Tag: united kingdom

Is the tech giant who gave Blair £257m in line for huge ID card contract? Government embroiled in cronyism row after revelation former PM lobbied for his billionaire backer who could make millions

The Government was tonight embroiled in a cronyism row as it emerged Tony Blair secretly lobbied for his billionaire backer who could make millions of pounds from Labour’s controversial digital ID cards.

Documents seen by The Mail on Sunday reveal the former prime minister urged Business Secretary Peter Kyle to consult a technology institute founded by his friend Larry Ellison in a private meeting last year.

Mr Ellison, the world’s second richest man, has donated or pledged a staggering £257million for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 

He founded the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), a research centre in Oxford, and is chairman of tech giant Oracle, which has a £700million IT deal with four Whitehall departments.

Experts say Oracle is now in pole position to profit from plans to force millions of adults to sign up for a digital ID card.

And an exclusive MoS analysis can reveal that after Sir Tony’s meeting with Mr Kyle, Mr Ellison’s organisations have enjoyed astonishing access to the very top of Government.

Indeed, staff from Oracle and EIT have met with ministers and senior officials no fewer than 29 times in nine months.

Mr Kyle, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have met bosses from Oracle.

Meanwhile science minister Lord Vallance has met EIT representatives seven times – one was to discuss ‘EIT plans for expansion and alignment with Government’s priorities’, official records show.

Sir Tony has had a decades-long ‘bromance’ with Mr Ellison, who is worth £290billion, and last year enjoyed a lavish Mediterranean holiday on his superyacht.

On Saturday, Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: ‘Despite Keir Starmer’s promises of a ‘crackdown on cronyism’, these revelations show it runs right to the very top of this rotten Labour Government.

‘Tony Blair lobbying Peter Kyle to set up meetings with groups linked to Larry Ellison – now in pole position for the Government’s Digital ID contract – reeks of a blatant conflict of interest. This has all the hallmarks of yet another cosy deal between Labour insiders and powerful vested interests.’

Keep reading

Britain joins the illustrious ranks of North Korea, China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as it announces compulsory ID cards: Countries that enforce Big Brother rules – and how they punish those who disobey

Britain will join the illustrious ranks of North Korea, China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan by declaring it compulsory for every citizen to have a government-issued digital ID card.

The ‘BritCard’ is a fresh attempt by Sir Keir Starmer to clamp down on illegal immigration, allowing the government to clearly verify a citizen’s right to live and work in the UK.

The plan, which is expected to be announced fully in a speech on Friday, will likely be subject to consultation before coming into action.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is already supportive of the idea, which will require anyone enrolling in a new job to first present the digital ID to potential employers.

The card would then be automatically checked against a central database of those entitled to work in the UK – weeding out people who have tried to fake their physical ID documents to get a job.

‘My long-term personal political view has always been in favour of ID cards,’ Ms Mahmood said.

‘We do have to deal with the pull-factors that are making the UK a destination of choice for those that are on the move around the world,’ she continued.

‘I want to make sure that we can clamp down on that. I think that a system of digital ID can also help with illegal working enforcement of other laws as well. I do think that that has a role to play for dealing with our migration.’ 

But the Prime Minister was understood to have reservations about the scheme, over fears it infringes upon civil liberties.

In fact, compulsory ID cards are a feature of many authoritarian governments around the world, including in Russia, Iran and Belarus. 

In North Korea, Kim Jong Un’s insistence on compulsory identity cards has led some to assume that the measure enables his government to easily hunt down people who have fled the country.

Travelling abroad or moving from one province to another without prior consent remains illegal in Kim’s regime and anyone caught violating the law is risking their life. 

Amnesty International states those convicted of illegal border-crossing in North Korea may be executed. 

Keep reading

Will I get fined for not having a national ID card, and what if I don’t have a smartphone? How the scheme could work and the massive pitfalls it faces

A Government-issued digital identity card could be required by every adult in Britain under a ‘dystopian’ plan set to be announced by the Prime Minister.

The ‘BritCard’ could be used to prove a person has the right to work in this country, and even to access public services.

The idea of a mandatory identification system has long been advocated by Labour as a way to tackle illegal migration.

But the proposal is fiercely opposed by civil rights campaigners, who warn it will erode civil liberties and turn the UK into a ‘papers please’ society.

Meanwhile, polls show a majority of the public do not trust ministers to keep their personal data safe from cyber-criminals.

Detailed proposals for what has been dubbed a ‘BritCard’ could be announced by Sir Keir Starmer as early as tomorrow.

The Prime Minister will speak at the Global Progress Action Summit in London alongside Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney. 

These plans will then be subject to a consultation and are expected to require legislation. The UK is one of the few countries in Europe without an ID system. 

Keep reading

Three NHS admin workers who made £412k selling fake Covid 19 vaccine records during lockdown are jailed for 10 years

A trio of NHS workers who made £412k by selling fake Covid 19 vaccination records have been jailed for 10 years.

Hakeem Walters, 29, Rokibul Islam, 31, and Muhammed Ahmed, 27, made their fortune while employed as administrators in Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford.

They falsified records for 847 people at the Covid clinic to allow them to escape government lockdown rules and to travel abroad, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Kathryn Drummond, prosecuting, said: ‘They ultimately make profits at the expense of the wider public at a time of national crisis, namely the Covid pandemic.

‘Each of them held a position of trust at the relevant time as an employee within the NHS.

‘They falsified 1,648 vaccine records relating to 847 individuals. They did so for profit.

‘That enabled those 847 people to enjoy additional freedom in times of lockdown, freedoms reserved for those vaccinated against Covid-19.’

The trio charged people £250 each for fake vaccine records.

Islam had access to the National Immunisation Vaccination System (NIVS), the court heard.

‘Mr Islam sold his confidential login details to Mr Ahmed for £1,000,’ Ms Drummond said.

Ms Drummond added Islam began his work as a Band 3 administrator and clerical bank worker for the vaccine project in June 2021.

‘Every single vaccine record associated with his login was false. He began his work in the NHS at a time of crisis. He obtained wide access. He sold wider access for one thousand pounds. He never created any true or honest vaccination’, she said.

Once the entries were submitted the NHS Covid-19 App showed people were fully vaccinated.

‘That would enable them to travel, attend certain venues, apply for work, jobs that had restrictions in place,’ the prosecutor added.

Sentencing, Judge Sally-Ann Hales said: ‘Between August 17 and December 13 2021 you conspired to hack the NHS computer system to create false Covid vaccination records. You did so to make a financial gain for yourselves.

‘The evidence indicates that these conspiracies involved more people than just you three.

Keep reading

UK Ambassador to US Peter Mandelson Fired over Jeffrey Epstein Ties Amid Emerging Emails

Prime Minister Keir Starmer requested Mandelson’s withdrawal, citing newly uncovered communications that showed Mandelson describing Epstein as “my best pal” and expressing support for Epstein even after his 2008 conviction. The emails reveal Mandelson encouraged Epstein to challenge the conviction and offered steadfast support despite the severity of Epstein’s crimes.

Mandelson, a senior Labour Party politician and former European Commissioner for Trade, expressed regret over his association with Epstein, calling the financier a “charismatic criminal liar” and showing sympathy toward Epstein’s victims.

The Foreign Ministry stated the revelation of Mandelson’s emails constituted new information that materially changed the understanding of his relationship with Epstein at the time of his appointment. Mandelson was immediately withdrawn from his ambassadorial post.

Keep reading

US Cancer Patient Calls UK Police Visit a “Bullying Tactic” to Force Self-Censorship

A US citizen undergoing cancer treatment in Britain says she was left feeling like a criminal after being confronted at her home by police over a social media post.

Deborah Anderson, who has lived in the UK for years and is a member of the Free Speech Union, believes the encounter was not about enforcing the law but about silencing dissent through intimidation.

As we reported, Anderson was visited by Thames Valley Police after someone filed a complaint about a Facebook post they found offensive.

The officer who turned up at her door, she said, made it clear the incident wasn’t criminal and no arrest would be made. Yet, she was encouraged to apologize for the post, despite the fact that even the officer couldn’t recall what the alleged offense was when questioned months later.

“I’ve never been arrested in my life. I live a very quiet life,” Anderson said, in an interview with Harry Cole. “I think it’s a bullying tactic to just get us to go, oh, gee, I’m an old woman. I’m no harm to anybody.”

The incident comes during an uptick in so-called “offense policing” in the UK, where complaints over online expression have increasingly led to home visits from law enforcement.

One high-profile case involved the arrest of writer Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport after he expressed views on transgender issues online.

Anderson’s account points to deeper concerns about vague and selectively enforced speech standards.

The officer, she said, arrived unannounced early one morning and spoke to her about “malicious communication.” Initially thinking it was a delivery, she was shocked to be confronted by police over something she posted online, though no one would later be able to tell her exactly what the complaint was about.

Keep reading

Starmer’s Chief of Staff and £700k ‘admin error’: Bombshell leaked email shows top Labour lawyer advised PM’s aide Morgan McSweeney to describe £700,000 in ‘hidden’ donations as a ‘mistake’

A top Labour lawyer advised Keir Starmer‘s chief of staff to describe £740,000 in ‘hidden’ donations as an ‘admin error’, a leaked email reveals.

The crisis engulfing Morgan McSweeney deepened after the bombshell email shed new light on a notorious episode in which his think-tank was fined in 2021 for 20 breaches of electoral law involving undeclared donations.

The email from the lawyer advised Mr McSweeney to drop his unsubstantiated claim that he had been told donations totalling £739,492 to Labour Together did not have to be declared. It warned him that unless he could back up the claim with evidence, it risked antagonising the Electoral Commission, which was investigating the scandal.

It told him instead to try to pass the episode off as a simple ‘admin error’.

The email, seen by the Daily Mail, was published in full on Tuesday night by the Conservatives, who stepped up calls for the police to investigate the affair.

Tory Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: ‘The evidence is clear – Morgan McSweeney has been caught red-handed hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds which helped install Keir Starmer as Labour leader.

‘This latest scandal at the very heart of government is incredibly serious – and potentially criminal – yet Keir Starmer has expressed his full confidence in his chief of staff, once again demonstrating his poor judgment and raising serious questions about his integrity and honesty.

Keep reading

Katie Hopkins Interviewed “Under Caution” By UK Police After Comedy Night for ‘Online Communications, Crime of Speech’

Conservative U.K. media personality Katie Hopkins has been interviewed by British police and may face prison for ‘thought crimes’ following an online comedy night.

According to reports, Devon and Cornwall Police conducted a voluntary interview ‘under caution’ with Hopkins in August at Exeter Police Station. The interview was initiated following comments during her Instagram live show, ‘Katie’s Arms.’

To date, no official charges have been filed.

Media Commentator Steve Miller shared on X, “BREAKING: Katie Hopkins arrested and may face prison. Katie Hopkins has been interviewed under caution in relation to her Live Broadcast of ‘Katie’s Arms’. She explains she was arrested for ‘online communications, crime of speech’ and is ‘waiting to be charged’.”

Keep reading

UK Police Show Up at Cancer Patient’s Door Demanding an Apology For Social Media Post

Just when you thought British speech policing had reached the bottom of the absurdity barrel, they bring a jackhammer.

In June, Thames Valley Police managed to dispatch one of their elite to investigate a grave national threat: an American cancer patient who may have written something a bit spicy on social media.

Yes. That’s not a joke. That is, in fact, the plot of a low-budget dystopian sitcom that the real world seems hell-bent on adapting in full.

Deborah Anderson, a mother of two, a member of the Free Speech Union, a cancer patient, and, as she put it herself, “an elderly woman,” was enjoying the blissful serenity of not being in prison when a Thames Valley Police officer showed up at her front door.

Why? Because “something that we believe you’ve written on Facebook has upset someone.”

Let’s pause here.

We are no longer talking about crime. We are no longer talking about justice. We are now fully submerged in the soggy underworld of “upset someone.”

This is what policing has become in Britain; knocking on doors to gently scold the sick and the elderly because someone got their feelings hurt.

“I’m a member of the Free Speech Union, and I’m an American citizen. I’ll have Elon Musk on you so quick your feet won’t touch,” Anderson told the officer, who probably realized at that exact moment that his day’s mission had veered into Monty Python territory.

The officer, in all his taxpayer-funded wisdom, suggested that Deborah Anderson could simply apologize and make the whole thing go away, as if groveling before the offended masses had suddenly become a formal step in police procedure.

It was less “serve and protect” and more “say sorry and maybe we won’t waste more of your time.”

Keep reading

Now British ‘thought police’ order Trump-supporting pensioner to apologise for ‘upsetting’ Facebook post or face investigation

British police have been accused of a ‘dystopian’ attack on free speech after an American woman was threatened with investigation – over her posts online. 

Footage of the encounter has been seen more 1.3million times since it was posted last night and has sparked a furious response from campaigners. 

It shows a woman, named as American cancer patient and Donald Trump supporter Deborah Anderson, being confronted in her home in Slough, Berkshire, by Thames Valley Police.

The MAGA-backing mother-of-two was accused of ‘upsetting’ a person following an alleged ‘threatening’ post she made on Facebook, which was reported to police. 

The officer declined to say which of the alleged posts had been complained about.   

In the video, ‘elderly’ Ms Anderson then flatly refuses to apologise for her comments online before she is threatened with the potential of a formal interview at a police station. 

The incident, filmed in June, prompted an intervention by the Free Speech Union (FSU), who last night claimed Thames Valley Police had since dropped the case. The force today confirmed no further action was taken over the allegations.

It comes as Britain faces fierce criticism over a recent clampdown on free speech, which has seen people being arrested, convicted or jailed over posts made online. 

The issue has prompted concern from US President Donald Trump – who is in the UK on his state visit – and warned earlier this month ‘strange things are happening over there, they are cracking down… I’m very surprised to see what’s happening’.

Keep reading