Mr. Karan Rana appointed as Honorary Trade Commissioner for Strengthening India–PNG Trade Relations

A second Labour MP has been suspended amid questions over a £50,000 taxpayer-backed Covid loan. Perran Moon, the MP for Camborne & Redruth, voluntarily referred himself to the party for a full investigation to be conducted into the matter, GB News understands.Back in August, fellow Labour MP Bayo Alaba was suspended from the party over questions surrounding whether he tried to avoid repaying a taxpayer-funded Covid loan. Now, Mr Moon is the co-owner of training company Autoswot Limited, which was founded in 2019. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Throughout the pandemic, the Government introduced a “dissolution objections process” in a bid to prevent firms from misusing bounceback loans.Under such a process, borrowers were blocked from dodging repayments by dissolving their companies – which then struck off any outstanding loans.Mr Moon has confirmed his firm took out a loan, with its accounts from June 2020 showing loans of £50,000.And, in November 2022, there was an attempt to wind up the organisation, a bid which was later blocked by an opposing body.It is understood the MP approached Companies House after the firm applied to be struck off, with the department confirming on three occasions that the accounts were not required.Mr Moon said: “A company which I co-own had successfully applied for a bounce back loan to help with staffing and other essential business costs during the significant turbulence of the Covid pandemic.”The business began to repay this loan, however due to unforeseen external market pressures and despite the best efforts of staff, it ceased trading in late 2022.”When the company took out the loan, it fully intended to repay it, and it made repayments until it ceased trading.LABOUR LATEST:John Healey risks Labour civil war as Chancellor warned he ‘could do more damage’ than Rachel ReevesUK businesses demand urgent fuel duty cut and diesel rebate scheme in upcoming BudgetSerious criminals detained in hospital to no longer receive benefits”The company has regularly sought professional advice with regards to our statutory obligations and as a director I take these obligations seriously.”In order for these matters to be looked into, I have voluntarily referred myself to the Labour Party’s investigations process and will cooperate fully with this process.”The loan application was made in good faith, and the information provided, including the company’s turnover forecast, was accurate and properly based. I will provide the documents that demonstrate this to the Party’s process.”I will continue to work hard every day representing my constituents while this party process is ongoing.”A Labour Party spokesman said: “Perran Moon MP has referred himself to the Labour Party so that these matters can be investigated in line with the Party’s rules.”The Labour Party expects the highest standards from our elected representatives and we have robust processes in place to ensure those high standards are upheld.”We cannot comment further while the investigation is ongoing.” Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

The Covid inquiry has found that a failure across care homes allowed the virus to “spread like wildfire”.In the sixth, 287-page report into the pandemic, experts revealed care homes were being treated as an “something of an afterthought”. More than 43,000 care home residents died from the Covid-19 virus between March 2020 and July 2022. And, due to care homes being off-limits to visitors during this period, bereaved families are still searching for answers on how their loved ones. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Leading the campaign is Jean Adamson, whose father contracted the virus while in a care home. He died in April 2020, just a month into the first lockdown. After he fell ill, the family was forced to only see him through a window, and was not able to hold his hand or offer any kind of support. Ms Adamson fired furious criticism at the former Tory Health Secretary Matt Hancock for his “cruel lies” after ministers claimed the Government had set up a “protective ring” around care homes. On May 15 2020, Mr Hancock said: “Right from the start, it’s been clear that this horrible virus affects older people most. “So right from the start, we’ve tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes.”But, since, Mr Hancock told the inquiry that the ring metaphor was “clearly a piece of rhetoric”.He added: “We really did do our best to take all of the actions we could to protect those in care homes from the virus in incredibly difficult circumstances.”Campaigners have said the latest instalment of the inquiry has “vindicated” their fight to the Government.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:Nurse struck by condition linked to Covid vaccine ‘not disabled enough’ for compensationPremier League captain at risk of jail time after confessing to Covid vaccine certificate fraudHollywood star and Wimbledon legends unite in call for Covid vaccine harms investigationMatthew Fowler, the the co-founder of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, said: “I think first and foremost they vindicate everything that the we have been saying for the last six years.”To see these things written in black and white, and stated as fact, it means a lot to us.”He added that it was “crucially important” Whitehall started making “tangible changes” based on the report’s recommendations.”I’ve often said that if my dad’s death is what it took to to learn these lessons and to save other people, then I can accept that… Ultimately it’s down to the government to actually make the change,” Mr Fowler added.Andy Burnham said his Government was “committed to learning the lessons” from the report, vowing to whip up an “action plan” for any future pandemic.He further acknowledged the “pain and suffering caused by the pandemic”, adding that he was “acutely aware” of the experiences of people receiving and providing care. “We will use these findings to continue development of our Adult Social Care Pandemic Action Plan,” he said.He assured bereaved families that his plan was “person-centred, highly integrated with health services and preventative in its character”. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

The Home Office has refused to rule out the possibility of more small boat migrants landing in Gosport, despite mass local protest.Earlier this month, Gosport residents took to the streets to demonstrate against the “undetected” arrival of a small boat containing asylum seekers.In the past six weeks, three small boats have crossed the Channel from Normandy in France, twice landing in Hampshire.As a result of mass protests, Hampshire Police accumulated a bill of £800,000 in dealing with the protesters, who clashed with the authorities as they expressed their anger at the small boat arrivals. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The local council also took action against the undetected arrivals, with Gosport Borough Council passing a motion to call for the town to be excluded from any future small boat landings.Addressing the situation in the Hampshire region, a Home Office spokesman has assured the Government as established “contingency plans” to tackle the new trend of arrivals.They said: “Where circumstances permit, the Government will seek to engage relevant local authorities and operational partners in advance.The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.”The Home Office made clear that the Labour Government is working hard to reduce small boat crossings “significantly”.They added: “Over 80,000 people with no right to be in the UK have been removed or returned since the election. “Small boat crossings are down significantly, and we have just recorded the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020.”The Government has also ruled out any plans to process small boat arrivals at Fort Blockhouse, a former military site in Gosport. LATEST DEVELOPMENTSRhiannon Whyte’s mum slams Labour for illegal crossings two years on from daughter’s murderIslamic terrorist who broke into Britain via small boat spotted shopping in King’s local Co-opForeign prisoners treated to therapy sessions similar to ‘yoga retreat’Instead, arrivals will be taken to the main processing centre at Manston, Dover, for security, ID and health checks.However, Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in Gosport is undergoing a phased redevelopment, including an expansion to accommodate 600 beds.Under the Home Office’s planned development, the first phase would create accommodation for 130 detainees, with the second phase increasing capacity to 600 across three-storey accommodation blocks.Criticising the arrivals earlier this month, Reform MP for Fareham and Waterlooville Suella Braverman said the situation was a “disgrace”.She told GB News: “I fully expect more migrants I’m afraid to be arriving on the southern Hampshire coast in future, probably escorted by Border Force or by RNLI or by the Coast Guard, and that will be under Government orders.”That is a disgrace, that is not what local people want and it’s not what they voted for.”In a statement, a Home Office spokesman told GB News: “We are making progress with the number of small boat crossings down on last year and June, July and August recording the lowest number of arrivals since 2020.”But we must go further, which is why we’ve signed a payment by results deal with the French to put 40 per cent more boots on the ground on French beaches.” Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

“We’ll be back,” Nigel Farage defiantly declared today as he acknowledged that Reform UK has suffered “a bit of a dip” in recent months.Speaking exclusively to GB News Chief Political Correspondent Katherine Forster shortly before a Reform rally in Plymouth, the party leader admitted that “our success, ironically, has led to a bit of a dip”.At the start of this year, Reform enjoyed a 10-point polling lead over Labour, but Labour now holds a five-point lead over them.During the local elections in May, as well as the Senedd and Holyrood elections in Wales and Scotland, Reform enjoyed spectacular success with its slogan “Vote Reform, get Starmer out”. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Farage explained: “Success is a funny old thing, isn’t it? We had an amazing May 7. “We wiped out the Labour Party in the North East, in Yorkshire and North West, the West Midlands, East Midlands.”But those results meant the Labour Party, fearing electoral wipeout at a general election, ditched its unpopular leader in favour of the affable and well-liked Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.Mr Farage said: “Andy Burnham would not be Prime Minister if Reform had not done what they’d done.”However, the Reform UK leader also conceded: “There is a slight Burnham bounce.“Most of it’s come from the Green Party, who have passed a motion at their conference that I think most decent people think is beyond the pale.“But, you know, this is a game of moving parts. We’ve had our ups. Yes, our success, ironically, has led to a bit of a dip. We’ll be back.”Mr Farage was speaking alongside Reform MPs and former Conservatives Danny Kruger and Robert Jenrick at what GB News was told was the biggest rally of the party’s “100 Days to Save Britain” tour.Plymouth voted 60 per cent to leave the European Union, and Reform is now the official opposition on the Labour-run council there.Although Mr Farage received a rockstar welcome inside the venue, demonstrators outside loudly protested: “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.”LATEST DEVELOPMENTSAndy Burnham set for ‘fight of his political life’ over broken welfare systemThe Tory faithful are dreaming of a revival, but will the bounce ever arrive? – Katherine ForsterZack Polanski refused to answer my questions but here’s what I would have asked – Katherine ForsterThere were two significant announcements at the rally, including a pledge to exempt Army reservists’ earnings from income tax.Reform UK already supports making overtime earnings tax-free, while Mr Farage also announced plans for a 50 per cent stake in South West Water.But beyond the challenge posed by a popular new Prime Minister, Reform faces two other major problems.The first is the succession of negative stories that have plagued the party for months.Questions surrounding the £5million gift from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne and two undercover investigations are among the most notable controversies.One investigation broke during Reform’s conference in September, while another was published on Sunday.Reform’s polling has also been sliding since the spring.The latest undercover investigation saw councillors describe Muslims as “parasites” and claim that “no more than one per cent of the British population should be non-white”.One individual also reportedly said: “King Charles is a f****** Muslim.”Another spoke of becoming Prime Minister and hosting “Sunday morning Rose Garden executions” of grooming gang members.Opening the rally, Danny Kruger acknowledged the findings, saying: “They found some bad apples and they had to go…there’s no place for people like that in this party.”His remarks were met with applause from the audience.Asked how he felt upon hearing the comments, Mr Farage told Katherine Forster: “The most egregious comment that was made was made by somebody who’d come to us from the Conservatives.”He insisted: “We do our absolute best. We vet candidates to a much higher standard than Labour or the Conservatives do at local elections. But you can’t vet for what people say in the future.”Although he said “I’m not pleased with it,” Mr Farage did not appear particularly concerned by the controversy.“If you spoke to hundreds of Labour or Tory councillors, gave them a glass of beer, tried to provoke them in conversation, you’d get very, very similar types of statements,” he argued.“So I’m not pleased with it. But some of it, I mean, frankly, you know, I mean, look, there’s a snobbery here.“There is a London, Oxford and Cambridge University snobbery.”He went on: “Do you think working-class people, when they’re talking about the rape gangs in Rochdale or Rotherham, do you think saying they should be executed is an unusual thing?“I don’t support it, but I promise you, that’s how many folks speak.”Reform is also facing a Conservative Party that has recovered in recent polls, with an increasingly confident leader in Kemi Badenoch and some surveys now putting the Tories ahead of Mr Farage’s party.Asked whether he could assure GB News viewers and listeners that he would definitely lead Reform into the next general election, Farage replied: “I’m committed to doing this.“Not because it’s a career, not because I want rank or title or position.“But because I want change.“And I think the ITV investigation and many other things that have been done to us over the course of the last six months are an establishment that wants to stop change.“They want to keep the two-party system going.“Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and we all get our knighthoods and our memberships of the House of Lords, and we’re not having it.”Andy Burnham has said there will be no early general election, which would mean a contest in 2029.However, Farage and many others suspect the Prime Minister could go to the country earlier, potentially as soon as next May.Farage assured supporters in Plymouth: “We will be ready.”Despite Farage’s defiant declaration that “we’ll be back”, some are questioning whether the next general election will once again become a contest between Labour and the Conservatives. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has voiced support for the British Army tackling violent protests if “intolerant” hard-left disruptors hold French-style riots in the United Kingdom.Mr Farage, who spoke to GB News ahead of a rally in Plymouth, dismissed Donald Trump’s suggestion that migration is the sole reason for unrest in France.However, the Clacton MP voiced confusion about why French President Emmanuel Macron appeared hesitant to deploy members of the armed forces.He told The People’s Channel: “The mystery to me is why Macron did not call the army in more quickly, and I hope if we even begin to descend to those levels that we use the military as quickly as possible.” TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Admitting his fears about riots in the UK, Mr Farage added: “There is now such an intolerance, political intolerance, on the new left of British politics, and by the way, elements of the right, too.”We don’t respect democracy anymore, or some people don’t. And they think direct action and violence is acceptable.”Cast your mind back to 2011, when we did have some quite serious rioting and arson and looting taking place in London, I’m genuinely concerned.”Mr Macron confirmed the French army would take to the streets on October 24 after riots engulfed the nation on October 17. Troops from the Sentinelle military operation were deployed to reinforce police and gendarmes.Despite Mr Farage’s call to deploy the British Army, it remains rare for soldiers to be used to deal with civil unrest. David Cameron considered using the military following an outbreak of violence in 2011.However, the Tories instead opted to bolster police numbers in impacted areas. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS’War could be coming!’ Kemi Badenoch urges Britons to get off benefits and prepare for conflictKemi Badenoch warns ‘rubbish about white privilege and Britain being racist’ risks fuelling French-style riots in UKRejoining the EU could cost Britons dearly as new forecast predicts grim rise in food costsConservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch today echoed Mr Farage’s concerns about disorder in the UK.Speaking to GB News, Mrs Badenoch said: “I do worry that things like that could happen here.”We’ve already seen protests flaring up across the country.”That is why it is very important that we get our economy growing again.”People are feeling poorer. But there is also a flip side to this.”Our economic problems and our cultural problems are two sides of the same coin.”If you tell young people that their country is terrible, that it’s okay to hate their country, that Britain is a racist place, and end up going on about imperialism, white privilege and all of that rubbish, then you see them burning down churches and spraying graffiti on war memorials.”And that’s why I always intervene. You know, some people will say, ‘Why are you getting involved in culture wars?'”I will fight for British culture. It’s very important.”While Mr Farage rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that the migrant crisis was the sole cause of the unrest, Mrs Badenoch warned failing to get a grip on the issue risked sparking disorder in Britain.She added: “I don’t want us to end up like France is ending up, with so much civil unrest.”Politicians need to take responsibility. We will help Shabana [Mahmood] if she takes responsibility.” Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter