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Tom Cotterill Defence Editor |
Andy Burnham will have a lot on his plate today as MPs return to Parliament.
Perhaps one of the first things on his agenda will be dealing with Labour’s controversial Troubles bill.
The Prime Minister is preparing to bring it back to Parliament within days as part of efforts to find answers for families whose relatives died during the conflict in Northern Ireland.
There are fears among members of the Armed Forces that the bill will reignite efforts to prosecute innocent soldiers for their actions in the Troubles decades ago.
In an unprecedented intervention, Brig Ed Butler, the new head of the Special Air Service Regimental Association, warned that such witch hunts would put the country at risk from Russia.
The former commanding officer of 22 SAS said recruitment into the special forces was suffering as a result of repeated legal action against its members.
Butler warned that some soldiers had been deciding not to apply for SAS selection because of “lawfare” and concerns about the persecution of soldiers after more recent operations.
Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, he said if the situation did not change, it had the potential to harm the Army’s most elite unit should it be called to fight in a major conflict with Russia.
He also accused the Government of “not having the backs” of personnel and warned that it was “seriously damaging morale” among serving troops.
“The very worst case scenario is you have a completely whittled-down special forces capability,” Butler warned.
“Because no one would be prepared to join it and do these high-risk, high-return operations if their back isn’t covered.”
This exclusive reporting is available only to subscribers.
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Charles Moore The Prime Minister is wrong to stand aside on a matter of life and death Continue reading ➤
James Kirkup There’s method in the madness of John Healey Continue reading ➤
Jake Wallis Simons Kemi’s finally showing the ruthlessness that the Tories need Continue reading ➤ |
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After emerging from the US rap scene, the sinister-looking face coverings are now ubiquitous in city centres across Britain. However, some councils are fighting back. Nottingham’s leaders, in an attempt to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour, are pressing ahead with a balaclava ban, signalling what many hope is a pushback against one of Broken Britain’s most menacing symbols. Continue reading ➤ |
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Screams filled the cabin as the Filojet ferry pitched into the air and then slammed back into the sea, writes Memphis Barker. “Tell the captain to turn back,” passengers pleaded with crew members. However, he ploughed on and, a few minutes later, two huge waves capsized the vessel, leaving at least eight people dead and rescuers searching for 20 more. Investigators are analysing video footage to ascertain whether the captain, who jumped into the sea “without organising anything”, and seven other crew members will face criminal charges. Continue reading ➤ |
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As a Northerner living in London, the North-South divide feels personal, writes Rosa Silverman. What does this invisible border really represent? To answer this question, I travelled 340 miles across the country, where I encountered stark prejudices, fierce pride and unexpected allegiances. However, where the boundary truly lies is far from simple.
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Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, OJ Simpson, Sarah Ferguson… Ruby Wax’s celebrity interviews have landed her in some difficult, even disturbing, positions. As she sets out on tour, she tells Helen Brown about the Wild West of 1990s showbiz, and her battles with depression and poor health. Continue reading ➤ |
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Earlier this summer, Telegraph Travel writers were dispatched to the country’s seaside towns to discover which are still worth visiting, and which to avoid. Their favourites ranged from a quintessentially English resort in Dorset to “a treasure chest of delights” north of the border. All are perfect for an end-of-summer September stroll.
Do you agree or disagree with our writers? Let us know in the comments section.
Continue reading ➤
If you’re craving a change of scenery this morning, here is something you might find useful:
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This piece is part of our new weekly series, bringing you expert health advice from professionals.
While it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact causes of cancer, most of us know the basics when it comes to reducing our risk: eat plenty of fruit and veg, exercise and wear suncream. Research suggests there are other, more surprising, habits that can help reduce our risk.
One way is to keep moving every 30 minutes. In a recent study of more than 90,000 Britons, each additional hour spent sitting was associated with a 9 per cent higher risk of dying from cancer. Fortunately, replacing just one hour of sedentary time each day with light physical activity was associated with a 12 per cent lower risk of cancer death.
I encourage my patients to walk a lap of the office, climb a few flights of stairs or simply make a cup of tea. Those small bursts of movement soon add up. I also recommend eating a fermented food daily, such as live yogurt and kefir, flossing and heading outside first thing.
Making small, sustainable changes over time can collectively make a meaningful difference.
For subscribers only ➤ |
What was that warble?Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes:
From time to time I’ll come across a story about “bird whisperers”, latter-day St Francises blessed with the ability to communicate across the human-avian divide. What about birds that have become fluent in human, though? That was the question posed in a recent letter from John Naylor, in East Sussex: “Living near the coast, we find that our peaceful early mornings are often punctuated by the songs of gulls, pigeons or crows. Sometimes one can hear phrases. Yesterday, for example, the dominant call was: ‘Choose your own lipstick’.”
This is not, it transpires, an especially unusual occurrence. We’ve received a flurry of responses. Barbara Sanderson, for instance, reported: “The woodpigeons in our garden say: ‘Yep, love you I do; yep, love you I do; yep, love you I do.’ The collared doves, meanwhile, say: ‘I love you; I love you; I love you’.”
Pigeons appear to be particularly talkative. “The ones in our garden”, wrote Heather Thomson, “shout out: ‘You must be joking’.” Derek Wellman added: “Ours seem to be under the impression that our house is up for sale at an inflated price. They endlessly repeat: ‘Reduce it, stupid’.”
Mo Nessbach, meanwhile, explained: “Until recently a local cockerel would call: ‘In the morning.’ Once heard, it couldn’t be unheard. It made me chuckle on my early dog walk, but I doubt its near neighbours found it so amusing.”
Finally, Peter Goodwin appealed: “There is a bird close by us, as yet unseen, that cries what sounds to me to be: ‘I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!’ I would love to know its identity.” What are the birds in your garden trying to tell you? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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1939 | The Second World War begins when Germany invades Poland (you can see how we covered this below)
1969 | Col Muammar Gaddafi leads a bloodless coup in Libya
1974 | The SR-71 Blackbird sets the record for the shortest flight between New York and London, taking one hour, 54 minutes, and 56.4 seconds
2021 | Cristiano Ronaldo breaks the record for goals scored in men’s international football
Birthdays: Zendaya (30), Carlos Sainz (32), Sir Barry Gibb (80)
Plus, a council has told a grandmother to remove a street garden she has lovingly tended to for 25 years after her neighbours complained that it was attracting what?
1. Rats
2. Swathes of tourists
3. Wasps
4. Anti-social behaviour
Click on one of the above options to reveal the answer |
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was LONGEVITY. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk. |
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