French president warns that he will curtail civil liberties to halt unrest Daily Telegraph 18/10/26 Emmanuel Macron has said public gatherings will be banned to halt rioting if necessary, after French cities were burned and looted. The French president announced civil liberties could be curtailed in an evening address from the Élysée Palace after government buildings were torched and shops ransacked in nationwide protests. The central government’s prefects, responsible for upholding law across France , would work with local authorities to impose bans on “certain gatherings when necessary”, Mr Macron said. Advertisement He claimed that the source of the unrest was the Iran war, which had raised the cost of living in France. Hours earlier, Donald Trump had blamed Mr Macron’s migration policies for the violence . More than 2,300 people were arrested on Saturday after protests against the high cost of living and conditions inside schools descended into violence. Almost 1,000 police ...
Tory and Lib Dem-run authorities face deep funding cuts while Labour strongholds enjoy £1.6bn increase Daily Telegraph 16/10/26 Andy Burnham’s government has been accused of waging a £500m “class war” on councils. Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say ministers are deliberately cutting funding from affluent rural councils to bankroll urban Labour Party strongholds. An analysis by The Telegraph shows that Tory and Lib Dem-dominated councils in England will receive a £487m cut in government-controlled grants and funding during this parliament. Labour councils, by contrast, will enjoy a £1.6bn funding increase. The cuts are so deep that some town halls have warned they would be forced to impose dramatic increases in council tax to make up the shortfall. Councillors have said that their ability to fix potholes, collect bins and build new infrastructure are “under threat” as a result of the funding cuts. Advertisement Kemi Badenoch said she was prepared to challenge the cuts in c...