Although Nigel Farage had recently claimed Britain was “defenceless” and demanded answers from Number 10, he was nowhere to be seen at the Parliament debate about the issue on Wednesday
While MPs spent hours debating defence spending and the safety of our armed forces, Nigel Farage was eyeing a £95 cote de boeuf at a posh French restaurant.
This is a man who recently claimed Britain was “defenceless,” demanding answers from Number 10. Yet when Parliament held an hours-long debate on exactly that, Farage was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he spent the afternoon toasting ten years of Brexit, raising a glass over snails and foie gras while the issues he loves shouting about went undebated by him.
As shadow defence minister Mark Francois rightly told the Commons, the “plastic patriots of Reform cannot be bothered to turn up.” Wrapping yourself in the Union flag means nothing if you skip the hard graft of governing. People notice. Especially when you’re dodging questions on your undeclared £5million gift in the morning, then dodging Parliament in the afternoon.
Save Lives for Sam campaign is a worthy legacy
Our Save Lives for Sam campaign was born out of unbearable grief, launched after 19 children and adults died in water-related incidents in a single week during May’s record heatwave.
Today, it is beginning to shape a national conversation. Bridget Phillipson’s call for schools to teach water safety now, not wait until September, is real proof our campaign is saving lives in the making. The Education Secretary rightly praised its “brilliant” purpose, urging teachers “please don’t delay.”
With ministers convening to discuss the current heatwave and Keir Starmer’s backing, this is no longer just a Mirror campaign, it is a growing reckoning. Sam Haycock’s parents turned heartbreak into action. Every child taught the water safety code this summer is part of their legacy.
Britain’s carers are our hidden heroes
Laura Main’s devotion to her elderly mum is a reminder of the quiet heroism of Britain’s carers.
They do work that is loving, exhausting and too often unseen. Call the Midwife shone a light on care. We must do the same, with proper support for those giving it daily today.