Free Republic

The British Conservative Party is facing an “extinction event” with a comprehensive poll predicting a defeat on the scale of the loss to Tony Blair’s Labour in 1997 on the backs of growing anger over failures to control migration and the rise of the Nigel Farage-founded Reform UK. A YouGov survey of 14,000 people released in The Telegraph newspaper on Sunday found that the Conservatives will win just 169 seats in the House of Commons, a decline of 196 from the last general election in 2019. This would outpace the seismic defeat of the party in 1997 when Sir John...

FOUR Police officers were injured when they were attacked by a stick-wielding crowd as a protest descended into mayhem. Shocking footage showed police struggling to contain dozens of protesters outside a theatre in Camberwell, South London. Clips circulated on social media show how cops were forced to defend themselves as protesters were seen hitting police cars with sticks. Others armed with batons rushed along the road towards officers. Amid the chaos, the group can be seen launching missiles and throwing plastic barriers at police. Four officers were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital and has now been discharged....

An object uncovered by archaeologists in Norfolk, England, is “completely unlike” anything else ever discovered, experts said Monday. The tiny 19.4 mm (o.7 inch) object is a gilded silver relic, adorned with intricate designs appearing to show an animal looking over its shoulder, according to The Telegraph. The piece is believed to be at least 1,200 years old and archaeologists reportedly can’t determine the purpose of the mysterious object. Detectorists found the piece in a crumpled condition, but it appears to be a round object with shallow sides, making it somewhat dish-shaped. “It was made by someone with a real...

A boy and a girl were found guilty Wednesday of murdering a transgender teenager in northwest England earlier this year, in a frenzied knife attack that was described as “horrific” by police. Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in broad daylight after being lured to a park in the town of Warrington on Feb. 11. The convicted pair, who are identified only as girl X and boy Y, are 16 now but were 15 at the time. They denied killing Ghey, and each blamed the other for the...

CASES of a "super flu" that leaves sufferers with "brains like porridge" are soaring, officials data suggests. In England, suspected cases of the bug climbed to 1,178 in the week ending December 10, more than triple the 370 confirmed a fortnight ago. Flu cases began rising significantly in October but still appear lower than last year, according to suspected cases from the notification of infectious diseases data (NOID) report. Around 402 patients were in hospital with flu last week, up two-thirds on the 243 the previous week and more than double the 153 a fortnight ago, NHS data shows. People...

The .22 Long Rifle cartridge is the most popular cartridge in existence. Every year, billions of .22 LR cartridges are purchased and shot. It is popular for both target shooting and hunting, and is used by many for self defense. It has been used by the military establishments of most countries, mostly as a training round, but also in combat. The .22 LR has been used to kill most animals from the smallest, including some insects, on up to elephants.The .22 Long Rifle is derived from the .22 Short cartridge, both are rimfire cartridges which use a heeled bullet which...

The Black Death’s reign of terror lasted for more than 400 years. By culling up to 50% of the population of Europe, the Great Plague guaranteed its place in the history books. Yet while accounts of the Black Death have focused graphically on those who died, the stories of those who survived have gone untold. Until now. The Riddle of the Plague Survivors focuses on those who walked away unaffected. Could this village be the first example of quarantining to avoid disease? How could anyone survive in the face of what is described as one of the most pathogenic bacterial...

A Government review has revealed that abortion complication rates are likely much higher than has been previously reported in the annual abortion statistics Released earlier this week, the review compared two different means of analysing complications following an abortion. Over a five year period from 2017-2021, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) compared the complication rate derived from the annual abortion statistics which uses the Abortion Notification System (ANS) based on data provided by abortion providers, with the abortion complication rate from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) over the same time period. Over a five year period from 2017-2021,...

A judge locked up a TikTok prankster who developed a reputation for posting rude, harassing and even dangerous videos to the social media platform and then refusing to take any responsibility or criticism from the blowback the videos created. The prankster punk who posted under the name “Mizzy” became a pariah in England for his insensitive videos, according to the UK Independent. In one series of videos, for instance, he was seen walking into random homes and parading around inside as shocked and frightened homeowners stood by wondering who he was and why he had invaded their homes. Another video...

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice. Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government. Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money. Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my...

The Church of England has decided to proceed with trial blessing services for same-sex couples. This decision, made during the General Synod, marks a significant shift in the denomination's stance on same-sex relationships. The Bishop of Oxford proposed the amendment for these trial services, which narrowly passed in the House of Laity by one vote, the U.K.-based group The Christian Institute noted, adding that the House of Bishops supported the motion 23 to 10, with four abstentions. The House of Clergy also voted in favor, 100 to 93, with one abstention. The House of Laity also voted in favor, but...

There has never been a First Amendment in Great Britain, although for a couple hundred years the Common Law was understood to give broad latitude in allowing the expression of opinion. Not so much anymore. Several “Public Order” laws passed since 1986 have increasingly restricted speech to the point now a person can be arrested for offending others, particularly those in protected classes. This has resulted in some shocking cases, such as the arrest of an autistic girl for blurting that a female police officer “looked like her nan,” who is a lesbian. She was separated from her parents after...

In a heartbreaking loss today, a UK appeals court has ruled that a hospital can remove a newborn baby girl’s life support without her parents’ consent. As LifeNews has reported, a Vatican hospital has stepped up and agreed to provide care for 8-month-old baby Indi Gregory, where a British court ruled her life support could be revoked even though her parents are fighting for her life. But that was not enough for the parents of this little girl to get a British appellate court to rule in their favor. Indi suffers from a rare degenerative mitochondrial disease and has been...

VIDEOWhat ever happened to the stoic British attitude of "keep calm and carry on?" It appears to have disappeared in the 21st century as evidenced by this English policewoman who waaaay overreacted to a situation that seemed mild compared to what goes on in many American cities. The policewoman hit the button on her pepper spray can more furiously than I have ever seen. Her head jerks and unprofessional childish screeching added to the comic effect of a complete meltdown. Due to DEI also being a thing in Britain, don't be surprised to see her promoted to Police Chief of...

@PaulBrandITV EXCL: Latest reports that PM will drop conversion therapy ban follow intense lobbying by @miriam_cates who wrote to Tory MPs: “This Bill will anger our base, split the party and effectively put a Stonewall (gay rights group) charter into law. We have a matter of days to persuade No 10 to pull it.” MPs opposed will meet on Monday and are trying to see PM face to face to make their concerns heard. Conservative Party is deeply divided over the matter of banning conversion therapy. No10 simply say wait for Kings Speech.

A Christian preacher who held a sign with a Bible verse on it inside an abortion clinic "buffer zone" could be sent to prison. Stephen Green, 72, from south Wales, is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which said he is being prosecuted after holding the sign within a buffer zone outside a clinic in Ealing, west London, run by MSI Reproductive Choices, formerly Marie Stopes International. The clinic was one of the first in the country to be granted a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) by the local council forbidding prayer, protesting and "engaging in an act...

The Office for National Statistics recently published an update on deaths by vaccination status in England and it has shockingly revealed that the vaccinated population accounted for 95% of COVID-19 deaths in the 12 months between 1st June 2022 and 31st May 2023, and 94% of those deaths were among either the triple or quadruple vaccinated population. The dataset was published recently by the UK Government department known as the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and it can be found on the ONS website here, or downloaded here. The dataset includes deaths by vaccination status between 1st April 2021 and...

Half of the England ladies' angling team have quit in protest after a trans woman was selected to join the squad for a major competition, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Three members of the six-strong squad stepped down after Becky Lee Birtwhistle Hodges, who was born male, was named for next month's physically challenging Home Nations shore fishing championship. There has been opposition to former rugby player Birtwhistle Hodges competing with England since 2018, when she was first selected, with suggestions that other nations snub the team over claims that her strength advantage is unfair.

Drew Joyce, 31, of Bridgend, pocketed £30,000 from his victims, one of which described employing him as "one of the biggest mistakes in my life"A rogue builder carried out shoddy work after pocketing more than £30,000 in cash from his victims who described employing him as "One of the biggest mistakes in my life". When he was questioned about his work by the victims, he claimed he had underpriced the jobs and walked, leaving one of the houses uninhabitable. Drew Joyce, 31, of Bridgend, initially provided attractive quotes to his victims Sian Frowen and Grannia Doherty who paid him to...

A family home was lit on fire after their 'electric car' reportedly exploded while sitting in their driveway. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service rushed to a family home in Bromborough, Wirral at around 10pm on Saturday night after receiving reports that a car was on fire. The blaze was put out in just ten minutes. The Liverpool Echo reported that the façade of the two-storey family home was blackened by the fire and that the garage was also previously on fire as well. One man told the Echo that after speaking to the owners of the car this morning they...