis comms. The think tank would pay at least £30,000 to identify the source of stories about its funding.
The work was led by Tom Harper, a former Times journalist who is now APCO’s head of European media relations. APCO, which has previously worked for big tobacco companies, has recently faced protests in the UK over its work for Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.
Internal reports prepared by APCO’s London office for Labour Together, and seen by Democracy for Sale, name Pogrund, Yorke, The Guardian’s Henry Dyer, Declassified’s John McAvoy and journalists from other outlets as “significant persons of interest” and discuss potential “leverage” over other reporters.
APCO’s briefings suggest - without providing any evidence - that one possible source of the Sunday Times story about Labour Together’s funding was a Russian or Chinese hack of the Electoral Commission. It is understood that the contents of some of the documents were shared with other journalists on Fleet Street, seemingly in an attempt to discredit the initial story.
These revelations, together with the role McSweeney played in persuading Starmer to appoint Mandelson as ambassador to the US must surely make his position in Number 10 untenable.
Saturday, February 07, 2026
From conservatory to indian restaurant
It was constructed along with a clock tower by Spanish opera singer, Adelina Patti who, after the failure of her first marriage, and in search of privacy and good trout-fishing for her lover, married French tenor Ernest Nicolini, bought a Welsh country house overlooking the River Tawe near Penwyllt, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons.
The conservatory and clock tower cost £100,000, which she was able to pay for by doing just one tour of the USA in which she charged £1,000, or £60,000 now, per performance. As Wales-online says, in 1918, at the age of 75, she donated her winter garden conservatory, now known as the Patti Pavilion, to the people of Swansea.
The building was dismantled from its Swansea Valley location and re-erected overlooking the bay in Victoria Park, Swansea, two years later in 1920. The building has been used widely for rock concerts, festivals, cultural events and a variety of other uses. I recall seeing Bob Geldof and Man there amongst many others.
In 1994, it was given a superficial makeover by the BBC's Challenge Anneka. This caused a small controversy as the various local workmen changed the colour of the roof from red to green, an alteration that Cadw took unbrage with even though the original roof was made of glass.
Wikipedia records that the building was damaged by a suspected arson attack in 2006. It underwent a major £3m overhaul in 2009 after it became clear that it was not being utilised to its full potential. The project was funded by Swansea Council. Work began in late 2007 to extend the building by adding a new glass covered wing housing an Indian restaurant; Patti Raj, which has subsequently been rebranded as Adelinas Bar and Indian Kitchen.
The conservatory and clock tower cost £100,000, which she was able to pay for by doing just one tour of the USA in which she charged £1,000, or £60,000 now, per performance. As Wales-online says, in 1918, at the age of 75, she donated her winter garden conservatory, now known as the Patti Pavilion, to the people of Swansea.
The building was dismantled from its Swansea Valley location and re-erected overlooking the bay in Victoria Park, Swansea, two years later in 1920. The building has been used widely for rock concerts, festivals, cultural events and a variety of other uses. I recall seeing Bob Geldof and Man there amongst many others.
In 1994, it was given a superficial makeover by the BBC's Challenge Anneka. This caused a small controversy as the various local workmen changed the colour of the roof from red to green, an alteration that Cadw took unbrage with even though the original roof was made of glass.
Wikipedia records that the building was damaged by a suspected arson attack in 2006. It underwent a major £3m overhaul in 2009 after it became clear that it was not being utilised to its full potential. The project was funded by Swansea Council. Work began in late 2007 to extend the building by adding a new glass covered wing housing an Indian restaurant; Patti Raj, which has subsequently been rebranded as Adelinas Bar and Indian Kitchen.
Friday, February 06, 2026
How long can Starmer last after Mandelson revelations?
The paper says that Starmer's dramatic U-turn followed intense pressure, led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, just hours after he admitted that he knew about Lord Mandelson’s continued friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – but appointed him as US ambassador anyway:
Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership has been plunged into turmoil after furious Labour MPs forced him into a humiliating climbdown over the release of full vetting documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador in the US.
The prime minister’s dramatic U-turn followed intense pressure, led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, just hours after he admitted that he knew about Lord Mandelson’s continued friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – but appointed him as US ambassador anyway.
Despite the revelation, which led many to question Sir Keir’s integrity and judgement, he insisted he was repeatedly lied to by the disgraced peer, who he said had “betrayed our country” over the alleged leak of sensitive government documents to the disgraced financier.
On Wednesday night, ministers and other senior figures in Labour gave the prime minister an ultimatum that he must sack his controversial chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who pushed for Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador and brought him back into the heart of the government.
One minister told The Independent: “Morgan has to go – and should have gone months ago.”
The prime minister had attempted to restrict the publication of the vetting documents, arguing that some details would need to be redacted on national security grounds. That prompted accusations from Labour MPs that he was engaging in a “cover-up”.
After three hours into a Commons humble address debate on Wednesday, Sir Keir relented after Ms Rayner intervened to make it clear she would be supporting the Tory proposal for the independent Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) to decide which documents could be published.
It is unclear when the documents will be released to the committee and made public, but there is speculation that they could be available as early as Thursday.
Seizing on the U-turn, a Conservative spokesperson said: "Kemi [Badenoch] forced Starmer to admit he'd known Mandelson was still hanging out with Epstein after the child sex conviction, and No 10 went ahead and appointed Mandelson anyway.
“You could feel in the Commons that was the moment Labour MPs stopped backing the prime minister. The government have now had to cave to Kemi's demand for all documents to go to the ISC. Starmer is no longer in control; Kemi is calling the shots.”
The prime minister had earlier claimed that the police investigations into Lord Mandelson and diplomatic relations needed to be protected.
In a desperate bid to draw a line under the scandal at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Sir Keir went on the attack over his former ambassador, who was sacked in September, after further revelations of his relationship with Epstein came to light.
With his hands visibly shaking under the pressure, he told MPs: “Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party.
"He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government."
And with his future on the line, it is understood that Sir Keir is planning yet another reset with a major speech on Thursday, to position himself as the champion of “decency and respect”.
Despite the apparent mea culpa, MPs were left unconvinced by the prime minister’s anger and promises over transparency. During a debate over more than six hours, the fury on both sides of the House was fully on display.
At present the ire of Labour MPs seem to be focussed on the PM's Chief of Staff, Morgan Sweeney, whose position is surely untenable, but it could get worse for the Prime Minister. A few days ago the perceived wisdom was that Keir Starmer would be ousted after the May elections, now it is looking likely that he may not even last that long.
Thursday, February 05, 2026
Another blow to the cost of living in Wales
It comes after Senedd members backed Welsh government proposals to increase the MUP.
Welsh ministers said this "landmark policy to help reduce deaths and harm from excess alcohol" brings the country into line with the rate in Scotland.
But the Conservatives said minimum pricing had "only served to hit hard-pressed Welsh consumers that don't have a drink problem in their pockets".
Independent research commissioned by the Welsh government suggests the policy could prevent more than 900 alcohol-related deaths over 20 years and reduce the number of "harmful drinkers" by nearly 5,000.
The policy was introduced in Wales in 2020 and the price increase follows a public consultation.
Public Health Wales figures show between 2019 and 2023 there was a rise of more than 50% in alcohol-related deaths.
Alcohol abuse charities have previously supported raising the minimum unit price for alcohol to 65p but also raised concerns that the most deprived areas could be adversely affected.
For once Darren Millar is right when he says that the minimum price legislation has only served to hit hard-pressed Welsh consumers that don't have a drink problem in their pockets, and resulted in problem drinkers consuming stronger booze and going without food or heating.
There is a lot of speculative research but where is the actual evaluation of this policy that demonstrates that it does what ministers claim for it.
From what I can see, those who already have an alcohol problem will always find a way to get their fix. The people this policy really hits are those on low incomes who like the occasional pint after work. It just adds to the cost of living pressure for people in Wales.
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
Farage pitches welfare of 450,000 children against the future of pubs
The paper says that the Reform UK leader has announced a £3 billion support package for pubs, funded by restoring the two-child benefit cap:
The plans would see VAT reduced to 10% for the hospitality sector, the employer national insurance increase for hospitality businesses scrapped, beer duty cut by 10%, new staggered business rate abolition for pubs and fresh regulation to support landlords.
It is estimated that lifting the two-child limit, which was introduced by the Tories in 2017, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by 2029. Responding to the announcement, Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Social Security Minister, said: “Politics is about choices. Nigel Farage’s choice is to join with the Tories and plunge half a million children back into poverty.
There is no doubt that something needs to be done to help businesses and charities by reducing the employer national insurance rate, but to penalise children to achieve that is inhumane. It tells us everything we need to know about Reform.
