Police ‘urgently assessing’ racist comments by Reform activists as Sunak speaks of anger

Published

1 year ago

June 28, 2024

admin

Police are “urgently assessing” racist and homophobic comments made by Reform UK activists as Rishi Sunak spoke of his hurt and anger at a personal slur.

The Essex force said it was looking “to establish if there are any criminal offences”.

It came after the prime minister said he hated repeating the bigoted insult directed at him by a supporter of Nigel Farage‘s party, but said as a father of two daughters it was important to challenge “corrosive and divisive behaviour”.

Reform campaigners had been recorded by an undercover Channel 4 reporter making racist comments, including about the Tory leader who is of Indian descent.

Follow live election updates

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We are aware of comments made during a Channel 4 News programme and we are urgently assessing them to establish if there are any criminal offences.”

Mr Sunak said: “My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing ‘P***’.

“It hurts and it makes me angry and I think he has some questions to answer.

“And I don’t repeat those words lightly.

“I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out clearly for what it is.”

Speaking on an election campaign visit to a school in Teesside, he added: “As prime minister, but more importantly as a father of two young girls, it’s my duty to call out this corrosive and divisive behaviour.”

Mr Sunak said he repeated the racial insult because it was important to challenge it.

He went on: “I hate having to do it, I chose my words deliberately, I hate having to repeat them, absolutely hate it.

“But I also think it’s important to call this out for what it is and be clear about what it is.”

The footage taken in Clacton where Mr Farage is a candidate, showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker making the discriminatory remark about Mr Sunak and suggesting migrants should be used as “target practice”.

He also described Islam as a “disgusting cult”.

‘I’ve never seen him so angry’

I’ve spent much of the last five weeks with the prime minister, dozens of visits, dozens of questions but today I’ve never seen him so angry, writes Sky News political correspondent Darren McCaffrey.

The broadcast last night of a Reform canvasser making a targeted racist slur against the Tory leader has left Rishi Sunak not just angry but he says hurt too.

When asked why he had deliberately decided to repeat the slur itself in an interview, he said it’s not something he wanted to do.

“I hate it, I hate having to do it, I choose my words deliberately, I hate it, but I have to call it out for what it is,” he said.

On a personal level, this clearly matters to the prime minister and his desire to protect his family.

He has mentioned his daughters having to hear racism like this several times.

Politically the Conservatives are hoping that this will also make voters think twice about Reform and about Nigel Farage.

When I asked Rishi Sunak if he would now describe Reform as a racist party he wouldn’t go that far, but suggested Mr Farage “has questions to answer”.

Another canvasser described the Pride flag as “degenerate” and suggested members of the LGBT+ community were paedophiles.

Mr Farage, already facing a backlash over his claim the West “provoked” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has sought to distance himself from the inflammatory comments, saying he was “dismayed” by the “appalling sentiments” expressed.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was “shocked” by the “clearly racist” footage and that the Reform UK leader faced a “test of leadership”.

? Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts ?

Mr Farage has used reports Mr Parker was a part-time actor to suggest the incriminating film was a “total set-up”.

Appearing on ITV’s Loose Women, he said: “It was an act right from the very start.”

Mr Farage added: “I have to tell you, this whole thing was a complete and total set-up, I have no doubt about that.”

But Mr Parker told Sky News his volunteering for Reform was separate from his acting job and claimed he had been “goaded” into making the comments caught on camera.

He said: “There’s lots of old people like me who are sick to death of this woke agenda… but on that particular day, I was set up and set up good and proper.

“It’s proper taught me a lesson – I was a total fool.”

He added: “I still support Nigel Farage, I think Nigel Farage is a brilliant guy.

“I think Nigel Farage is the only person who tells the truth.”

Mr Sunak also hit out at Mr Farage’s previous praise of Andrew Tate as an “important voice” for men.

The online influencer has faced charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women – charges he has denied.

The prime minister said: “Andrew Tate isn’t an important voice for men. He’s a vile misogynist. And our politics and country is better than that.”

The other candidates in Clacton are:

Matthew Bensilum, Liberal Democrat

Craig Jamieson, Climate Party

Tony Mack, independent

Natasha Oben, Green Party

Tasos Papanastasiou, Heritage Party

Andrew Pemberton, UK Independence Party

Giles Watling, Conservative

Politics

China says it has ‘no interest’ in spying on UK following latest accusations

Published

5 hours ago

November 19, 2025

admin

China says it has 'no interest' in spying on UK following latest accusations

China’s foreign ministry has hit back at what it called “unfounded” accusations of spying in Westminster, saying it has “no interest” in gathering intelligence on the UK.

Yesterday, the security service MI5 sent a warning to MPs and peers about two recruitment headhunters who are working for Chinese security services.

Politics latest: ‘Are we safe?’ – Minister challenged repeatedly after damning report from MPs

They are Amanda Qiu of BR-YR Executive Search and Shirly Shen of the Internship Union.

But speaking in response to a question by Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning replied: “China has repeatedly made clear its solemn position on this matter.

“We firmly oppose such unfounded allegations and the exaggerated portrayal and sensationalism that project one’s own biases onto others.

“Judgements based on erroneous information will only lead astray.

Ms Mao added: “China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries, nor does it have any interest in gathering so-called intelligence on the British parliament.”

Chinese spying accusations may signal thorny period ahead

It is China’s standard playbook to outright deny allegations of spying.

But given that it’s common knowledge countries spy on each other, and given the recent spate of allegations of this nature, it might feel a little far-fetched for China to stick so rigorously to the position that the UK is just making it all up.

Not so, says Mao Ning, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When I put it to her, she said that these allegations are, in fact, a “projection of one’s own biases on to others”, and that China doesn’t “have any interest in gathering so-called intelligence on the British parliament”.

That is almost certainly not true. China is commonly understood to run a highly sophisticated espionage operation.

But, in a way, the truth or untruth might be immaterial to the impact on the bilateral relationship.

While the UK government may seek to send strong signals amidst criticism that it’s being too soft, China really does not appreciate this type of laundry being aired in public.

It may well signal a thorny period ahead.

In a message seen by Sky News about parliamentary staff, MPs and peers were warned that the MI5 alert “highlights how the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) is actively reaching out to individuals in our community”.

The message continued: “Their aim is to collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships, using professional networking sites, recruitment agents and consultants acting on their behalf.”

Security minister Dan Jarvis later said in a statement to parliament that “China has a low threshold for what information is considered to be of value, and will gather individual pieces of information to build a wider picture”.

He added: “Let me speak plainly. This activity involves a covert and calculated attempt by a foreign power to interfere with our sovereign affairs in favour of its own interests, and this government will not tolerate it.”

The government made a statement in the House of Commons following the revelations, saying it would take all “necessary measures” to protect the UK.

Westminster employees were warned that two individuals were both known to be reaching out on LinkedIn to “conduct outreach at scale on behalf of MSS”.

This latest warning comes after the collapse of a prosecution of two people suspected of spying on behalf of China.

The previous spying allegations led to controversy over how the government under Labour responded to the Crown Prosecution Service’s requests for evidence.

Sir Keir Starmer sought to blame the previous Conservative government for the issues, which centred on whether China could be designated an “enemy” under First World War-era legislation.

Sir Keir has sought to keep relationships with Beijing somewhat warm, highlighting the value of China as a trading partner.

Politics

New Hampshire approves first-of-its-kind $100M Bitcoin-backed municipal bond

Published

11 hours ago

November 19, 2025

admin

New Hampshire approves first-of-its-kind 0M Bitcoin-backed municipal bond

New Hampshire has approved the issuance of a $100 million municipal bond backed by Bitcoin, in what appears to be the first structure of its kind at the US state level.

Minutes from a Nov. 17 meeting of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA), the state’s business financing agency, show the board planned “to consider approving a resolution authorizing up to $100,000,000 bonds for a project to acquire and hold digital currency.”

Minutes from the following day record that directors voted to “approve the preliminary official intent, with no reservation, to issue a taxable conduit revenue bond for WaveRose Depositor, LLC of up to $100,000,000.”

According to a Wednesday Crypto in America report, the bond is backed by Bitcoin (BTC) and would let companies borrow against overcollateralized BTC held by a private custodian. The state or taxpayers do not back the bond; instead, BFA approves and oversees a private deal, while Bitcoin — reportedly held in custody by BitGo — covers investors.

According to the report, asset manager Wave Digital Assets and bond specialist Rosemawr Management designed the bond to utilize Bitcoin as collateral under the same rules that govern municipal and corporate bonds. Wave co-founder Les Borsai said the goal is to “bridge traditional fixed income with digital assets” for institutional investors.

New Hampshire, United States — *The New Hampshire State House in Concord. Source:* *Wikimedia*

“We believe this structure shows how public and private sectors can collaborate to responsibly unlock the value of digital assets and digital asset reserves,” he added.

The borrower is expected to post approximately 160% of the bond’s value in Bitcoin as collateral, and if the price of BTC drops below roughly 130%, a liquidation would ensure that bondholders stay whole. According to BFA Executive Director James Key-Wallace, fees from the transaction will fund the local innovation and entrepreneurship program, the Bitcoin Economic Development Fund.

New Hampshire dives headfirst into crypto

The news follows New Hampshire becoming the first US state to allow its government to invest in cryptocurrencies in May after Governor Kelly Ayotte signed a bill allowing the municipality to “invest in cryptocurrency and precious metals.”

New Hampshire is also working on a bill to deregulate local cryptocurrency mining operations. In late October, a committee voted 4–2 to send the measure for further review in an interim study after it had been deadlocked in the State Senate twice.

The local administration is viewed as particularly welcoming to the cryptocurrency industry. In early February, Brendan Cochrane, an Anti-Money Laundering specialist at YK Law in New York City, argued that it could become an alternative for crypto companies relocating to the Bahamas.

The latest moves build on a longer history of crypto engagement. Back in 2015, New Hampshire was already working on a bill that would have allowed the state government to accept tax and fee payments in Bitcoin.

The bill ultimately failed in 2016, but it shows how early the local administration began to show interest in this asset class. Additionally, as early as 2016, some advocates were already arguing that New Hampshire was among the world’s most Bitcoin-friendly communities.