Paul Baldwin

Britain's dependence on interconnected digital systems leaves homes, businesses and essential services vulnerable to cyberattacks from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and affiliated hacker groups. Recent ransomware incidents affecting NHS-related blood testing, Marks & Spencer and the Co-op demonstrate how quickly attacks can disrupt everyday life and supply chains. The article argues that telecommunications and other critical infrastructure must be treated as national-security priorities, with greater investment in domestic cyber expertise, stronger resilience and reduced reliance on technology from hostile states.

The column argues that more than 200,000 small-boat arrivals since 2018 should be regarded as an invasion, contrasting the scale with historical Viking incursions. It attacks the UK’s asylum system, accommodation providers, lawyers, human-rights rules and government inaction, and calls for boats to be turned back to France despite potential international-law concerns. Spain’s forceful response to Moroccan arrivals is presented as a model for the UK.

British high streets have been devastated by the closure of pubs, department stores and bank branches, alongside rising business rates, taxation and changing consumer habits. Reform UK attributes part of the decline to foreign-run vape shops, nail bars and barber shops that it associates with money laundering, but the commentary mocks the inflammatory framing. It argues that simply closing allegedly criminal businesses would worsen town-centre decay unless authorities provide a costly, credible plan for replacement businesses and community renewal.

Guy Verhofstadt criticised the EU for appeasing Iran’s regime at a Rome conference organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, calling for Europe to sever ties with Tehran’s leadership and support Iranian opposition groups. Speakers including Liam Fox, Paolo Gentiloni and Maryam Rajavi argued that meaningful change must come from the Iranian people and backed the NCRI and PMOI/MEK as viable democratic alternatives. The event highlighted widespread political support for Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan and condemned Iran’s human rights abuses, nuclear brinkmanship and the perceived failures of previous diplomatic efforts such as the JCPOA, asserting that only regime change can bring stability.

Growing instability in Sudan is driving millions from their homes, setting the stage for a future surge in migrant crossings to Britain via Libya and the Mediterranean. The Sudanese Armed Forces are accused of atrocities including starvation, chemical attacks and displacement, yet the UK has imposed no sanctions, unlike the United States. The argument stresses that failing to address the root causes of conflict abroad will worsen migration pressures and overwhelm border systems, urging action against Sudan’s leadership rather than relying solely on domestic border control.

Iranian dissident students hacked more than 600 government-linked university websites as U.S. airstrikes hit 80 strategic sites in Iran following the collapse of a ceasefire. The cyberattacks replaced university webpages with slogans supporting the Iranian resistance and criticizing the regime, despite severe risks for participants. The U.S. strikes were framed as retaliation for Iranian actions against commercial shipping, while Iran launched counter-strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, drawing condemnation from regional governments. Nato leaders backed the U.S. response as necessary amid escalating regional tensions.

A strong defence of Nigel Farage argues that investigations into undeclared gifts and support are an establishment attempt to halt his political rise, claiming such scrutiny only strengthens his appeal among voters disillusioned with mainstream parties. The piece criticizes Labour, the Liberal Democrats and broader political institutions for hypocrisy while asserting that even if the standards investigation finds against him, any resulting byelection would likely strengthen his position. The argument concludes that attempts to undermine Farage are instead boosting his path toward greater political power.

A convicted Iraqi Kurdish people smuggler, Twana Jamal, previously jailed in France, is reported by the BBC to be living comfortably in Leicestershire while claiming asylum under false pretences. His presence and statements suggesting local impunity ignite criticism of UK immigration and security processes, with claims that numerous other convicted smugglers have also entered the country. The article condemns the Home Office for ineffective border controls and denounces left‑wing positions on asylum seekers, arguing the system is fundamentally broken. Post‑Brexit challenges in accessing EU criminal records are cited, while the EU is accused of failing to curb migrant departures from France.