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Category: UK
July 14, 2026
Media
News
UK

Half a Million Households Drop TV License That Bankrolls the BBC in One Year.

A new report has revealed that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is under mounting financial pressure due to declining TV license payments, as the British public increasingly turns elsewhere for news and entertainment.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The TV Licence sales that fund the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) dropped by over 500,000 last year, according to the corporation’s annual report.
📺 DETAIL: According to the corporation’s annual report, the sale of TV Licences, which fund the BBC and are compulsory for anyone watching live television, even if none of it is BBC content, decreased by 540,000. The report also showed that 23.3 million licenses were active by the end of 2025/2026 financial year, while the number of households in Britain not using a license rose to 3.7 million, an increase of 62,000. “We can see that the large majority of the reason for the decline is people… not consuming licensable content,” said Berangere Michel, the BBC’s Chief Financial Officer. “That is a trend that I don’t see changing back. In fact, I see it accelerating, and that is one of the reasons why we would like a reform of the funding,” Michel added. The report also noted that rising production costs, inflationary pressures, and a rapidly changing media market have further strained the organization.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This is a moment of real jeopardy, not just for the BBC but for public service broadcasting and the UK as a whole,” complained BBC Director General Matt Brittin in reaction to the report.
🎯 IMPACT: The findings of the annual report suggest declining faith and interest in the BBC. The corporation has already announced plans to cut £500 million in costs by 2028/2029, with £160 million in savings targeted from its news and content divisions. The report is likely to push the British government to pursue funding reform. British Culture, Media, and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has already proposed expanding the TV License to include households that opt for paid streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, rather than BBC content, forcing them to fund the corporation. Last month, it was reported that the British government was drafting a proposal to make social media companies prioritize BBC content.
📺 FLASHBACK: The BBC has been implicated in a number of scandals, underscoring the corporation’s ideological bias and causing viewers to switch off. Back in June, the BBC claimed that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had called for “white cold rage” in response to the wrongful arrest and murder of white British teenager Henry Nowak. Farage had actually called for “pure cold rage.” The BBC subsequently released an apology. In December last year, the BBC was hit by a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit from President Donald J. Trump after the corporation intentionally spliced together clips of remarks made by Trump on January 6, 2021, that were around an hour apart, to create a false narrative of him encouraging violence. The scandal resulted in the resignation of now-former Director General of the BBC Tim Davie, as well as the resignation of then-Director of News Deborah Turness.

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A new report has revealed that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is under mounting financial pressure due to declining TV license payments, as the British public increasingly turns elsewhere for news and entertainment.

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July 14, 2026
News
UK

Incoming UK PM Burnham Plots $51 Billion Tax Raid on Struggling Middle Class.

Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly planning significant tax increases, raising concerns about economic impact on the country’s already struggling middle class.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to pursue a higher-tax agenda that could add the equivalent of an estimated $51 billion in new taxes, according to an analysis by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. Reform warns Burnham’s tax increases would come on top of the estimated $88 billion in tax rises introduced under outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, bringing the incumbent Labour Party’s total tax increases to approximately $139 billion.
📰 DETAIL: Reform says Burnham is targeting areas including inheritance taxes, capital gains tax, and National Insurance (Social Security) contributions on landlords’ rental income. Reform Shadow Chancellor (Treasury Secretary) Robert Jenrick has criticized Burnham’s past support for measures such as higher taxes on estates, savings, investment, workplace parking, and travel, and challenged him to publicly rule out additional tax increases. Further tax hikes could worsen capital flight after an estimated 16,500 millionaires reportedly left the United Kingdom in 2025, taking an estimated $92 billion in wealth with them. Burnham has previously expressed support for restoring the top income tax rate to 50 percent, conflicting with Labour’s 2024 election pledge not to raise income tax. Reform argues Burnham lacks a direct electoral mandate for such policies because he is due to become Prime Minister following an internal Labour Party leadership change, rather than after leading the party into a general election win.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Andy Burnham has spent 20 years reaching for other people’s money—a death tax on family homes, a graduate tax on young people getting their first pay cheque, a £14 billion raid on savings and investment, and new levies on everything from your parking space at work to your weekend away.” – Robert Jenrick
🎯 IMPACT: The proposed tax hikes could exacerbate capital flight, with a record number of millionaires already leaving Britain, potentially taking billions in future tax revenue with them.

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Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly planning significant tax increases, raising concerns about economic impact on the country's already struggling middle class.

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July 14, 2026
News
UK

Reform’s Robert Jenrick Accuses UK Govt of Neglecting Farage’s Security Needs.

Reform UK officials are warning that the British government sought to cut Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s security as the investigation into the murder of the party’s immigration and justice spokeswoman, Ann Widdecombe, continues.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Robert Jenrick, the Reform UK party’s Shadow Chancellor (Treasury Secretary), has criticized the British government for downgrading Reform leader Nigel Farage’s security.
📺 DETAIL: On Monday, Robert Jenrick criticized the British government for not taking Nigel Farage’s security seriously. Jenrick described Farage’s lack of security as a “dereliction of duty” and a government security package previously offered to Farage as “downgraded.” Farage reportedly declined a government security package in September last year, not because he did not believe he needed it, but because it amounted to a 75 percent cut. Party donors stepped in to fund his protection. “Frankly, I find it astonishing that, just a short period after he was elected to Parliament, the authorities, the government, chose to massively downgrade his security,” said Jenrick. “I do question whether this would have happened to someone with different political views,” the Reform Shadow Chancellor added. The criticism follows the murder of former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) and minister turned Reform UK immigration and justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe. 
💬 KEY QUOTE: “It shouldn’t have taken the death of Ann Widdecombe for Nigel Farage to be given a meeting with the relevant Home Office committee—that really is a dereliction of duty.” – Robert Jenrick
🎯 IMPACT: The controversy highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of political figures, particularly those with anti-establishment views, such as Farage. The claim that the Reform leader was given a diminished security package is likely to raise questions about the impartiality and adequacy of security decisions. The Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has denied accusations of ministerial involvement in security downgrades.
📺 FLASHBACK: Earlier this week, the British Home Secretary offered a security meeting to Farage. Farage has accepted the offer, which coincided with the revelation that the suspect arrested in connection with Widdecombe’s murder was not known to Prevent, the United Kingdom’s counter-extremism initiative. The Labour-controlled government’s minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women described the reaction to Ann Widdecombe’s murder, specifically Reform requests for enhanced security, as “faux outrage” before retracting and apologizing to Farage.

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Reform UK officials are warning that the British government sought to cut Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's security as the investigation into the murder of the party's immigration and justice spokeswoman, Ann Widdecombe, continues.

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July 14, 2026
News
UK

Heatwaves Linked to Over 2,700 Deaths in England and Wales Amid AC Debate.

A new study has suggested over 2,500 people across England and Wales died during unprecedented heatwaves throughout May and June, underscoring the risks posed by extreme heat and the need for air conditioning.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A new study has suggested that almost 3,000 people have died in England and Wales due to recent heatwaves.
📺 DETAIL: According to a new study conducted by Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, approximately 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes during the heatwaves in England and Wales throughout May and June. Statistics for the United Kingdom’s other Home Nations, Scotland and Northern Ireland, would likely drive the estimate higher, but they are collected separately. The heatwave in June accounted for approximately 2,200 of these deaths. The elderly, infants, and those with pre-existing medical conditions were most at risk, although experts have warned that even healthy individuals face risks. The study also indicated that roughly 550 people died from heat-related causes in the last week of May alone. The study follows reports that June 2026 was England’s hottest month on record. According to scientists, extreme heat places strain on the body’s cardiovascular system, causing potentially fatal emergencies, such as heat strokes and heart attacks.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Don’t underestimate the risks. Just because you’re fit and healthy, you’re not safe.” – Professor Fredi Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College London.
🎯 IMPACT: The study underscores the threat posed by extreme heat, especially to countries that lack widespread installation of air conditioning. The researchers behind the study acknowledge their estimates are based on historical mortality data and involve assumptions that may not be entirely precise. The study follows similar figures from other European countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), recent heatwaves have resulted in over 1,000 excess deaths in Paris, the capital of France.
📺 FLASHBACK: Last month, the far-left Deputy Mayor of Paris blamed the United States for the heatwave affecting Europe and criticized American recommendations to install air conditioning (AC). “Dear American journalists and social media ‘influencers’: for days, some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris because the city does not have A/C in every room…OMG, this is so rich,” said Audrey Pulvar. According to the International Energy Agency, only around 20 percent of European households have AC, partly as a result of “green” and net zero mandates discouraging or conditionally banning units. Around 90 percent of U.S. households have AC.

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A new study has suggested over 2,500 people across England and Wales died during unprecedented heatwaves throughout May and June, underscoring the risks posed by extreme heat and the need for air conditioning.

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July 14, 2026
Immigration
News
UK

UK Govt Claims It May Restrict Visas for Pakistan Over Refusal to Take Back Grooming Gang Leader.

The British government claims to be considering visa restrictions on the Islamic Republic of Pakistan if it refuses to take back Shabir Ahmed, a convicted grooming gang leader, following his release from prison earlier this month.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The British government is supposedly considering visa restrictions on Pakistan after the country refused to take back the Pakistan-born ringleader of a major grooming gang.
📺 DETAIL: Earlier this month, it was reported that Shabir Ahmed, the Pakistani ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, was released from prison. According to the Immigration Act of 1971, immigrants from Commonwealth countries such as Pakistan who arrived in Britain over 50 years ago and have lived in the country for more than five years cannot be deported. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is of Pakistani heritage, is set to propose amendments to the Immigration Act in order to legally deport Ahmed, but Pakistan has since declared that it will not take the pedophile back. In response, the British government is reportedly floating visa restrictions on Pakistan unless it agrees to take him.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The country of origin must agree to take these vile criminals back and that’s why we’re working across government to explore every option in this case… I think we’ve been clear that all options remain on the table where countries don’t co-operate on the return of their nationals ” – British government spokesman
🎯 IMPACT: If Pakistan continues to refuse Ahmed’s deportation, the British government may impose visa restrictions, potentially preventing Pakistani nationals from traveling to the United Kingdom. Similar measures have been threatened against other countries in the past, such as Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Namibia in Africa. Notably, Pakistanis are one of the least productive ethnic groups in Britain, with around three times the unemployment rate of the White British population.
📺 FLASHBACK: Ahmed is a ringleader in one of many gangs involved in the broader grooming gangs scandal across the United Kingdom, which involves mostly Muslim, South Asian men targeting mostly white working-class girls for sexual abuse. Ahmed served just 14 years of an initial 19-year sentence. Ahmed was convicted alongside eight other men for rape, aiding and abetting rape and trafficking for sexual exploitation back in 2012. Ahmed was stripped of his British citizenship the same year as his conviction. Some of Ahmed’s victims were as young as 12-years-old.

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The British government claims to be considering visa restrictions on the Islamic Republic of Pakistan if it refuses to take back Shabir Ahmed, a convicted grooming gang leader, following his release from prison earlier this month.

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July 14, 2026
Culture
News
UK

UK Govt Wants to Force Streaming Service Subscribers to Fund the BBC.

Britain’s government is considering revamping the country’s compulsory television license fee that funds the BBC by extending it to include households using paid streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: British Culture, Media, and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has proposed expanding the compulsory TV License that funds the BBC to include households that use streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video. At present, Britons who watch live programs on television, their computer, or another device—even if none of it is BBC content—must purchase a license to fund the broadcaster, on pain of criminal fines backed by the threat of imprisonment, but people have increasingly been avoiding this by subscribing to on-demand services instead.
📺 DETAIL: Nandy suggested that viewers who watch both the BBC and streamers could pay the full license fee, while those who use streaming platforms exclusively might pay a lower charge. The BBC claims that 94 percent of British households use its services monthly, but under 80 percent pay the £180 ($240) annual fee, resulting in revenue losses. Talks are ongoing with streaming platforms, but the government has ruled out imposing a direct levy on streaming companies.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We are having an open conversation with the public, Parliament, and the BBC about this.” – Lisa Nandy
🎯 IMPACT: If implemented, the expanded license fee would force many more people to fund the public broadcaster, which is constitutionally impartial but widely accepted as having a strong institutional bias towards the political left. Streaming companies have expressed concerns about imposing additional financial burdens on subscribers or their businesses, which could deter investment in the United Kingdom.

Image by Paul Harrop.

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Britain's government is considering revamping the country's compulsory television license fee that funds the BBC by extending it to include households using paid streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

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July 13, 2026
Crime
News
UK

Farage Offered Security Briefing as UK Govt Admits Ann Widdecombe Murder Suspect Was Not on Counter-Terror Radar.

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has extended a security meeting offer to Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage following revelations about the suspect in Ann Widdecombe’s murder case.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The British Home Secretary has offered a security meeting to Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, following new details regarding the suspect in the murder of Reform UK immigration and justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe. Notably, the Home Office previously cut Farage’s security, forcing him to find private funding.
📰 DETAIL: On Monday, in a statement to the House of Commons, British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, offered a security meeting to Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party. The offer coincided with new information about the 28-year-old suspect arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe, a long-time, prominent figure in British politics. “Today is a dark day in our political life, but we must also use it as an opportunity to celebrate Ann Widdecombe’s memory. She was a unique figure in our politics, a distinctive and devoted public servant, the likes of whom you will rarely, if ever, see again,” said the Home Secretary on Monday. The suspect was not previously known to Prevent, Britain’s counter-terrorism program. Soon after, Farage accepted Mahmood’s offer for a security meeting on X (formerly Twitter). The meeting will be co-hosted by the chair of Ravec (Royal and VIP Executive Committee), the Home Office’s independent body which handles security for officials.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Thank you for this offer [Shabana Mahmood]. I will meet with the Chair of Ravec and discuss the security of all Reform politicians, including those who are not MPs,” replied Farage on X.
🎯 IMPACT: The offer of a security meeting underscores the heightened concern for the safety of public figures following the murder of Widdecombe, especially Reform UK politicians. The offer of a security meeting to Farage specifically is likely to reinforce the growing suspicion among members of the public, especially supporters of Reform UK, that Widdecombe’s murder was politically motivated.
👀 FLASHBACK: Last week, an investigation was announced into the death of Ann Widdecombe. The 78-year-old former Conservative MP and government minister turned Brexit and Reform UK party figure was found dead at her home. The same day, it was confirmed that Widdecombe’s death was being treated as a murder by the police. In reaction to news of the legendary and devoutly Christian politician’s death, leftists celebrated online. This week, a suspect was arrested on terrorism charges.

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British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has extended a security meeting offer to Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage following revelations about the suspect in Ann Widdecombe's murder case.

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July 13, 2026
News
UK
War

Britain Finally Bans Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The British government has officially designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat, introducing new powers to prosecute individuals supporting the group and other foreign-linked operatives.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been designated a national security threat, with new laws making support for the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The measures also target two other groups, the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR) and the volunteer corps of Russia‘s GRU, to address espionage, sabotage, and foreign interference.
📺 DETAIL: Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the changes would ensure Britain is no longer “a playground for states who want to spread fear, division and violence,” adding that those carrying out hostile acts on behalf of foreign governments in Britain would face tougher prosecutions. If approved by Parliament, individuals convicted of sabotage, including arson, could face life imprisonment. The government said the IRGC has been linked to seven attacks targeting Jewish and Israeli-related sites in the United Kingdom, and MI5 has identified at least 20 potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots against people in Britain over the past year. Mahmood accused Iran and Russia of using proxies and criminal networks to carry out hostile activities on British soil and pledged to track down those working on their behalf. Notably, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the European Union have already designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization or equivalent security threat.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We will never let Britain be a playground for states who want to spread fear, division and violence on our streets.” – Sir Keir Starmer
🎯 IMPACT: If approved by Parliament, the legislation will make it easier to prosecute those linked to the IRGC and other foreign-linked operatives, removing the need to establish direct foreign power connections in every case.
📺 FLASHBACK: The IRGC has long been accused by Western nations of sponsoring terrorism and orchestrating crackdowns on dissent, both within Iran and abroad. The group has been on the U.S. terror list since 2019, and its belated designation by the British government comes after years of criticism for lagging behind its allies in addressing the threat.

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The British government has officially designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat, introducing new powers to prosecute individuals supporting the group and other foreign-linked operatives.

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July 13, 2026
Crime
News
UK

Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Rearrested on Terrorism Charges.

The investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe, a prominent Reform UK and former Conservative politician, has taken a significant turn, with the authorities now treating the case as terrorism-related.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The killing of Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister of State turned Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Reform UK immigration and justice spokeswoman, is now being investigated as a terrorist act following new evidence, according to Counter Terrorism Policing South East. A 28-year-old man, initially arrested on suspicion of murder, has been rearrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses. Notably, Devon and Cornwall Police initially said they had no evidence the killing had a political or terror motive.
📍 WHEN & WHERE: Miss Widdecombe, 78, was found dead last Thursday in her rural home in Haytor, a village in Devon, in southwest England. The suspect was arrested Saturday in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, over 200 miles from the scene of the crime.
📺 DETAIL: Police say they now have CCTV footage of the suspect getting into a car hours before Widdecombe’s murder. He is described as a white British man. Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP who later joined Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, now Reform UK, was a larger-than-life character in British politics, known for expressing socially conservative views rooted in her Christian faith in a forthright, uncompromising manner, and her appearances on popular reality television shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation,” said Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing.
🎯 IMPACT: The case underscores growing concerns about politically and ideologically motivated violence in the United Kingdom, particularly targeting figures on the political right. Significantly, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been subject to a sustained smear campaign in recent months for accepting a £5 million gift before he became a Member of Parliament, which he argues he needs to pay for private security, as the government refuses to cover it at the level of other senior politicians.

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The investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe, a prominent Reform UK and former Conservative politician, has taken a significant turn, with the authorities now treating the case as terrorism-related.

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July 10, 2026
Crime
News
UK

Leftist Activists Cheer Possible Murder of Christian Politician Ann Widdecombe.

The death and possible murder of legendary British conservative Ann Widdecombe prompted disturbing reactions from leftist figures and newspapers, prompting calls for criminal investigations.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Ann Widdecombe, a spokeswoman for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and former longtime Member of Parliament (MP) and government minister for the Conservatives, was found with serious injuries, with the police announcing a murder investigation and manhunt for a “white male” suspect, who is now in custody, on Friday. Leftist figures online reacted to news of her death by celebrating, often while the circumstances were still unclear, with some expressing violent sentiments.
📰 DETAIL: Ann Widdecombe was admired by most Britons for standing by her Christian beliefs in an honest, forthright manner, earning her a reputation as a “conviction politician” even among many of those who disagreed with her. However, some on the far left welcomed her possible murder. The far-left Socialist Worker newspaper ran an article, now deleted, headlined ‘Hurrah! Anne Widdecombe is strictly dead,’ in reference to an appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, in which she won many fans, branding her a “homophobic bigot.” Prominent LGBT activist Peter Tatchell, infamous for calling for the age of consent to be lowered to 14 and writing a letter to The Guardian in which he said he had multiple friends who “had sex with adults from the age of nine to 13” and found “great joy” in it, also branded Widdecombe a bigot. Social media user Tan ‘Supertanskiii’ Smith, with a following of well over 200,000, shared images of Widdecome on a fairground ride, jeering that it showed her “descent into hell.”
🎯 IMPACT: Some leftists went far beyond merely cheering or mocking Widdecombe’s death, welcoming it in graphically violent terms. User @XN2389 wrote that Widdecombe should “Rest in Torture,” while user “Heather Herbert” said she hoped the 78-year-old’s death was “extremely painful,” adding, “I hope she was handcuffed to the bed screaming in agony.” Given the violent circumstances surrounding Widdecombe’s death, this led Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, to call for “Heather” to be investigated.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Why should *I* be hypocritical, and pretend to feel differently today about a vicious class enemy who hurt so many?” – “Dr Louise Raw,” a “resident historian” for the BBC, expressing her disdain for Widdecombe following news of her death.

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The death and possible murder of legendary British conservative Ann Widdecombe prompted disturbing reactions from leftist figures and newspapers, prompting calls for criminal investigations.

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