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Grenfell Fire: Up to a Million People Still Living in Tower Blocks With Flammable Cladding Eight Years Later

Read our Digital & Print Editions And support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system SUBSCRIBE TODAY Up to a million people are still living in UK tower blocks covered in dangerous flammable cladding, some eight years after the Grenfell Tower fire, a damning report by peers reveals today. The failure to resolve the issue, almost a decade on from the tragedy that killed 72 people in the tower block in West London, is partly blamed on failures by the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to speedily approve renovations. The new agency was set up following the inquiry into the fire by Dame Judith Hackitt in 2018. However, instead of taking eight to twelve weeks to approve renovations to tower blocks, many cases take nine months and in one case 62 weeks -highlighted by lawyers Irwin Mitchell in written evidence to peers. The Lords report also blames the building industry for the huge delays, saying there has been a shortage of newly trained skilled housing inspectors. The peers say: "We heard consistent and repeated complaints that the BSR could take more than nine months to make decisions on whether construction projects should be allowed to go ahead, significantly longer than the statutory target of twelve weeks for these decisions. "In many cases, this has delayed or disincentivised refurbishments, safety upgrades and the remediation of dangerous cladding in high-rise buildings, leaving residents in unsafe buildings for longer and increasing costs for leaseholders." Keir Starmer's Government Is Funding 'Violence and Death' on the French Border, Say Human Rights Groups Billions of pounds is being spent on anti-migrant measures which campaigners warn are contributing to dozens of deaths of vulnerable people seeking to come to the UK Nicola Kelly "Many applications are being rejected or delayed due to basic errors and applicants' inability to evidence how they are considering elements of fire and structural safety, which reflects poorly on the construction industry." The campaign group Grenfell United told peers that up to one million flat dwellers are impacted by these delays and still living in unsafe conditions. Labour Chair of the Industry and Regulators Committee, Baroness Taylor of Bolton said: "The tragic loss of 72 lives at the Grenfell Tower fire laid bare the urgent need to reform building safety regulation in England, particularly for high-rise buildings. The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator was a necessary and welcome step. "However, the scale of the delays caused by the BSR has stretched far beyond the regulator's statutory timelines for building control decisions. This is unacceptable. We welcome that the Government and the BSR are now acting to try and make practical improvements, but this will not address the anxiety and frustration that residents and companies have experienced. "It does not improve safety to delay vital remediation and refurbishments, nor to deter the delivery of new housing in high-rise buildings. We expect to see further action from the Government and the BSR to ensure that construction projects in high-rise buildings can be brought forward more quickly, without compromising on vital safety improvements." The delays are bad news for the Government's plans to build 1.5 million homes by 2029, particularly in big cities where there are a large number of tower blocks., Peers were told The Greater London Authority's statistics on housing found that residential starts in London dropped from 48,745 new homes in 2022-23 to 27,543 in 2023-24. Residential starts in London fell further in 2024-25 to 21,026 - just 43% of the 2022-23 figure. Some of the blame for these figures falls on the safety regulator. Matt Voyce, Executive Director of Construction at Quintain, which is developing an 85-acre estate in Wembley Park, said that his experience of the BSR had been "challenging, frustrating and costly". ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE Receive th...

Nigel Farage's Russian Influence Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar 25 Times Nigel Farage Has Been a Gift to Vladimir Putin (chronological). Click a door to flip it. 1 2013 Byline Times: Farage lies about "meeting the Russian ambassador" Open story 2 31 Mar 2014 Guardian: relationship with Russian media comes under scrutiny Open story 3 1 May 2014 GQ (archived): Putin is the leader Farage most admires Open story 4 21 May 2014 HuffPost: Prince Charles Shouldn't Criticise Putin Open story 5 2014 (archived) The EU provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine Open story 6 16 Sep 2014 Farage sticks up for Putin in the EU Parliament Open story 7 Jun 2016 Politico: Obama "behaved disgracefully" by intervening in Brexit Open story 8 8 Sep 2016 Independent: RT offers Farage his own TV show Open story 9 1 Jun 2017 Politico: Farage calls Trump-Russia probe reports "fake news" Open story 10 1 Nov 2017 Newsweek: "Jews should concern Americans more than Russian influence…" Open story 11 12 Dec 2018 Byline Times: Farage's Lieutenant bribed by "Putin's man in Ukraine" Open story 12 12 Mar 2018 LBC: Farage on Salisbury/Novichok - UK "jumped the gun" Open story 13 6 May 2019 Guardian: Farage claims Russian intervention a "hoax" Open story 14 17 May 2019 Newsweek: Farage plays down Arron Banks' visits to the Russian Embassy Open story 15 10 Oct 2019 Guardian: Farage's MEPs vote against EU anti-Russian disinformation measures Open story 16 15 Feb 2022 Telegraph: "should not entertain NATO membership for Ukraine" Open story 17 24 Feb 2022 Independent: Russian invasion a consequence of EU/NATO "provoking" Putin Open story 18 21 Jun 2024 BBC: Farage says West "provoked" Ukraine war Open story 19 3 Jul 2024 Byline Times: Farage, bots and the 2024 election Open story 20 23 Mar 2025 Big Issue: Farage record on Ukraine Open story 21 March 2025 The Times: Zelensky should take Trump's minerals deal Open story 22 YouTube clip TalkTV "Ukraine is corrupt" Open story 23 Oct 2025 Putin is a "bad dude" but Ukraine is corrupt Open story 24 16 Oct 2025 Bloomberg: It's still the fault of NATO and the EU Open story 25 Oct 2025 POLITICO Europe: "Putin is a very bad dude" Open story Thanks to all our supporters who made suggestions for this. And those who, after it was published, suggested it should be called a Griftmas Card, with Russian oligarchs falling out of each window as they open. Out of the Doom Loop As well as bringing you the bad news, Byline Times is committed to bringing you the good, and looking for rays of hope in the New Year. So subscribe for the new edition, hitting the doormats and shops next week. Last Minute Christmas Gift From Lady Mone, as told to Otto English* *Lady Mone's opinions are her own, and are also in this case entirely fictional Giftcards are 15% off with code: TISTHESEASON

'If Nigel Farage's Racism Is Forgotten It Will Give Him Permission for Far Worse'

Read our Digital & Print Editions And support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system SUBSCRIBE TODAY I've held back from commenting on the revelations about Nigel Farage's past racism. Not because the story shocked me. For many in this country, it merely confirms what we've suspected for years. But some will be hearing these allegations for the first time, and it's to you that I want to speak. Over the past weeks we've seen a steady stream of former classmates and teachers describe Farage's behaviour at Dulwich College: Nazi salutes, chants, anti-semitic slurs aimed at Jewish pupils, racist taunts at anyone who was not white. Some recall him saying "Hitler was right" or making jokes about gas chambers. Others simply describe a pattern of targeted, persistent abuse. These are not new concerns. A teacher's letter from the early 1980s warned school authorities that the teenage Farage should not be made a prefect because of what she called his "racism" and "fascism". What is new is the political context. Farage is no longer just a fringe protest figure. He leads a party riding high in the polls, and he openly talks about expecting to walk into Downing Street. The Government's 'Integrity Gap' Is Leaving the Door Open for Nigel Farage By offering watered down Faragist rhetoric combined with a programme of managed decline, Keir Starmer's Government has left a political vacuum which the Reform leader is now stepping into, argues Labour MP Clive Lewis Clive Lewis MP Most of us have said or done things when we were young that we look back on with regret. That is part of growing up. We make mistakes, we cringe at our former selves, we learn, we change. Some of those early attitudes fall away. Others become the foundations of who we later become. What is now emerging about Nigel Farage is not a single stupid comment or one heated moment. Former classmates are describing a pattern of behaviour. Not just a bully, but a racist bully of the ugliest kind, directing hatred at black and Jewish pupils as a kind of sport. That does not automatically mean he holds every one of those views today. People can change. But when someone tells you who they are, over and over again, it is wise to listen. So look at his politics. Look at his rhetoric. Look at the company he keeps and the division he trades in. For decades Farage has built his career on singling out migrants and minorities, from the infamous "Breaking Point" poster that depicted desperate refugees as a threat, to repeated claims that we are being "overrun" or that parts of Britain are no longer recognisably British. Look at Reform's immigration policy, which even the Prime Minister has felt compelled to call "racist" and "immoral". Consider his willingness to stand alongside and give cover to people in his own party who make openly racist comments, only distancing himself when public outrage forces his hand. Taken together, it paints a picture of a man whose worldview did not grow out of those teenage foundations, but from them. So, what does that mean now? If you already oppose Farage, these stories will only harden your resolve. If you adore him, nothing I say will shift you. But there is a group of people I do want to reach: those considering voting for Reform. I am not going to patronise you. I understand why many are thinking about it. If you have watched your pay stall, your bills rise, your community decline and your politicians shrug for years, you might well think: what have I got to lose? Why not give the system a kick? Why not try something different? You may feel the country has taken a wrong turn. That we have lost something precious and need to put it right. You may feel that people like you have been talked down to, ignored, or written off. Those instincts are not wicked. They are not inherently racist. They come from frustration, disappointment and a desire for dignity and control in your own life. I meet people every week who feel that ...

Keir Starmer's Government Is Funding 'Violence and Death' on the French Border, Say Human Rights Groups

Read our Digital & Print Editions And support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system SUBSCRIBE TODAY The UK Government's attempts to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel by small boat is leading to increased violence and death on the border, according to a new report published on Monday. Humanitarian organisation Humans for Rights Network and charities working in the camps of northern France said that more than £650 million of British taxpayers' money is being used to fund police patrols and purchase surveillance equipment. This is then used to "instigate violent policies" on the UK's border with France, they said. Last year was the deadliest on record, with at least 73 people dying on the border - more than in all other years put together. NGOs working on both sides of the Channel say the French police routinely use flashballs, tear gas, including against children, and unleash police dogs to prevent migrants from boarding. Chaos at the point of embarkation has been known to lead to people being crushed to death. Last year Sara, a 7-year-old girl, suffocated beneath a group of bodies while trying to board a dinghy bound for Britain. Campaigners say the UK is responsible for deaths like these because it is funding violence perpetrated by the French riot police. The 'Pink Ladies' Laundering Anti-Migrant Views Into the Mainstream An anti-migrant movement backed by Reform and Conservative politicians and regularly invited onto news channels is funded by a far-right group and has platformed a Neo-Nazi activist Nicola Kelly Since 2018, Britain has spent more than £3.5 billion on private sector company contracts designed to 'secure' the border with France. A further £476 million was pledged in 2023, to provide surveillance equipment and personnel, including drones, helicopters and patrol officers. More than £100 million has already been given to France for the 'one in, one out' scheme to return migrants there, and to bring those who have been accepted to Britain. Earlier this year, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said that of 1,200 law enforcement officers at the border each day, 730 are paid for by the UK government. Alongside the perils faced while boarding boats, the French Government's policy of arresting those in the camps on 'no fixed abode' charges also leads to widespread violence, the report states. One group, Human Rights Observers documented over 800 evictions at the border in 2024, affecting at least 16,365 people. Belongings confiscated during these operations include medication, prescriptions and asylum claim documents. Organisations working in northern France say police brutality is commonplace, with one, Utopia 56, recording 680 incidents of violence outside of crossing attempts between March and September 2025. Moussa, who lived in the camps of Calais until recently, said: "The police there are like soldiers but without guns - it's like a war." Charities say migrants rarely report police brutality due to lengthy and unworkable processes. "It's not right what the police did. But we're not going to complain. Who are we going to complain to?" said Jamal, who witnessed violence on the northern France coastline. This year has seen the closure of several safe routes to the UK, including refugee family reunion and some resettlement schemes. Campaigners and charities argue that the lack of alternative routes makes it more difficult for those on the move to seek asylum, risking increased police violence. It also allows smuggling networks to proliferate. At least four people are known to have been shot dead in and around Dunkirk so far this year. In one documented incident, an autistic 16-year-old boy had a gun held to his head by smugglers. "What's complicated in Dunkirk is that the mafia is very present," said an employee of Medecins du Monde working in the camps. A climate of tension and violence has really been accentuated over the past two or three years. We regularly...

The UK's Shrinking Army Is Conducting Secretive Deployments in 51 Countries

Read our Digital & Print Editions And support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system SUBSCRIBE TODAY Britain's Army is shrinking to its smallest size since the Napoleonic wars, struggling to recruit and unable to modernise at the pace its own commanders say is required. Yet despite this contraction, new Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures obtained by Byline Times suggest that the UK is quietly extending its global reach by sending military reservists into more countries than at any point in recent history. The FOI disclosure reveals that 612 reservists were deployed overseas last year, entering what the MoD classifies as a "deployment theatre" for more than 24 hours in 51 countries and territories. It is an unusually broad global footprint for the modern Army Reserve - particularly for a force shrinking to its smallest size in two centuries - and one the Government has offered no public explanation for. The MoD will not say what these part-time soldiers were doing, under whose authority they were sent, or why some missions took place in states that have no publicly declared UK military interest. When asked whether reservists had also been deployed to other, undisclosed countries, the department issued a "neither confirm nor deny" response - the phrasing normally reserved for sensitive or clandestine operations. In a previous FOI disclosure, the MoD listed Iran as a deployment location before withdrawing the claim once Byline Times asked for clarification. EXCLUSIVE How Epstein Channelled Race Science and 'Climate Culling' Into Silicon Valley's AI Elite The Epstein files expose how racial hierarchy, genetic "optimisation" and even climate-driven population culling circulated inside Big Tech circles Nafeez Ahmed It leaves a striking contradiction at the heart of British defence: as the Army contracts, its overseas activity appears to be quietly expanding, pushed into opaque theatres with little democratic scrutiny and few safeguards for accountability. These revelations come at a moment when the military is facing scrutiny over a murder-rape case in Kenya and allegations that UK Special Forces carried out unlawful killings in Afghanistan - abuses senior officers stand accused of concealing. This month, Kenya's parliament delivered a very clear warning of what happens when overseas deployments drift beyond scrutiny. A sweeping year-long inquiry into the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) has accused troops of decades of abuses, from sexual violence and fatal accidents to environmental damage and the negligent handling of unexploded ordnance. All of this seems to be shielded by a veil of diplomatic and military immunity that allowed grievances to fester for generations. Kenyan lawmakers described BATUK's refusal to give evidence as showing an entrenched culture of impunity. This echoes patterns seen elsewhere in Britain's military footprint from Iraq to Afghanistan: allegations initially dismissed, investigations obstructed, civilian harm minimised, and accountability delayed and denied until the political cost becomes impossible to ignore. Where They Went The MoD's list spans NATO allies, conflict zones and several states where the UK has no obvious strategic interest. A handful of deployments follow familiar patterns of deterrence or alliance maintenance. Others sit far less comfortably, resembling the routines of a vanished Empire that persist more through inertia than declared strategy. The Gulf features prominently - unsurprising given long-standing security partnerships and the region's role as a major purchaser of British defence equipment. Eastern Europe also appears heavily on the list, consistent with the UK's efforts to signal resolve against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Yet interspersed among these are countries where the UK's interests feel, at best, opaque. Cape Verde, Djibouti, Lebanon, the Maldives: each appears on the MoD's ledger with no accompanying explana...