Tag: united kingdom

Church attendance report pulled after YouGov finds ‘fraudulent’ responses

A report claiming the number of young people attending church in England and Wales had skyrocketed has been retracted, after the underlying data was found to be flawed.

The Bible Society’s “Quiet Revival” report had been widely reported on since its publication last year and became an accepted part of discourse among many Christians.

Now YouGov, which carried out the research, has told the Bible Society that an internal review of the data found that some of the respondents who completed its survey were “fraudulent”.

It has said that quality control measures, which usually remove such responses, were not applied due to human error.

The original report claimed to show that 4% of 18-24 year olds surveyed in 2018 told YouGov they were Christian and went to church at least once a month, rising to 16% by 2024.

The so-called “Quiet Revival” in young people going to church was mentioned in Parliament, lead to in-depth press coverage, and churches around the country presented their own evidence of young people “turning to Jesus”.

Last year, 600 people attended a church conference in Woking called “turning up the volume on the Quiet Revival”, hearing the phenomenon likened to “a great wave sent by God”.

But academics questioned the findings, pointing out that the results seemed out of step with other data. Results from the long-running British Social Attitudes Survey, and even the Church of England’s own figures, show a long term decline in church attendance.

Experts said that YouGov’s methodology – gathering data from volunteers who received cash rewards for their time – left it vulnerable to “bogus respondents” skewing the data.

YouGov now says that tools meant to eliminate data from such respondents – who may have participated and given random answers just to claim the rewards – “were not administered in the optimal way”.

It says the review of the figures it gave to the Bible Society had taken place “due to the ongoing scrutiny this work received.”

“YouGov takes full responsibility for the outputs of the original 2024 research, and we apologise for what has happened,” says its CEO Stephan Shakespeare.

“We would like to stress that Bible Society has at all times accurately and responsibly reported the data we supplied to them,” he said.

The Bible Society says it is “frustrated and disappointed to be in this position”, adding: “YouGov repeatedly assured us in private before publication, and several times in public following publication, that the results were reliable.”

Professor David Voas, emeritus professor of social science at University College London, was one of those who raised suspicion over the Bible Society’s findings.

“We’ve been telling them (the Bible Society) for the better part of a year that there were serious problems with the data – and even what those problems were likely to be – and they refused to engage with us,” says Professor Voas.

“I don’t know whether to feel gratified by the vindication or annoyed by the amount of time I wasted in pointing out that the numbers were clearly wrong,” he says.

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Apple Forces UK iPhone Age Checks in iOS 26.4

With iOS 26.4, Apple has turned every iPhone in the UK into an identity checkpoint. The update, released March 24, requires all UK users to confirm they’re 18 or older before accessing certain features and services on their Apple Account.

UK communications regulator Ofcom called it “a real win for children and families.”

The infrastructure being built is more of a problem than that framing suggests.

Apple has, without warning, placed a gatekeeper on the devices of 35 million UK users who paid good money for full-featured smartphones and now find themselves holding something closer to a supervised children’s tablet.

It’s a corporate ultimatum: hand over sensitive personal data or lose functionality you already paid for.

The verification prompt appears immediately after the update installs.

Apple checks whether your account already has a credit card linked or whether the account has existed long enough to establish you as an adult.

For many existing users, the process is essentially automatic. For everyone else, the options narrow quickly: link a credit card, scan a government-issued photo ID, or accept that your account defaults to teen restrictions, with Apple’s Web Content Filter and Communication Safety features switched on across all browsers and messaging apps and FaceTime, monitoring communications.

Web Content Filter blocks websites Apple classifies as explicit, operating across Safari and third-party browsers alike.

Communication Safety scans incoming and outgoing images and videos for nudity. Both activate silently for anyone who hasn’t cleared the adult threshold. Skip verification, or lack a credit card and a government ID, and Apple decides what you’re allowed to see.

Users without a credit card or government ID have no other path. Reports from UK users confirm it. Scan the card, upload the ID, or live with restricted access. The system doesn’t offer alternatives.

Ofcom praised the rollout in a statement, saying it had coordinated extensively with Apple and others on age assurance under the Online Safety Act: “Apple’s decision that the UK will be one of the first countries in the world to receive new child safety protections on devices is a real win for children and families…We’ve worked closely with Apple and other services to ensure they can be applied in a variety of contexts in order to ensure users are protected. This will build on the strong foundations of the Online Safety Act, from widespread age checks that keep young people away from harmful content, to blocking high-risk sites and stepping up action against child sexual abuse material.”

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FA Refuses to Scrap “Racist” Target for a Third of England’s Coaches to Be Non-White

The Football Association has refused to scrap a “racist” target for almost a third of England’s men’s coaches to be non-white after Suella Braverman branded it “utter woke nonsense”. The Telegraph has more.

Braverman, the former home secretary, who is Reform UK’s Equalities Spokesperson, wrote to Mark Bullingham, the FA Chief Executive, on Tuesday demanding the abolition of a policy she said “divides rather than unites”.

The FA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy sets a target for 30% of the England men’s coaching staff to be from ethnically diverse backgrounds by 2028.

Posting her letter to Bullingham on X, Braverman said: “The @FA Football Association wants to mandate that one in four football coaches come from a Black, Asian or other minority background.

“As the saying in football goes, this is utter woke nonsense. The game’s gone. Fans don’t care what the coach looks like. They just want the best person for the job, based on merit alone. That’s what gets results. Not tokenism.

“I’ve written to the FA urging a rethink. I’m happy to help them draw up a fairer policy. Let’s kick racism out of football, including anti-white racism.”

Braverman, who in January defected to Reform from the Conservative Party, also wrote in her letter that the policy was “fundamentally flawed, inherently racist and bad for the game”.

She added: “The best coaches should get the job, not because of their skin colour, but because they are the best person for the job.”

The phrase “utter woke nonsense” has become a popular meme among football fans.

An FA spokesperson said in response: “Football has the unique ability to break down barriers and bring communities together. Through our EDI strategy, we aim to ensure the game reflects the full diversity of our nation.

“This means opening up pathways and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds – including those from historically under-represented groups. While we will always take a meritocratic approach by appointing the best people for roles, we also recognise the importance of having a broader range of participants across the sport.

“We are proud that our strategy is supporting the growth of football among men, women, boys and girls from all communities.”

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School used AI to purge library of ‘inappropriate’ books including Orwell’s 1984 and Twilight, with librarian branded ‘safeguarding risk’

A school used artificial intelligence to censor books in its library including George Orwell’s 1984 and Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, campaigners claim.

An investigation by Index on Censorship found a secondary school in Greater Manchester earmarked almost 200 books for removal from its library that were deemed ‘inappropriate’.

These also included Michelle Obama‘s autobiography, Becoming and The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

The charity, which campaigns for free expression, says the school got AI to generate summaries justifying why each book was not suitable for pupils.

Incredibly, the school librarian was also put under a ‘safeguarding’ investigation – leading to her resignation – for allowing the books in the library.

Index said it would not reveal the name of the librarian or the school, due to her being vulnerable.

Although many of the books were initially removed, it is not known if all of those on the list remain banned from the library.

The case was exposed this week by the school librarian, who spoke to the organisation on condition of her anonymity.

She said the purge began in November 2025, when the headteacher demanded the removal of Laura Bates’ nonfiction title Men Who Hate Women, which is an exposé of incel culture.

The head thought the book was inappropriate due to ‘exposure of misogynistic beliefs’, even though it was kept in a special section for older pupils.

Off the back of this incident, the school then launched an ‘investigation’ into the librarian, and closed the library as a ‘temporary safeguarding measure’.

She was then asked to remove any book that was ‘not written for children’, had ‘themes that could be upsetting to children’ and those that were ‘inappropriate or constitute a safeguarding risk’.

She told Index: ‘I was absolutely gobsmacked. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.’

The school also reported her to the council as a safeguarding risk due to introducing ‘inappropriate’ books – and there was also a threat of gross misconduct proceedings.

The school shared with her a list of 193 books which it deemed might be inappropriate, seen by Index.

Index said it had seen another document in which the school admitted the reasons given for the censorship had been written by AI.

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The Countryside Is Still RACIST

The National Trust’s director-general has declared that Britain’s countryside remains unwelcoming to ethnic minorities, blaming everything from clothing choices to ignorance of basic rural etiquette. 

This isn’t some fringe activist rant — it’s official policy from the charity tasked with protecting the nation’s heritage, straight out of the same DEI playbook that’s already consumed government agencies.

In a video clip shared on X, National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady stated: “The research clearly shows that ethnic minorities don’t feel comfortable in the countryside — there are lots of reasons for this, they don’t know what to wear, don’t know the countryside code.”

Speaking on LBC, she expanded: “Everything from: it’s not culturally something that they necessarily feel as if it’s part of what they do when they go there. They don’t necessarily know ‘what am I meant to wear, how do I behave? What’s a countryside code? I’ve never heard of it’. So there’s loads of different reasons why they don’t feel confident all the time.”

McGrady insisted the charity must act because “the research comes back really clearly to say they don’t [feel it’s a place for them]. So we accept that and we have to respond in a way that tries to help because the National Trust is here for everyone. That’s part of our charitable purpose.”

As we’ve previously detailed, the government is obsessed with making Britain’s countryside less white. 

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Being A PEDOPHILE Now Not Enough To Warrant Deportation 

A convicted paedophile migrant who failed to disclose his child sex offence when applying to stay in Britain has won an appeal against deportation – because a judge ruled the omission was simply an “honest mistake.”

YES, REALLY.

Edi Cardoso Ramos, who was convicted in Portugal of molesting a five-year-old child, can now fight to remain in the UK after the Upper Tribunal accepted his explanation that he thought the immigration form only asked about UK convictions. 

This decision leaves British families wondering why foreign sex offenders keep getting second chances while the system fails to protect the public.

The Daily Mail reports that Ramos was convicted in 2014, when he was 19, of a serious sexual offence involving the molestation of a five-year-old child. He received a three-year suspended custodial sentence. He migrated to the UK in 2018. In 2020, when applying for leave to remain, he denied having any prior convictions on the form. He later claimed he misunderstood the question, thinking it asked only about convictions in the United Kingdom.

In 2024, Ramos was caught with a prostitute in his car and accepted a police caution for outraging public decency. A background check then revealed his 2014 conviction in Portugal, prompting the Home Office to start deportation proceedings. He appealed the decision.

Judge Paul Lodato of the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber allowed the appeal. The judge stated: “Does (Ramos) represent a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to ‘a fundamental interest of society’? It was agreed that if I conclude that he does not, his appeal falls to be allowed.”

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Paedophile migrant who failed to disclose child sex offence after coming to UK wins appeal against deportation as judge rules it was ‘honest mistake’

A paedophile migrant who failed to disclose his conviction for molesting a five-year-old to UK authorities has won the right to fight against his deportation. 

An immigration judge ruled Edi Cardoso Ramos, 29, made an ‘honest mistake’ when he did not mention his criminal past while applying for leave to remain in the UK. 

He had been convicted of a ‘serious sexual offence’ against a five-year-old in his home country of Portugal for which he received a three-year suspended sentence.

His sordid past only came to light when Ramos was caught in the UK with a prostitute and a police background check uncovered the conviction, prompting the Home Office to start deportation proceedings.   

But Ramos has now successfully appealed against his deportation, after a judge accepted that he had misunderstood an official form asking about his previous convictions and concluding that ‘the threat he represents is not a present threat’.

It means his case will be heard from afresh and he will have the chance to fight deportation.

The Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber heard that Ramos was convicted of sexually abusing his child victim in 2014 when he was 19 years old, having committed the offence in 2012.

Ramos was given a three-year suspended custodial sentence which did not activate because he complied with its requirements.

He migrated to the UK in 2018, just a year after the sentence expired, but when he applied for leave to remain in 2020 he denied having any prior convictions on the form.

He would later claim this was because he thought the form was asking if he had any prior convictions in the UK specifically.

Ramos was then caught in 2024 with a prostitute in his car and accepted a police caution as his punishment.

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Antisemitic Attack in Britain Sees Jewish Community Ambulances Set on Fire in Front of London Synagogue

Jewish community under pressure from UK extremists.

Failing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to stay out of the military operations in Iran – but the conflict came up to him.

Today, four Jewish community ambulances in front of a synagogue in ​north London were set on fire in what Starmer is calling ‘a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack’.

Why not call it terrorism and be done with it?

Reuters reported:

“The London Fire Brigade ‌said multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, shattering nearby windows. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

The SITE Intelligence website said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the attack near a synagogue in Golders Green.”

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Dead passenger allegedly stored in heated galley for 13 hours on British Airways flight, ‘foul smell’ reported

Air travelers are reacting with shock after a dead passenger’s body was reportedly stored in a heated galley for more than 13 hours on a long-haul flight, according to reports.

A woman in her 60s died about an hour after takeoff on British Airways Flight BA32 from Hong Kong to London last Sunday, but the pilots continued on to Heathrow Airport instead of turning back, The Sun reported.

A source told the outlet that the Airbus A350-1000’s galley had a heated floor, and by the end of the flight “there were claims that a foul smell was present” in that area.

“Obviously, the family with the woman were distraught, and so were the crew,” the source said. “Many wanted to return to Hong Kong. But, to put it bluntly, if a passenger has already died, that is not viewed as an emergency.”

British Airways told Fox News Digital that its crew followed all procedures.

“A customer sadly passed away on board and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time,” the airline said. “We are supporting our crew and all procedures were correctly followed.”

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UK: Transgender Pedophile Spared Prison After Being Caught With Sexual Abuse Images Of Children As Young As 6

A trans-identified male who was caught with images of young children being sexually abused has walked free from court after being given a community order. Tyler “Kairah” Kelly, 25, was formerly promoted as a happy “trans kid” by British media.

Kelly, of central Middlesborough, was initially arrested following a raid on his home in January. The investigation was reportedly sparked by a tip sent to police indicating that Kelly was in possession of illegal material. At the time of his arrest, two phones were seized from his home, with illegal material being found on one of them. According to Teeside Live, at least one of the images depicted a 6-year-old boy being sexually abused.

Kelly later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and possessing a prohibited image of a child.

During the trial, Kelly’s defense attorney, Robert Mochrie, said that his client has had a “difficult life due to gender dysphoria,” and lamented the “social isolation she has endured during her early years.” Mochrie described his client as a “prime candidate for rehabilitation.”

The court agreed, and handed Kelly a two-year community order, along with an order to attend a mental health treatment program for six months; an alcohol abstinence program for 120 days; and attend 20 rehabilitation days. Kelly was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years, which restricts his use of the internet and allows police to search his devices at any time.

Kelly’s arrest holds particular significance, as just 10 years ago he was sympathetically profiled by media for being a “trans teen.”

In a 2016 Metro article, Kelly, who was 15 years old at the time, was described as “a Kim K-lookalike.” The article notes that Kelly began formally identifying as transgender over a school break, leaving as Tyler and returning as “Kairah.”

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