UK Column News – 27th August 2025

Charles Malet, Mike Robinson, Sandi Adams and David Miller with today’s UK Column News.

Sources:

The Flag Wars: What’s Really Behind Britain’s Latest Symbolism Battle

00:57 Nigel Farage MP (on X): Reform UK announces plans for mass deportation of illegal migrants

Reform UK: Reform UK Announces Mass Deportations Blueprint

Epping Forest District Council: Council applies for injunction against Bell Hotel owners

Judiciary: Epping Forest DC v Somani Hotels Final Judgment (4) (PDF)

UK Column: How the British Intelligence Network of Astroturfed Muslim Civil Society Groups Is Kept Secret and Deniable

WSJ: A Letter to Emmanuel Macron

Labour Together: BritCard: a progressive digital identity for Britain

 

They Won’t Drop Digital ID — We Still Don’t Want It

24:30 Sky News: Impact of new online safety rules revealed one month on

Proton VPN: Proton VPN Observatory (2025)

Federal Trade Commission: Model Letter sent to Tech Companies from Office of the Chairman

Biometric Update: Nigeria must issue 59M digital IDs in 18 months to meet World Bank target

Biometric Update: Sri Lanka rolling national ID card investments into digital identity project

Future Market Insights: Digital Identity Services Market

 

Cash for Abortions: What’s Really Going On in Australia?

30:27 The Daily Declaration: Is the Australian Government Really Paying Women $4,200 to Abort Their Babies? Here’s the Evidence

Services Australia: Who can get Stillborn Baby Payment (Archived here)

 

UK Column Will Be ‘On Location’ In York

36:22 Support Independent Journalism from the UK Column with only £5 a month

Access UK Column News Extra Today—UK Column Community

UK Column shop: UK Column On Location Livestream Access

Event: UK Column: On Location – Saturday, 18 October 2025, York – TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

Livestream: Saturday, 18 October 2025 – Livestream access here

 

Tracking Viruses Through Waste Water: Are They Taking The Piss?

38:24 GOV.UK (2020): Sewage signals early warning of coronavirus outbreaks

The programme, which was first announced in June, has now proven that fragments of genetic material from the virus can be detected in wastewater.

NHS England: Infection prevention and control education framework

 

All Roads Lead To The Agenda 2030 Control Framework

41:16 United Nations: Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

GOV.UK: Agenda 2030 – Report 4 (PDF)

The UK Government’s approach to delivering the Global Goals for Sustainable Development – at home and around the world

United Nations: Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

United Nations: Goal 2: Zero Hunger

 

The Renewable Rip-Off: More Green Energy, Less Green in Your Wallet

47:47 Ofgem: Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2025

[…] Direct Debit will go up by 2% to £1,755 per year

Dieter Helm: The price of energy and the system costs of renewables

The Somerset Leveller: Plans for 80-acre solar farm near Somerton submitted

GOV.UK: National Planning Policy Framework (PDF)

GOV.UK: UK Food Security Report 2024 (PDF)

GOV.UK: Biodiversity net gain

Somerton Town Council: PLANNING COMMITTEE – Tuesday 12th August 2025 – To be held in the Dean Ruddle Room Edgar Hall starting at 6:30pm 

 

Drought: Where’s the Water? Schemes of the Agenda Men

1:00:33 GOV.UK: Dry weather and drought in England: 17 to 23 July 2025

UK Water Resources Portal: A web tool for displaying water resources and drought information

Water Magazine: Sadiq Khan joins Matt Damon and Gary White of Water.org to put water safety, security and sustainability at the heart of global climate action

World Bank Blogs (2017): Advancing the global dialogue on the value of water

Water: Partners

GOV.UK: Weather-Health Alerting System

Data.gov: Heat health alerts