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.
Katie Hopkins in 2020
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 northwest 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.
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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.
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.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The government is facing increasing pressure to formally strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom.
Andrew voluntarily gave up his titles last week but will technically continue to hold them unless they are removed by an Act of Parliament.
Rachael Maskell – the independent MP for York Central – told Sky News that 88% of her constituents don’t want the duke “to carry a title bearing the name of our city”.
On the Politics Hub With Darren McCaffrey, she confirmed she is advocating for a change in the law, and argued mechanisms should be in place to remove titles.
“My legislation would be able to be applied to anybody in the future as well, so we wouldn’t have this situation ever having to occur again,” Ms Maskell added.
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‘We don’t want him bearing our city’s name’
Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has also warned new legislation must be put forward without “any excuses and any further delay”.
The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “The public knows this is the right thing to do – and even more importantly, the victims at the heart of the Epstein scandal know that it’s the right thing to do.
“Those implicated in the Epstein scandal have been able to escape justice because they have hidden behind their power and privilege.”
A proposed bill has been put forward that would also strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage – weeks after he was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US because of his own ties to the paedophile financier.
Yesterday, the prime minister’s official spokesman said the question of legislation was “a matter for the palace in the first instance” – and Downing Street “supports the judgment of the King” regarding what should happen to Prince Andrew’s titles.
Read more:
How Prince Andrew allegations unfolded
What title loss means for Andrew’s family
Prince Andrew during the Garter Ceremony Procession in Windsor. Pic: PA
Accuser’s memoir published today
Pressure has been growing on Andrew amid continued reports of his relationship with Epstein, with the royal “vigorously denying” the allegations against him.
The posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre – who had accused him of sexual assault and sued him in August 2021 – is being released today. She took her own life in April.
Amy Wallace, who co-authored Nobody’s Girl, said Ms Giuffre would have regarded Andrew relinquishing his titles as a “victory”.
She told BBC Newsnight: “Virginia wanted all the men who she’d been trafficked to against her will to be held to account and this is just one of the men but … even though he continues to deny it, his life is being eroded because of his past behaviour as it should be.”
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Claims Andrew ‘tried to dig up dirt’ on accuser
The new memoir alleges that Andrew asked a royal close protection officer to “dig up dirt” on Ms Giuffre in 2021.
A Buckingham Palace source told Sky’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills these claims are “being viewed with very serious and grave concern” – and “should be investigated in the proper and fullest ways”.
‘Police gaslit my sister’
Meanwhile, Ms Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law have urged the Independent Office for Police Conduct to review the Met’s decision not to continue its investigations into the allegations she made against Prince Andrew.
Sky and Amanda Roberts told Channel 4 News that Ms Giuffre had been “gaslit” by detectives – as well as British and American authorities – in what amounted to a “kick in the stomach” for her.
In other developments, questions have been raised about whether Andrew should have the right to continue living at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Details of the financial arrangements surrounding his 30-bedroom mansion have come to light.
A copy of the leasehold agreement obtained by the PA news agency shows he signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003 at a cost of £1m.
Since then, he has paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year, a term used to describe a small payment that makes a contract legally binding.
What started as a WhatsApp group for dozens of grieving families has ended up gathering enough momentum to reach Westminster.
Warning: This article contains content you may find distressing.
The parents and relatives of loved ones who have taken their own life following domestic abuse are angry, at a loss, but up for a fight.
Sharon Holland is among those furious at how difficult it is to hold a potential perpetrator accountable for their loved ones’ deaths.
Sharon Holland (L), whose daughter Chloe died by suicide
Her daughter, Chloe, died by suicide in 2023 after being in a controlling relationship.
Chloe, 23, suffered months of torment at the hands of her former partner. At the time of his conviction, police said Chloe was a victim of a “horrific campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour”.
Two years on, Ms Holland has shared experiences and developed bonds with families who have been through the same trauma.
But charges and convictions for those potentially responsible are rare. That’s despite figures from the Domestic Homicide Project, funded by the Home Office and led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, showing more domestic abuse victims take their own lives in England and Wales than are killed by their partner.
There were 1,012 domestic abuse-related deaths in England and Wales between 2020 and 2024, of which 354 were suspected suicides compared to 332 homicides.
Sharon Holland said her group ‘don’t want this happening to someone else’
Families at ‘breaking point’
Ms Holland’s group are now calling for “justice for all victims of domestic abuse-related suicides” by bringing their campaign to Westminster today.
Asked if this is a movement born out of families being at breaking point, Ms Holland said: “Absolutely.
“All of us mums or sisters all feel the same, that we don’t want this happening to someone else. It’s being dragged out for years and during that time the mums are becoming more and more ill, their health is going downhill, they’re stressed out all the time, on alert, and they just can’t get anywhere with it.
“There’s so many warnings with the police or with the NHS with various agencies that this could not end well for their daughters, and unfortunately it takes the person to die, and then we find out what the failings are.”
Families who believe there has been foul play, or know the abuse their loved ones suffered at the hands of an intimate partner contributed to them taking their own lives, say it’s difficult to be taken seriously.
“The majority of them have been fighting for five years,” Ms Holland said. “They’ve been waiting for the police to get back to them or waiting for the CPS to charge.
“One lady has just waited five years, only to finally hear back from the CPS only to find out they’re not going to charge.
“So that poor woman’s health has gone downhill, fighting for her daughter, who she suspects was a staged suicide and got nowhere.”
Pragna Patel said famillies ‘are entirely on their own’
‘Heartbreaking’ for families
Families are often fending for themselves, according to Pragna Patel, co-founder of Project Resist, a charity that supports people affected by domestic abuse and violence.
She said families “are having to navigate the system entirely on their own as they try to find out the circumstances in which their loved ones took their lives and to find out how and why this happened”.
“It’s really heartbreaking to see these families knocking at the doors of the police, knocking at the door of coroners, saying: ‘We know these deaths are suspicious, we know there is a history of coercive and controlling behaviour and domestic abuse behind these deaths, and we want you to investigate.’
“On the whole, families are met with a culture of indifference, apathy and ignorance. They’re just not getting the attention they need.”
‘We must do more,’ says minister
Ms Holland and a host of other families will gather in parliament later to meet safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
Ahead of the meeting, Ms Phillips told Sky News: “Every death linked to domestic abuse is a tragedy. We must do more to prevent them, and I will be meeting Project Resist to discuss how we can hold perpetrators to account more effectively.
“We are funding the Domestic Homicide Project to capture information on domestic abuse related deaths, including suicides, from all 43 police forces in England and Wales to improve our understanding of this issue.
“But more needs to be done. Our upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy will set out our plans to strengthen our response to all domestic abuse related deaths.”
Jess Phillips
Sky News understands there are a number of active cases being pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Part of prosecutors’ assessment of a case includes developing an understanding of the relationship history between the victim and a potential suspect and trying to understand the victim’s state of mind before their death.
But they are relying on evidence and witness statements that need to be taken in a timely manner.
They say they are raising awareness through tailored training about the links between domestic abuse and suicide, so officers are better equipped to exercise “professional curiosity”.
Ahead of the campaign’s launch, a spokesperson for the CPS said: “Domestic abuse is a heinous crime and our prosecutors are actively advised to consider murder and manslaughter charges in suicide cases where there is a known context of domestic abuse or other controlling or coercive behaviour.
“We have previously charged a number of defendants for causing the death of a partner they abused, including in proceedings which are currently active.
“We are also working with police and other stakeholders to ensure these kinds of offences are well-understood – so that we can bring perpetrators to justice for the full extent of their crimes.”
‘You cannot move forward’
Families so far have had to rely on the inquest to scrutinise the circumstances of their loved one’s death.
Chloe died two years ago and hers is yet to happen.
Ms Holland: “The way all this drags out, you cannot sit down, move forward and just grieve. You’re constantly on high alert, fighting everyone, and just hoping that it’ll be over soon.”
A delay for answers and further delay for grief.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
UK
Louvre robbery: ‘Matter of time’ before thieves struck, expert says – and UK museums could be next
A prominent expert in recovering stolen works of art has told Sky News it was “a matter of time” before the Louvre was targeted – and UK museums could be next.
Christopher Marinello says gangs have been emboldened to strike because “law enforcement has been driven into the ground”.
And while headlines have focused on thieves making off with priceless jewellery from an iconic French institution, he warns this problem isn’t confined to Paris.
He said: “There are gangs operating all over Europe and not enough is being done to stop them … this was only a matter of time, they’ve been hitting small museums.
“If they can hit the Louvre successfully, they can hit anything. Do you know how many museums there are in the UK?”
Christopher Marinello investigates art theft the police aren’t pursuing
At the start of October, at the St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales, it took just four minutes for audacious thieves to swipe irreplaceable Bronze Age jewellery.
He says gangs are targeting gold “just to melt it down” and diamonds for their value – “with no regard for the integrity of the artworks and the cultural heritage that they are destroying”.
A spokesperson for the museum has said: “We sympathise deeply with our friends at the Louvre … it emphasises the increased risk to organisations like ours … this highlights the dilemma we face between having items on display for people to enjoy and learn from – or keeping them locked away.”
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Louvre: How ‘heist of the century’ unfolded
Mr Marinello, who investigates art crimes that the police aren’t pursuing, says institutions and stately homes urgently need to wake up to what’s happening.
“They need to start building vaults for these objects because otherwise they’re going to be taken and melted down and used to buy Lamborghinis or drugs,” he warned.
“If the smaller museums can’t afford it, perhaps they’re going to have to consolidate collections to museums that can handle it.”
Read more:
Staff ‘repeatedly warned about security shortcomings’
‘Race against time’ to recover ‘priceless’ jewels
Empress Eugenie’s tiara was among the jewellery stolen. Pic: Louvre
‘You can’t trust anyone’
Mr Marinello went on to warn that gangs are becoming “more brazen” – with the Louvre targeted despite the security measures it had in place.
“The system is not working … the penalties are not strong enough … police are frustrated, prosecutors say the same thing because there’s nowhere to put these people.”
The art recovery expert says he’s concerned how funding cutbacks are making our museums more vulnerable to those who recognise that the obvious rewards outweigh the risks.
The Louvre is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris
“These museums are designed to preserve and protect our cultural heritage, and they need to be properly funded to do that job,” he added. “They need to be able to stay one step ahead of the criminals.”
“This is not the 1950s any more, you can’t trust anyone. These items are so valuable, and gold is at an all-time high.
“[Thieves] don’t care if an item belonged to Napoleon III, it means nothing to them. All they care about is quick cash.”
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