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The Guardian Politics4 May 2026

Reform’s toxic thinking has infected Scottish politics – this week’s Holyrood elections will tell us how badly | Jasmeen Kanwal

For so long, the Scottish government has made a point of welcoming migrants. But I now see troubling changes in my country Jasmeen Kanwal is an educator and writer who lives in Edinburgh As Scotland prepares to elect a new parliament on 7 May, immigration is dominating the political discourse as never before. Reform UK, a party whose top three policies are “stop the boats”, “secure and defend our borders” and “deport illegal migrants” is now polling in second place behind the SNP in many rece

PoliticsImmigrationReformRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics2 May 2026

Asylum seeker sent back to France in ‘one in, one out’ scheme to be returned to Syria

Kurdish Syrian man, 26, said he fled forced conscription by YPG militia because he ‘didn’t want to kill people’ An asylum seeker sent back to France under the controversial “one in, one out” scheme faces being returned to Syria after authorities in Paris ruled it was safe to do so, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind. When the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced the “groundbreaking” deal in July 2025 to stop small boats crow

ImmigrationRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics30 Apr 2026

Spectator owner’s son calls for mine-laden ‘floating wall’ to stop Channel crossings

Winston Marshall, former member of Mumford & Sons, says those crossing are ‘economic migrants’ not refugees The son of the Spectator owner, Paul Marshall, has said Britain should construct a mine-laden “floating wall” as a radical measure to stop Channel crossings. Winston Marshall, a former member of the band Mumford & Sons who is now establishing himself as a rightwing online influencer, said that while the idea “might sound ridiculous”, it should be explored because previous attempts to stop

EconomyImmigrationRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics23 Apr 2026

UK to pay for French officers to deport asylum seekers from war-torn countries

Removal site in Dunkirk will hold people of 10 nationalities trying to reach UK in small boats under new deal with French UK politics live – latest updates The UK will pay for 200 French officers to detain and deport people seeking asylum from some of the world’s most oppressive and war-ravaged regimes under a new UK-France deal to try to reduce Channel crossings. In what is being billed as the first time the French government has agreed to target those heading to the UK in small boats, a remo

PoliticsImmigrationDefenceRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics22 Apr 2026

UK to pay France another £660m to curb Channel crossings

Three-year deal includes funding for a riot squad to ‘disperse’ people trying to board small boats The UK government has agreed to pay France another £660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to “contain and disperse” people trying to board small boats. Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers – an increase of 40% – will be emp

ImmigrationDefenceRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics18 Apr 2026

Two more Reform local election candidates accused of offensive posts

Labour calls on Nigel Farage to sack candidates and says his party’s checks ‘clearly not fit for purpose’ Reform UK’s checks on candidates are “clearly not fit for purpose”, Labour has said after two more candidates in May’s local elections were accused of making offensive or potentially racist social media posts. Meanwhile, it emerged that Restore Britain, the party set up by the MP Rupert Lowe after he left Reform, appeared to have accepted a donation from someone who has called publicly on so

PoliticsReformRestoreRupert Lowe
The Guardian Politics17 Apr 2026

More than half of Windrush compensation claims rejected by Home Office, report finds

Data shows only a third of concluded claims in scheme for those wrongly classed as illegal migrants resulted in pay outs The Home Office has refused to pay compensation for more than half the claims made by victims of the Windrush scandal, new analysis by the UK’s public spending watchdog has shown. The National Audit Office’s (NAO) “government’s compensation and financial recognition schemes report” found that by January 2026, 11,475 claims had been received to the scheme. It was set up in 2019

ImmigrationRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics4 Apr 2026

Trussonomics still haunts parties’ economic promises in run-up to UK local elections | Phillip Inman

Greens, Reform UK, Your Party, Conservatives and even Lib Dems are making extravagant spending pledges As local and regional elections across the UK loom into view, it is clear the spectre of Trussonomics lives on. The Greens, Reform UK, Your Party, Restore Britain, the Conservatives and even the Liberal Democrats cannot help making extravagant spending promises, often paid for by cutting something or borrowing more that, they argue, will have no negative economic consequences. Or if they do, th

PoliticsEconomyEnvironmentReformRestoreRupert Lowe
The Guardian Politics30 Mar 2026

UK-France beach patrol deal to intercept small boats on verge of collapse

Negotiations deadlocked as No 10 wants more action by French officials but France has concerns over safety The UK’s agreement with France to pay for beach patrols is on the verge of collapse amid wrangling over the number of small boat interceptions and the safety of asylum seekers in French waters. Negotiations over plans to revamp the three-year, £480m deal remain deadlocked, despite the involvement of ministers including Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary. The deal expires at midnight on Tue

ImmigrationRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics19 Mar 2026

‘One in, one out’ asylum seekers sent to France return to UK in lorries

Exclusive: At least four people have travelled back to the UK by lorry in the last two weeks Asylum seekers who arrived in the UK in small boats and were forcibly returned to France under the controversial “one in, one out” deal have returned to the UK in lorries, the Guardian has learned. When asked about the recent returnees, the Home Office said that people who came back to the UK after removal to France were detained and returned to France at the earliest opportunity. Amnesty International U

ImmigrationRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics4 Mar 2026

UK’s partial study visa ban ‘will drive people to small boats’, campaigners say

Ban affecting Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Cameroon will mean more people make Channel crossings, charity says A new ban on students coming to the UK from four countries where there is war and human rights abuses will drive more people use small boats, campaigners have warned. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced a bar on student visas from Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Cameroon on Tuesday evening. It will come into force on 26 March. Continue reading...

ImmigrationDefenceEducationRestoreRemigration
The Guardian Politics25 Feb 2026

Great news! Bookies think Labour can win the next election. Bad news! It’s down to Elon Musk | Zoe Williams

The Reform vote is being eaten into by the Musk-backed Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe. I fear that Labour may read the wrong message from all this It’s just one bookie and it’s just one February day in the week of a chaotic byelection, but it’s happened: for the first time in 18 months, Star Sports has staked Labour as most likely to win the general election. “Keir Starmer’s party have been in the ascendency in the market,” said its head of betting, William Kedjanyi, “shortening into 13/8 f

PoliticsRestoreRupert Lowe