Life in UK, London (2026)

16/02/2026

✅ Economy: The Prime Minister has said that 2026 will be a "turning point" for the British economy, with the government's main focus on controlling the cost of living in particular.

16/02/2026

♻️ Immigration rules change: Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will be mandatory for travellers to the UK from 25 February 2026. From now on, even travellers from countries that do not require a visa will have to obtain a digital authorisation before entering the UK.✅

16/02/2026

✅ Security and foreign policy: At the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister stressed that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security. In the face of Russian threats, Britain has decided to deploy its aircraft carrier 'HMS Prince of Wales' to the region.

16/02/2026

♻️Online Safety: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced today that tough new laws will be introduced to protect children online, including giving tech companies greater responsibility for controlling illegal content generated by AI.

16/02/2026

♻️ Electoral law changes: The government's newly introduced "Representation of the People Bill" is bringing about a major change in British politics. The most notable of these is the proposal to lower the voting age to 16. This will give more than 1.7 million young people the right to vote.

12/02/2026

UK has removed 281 migrants under France deal, minister says

The UK has sent back 281 migrants to France so far under its one in, one out agreement with the country, the home secretary has said.
Shabana Mahmood told LBC 350 people had come to the UK from France through the pilot scheme's approved route.
The Home Office blamed an "operational complication on the French side" for the difference between the two figures.
The department added this had prevented a flight carrying migrants from the UK from being transferred to France, but subsequent flights would "restore balance in the numbers".
The Conservative's shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "This is a lamentable admission of failure by the home secretary.
"They have only removed 281 illegal immigrants when 41,000 arrived last year - the chances of an illegal Channel migrant being removed under this scheme is virtually zero."
Defending the deal, Mahmood acknowledged the number of removals was "relatively small" but said there were "practical issues" about how quickly people could be detained.
Ministers hope the scheme will deter people from attempting to enter the UK illegally on small boats via the English Channel by threatening removal to France.
A total of 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025 - almost 5,000 more than the previous year.
It was the highest number since 2022, when nearly 46,000 migrants crossed.

Tap the questions below
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See more key stats on hotels, small boats and asylum

12/02/2026

Don't change rules for migrants already in UK, Labour MPs tell Mahmood

Plans to make migrants wait longer to get the right to live in the UK permanently should not apply to people already in the country, Labour MPs have said.
A letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, signed by 35 Labour MPs, along with 17 from other parties, 21 peers and 33 civil society organisations, says the proposals are "unfair towards migrant workers who have put down roots, contributed to their communities and built lives here".
Ministers want to double the time it takes for most migrants to qualify for permanent residence from five to 10 years.
Mahmood has defended the plans, saying the "unprecedented" number of people arriving in the UK demands an answer from the government.

Settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain, gives a person the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as they like and apply for benefits if they are eligible.
The government's proposed changes would extend the standard wait to qualify for settlement to 10 years.
Migrants will be able to shorten this period, for example if they are a high earner, while other groups would see a longer wait.
People who arrived on health and social care visas would face a 15-year wait, while those who relied on benefits for more than 12 months would have to wait 20 years.
The changes would not apply to people who have already obtained settlement but would cover people already living in the UK, including those who had been expecting to get permanent residence in the coming months.
The government has said migrants who come to the UK must contribute to earn their right to stay, arguing the scale of migration is placing pressure on local communities.
However, Labour MPs opposed to the plans have branded the retrospective approach "un-British" and "moving the goalposts".

The letter, which is also signed by Andrea Egan, the new head of the UK's biggest trade union Unison, says: "The British public believe in fair play: that if you work hard, follow the rules and contribute, that government should tread lightly on your life."
It adds: "The proposals to change settlement rules would pull the rug from under migrant workers, including in social care who provide dignity and comfort to our loved ones, often in difficult conditions and for low pay.
"The government must uphold its promises - we cannot simply change the rules halfway through an agreed process."
The letter warns there are already thousands of vacancies in social care and the proposals "risk pushing the sector closer to breaking point".
It calls on the government to "immediately rule out applying new immigration rules to migrant families already in the UK" and for a consultation process on the proposals, which closes at the end of Thursday, to be halted until a full impact assessment is published.
Labour MPs who have signed the letter are mostly on the left of the party and it was coordinated by Neil Duncan-Jordan, the MP for Poole who has called for the prime minister to resign over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
Other signatories include Alex Sobel, a leading member of the centre-left Mainstream group, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Rachael Maskell, who led a rebellion against benefit cuts last year.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts and all four Green Party MPs are also among those who signed the letter.
Concern over the plans among Labour MPs has been growing, with around 40 criticising the proposals in a recent debate in Parliament.

12/02/2026

Ratcliffe says sorry his language 'offended some people' after criticism of immigration comments

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says he "firmly" believes Ratcliffe's comments were "right", in a new video published since the Man United co-owner's apology.
He says Ratcliffe was pointing out that "big areas of our towns and cities have been changed into something completely different to what they were, and that it's all making us poorer".
Addressing Ratcliffe's phrase that the UK was "colonised by immigrants", he says: "Now that word was a controversial word. And he said, 'OK if you don't like the word we'll tone it down'.
"But just think about this. You ask yourself why public services are diminished. You ask yourself why rents have gone through the roof. The population explosion has done that."

Ratcliffe's apology follows a backlash to his comment that the UK has been "colonised by immigrants".
This is what political figures said about his remarks prior to his apology today.
Keir Starmer called Ratcliffe's comments "offensive and wrong", as called on the billionaire to apologise
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the Manchester United co-owner's views were out of step with traditional Mancunian values
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride disagreed with the use of the word "colonised," telling PA it was a pejorative term, but he went on to say immigration numbers were "too high" and the topic was "of great concern to millions of people" in the UK
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said Ratcliffe’s remarks were "totally out of step with British values"
Responding to Starmer's condemnation, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the UK has "undergone unprecedented mass immigration that has changed the character of many areas in our country"
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss - who is no longer an MP - said: "Ratcliffe is right."

Ratcliffe was born in Failsworth in Greater Manchester, the son of a joiner, and has been a fan of Manchester United since childhood.
After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham in 1974, he spent several years at oil firms BP and Esso before joining the fabric and chemicals producer Courtaulds.
Ratcliffe went on to found one of the world's largest chemical companies, Ineos, becoming one of the UK's richest men.
In 2020, he reportedly moved from the UK to Monaco, which does not collect personal income tax or capital gains taxes.
He acquired a 27.7% stake in Man Utd in 2024, and has since restructured the organisation, making 450 redundancies, overhauling senior management and sacking two managers.
He has spoken out on political issues before. He was a Leave campaigner in the lead-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
And ahead of the 2024 general election, he told Bloomberg he had "had enough" of the Tories, putting his support instead behind Labour's bid.

10/02/2026

William meets female footballers on Saudi Arabia visit

The Prince of Wales has met young female footballers in Riyadh during his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Prince William joined local youth squad players at a training session and heard about female participation in sport in the Gulf state.
The prince met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after landing in the country on Monday, where he is spending three days at the UK government's request as it seeks to improve ties with the country's de-facto leader.
He gave the crown prince an England football shirt worn by captain Harry Kane, Kensington Palace said, and the pair held a "warm, far-ranging conversation which touched on many elements of [the] UK-Saudi bilateral relationship".

The trip is set to focus on energy transition and young people - key areas of development in a country undergoing significant change - and presents diplomatic sensitivities given Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
Prince William, who is patron of the English Football Association, visited Misk Sports City in the capital on Tuesday to meet the young players.
Women were not allowed to attend sports events in stadiums in the country until 2018, and physical education was not introduced for girls until 2017.

The visit comes during a challenging period for the Royal Family following fresh allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in relation to the late s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing.
A reporter twice asked Prince William from the sidelines of the football pitch in Riyadh: "Sir, to what extent do you think the Royal Family have done enough around the Andrew-Epstein issue?"
It is unclear if the prince heard the question from some distance away, and he did not respond.
The prince and Catherine, Princess of Wales made their first public statement on the scandal on Monday, saying they were "deeply concerned" by the latest revelations and "focused on the victims".
King Charles and Queen Camilla have also been asked about Andrew during recent engagements.
Also on Tuesday, Prince William attended an E-Sports tournament in the city and separately toured a section of the 84-mile (135km) Sports Boulevard, a network of sports facilities, green space, cycling and walking paths nominated for his environmental Earthshot Prize.
The prince spoke to local residents who make use of the urban regeneration project, including Reem Alrowaili and her seven-year-old daughter, Eliana M***i.
Alrowaili, 43, said they had spoken about "women's empowerment": "I lived the old days where we were not allowed to do anything, and now I'm really happy for my daughter because she will experience the good life, the better life."
Prince William also met a delegation including the mayor of Riyadh at the boulevard, which is aiming to become the world's largest linear park upon completion.

10/02/2026

King 'ready to support' police as they assess Andrew claims over Epstein

King Charles has made his first intervention in the latest round of revelations in the Epstein scandal, saying Buckingham Palace is ready to support the police as they consider allegations against his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
"The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct," a Palace spokesman said.
"While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect," he said.
Thames Valley Police confirmed it is assessing whether there are grounds to investigate a complaint by the anti-monarchy group Republic, which reported Mountbatten-Windsor for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of official secrets.

Emails from the recently released batch of Epstein files appear to show the former prince passing on reports of visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam and confidential details of investment opportunities.
After the trips, on 30 November 2010, he appears to have forwarded official reports of those visits sent by his then-special adviser, Amit Patel, to Epstein, five minutes after receiving them.
There were also details of investment opportunities in Afghanistan, described as "confidential", which appear to have been passed on to Epstein on 24 December 2010.
Under official guidance, trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial, or political information about their official visits.
The Buckingham Palace statement says that the King and Queen's "thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse".
Earlier on Monday the King had travelled to Clitheroe where a heckler shouted: "How long have you known about Andrew?" The rest of the crowd booed the man putting the question.
The Buckingham Palace intervention follows an earlier statement from the spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying they were "deeply concerned" by the latest revelations about Epstein.
"Their thoughts remain focused on the victims," said a Kensington Palace spokesperson, ahead of Prince William's visit to Saudi Arabia this week.
Since the release of three million more documents related to Epstein, there has been growing pressure on Mountbatten-Windsor, with claims a second woman was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a s*xual encounter with him.
Photographs appearing to show him kneeling on all fours over a female lying on the ground were also included in the latest batch of files.
There has also been embarrassment for his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Emails signed "Sarah" show appeals for support and money from s*x offender Epstein.
Last week, Andrew was moved more quickly than expected from his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor to the King's private estate in Sandringham.
In October 2025, after a previous wave of revelations about his links to Epstein, Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles as a prince and a duke.
Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Being named in the Epstein files is not an indication of misconduct

10/02/2026

Europeans don't admit Greenland concessions, JD Vance says✅

European allies of the US have made more concessions to the US over Greenland than they publicly admit, Vice-President JD Vance has said.
"We definitely have gotten much more than we initially had," Vance said in an interview on the Megyn Kelly Show.
He suggested that the "framework of a future deal" - unveiled by President Donald Trump last month - would be of benefit to the US.
Trump's announcement came as a relief after mounting fear that the US was prepared to use force against fellow Nato ally Denmark to seize its semi-autonomous Arctic island. Trump says Greenland is necessary to defend against possible attacks from Russia and China.

Both Denmark and Greenland have said they will not agree to cede sovereignty. Their European allies have rallied to their support.
Greenland is sparsely populated but its location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks.
Trump has claimed without evidence that it is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place". He has also said the US needs to own Greenland to properly defend it.
More than 100 US military personnel are permanently stationed at a US base in Greenland's north-western tip - a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two.
Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.
Vance did not give details of what the Trump-announced plan contained that had not been available to the US before, but went on to repeat that the Chinese and the Russians had designs on the Arctic island.
"It's one of the unwritten rules that everybody knows that if the Chinese or the Russians affected one of our critical missile defence systems, we would necessarily defend that. But we're not getting anything for it," the US vice-president said.
"Let's rewrite the rules a little bit here and say that if the United States is going to protect the entire world's missile defence system - primarily our own, but other people benefit from it - we should get some benefit from the bargain."
It is not clear if Vance was referring to Greenland's natural resources - including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron - which are becoming easier to access as its ice melts because of climate change. Scientists think it could also have significant oil and gas reserves. Trump has said the "framework deal" would involve access to Greenland's mineral resources.
The US vice-president went on to accuse European allies of duplicity.
"It's so funny because the Europeans, they're so friendly in private, and they're willing to make a lot of accommodations, and then publicly they attack us."
"I'm sorry, it's all bogus," Vance said, adding: "The idea that they haven't made any accommodations or concessions to the United States, it's not true."

10/02/2026

Ministers told to not publish their own Mandelson messages

Ministers have been told not to publish their own messages with Lord Mandelson, after Health Secretary Wes Streeting released some of his texts with the former US ambassador.
In a message to officials, the Cabinet Office said ministers should not publish any messages which could be covered by a motion passed by Parliament last week, which forced the government to release thousands of documents related to his appointment as ambassador.
These include messages in the six months prior to his appointment and during his time in the job.
Last week police launched a criminal investigation into claims Lord Mandelson passed sensitive government information to convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Cabinet Office is not expected to publish any documents soon, with police warning the government not to release files which could undermine its investigation.
A Met spokesperson said it was "vital due process is followed so that our criminal investigation and any potential prosecution is not compromised".
Lord Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment but the BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.

The Met statement comes after Streeting published a series of WhatsApp messages he had exchanged with Lord Mandelson from six months before his appointment as US ambassador in December 2024 to the present day.
In one message from March 2025, Streeting said he thought he was "toast" at the next election, and in another he criticised the government for having "no [economic] growth strategy".
Writing in the Guardian, Streeting - who is widely seen as a potential challenger for the Labour leadership - said he had decided to publish the messages "after a weekend of smear and innuendo that I have something to hide".
The health secretary insisted he was not "a close friend" of Lord Mandelson, as some have claimed.
Streeting said he thought Lord Mandelson's appointment was "a good move" at the time, but admitted he "did not think enough about the appointment or the past that was known".
On Tuesday, Streeting told the BBC the prime minister had his "full support".
"The PM is leading this country through an enormous set of challenges and people have got to recognise the integrity with which he does that," he said.
"There is a lot of goodwill behind him, there is an enormous challenge, and we have to meet that challenge as a team."
Asked if Sir Keir Starmer had threatened to sack him, Streeting said: "No."
Asked about the health secretary's decision to publish his messages with Lord Mandelson, Downing Street refused to say whether this had been approved by the prime minister.
"We are being led by the Met [Police] on the disclosure of information," The PM's spokesperson said.
"We're not going to jeopardise a live criminal investigation."

In a motion backed by MPs last week, the government agreed to publish all documents relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US.
The government agreed that sensitive documents would be referred to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC), a group of MPs which will have a role in deciding what will be published.
One source said following Streeting's move to publish messages himself, there was now concern that ministers could feel political pressure to publish messages that should instead be shared by the ISC.
When Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds was asked if she would follow Streeting's example, she told BBC Newsnight: "Yeah sure, I have nothing to hide."
In a statement on Tuesday, a Met Police spokesperson said the force would "review material identified and provided to us by the Cabinet Office to assess whether publication is likely to have a detrimental impact on our investigation or any subsequent prosecution".
The spokesperson added: "We will work alongside the Cabinet Office to review relevant documents over the weeks ahead.
"The process to decide which documents should ultimately be published remains a matter for government and parliament.
"As we have stated previously, this investigation may be complex but we are focused on a timely and thorough process so that justice is served in this case or future ones linked to the Epstein files.
"We understand and respect the role of Parliament in releasing these documents and will support their objective of transparency through our work with the Cabinet Office."
The government has started gathering the files, which could total 100,000 and include potentially embarrassing private messages between Lord Mandelson and ministers, officials and special advisers.
But the government has not indicated when it plans to publish any of the material - or whether it will be released in batches or all in one go.
The prime minister sacked Lord Mandelson last year when new information about his relationship with Epstein came to light.
Sir Keir has claimed the vetting documents will show Lord Mandelson lied to him about the extent of his friendship with Epstein, which continued after the disgraced financier had been convicted in 2008.
The BBC understands Lord Mandelson's view is that he answered questions about his relationship with Epstein in the vetting process accurately.

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