Scottish Conservative leadership candidate Russell Findlay admitted to making a “bad call” when he endorsed Liz Truss for Prime Minister, following her short-lived tenure and disastrous mini-budget. Findlay, a former crime journalist, acknowledged his mistake in supporting Truss, citing the importance of fiscal responsibility for Conservatives. Despite this misstep, Findlay remains in contention for the Scottish Tory leadership, along with Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher.
In other political news, UK ministers have ruled out joining a youth mobility scheme with the EU, despite reports suggesting some flexibility in negotiations. The government spokesperson clarified that there are no plans to consider such an arrangement, emphasizing clear red lines in negotiations with the EU. Meanwhile, the SNP has seen a 12% drop in membership in less than a year, with income from membership fees also decreasing. The party attributes this decline to cost-of-living pressures, offering members options for reduced fees to maintain membership numbers.
In immigration news, the number of people resettled in the UK under legal routes has increased, particularly for Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban regime. However, Afghans also accounted for a significant portion of irregular arrivals in the UK, with 5,370 individuals arriving by small boats in the 12 months to June. Despite government efforts to resettle Afghan refugees, the issue of irregular arrivals and asylum processing backlog remains a challenge.
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