Katie Hopkins looked at me during a Weekend Truth Festival and said: ‘I smell a virgin’
“I smell a virgin…” Katie Hopkins said, looking straight at me. “I smell lefty, pressy scum!”
The far-right commentator was addressing an audience of 500 people in a soggy tent in a rural corner of northwest England.
I was standing at the back but that didn’t stop her singling me out. The crowd theatrically booed me, as if I was a pantomime villain. I blushed.
This was one of many strange moments I witnessed at the three-day event, officially called the Weekend Truth Festival (WTF), that some may call a conspiracy theory gathering.
As well as being called out by Hopkins, I saw children chanting anti-vax slogans and had a magnet applied to my arm to prove my COVID vaccinations are the antenna of a bioweapon.
This was the first WTF and its organisers hailed it as a success.
Its programme featured talks from speakers, including celebrities of the movement like Hopkins and former Southampton footballer Matt Le Tissier, as well as workshops and other activities with dozens of RVs and tents arranged around a giant marquee.
The first Weekend Truth Festival took place in a rural corner of north west England
The festival attendees, who describe themselves as part of the “freedom movement”, paid a £100 donation to see their “truth heroes”.
There are many political and ideological dividing lines in British life, but perhaps the deepest, and most damaging, is that which was on show here – when one part of the population rejects the others’ view of reality.
Attendees paid a £100 donation to see their ‘truth heroes’
This summer a number of similar truther gatherings are being held across the country from Glasgow to Dorset, with the biggest having a capacity of several hundred.
That’s why I found myself in a muddy field on the first May bank holiday: to understand why a movement born in lockdown appears to be evolving out of the dark corners of the internet into real-life meet-ups like this.
My presence there was the result of careful negotiation with the organisers, who agreed to let me come and report. They wanted the world to see what it was really like.
“It’s a gathering of like-minded people who basically think alternatively to the mainstream,” said organiser Kevin Dowling, a man in his fifties with a dry sense of humour.
He and Nicola Mayoh organise regular meet-ups in Buxton, near Manchester, in the top room of a pub.
Nicola and Kevin hailed the event a success
But this was much bigger, and they’d spent a long time preparing.
I asked whether this movement had longevity beyond the headline-grabbing pandemic protests.
“I think COVID woke people up to other things that go on,” Nicola said. “We’ve gravitated towards each other because we’re all very similar.”
I got lucky with where I pitched my tent – next to Theresa Clark and Andy Ryan, friends from Stockport, who met through the movement. They make unlikely conspiracists and their journey from COVID scepticism to WTF attendees was revealing.
Friends Theresa and Andy met during lockdown
Both were in their sixties. Theresa, a former civil servant, was wrapped up in a parka coat with a woolly hat covering her hair, while Andy was similarly attired in a padded black jacket.
They were warm and friendly, and offered me endless cups of tea from Andy’s stove.
On the first night, I found myself sitting around a blazing fire, sharing a glass of wine with them.
Theresa explained she wasn’t originally an anti-vaxxer; she made sure all her children and grandchildren had their recommended vaccinations. But then came COVID.
Living alone during lockdown, Theresa connected with online groups that led her here. “It’s been a great journey for me because I’ve met such wonderful people,” she told me.
Her path first crossed with Andy, and many of the other people who have come to Cumbria, through an activist group called Rebels on Roundabouts.
At the height of lockdown, they gathered on roundabouts and held yellow signs up to passing motorists with slogans such as “Please don’t jab kids” and “Media masking truth”.
This summer will see a number of similar truther gatherings held across the country
Since the pandemic, they’ve expanded. Their Telegram group now has more than 3,000 members.
Their website currently lists events from Newcastle to Tunbridge Wells, and explains their belief that COVID was “ruthlessly exploited by a global elite through their puppet politicians and the mainstream media” and is part of a “sinister CONTROL and DEPOPULATION agenda”.
What does that all mean?
Let’s take Theresa as an example. She went from lockdown and vaccine scepticism to thinking there was a bigger conspiracy at play.
Central to that view is a concept called the Great Reset, originally a short book from the World Economic Forum (WEF) outlining the post-COVID recovery.
But many of those in the movement see it as a blueprint for a totalitarian world government headed by the WEF.
“That scared me,” Theresa said. “Is that the world that we’re aiming for?”
The Great Reset is arguably not the smartest name – it does have an air of the conspiratorial. And those at the festival were willing to connect all sorts of unconnected things – net zero, Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZ) or Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) – as proof that the WEF was trying to take away our freedoms.
I pushed back on the idea that the WEF is able to control the world to that extent, suggesting it was an influential lobby group but not a shadow government.
“It’s not a fiction book, is it,” Theresa pointed out, in reference to the Great Reset.
Her views, like many others who gathered round the campfire, were deeply held.
They relished the chance to set me – the embodiment of the loathed mainstream media – straight. Behind much of their thinking, it seemed, was strong emotion.
Not least for Theresa.
Her father moved into a care home just weeks before lockdown, something she only mentioned after we had been talking for more than an hour.
“It wasn’t nice to go and visit your father and see him through the glass,” she said, tearfully.
“Those last few months, to not be able to give him the love that he deserved… You just don’t get over that.
“These are the harms the COVID lockdown did.”
Crowds gather for an event at WTF, which took place over the bank holiday
That said, there were some limits to her beliefs. For instance, she was sceptical about reptilians, the idea pushed by conspiracy theorist David Icke that suggested shape-shifting lizard people control the world.
Many consider the theory antisemitic, although Icke has always strongly denied this.
Theresa admitted that it was a “bit far-fetched” for her. “But then who am I to say to somebody what you’re saying is utter rubbish. That’s their belief,” she added.
The next day, the sun was shining as Gillian England showed me the ley lines in the field behind the festival site and explained that the weather had improved because she “thanked the elementals”.
“I’m a being from a realm beyond planet Earth,” she said, as we walked through the field.
“My job is to assist the developing consciousness of humanity… I believe in the higher Galactics. I’ve got my star family that I connect to, but this is the fifth dimension and beyond.”
“And where is that?” I asked.
“Well, it’s beyond this reality.”
The Freedom Movement is a broad church that includes people like Gillian, a former NHS psychotherapist turned mystic healer. As we approached a stone circle, the divining rods in her hands started to twitch, then crossed. We had found our ley line.
The divining rods in Gillian England’s hands as we reached a stone circle
You might wonder what Gilian’s new age vibe had in common with anti-lockdown protests on a roundabout, or the Great Reset, or what ley lines had to do with ULEZ.
But when COVID prompted people to do their own research, they found a world of conspiracies ready and waiting to draw them further in. People like Gillian who already had their own alternative understanding of reality and were willing to help those along the same journey.
It doesn’t mean signing up to all the exact same beliefs. Another attendee told me: “I hate that woo woo stuff. There’s loads of that here.” But they were all on the same side, against the mainstream.
“COVID woke people up,” Gillian said. “They were stuck at home, got off the rat race for a little while and started questioning.”
Down at the festival site a little later, Gillian and other adults gathered the children – mostly primary school aged – in a tent near the food stalls. They had dragon puppets, glitter and music and were teaching them to chant the freedom movement slogan: “I do not consent”.
This was the most troubling part of the festival, where legitimate free speech perhaps crossed into something darker.
Among the more troubling claims made by speakers were that COVID was an attempted genocide and a Satanist cult was planning to murder everyone. But just as quickly, a party mood returned.
Matt Le Tissier gave an entertaining talk with occasional anti-vax comments. Then it was time for drinks and dancing.
The DJ played fairly hardcore techno. The crowd ranged from young adults to pensioners and the fashion was hemp hippies meets cyber ravers. Theresa waved as she boogied away.
My tent at the three-day gathering, WTF
This is perhaps the true counterculture of the UK now. It may not have its own music or fashion, but it does have its own Podcasters, Twitter users and YouTubers who reach hundreds of thousands.
On the final day, I wandered down to the main tent. A man had put up a large placard advertising the formation of a “people’s party”. Many people here insist they are neither on the left nor right, but many of the talking points echo the far-right.
Mark Steele, a self-styled “weapons expert”, was one of the speakers. He served time in prison back in the 1990s for shooting a teenage girl in the head.
He believes that ULEZ cameras can be used in conjunction with vaccinations to turn people into literal zombies and cast doubt on Rishi Sunak’s Britishness.
As we spoke, he held a magnet to my arm to prove my COVID vaccination was the antenna of a bioweapon. If a ULEZ camera activated a beam at the right pulse it would be “carnage”, he warned.
The magnet supposed to prove my COVID jab is the antenna of a bioweapon
After packing up my tent, I caught up with Nicola and Kevin who were delighted with how it had gone.
When I said I found some elements surprisingly aggressive, Kevin’s response was that there “has to be a bit of edginess” because as a society we are facing “difficult conversations and difficult times”.
He also reminded me that I wanted to use my visit to test the “political climate and how people are feeling about things”.
That’s true. And what I found was a wider sense of alienation from the main parties, with several attendees talking of finding candidates to stand as independents in the general election.
Hopkins was the final speaker and I followed the rapturous crowd into the main tent to watch her.
Theresa and Andy were there, enjoying the show, although Theresa said she felt sorry for me when Hopkins called me a virgin.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
After saying my goodbyes, I watched them walk up the hill in the twilight, hoods up, carrying their camp chairs, readying themselves for another evening by the fire.
While they had lives and families outside, in that moment this was their people, and this was their place.
UK
UK weather: Dozens of flood alerts in place across England and Wales amid warning of heavy rainfall
Dozens of flood alerts have been issued across England and Wales amid a warning of heavy rainfall.
The Environment Agency has 35 flood alerts in place for rivers in England, while Natural Resources Wales has another 10 in force as of midday on Saturday. Alerts mean flooding is possible.
It comes as the Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place for rain in the East Midlands, North East England and Yorkshire and Humber on Saturday.
Up to 30mm could fall “fairly widely”, the agency predicted, with as much as 60mm possible over higher ground. A yellow warning for ice is also in place for large parts of northern England overnight into Sunday.
Check the weather forecast where you are
There is also a yellow warning for rain on Monday covering North West England, Hampshire, South West England and Wales.
Up to 40mm is likely to fall quite widely for Derbyshire, North West England, and Yorkshire and Humber, and there could be as much as 120mm in a few places over the Cumbrian fells, the Met Office said.
In South West England, there could be up to 50mm “across the higher parts of Exmoor, Dorset, the Mendips and Cotswolds”.
Also for Monday, there is a more serious amber warning for rain in South Wales all day, with 120mm possible in a few places.
Rain warnings are in place for Saturday and Monday (below). Pic: Met Office
Homes and businesses could be flooded, the agency said, and there may be travel disruption and difficult driving conditions.
England and Wales normally averages just over 100mm of rainfall for the entire month of November.
Jason Kelly, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “There is a clear signal for strong winds and periods of heavy rain, which could lead to surface water flooding and delays to road and rail travel.
“Rain will also push into North East England during Saturday, some of which could fall as snow over higher ground when the system meets colder air coming down from the north.
“Sunday will be drier and brighter, albeit colder, for many areas with blustery winds lingering near some North Sea coasts. Expect widespread frost overnight into Monday before the next weather system approaches.”
Read more from Sky News:
National prostate cancer screening not recommended on NHS
British passenger missing after falling from cruise ship
Next week, the weather is expected to remain changeable, with occasional dry spells.
Homes across Scotland left without power
It comes after homes across Scotland were left without power following severe gales overnight.
The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for wind, covering Orkney, Shetland and western parts of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute, which expired at 11am on Friday.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said gusts reached 83mph on the Western Isles and 75mph on the Isle of Mull.
A spokesperson said around 1,000 homes on the Isle of Mull were without power by mid-morning on Friday, but most have since been restored.
UK
Software issue impacts thousands of Airbus planes – as UK passengers warned of potential disruption
Airline passengers have been warned of potential travel disruption after Airbus identified a “significant number” A320 planes impacted by a software issue.
In a statement, the plane maker said: “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.
“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted.”
File pic: iStock
It is understood the incident that triggered an unexpected repair involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on 30 October, which suffered a sharp loss of altitude which injured several passengers.
An Airbus spokesperson told Sky News the necessary software change would affect up to 6,000 planes.
They added that for most of the affected aircraft, the required software update would take 2-3 hours. However, some aircrafts would need new hardware to be able to adopt the required software and that those aircraft would be affected for longer.
Travel expert, Simon Calder, said the situation was “very concerning” but that he had full faith in the safety procedures of Airbus and airlines. He went on to say that “aviation remains extraordinarily safe.”
However, he warned that customers may not be entitled to cash compensation if affected by delays, as the issue would be considered out of the control of airlines.
EasyJet, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Delta and Wizz Air are all affected by the issue.
Airbus told Sky News that it had proactively asked the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue an air worthiness directive for the affected aircraft.
The issue is affecting A319, A320 and the A321 models. The company said the issue is only affecting A320s that are in service, not aircraft that are due to be delivered.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority said it is likely to mean some disruption and cancellation to flights.
Airbus requested that EASA issue an air worthiness directive. Pic: Reuters
Some airlines will be more affected than others, Colombian airline Avianca has announced that it will close ticket sales for 10 days due to the issue.
In a statement, easyJet said: “As we are expecting this to result in some disruption, we will inform customers directly about any changes to our flying programme tomorrow and will do all possible to minimise the impact.”
American Airlines said the Airbus software issue would impact 340 aircraft and it expects some operational delays due to a major software change requirement.
The airline added that it expects the vast majority of the updates to be completed by “today or tomorrow”, and that they are “intently focused” on limiting cancellations.
Wizz Air said some of its flights over the weekend may be affected, while Air India said the issue could lead to delays.
Indigo, an Indian airline which operates over 150 A320s, said it was proactively completing mandated updates on the affected aircraft.
British Airways told Sky News that only three of its aircraft where affected and that the required fixes will be carried out overnight and are not expected to disrupt its operations.
Aer Lingus is in a similar position, with a limited number of aircraft impacted. The Airline doesn’t expect there to be significant operational disruption, but is taking “immediate steps to complete the required software installations”.
In October, the Airbus A320 family broke a major milestone when it overtook Boeing’s 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Famous names affected by prostate cancer have spoken of their disappointment after mass screening for the illness was not recommended for use on the NHS.
The National Screening Committee (NSC), comprised of doctors and economists, told the government that screening is “likely to cause more harm than good”.
Its decision means the NHS is unlikely to offer mass screening for men over the age of 45.
Six-time Olympic gold-medallist Sir Chris Hoy, former Prime Minister David Cameron, Sir Stephen Fry, actor and author Tony Robinson and journalist Dermot Murnaghan, who have all been diagnosed with the disease, spoke out after today’s decision.
David Cameron, Dermot Murnaghan and Sir Chris Hoy were among those who spoke out. Pic: PA/Shutterstock/AP
In a draft recommendation, the committee said the reason it was “not recommending whole population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test was that it was likely to cause more harm than good”.
Instead, it proposes a targeted screening programme every two years for men with specific genetic mutations, known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, between the ages of 45 and 61.
But Sir Chris, who confirmed last year that his prostate cancer diagnosis was terminal, with doctors giving him two to four years to live, criticised the move.
The former Team GB cyclist, who confirmed in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment, said: “I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the recommendation announced by the National Screening Committee today to rule against national screening for men at high risk of prostate cancer.
“More than 12,000 men are dying of prostate cancer every year; it is now the UK’s most common cancer in men, with black men at double the risk, along with men with a family history, like myself.
“While introducing regular checks for men carrying the BRCA genes is a very small step forward, it is not enough. I know, first hand, that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved.
“Early screening and diagnosis saves lives. I am determined to continue to use my platform to raise awareness, encourage open discussion, raise vital funds for further research and support, and to campaign for change.”
Sir Chris Hoy. Picture: PA
His views were echoed by Lord Cameron, who this month announced he was treated for prostate cancer last year.
Lord Cameron said in a post on X: “I am disappointed by today’s recommendation on prostate cancer screening from the National Committee.
“Targeted screening is a natural first step – but the recommendation today is far too targeted, not including black men or men with a family history, both high-risk groups.
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among British men. We are letting down too many men if we don’t push for a wider screening programme that includes all high-risk groups – and not just the men involved, but their families too, who risk losing a loved one unnecessarily. As I know all too well, prostate cancer can be symptomless early on.
“That’s why screening is so essential – catching the cancers early when they can be more effectively and successfully treated, like in my own case.”
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was treated for prostate cancer last year. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sir Tony, journalist Mr Murnaghan and retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced their disappointment after the decision.
Sir Tony, 79, who starred as Baldrick in Blackadder, said: “I’m bitterly disappointed. Getting an early diagnosis for prostate cancer could save your life, but we still have no screening programme for it in the UK.
“I was lucky I found my cancer early, but nearly 10,000 men a year are diagnosed too late for a cure, and that’s just not right.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Why prostate cancer screening not being expanded
Broadcaster Mr Murnaghan, 67, added: “With prostate cancer cases higher than they’ve ever been, and the disease dominating the national conversation, I really thought we were heading to an exciting moment here.
“I’m so disappointed that the committee has decided not to recommend screening – it felt about time progress was made for men.”
He added in a statement shared with Sky News: “An acceptable halfway house, would perhaps be to extend screening to black men – and those with a known history of cancer in their family. But clearly a full nationwide screening programme would be best.”
Sir Stephen, who is a Prostate Cancer Research ambassador who revealed in 2018 he had undergone surgery after being diagnosed with the disease, said: “I’m deeply disappointed by today’s news. Men in the UK deserve so much better. Prostate cancer remains the second biggest cancer killer of men in this country, with more than 12,000 dying every year.
“The only way we will make a dent in that appalling statistic is by catching prostate cancer early, before symptoms appear – and the best way to do that is through a screening programme. I hope the country sees sense.”
Retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced his concerns over the decision. Pic: Reuters
Mr Ferdinand, whose grandfather died from prostate cancer, added: “I’ve seen members of my family survive prostate cancer, because their cancer was found in time.
“Without a national screening programme, the responsibility to find prostate cancer early and in time for a cure rests entirely on men’s shoulders, and it shouldn’t be this way.
“Black men are at double the risk of prostate cancer and twice as likely to die, and something has to be done.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Prostate cancer decision ‘a massive mistake’
Colin McFarlane, an actor who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, told Sky News presenter Jonathan Samuels the decision was a “massive mistake”.
“I’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but I’m not having any treatment. I have something called active surveillance, so every three months I have a PSA blood test, and then once a year I have an MRI,” he said.
McFarlane said black men over the age of 45 are at high risk, and “should be invited for screening”. He added: “I personally think men over 50 should be invited for screening, because they’re also at risk. I’m concerned now for all the black men out there who are high risk.”
NSC added it did not recommend extensive screening for black men due to a current lack of evidence and data.
The committee also does not recommend targeted screening for men with a family history of the disease, who are also at a higher risk of prostate cancer.
The National Screening Committee is comprised of doctors and economists. File pic: iStock
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider the findings ahead of March’s final decision, adding that he wanted to see earlier diagnosis and quicker treatment, but that needed to be balanced against “the harms that wider screening could cause to men”.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former national cancer director and chairman of the NSC, told a briefing that modelling on PSA shows “whole population screening may lead to a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths, but the very high levels of overdiagnoses” means the harms outweigh the benefits.
Experts are also waiting to see data from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, may lead to recommending population-wide screening.
Read more from Sky News:
Why prostate cancer is expected to be left without national screening
Scotland to roll out ‘simple’ genetic test
The trial is looking at the most promising screening techniques available, including PSA blood tests, genetic tests and 10-minute MRI scans, and whether they can be combined for a national screening programme.
The results will be ready within two years, it is hoped.
Mr Streeting added: “In the meantime, we will keep making progress on cutting cancer waiting times and investing in research into prostate cancer detection – in the last 12 months, 193,000 more patients received a diagnosis for suspected cancer on time.
“We are also providing funding to the £42m TRANSFORM trial, which has the potential to revolutionise prostate cancer screening, cutting out harmful side effects and making screening far more accurate.”
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024