GET THE APP
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
2 hours ago
Media
News

Top Tony Blair Advisor Walks Back Lies About Charlie Kirk.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s former communications director, Alastair Campbell, apologized for falsely claiming Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk supported stoning homosexuals to death.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Alastair Campbell, Charlie Kirk, Andrew Doyle, and Stephen King.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The controversy unfolded following Kirk’s assassination, with comments and retractions made on social media and podcasts.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Apologies for this. I had seen a clip on social media which did not have the full context, and had seen others making the same claim.” – Alastair Campbell

🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights the need for caution when sharing social media content.

IN FULL

Alastair Campbell, the infamous former communications director to Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, best known for his role in paving the way for the Iraq War, has issued a public apology after making false claims about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Speaking on the podcast The Rest Is Politics, which he co-hosts with former Conservative Party government minister Rory Stewart, Campbell alleged that Kirk had advocated for the stoning of homosexuals.

Campbell said on the podcast, “The guy’s died and it’s tragi … but it’s important we don’t lose sight of some of the views he expressed because they were horrific. I remember one clip I saw of him saying that, a literal reading of the Bible, gay people should be stoned to death.” This false statement triggered swift backlash, with political satirist Andrew Doyle, sharing a clip of the exchange that refuted Campbell’s claim.

“No… Charlie Kirk categorically did NOT support the stoning to death of gay people. Will you retract this reckless and ignorant smear?” Doyle wrote on X.

The video Campbell referenced was later shown to be part of a broader discussion on selective biblical interpretation, not a call to violence. Campbell later apologized publicly on X, saying, “Apologies for this. I had seen a clip on social media which did not have the full context, and had seen others making the same claim. The full exchange shows it was a debate about Biblical interpretation, not a call for the stoning of gay people.”

Other public figures, including author Stephen King, also spread the inaccurate claim and subsequently retracted it.

Campbell’s co-host, Rory Stewart, a former Conservative Party leadership contender, has previously faced media attention for all but guaranteeing that Kamala Harris would win the U.S. presidency, and for clashing with Vice President J.D. Vance over the Christian teaching on the hierarchy of love.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the problem with Rory and people like him is that he has an IQ of 110 and thinks he has an IQ of 130,” Vance said.

Image by University of Salford.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
13 hours ago
Economy
World

Europe Must Stop Buying Russian Oil Before More U.S. Sanctions: Trump.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump urged NATO allies in Europe to halt their purchases of Russian oil, suggesting he would only move to implement tougher sanctions against Russia if they do so.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, NATO allies, and European nations such as Hungary, France, Belgium, and Spain.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Comments made by Trump on Sunday evening.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Europe… they’re my friends, but they’re buying oil from Russia, so we can’t be expected to be the only ones that are, you know, full bore.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s remarks highlight ongoing frustrations with NATO allies over their continued reliance on Russian oil amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump is urging NATO allies in Europe to stop purchasing Russian oil as he considers new sanctions against Russia. Speaking to reporters on Sunday evening, Trump criticized European nations for continuing to import Russian oil while the United States takes a stronger stance.

“Europe… they’re my friends, but they’re buying oil from Russia, so we can’t be expected to be the only ones that are, you know, full bore,” Trump said. “Europe is buying oil from Russia. I don’t want them to buy oil,” he said, stressing that European sanctions on Russia “are not tough enough.” The President previously emphasized in a Saturday post on Truth Social that he will impose “major Sanctions on Russia” once the other NATO allies lay out their own sanction plans and end Russian oil purchases.

According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, Europe imported 21.9 billion euros’ worth of Russian oil in 2024. While the European Union (EU) has reduced its dependency on Russian energy since the invasion of Ukraine, it has not completely ceased imports. Countries such as Hungary, France, Belgium, and Spain remain significant importers, with Hungary, due to its geography and existing pipeline infrastructure, being unable to decouple from Russia easily.

Trump also noted his willingness to impose new sanctions, stating, “I’m willing to do sanctions, but they’re going to have to toughen up their sanctions commensurate with what I’m doing.” In a letter to NATO, Trump emphasized that major sanctions would only be implemented when all NATO nations agree to stop buying Russian oil.

Additionally, Trump called for NATO to impose “50 percent to 100 percent” secondary tariffs on China, which he suggested could be reversed once the conflict between Russia and Ukraine concludes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is backing the tariff push, telling reporters last week, “I think the idea to put tariffs on countries who continue to make deals with Russia is a right idea.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
Footer Ad
Footer Ad
14 hours ago
Health
NatSec

Buy American: FDA Issues Nationwide Recall After Radioactive Contamination Detected in Food Imports.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained several international food shipping containers containing cesium-137 contamination.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: CBP officers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati of Indonesia.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The discoveries occurred at major U.S. ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Houston, Savannah, Norfolk, Elizabeth, and Miami.

💬KEY QUOTE: “CBP and our partners are on the front lines ensuring that our imported food and other supplies are safe for American consumers,” said CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino.

🎯IMPACT: Contaminated food products were prevented from entering the U.S. The FDA issued a safety alert for certain frozen shrimp products.

IN FULL

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently identified and seized several international food shipping containers containing cesium-137 contamination at major U.S. ports. Using advanced nonintrusive inspection equipment and radiation detection systems, CBP officers detected the radioactive material and prevented it from entering the country.

“CBP and our partners are on the front lines ensuring that our imported food and other supplies are safe for American consumers,” said CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino. CBP collaborated with its Laboratories and Scientific Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) partners to address the contamination issue.

Cesium-137 (Cs-137) is a man-made radioisotope and by-product of nuclear fission used in industrial, medical, and research applications. While trace amounts of Cs-137 can naturally occur in the environment, the levels detected in these containers prompted the FDA to issue a food safety alert for certain frozen shrimp products imported from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati of Indonesia. The FDA warned that repeated low-dose exposure to Cs-137 could increase the risk of cancer over time.

The contamination is believed to have resulted from an accident outside the control of PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, according to Indonesian authorities. The FDA has placed the company on Import Alert 99-51 for chemical contamination, ensuring no further adulterated shrimp products enter the U.S. until the issue is resolved. The contaminated products were found at ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Miami, among others.

Image by Michael Kappel.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
14 hours ago
News
UK

U.S., UK to Forge Nuclear Power Deals During Trump State Visit.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is set to sign major nuclear energy agreements with the United Kingdom during his state visit, including building new nuclear plants to power artificial intelligence (AI) and reduce reliance on Russian nuclear material.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and corporate partners including X-energy, Centrica, Holtec, EDF, and Tritax.

📍WHEN & WHERE: During President Trump’s upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom, including meetings at Windsor Castle and Chequers.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Today’s commercial deals set up a framework to unleash commercial access in both the U.S. and UK, enhancing global energy security, strengthening U.S. energy dominance, and securing nuclear supply chains across the Atlantic.” – Chris Wright.

🎯IMPACT: The agreements aim to enhance global energy security, strengthen the U.S. energy sector, and secure nuclear supply chains while fostering economic growth and job creation in both nations.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump will sign a series of nuclear energy agreements with the United Kingdom during his state visit this week, aimed at strengthening transatlantic energy ties and reducing reliance on Russian nuclear fuel. The agreements, which include plans to build new nuclear reactors and power data infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) systems, will be finalized during Trump’s meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Under the terms of the deals, American company X-energy will partner with Centrica to build 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool. In a separate agreement, Holtec will join forces with EDF and Tritax to develop small nuclear-powered data centers in Nottinghamshire. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called the partnerships a major milestone, stating, “Today’s commercial deals set up a framework to unleash commercial access in both the U.S. and UK, enhancing global energy security, strengthening U.S. energy dominance, and securing nuclear supply chains across the Atlantic.”

A senior U.S. official emphasized that eliminating dependency on Russian nuclear fuel by 2028 is a top priority, warning that continued reliance could create long-term vulnerabilities. Britain has already banned Russian natural gas imports but continues to use some Russian-supplied nuclear fuel. Prime Minister Starmer described the deals as part of a “golden age of nuclear” that would create thousands of jobs and lower long-term energy costs.

Trump’s state visit, hosted by King Charles III, is his second official state visit to the United Kingdom, an exceedingly rare diplomatic honor. Events will include a state banquet at Windsor Castle and a wreath-laying ceremony at St. George’s Chapel. The visit underscores the enduring relationship between the two countries and comes as the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary of independence.

Trump and Starmer are scheduled to meet at the Chequers estate on Thursday to discuss broader economic cooperation and global security issues, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Vice President J.D. Vance has also played a prominent role in the British-American relationship, pressuring the British government to drop proposed surveillance powers that would have compromised the data privacy of U.S. citizens. Vance has also directly criticized British free speech restrictions to Prime Minister Starmer, signaling that civil liberties remain a sticking point between the allies even as economic and energy ties deepen.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
15 hours ago
William Upton
NatSec
Politics

Trump: I Will Designate Antifa a Terror Org ‘If I Have Support’ From Bondi, Cabinet.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signalled he is inclined to declare Antifa a domestic terrorist group in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, but only if the move is supported by his Attorney General Pam Bondi and his Cabinet.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump’s Cabinet, and Antifa.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Monday, September 15, 2025, in the Oval Office.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If I have support from the people back here, I think we could start with Pam [Bondi], I think, but if you give me, I would do that 100 percent, and others also.” — President Trump

🎯IMPACT: Trump said designating Antifa as a terror organization is “something he would do,” and then later, when asked about the violent actions of “transtifa,” insinuated it could be grounds to ban the Transgender Pride flag.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump signalled he is inclined to declare the violent Antifa organization a domestic terrorist group in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, but only if the move is supported by his Attorney General Pam Bondi and his Cabinet. Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, Trump later suggested the violent actions of so-called “transtifa” actvists could be grounds to ban the Transgender Pride flag.

“It’s something I would do, yeah,” President Trump said when asked about applying a domestic terrorism designation to Antifa, adding in reference to Cabinet members accompanying him: “If I have support from the people back here, I think we could start with [Attorney Genera] Pam [Bondi], I think, but if you give me, I would do that 100 percent, and others also.”

“Antifa is terrible. There are other groups; we have some pretty radical groups, and they got away with murder. And also, I’ve been speaking to the Attorney General about bringing RICO against some of the people you’ve been reading about that have been putting up millions and millions of dollars for agitation,” Trump added. “These aren’t protests, these are crimes, what they’re doing. They’re throwing bricks at cars of ICE and Border Patrol.”

Later, President Trump was asked if labeling Antifa and their cohorts, including “Transtifa,” as domestic terror organizations would allow for the taking down of the Transgender Pride flag. Trump responded, “I think you could. Again, you’ll probably be sued. It’s OK. I’ve been sued before—a couple of times, I’m sure you’ve seen it.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
15 hours ago
World

Pro-Hamas Agitators Ruin Cycling Race.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Pro-Hamas agitators disrupted the final stage of the Tour of Spain cycling race, throwing barriers onto the road and clashing with police, leading organizers to abandon the race with 50 kilometers (~31 miles) remaining.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Protesters opposing the participation of the Israeli team, Israel Premier Tech, law enforcement, race organizers, and cyclists.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, during the final stage of the Tour of Spain in Madrid, Spain.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s a pity that such a moment of eternity was taken from us. Everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that influences or endangers our race.” – Race winner Jonas Vingegaard

🎯IMPACT: The race was halted, the customary podium ceremony was canceled, and tensions rose as the event became a diplomatic flashpoint involving Spain’s government and Israeli officials.

IN FULL

A group of pro-Hamas protesters threw barriers onto a roadway and attacked police, causing chaos and disrupting the final leg of the Tour of Spain, or Vuelta, bicycle race in Madrid on Sunday. The chaos led organizers to abandon the race with about 50 kilometers (~31 miles) left, as protesters opposing the participation of the Israeli team, Israel Premier Tech, broke through police barriers and blocked the course.

Authorities announced that two people were arrested and 22 were injured during confrontations near the finish line. An estimated 100,000 people were on the streets during the protests, according to the central government’s representative for the Madrid region.

“We regret the events that took place during the final stage of La Vuelta 25,” Spanish Vuelta organizers said in a statement, adding: “Despite all the efforts made by the organization, we were unable to conclude the stage as planned due to the unfortunate incidents that occurred in Madrid.”

Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard, who was leading the overall classification going into the final stage, was declared the winner of the Vuelta, but the customary podium ceremony was canceled. “It’s a pity that such a moment of eternity was taken from us,” Vingegaard remarked. “Everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that influences or endangers our race.” Teams later organized a private podium ceremony to allow riders to celebrate.

The race became a diplomatic battleground, with pro-Hamas protesters interrupting several stages and demanding Israel Premier Tech’s expulsion. Spain‘s left-wing government expressed sympathy with the protests, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a socialist, for encouraging the demonstrators.

Madrid’s right-leaning mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, called Sunday’s events a sad day for the city.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
Footer Ad
Footer Ad
16 hours ago
News
TECH

Trump Admin Indicates ‘Framework’ of TikTok Deal Has Been Reached.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump suggested that a deal has been reached with China to keep TikTok operational in the United States.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Discussions occurred during a trade meeting in Europe on September 15, with follow-up talks planned for Friday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The big Trade Meeting in Europe between The United States of America, and China, has gone VERY WELL!” – President Trump

🎯IMPACT: A deal could save TikTok from a U.S. ban, while addressing national security concerns and trade disputes with China.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump announced on September 15 that an agreement to keep TikTok accessible to users in the United States has been reached with China. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the recent U.S.-China trade discussions in Europe had gone “very well” and would soon conclude. “A deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save,” he wrote. “They will be very happy!”

The statement follows a meeting in Spain between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese officials to discuss the future of TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. According to Bessent, a framework for a deal has been established, with additional negotiations set for Friday between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said his relationship with Xi “remains a very strong one.”

Bessent later clarified that President Trump’s threat to shut down TikTok had convinced the Chinese to back away from demands to lower tariffs as part of a deal to sell TikTok in the United States. While not clarifying the details, he added that the terms would protect Americans’ national security interests.

TikTok’s future in the U.S. has been uncertain since Congress passed a law in 2024 requiring ByteDance to divest from the app or face a nationwide ban. The law cited national security concerns, alleging the platform could allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to access American user data. Trump has delayed enforcement several times, with the latest deadline for compliance set for September 17.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld the divestment law, ruling in favor of the government in a unanimous decision. The ruling cleared the way for the government to enforce a ban unless ByteDance sold its stake to a U.S.-approved buyer.

Complicating the issue, multiple reports have accused TikTok of continuing to transmit Western user data to servers in China. In May, European regulators fined TikTok €530 million (~$624.4 million) for violations related to data privacy, including secretly transferring EU user data overseas. Irish data authorities warned that unless the company implemented changes within six months, it could face a suspension of its operations in the European Union (EU).

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
Mamdani
16 hours ago
News
Politics

Hochul Backs Extreme-Left Muslim Migrant Mamdani for NYC Mayor.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Governor Kathy Hochul (D) endorsed Zohran Mamdani (D) for New York City mayor.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kathy Hochul, Zohran Mamdani, Mayor Eric Adams, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: September 2025, New York City.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This endorsement is proof that New York Democrats are drifting further into extremism.” – New York GOP Chair Ed Cox

🎯IMPACT: Hochul’s support for Mamdani, an avowed socialist and member of Shia Islam’s radical Twelver sect, ties establishment Democrats more closely to extreme left radicals, undermining the party statewide and potentially nationally.

IN FULL

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has thrown her support behind far-left Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral race, tying herself to his extreme policy platform. Mamdani, a Ugandan immigrant and avowed socialist who recently secured an upset victory in the Democratic primary, is popular among the party’s left-progressive base but polarizing among the population at large.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are also facing calls to publicly support Mamdani. However, his candidacy represents a sharp departure from the city’s current leadership, with the socialist supporting radical policies including defunding the police, abolishing prisons, abolishing private property, and increasing taxes in “whiter neighborhoods.”

Mamdani also subscribes to extreme religious views, being an adherent of Shia Islam’s Twelver sect—which believes a 1,200-year-old prophet, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is living in hiding, biding his time before restoring the true Islam and leading its followers into a final war before the Day of Judgment.

“[Hochul’s] endorsement is proof that New York Democrats are drifting further into extremism,” said New York GOP Chair Ed Cox.

“[I]t was only a matter of time before the Worst Governor in America [Kathy Hochul] would bend the knee to the Communist Antisemite Zohran Mamdani,” concurred Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), adding: “At the exact moment when New Yorkers are looking for strong leadership from their Governor with a majority opposing Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul embraces this raging Communist who will destroy New York making it less affordable and more dangerous – once again putting criminals and communists first, and New Yorkers LAST.”

The mayoral race has taken a dramatic turn, with reports that President Donald J. Trump attempted to persuade incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a former Democrat now running as an independent, to drop out in favor of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, as polls suggest Cuomo could see off Mamdani in a head-to-head race. However, Adams has rejected the idea and remains committed to his likely doomed campaign.

Many of Mamdani’s far-left past statements are now being resurfaced. For instance, in a 2021 interview, he said one of his proudest accomplishments was a fund he helped create, directing money towards illegal immigrant workers, boasting that this was made possible “because of the pressure brought by [illegals] that the state doesn’t even recognize.”

Additionally, after a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer was killed in the line of duty recently, past social media posts re-emerged in which Mamdani referred to the police as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety,” advocating for defunding and so-called “decarceration”—that is, the release of incarcerated criminals.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
17 hours ago
William Upton
Media
News

WaPo Fires Columnist for Bluesky Posts About Charlie Kirk.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Washington Post has fired its founding Global Opinion editor and columnist, Karen Attiah, over a string of vile posts on far-left social media app Bluesky, following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk last week.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Washington Post and Karen Attiah.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Attiah announced she had been fired on Monday, September 15, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: Attiah said that “part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.”

🎯IMPACT: The firing is one of the more politically high-profile following Kirk’s assassination last week. A large number of leftists working in education, healthcare, state and local government, the U.S. military, and elsewhere have been fired for grotesque expressions of approval after Kirk’s murder.

IN FULL

The Washington Post has fired its founding Global Opinion editor and columnist, Karen Attiah, over a string of vile posts on the far-left social media app, Bluesky, following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk last week. Attiah, who has been a routine source of controversy for the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper, wrote, among other posts, that “part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.”

She also attempted to justify her lack of empathy after Kirk‘s death by calling denouncements of violence just “empty rhetoric” and arguing Republicans instigate political violence. The now-former Washington Post columnist went on to write in a reply to another user that, “refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is… not the same as violence.”

“Last week, the Washington Post fired me. The reason? Speaking out against political violence, racial double standards, and America’s apathy toward guns,” Attiah wrote on Monday on her Substack blog. “As a columnist, I used my voice to defend freedom and democracy, challenge power and reflect on culture and politics with honesty and conviction. Now, I am the one being silenced—for doing my job.”

Attiah went on to defend her social media posts, writing: “[T]he Post accused my measured Bluesky posts of being ‘unacceptable’, ‘gross misconduct’ and of endangering the physical safety of colleagues—charges without evidence, which I reject completely as false.”

This isn’t the first time that Attiah has stoked controversy for anti-Republican and anti-white opinions. The National Pulse reported in July 2024 that Attiah, an alumnus of Northwestern University, resigned as the co-chair of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention over its decision to invite President Donald J. Trump to speak. “I am so angry right now. N.A.B.J., this was a colossal mistake,” she said of the decision.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
18 hours ago
Health
UK

Top Drug Firms Pause UK Investment Over NHS Mismanagement.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United Kingdom faces a potential loss in pharmaceutical investment as the socialized National Health Service (NHS) reduces spending on drugs while squandering funds on waste and

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co. Inc., Oxford professor Sir John Bell, and various pharmaceutical CEOs.

📍WHEN & WHERE:

💬KEY QUOTE: “They’re not going to do any more investing in the UK.” – Sir John Bell

🎯IMPACT: Potential relocation of pharmaceutical operations and economic implications for the UK.

IN FULL

The United Kingdom is at risk of losing critical pharmaceutical investment due to the socialized National Health Service (NHS) reducing spending on drugs, accompanied by widespread mismanagement and wasteful resource allocation. The warning follows U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co. Inc., known as MSD in Britain, scrapping its planned £1 billion (~$1.36 billion) London research center and sparking concerns about the future of the country’s life sciences sector.

Oxford professor Sir John Bell, a noted figure in Britain’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, told the British media that NHS spending on pharmaceuticals has plummeted from 15 percent of its healthcare budget a decade ago to just nine percent today. “The rest of the world, the OECD, are sitting between 14 percent and 20 percent,” Bell said, referring to the intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, comprised of 38 relatively high-income countries, including the U.S. Bell revealed that after speaking with several pharmaceutical company CEOs, “they’re all in the same space. And that is: they’re not going to do any more investing in the UK.”

Merck’s withdrawal, which will result in the loss of 125 science jobs, was attributed to Britain’s lack of progress in life sciences investment and “overall undervaluation of innovative medicines and vaccines by successive UK governments.” In addition to Merck, AstraZeneca has paused its plans to invest 200 million pounds (~$271.2 million) into a British research facility in Cambridge, having already abandoned a project earmarked for Liverpool in January.

Notably, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care waste vast sums of money yearly, much greater than the loss of investment from Merck and AstraZeneca. For instance, an “extraordinary” £15 billion was wasted on unused and unusable COVID supplies, including personal protective equipment and vaccines, and an estimated £10 billion (~$16.6 billion) was wasted on a new IT system that was so badly botched it had to be abandoned. Such high-profile failures come on top of endemic waste year-on-year, estimated at around £10 billion, much of it squandered on recruitment agencies, consultants, and inflated contracts.

Millions of pounds a year are also spent on internal staff organizations engaged in woke activism, such as promoting International Pronouns Day, so-called “Pride crafting,” and an event focused on “Embracing your Afro/Curly hair.”

Image by Maggie Jones.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
Footer Ad
Footer Ad