Vicky Wong

Cambridge chancellor Lord Chris Smith condemned what he called a “racist feeding frenzy” surrounding Jason Arday, while stressing that academic-integrity allegations should still be investigated rigorously. Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, resigned after plagiarism claims and was later found dead in south London. Liverpool John Moores University had previously concluded that he did not plagiarise, but Cambridge has opened an independent investigation into his appointment. Politicians, campaigners and the NHS Confederation called for scrutiny of the media coverage and possible public inquiry, while the government said the coroner’s processes should conclude before judgments are made.

Nearly 10,000 people were referred to the UK’s Prevent anti-terrorism scheme in England and Wales in the year to September 2025, a 39% annual increase and the highest total since records began. Referrals involving children were substantial, while extreme right-wing concerns accounted for 20%, Islamist extremism for 8%, and more than half involved no identified ideology. The Home Office attributed the rise partly to heightened awareness after the Southport attack and related policy changes. Channel-panel cases more than doubled, but the government’s Independent Prevent Commissioner said the system was not designed for the growing problem of online radicalisation. The figures also renew scrutiny of the scheme after Axel Rudakubana’s earlier referrals were closed prematurely.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government would be “relentless” in reducing small-boat crossings, citing the doubling of UK and French officers targeting people-smuggling gangs and plans to pursue safe routes for those in need. The Home Office reported nearly 800 National Crime Agency officers assigned to the issue, almost 300 arrests last year and the seizure of more than 1,100 boats and engines, though the BBC could not independently verify one estimate. Reform UK proposed using the navy to force migrant boats back to France, a plan criticized as legally and operationally impractical. Opposition parties offered competing approaches, including withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights and closer cooperation with Europe. More than 2,000 people have crossed since Burnham became prime minister, while crossings so far this year are reportedly down about 43% compared with the same period in 2025.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government would be “relentless” in reducing small boat crossings, citing a doubling of UK and French officers targeting smuggling gangs and calling for safe migration routes alongside enforcement. Home Office figures show 14,561 crossings between 1 January and 3 August 2026, down 43% from the same period in 2025, although more than 2,000 people have arrived since Burnham became prime minister. Reform UK proposed using the navy to return migrant boats to France, a plan criticized by a retired Royal Navy commander and potentially complicated by international law. The Conservatives accused Labour of failing on migration, while the Liberal Democrats called for closer cooperation with Europe and action on the asylum backlog.