Brian Wheeler

London

Senior Broadcast Journalist at BBC

BBC News website journalist. Views my own.

Articles

What's likely to be in Labour's immigration crackdown?

5 days ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

What's likely to be in Labour's immigration crackdown? Brian WheelerGetty ImagesHome Secretary Yvette Cooper is preparing to unveil fresh plans to reduce UK net migration, which last year stood at 728,000. Successive governments have battled largely in vain to reduce net migration, which is the number of people coming to the UK minus the number leaving. In June 2023, the figures hit a record 906,000.
Reform considers legal challenges against asylum hotels

1 week ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Reform considers legal challenges against asylum hotelsBBCReform UK could take the government to court to prevent migrants being housed in areas where it now controls the local council, party chairman Zia Yusuf told the BBC. Yusuf said his party had pledged to "resist" housing asylum seekers in Reform-controlled areas and it would use "every instrument of power available", including judicial reviews, to fulfil its pledge.
Labour defends net-zero policies after Blair criticism

2 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Labour defends net-zero policies after Blair criticismBrian WheelerGetty ImagesThe government has defended its net-zero policies after Sir Tony Blair said limiting fossil fuels was "doomed to fail" and a new approach was needed. The former Labour prime minister argued the debate on climate change had become "irrational" and people in rich countries no longer wanted to make financial sacrifices "when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal".
Tony Blair says current net-zero push 'doomed to fail'

2 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Blair says current net-zero policies 'doomed to fail'PA MediaBrian WheelerSir Tony Blair has called for a major rethink of net-zero policies, arguing that limiting energy consumption and fossil fuel production is "doomed to fail". In a new report, the former Labour prime minister says voters "feel they're being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know the impact on global emissions is minimal".
Badenoch denies rift with Jenrick over Reform comments

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Brian Wheeler

Kemi Badenoch has rejected claims of a rift with shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick over whether the party should form a pact with Reform UK. The Conservative leader has always ruled out an electoral pact with Reform UK, arguing that Nigel Farage's party is seeking to destroy the Tories. In a leaked recording obtained by Sky News, Jenrick said he wanted the "fight" against Labour at the next general election to be "united" and he was "determined" to "bring this coalition together".
Kemi Badenoch denies rift with Robert Jenrick over Reform comments

3 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

"Kemi Badenoch has made perfectly clear there will be absolutely no electoral pact with Reform. "If you actually read the shadow justice secretary's words, he is saying he is working to defeat Reform. The coalition he's talking about is of centre-right voters and bringing them together," the spokesman told reporters.
Westminster's tortuous battle with the gender question

4 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Ben Wright |Brian Wheeler

What is a woman? In recent years it is a question that has caused political punch-ups, party splits and despatch box spats. A complex, emotionally charged and fiercely contested argument around gender, trans rights and women's sex-based rights has often left politicians at Westminster floundering to answer a seemingly straightforward question. Today's Supreme Court ruling may, just may, calm a political row that has produced all sorts of verbal contortions, particularly from Sir Keir Starmer.
Farage clashes with teaching union over 'far right' claim

4 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Nathan Standley |Brian Wheeler

A row has erupted between Nigel Farage and Britain's biggest teaching union after it branded Reform UK a "racist and far-right" party. National Education Union (NEU) members at their annual conference called for funds to be used to help campaign against Reform UK candidates. The NEU's general secretary, Daniel Kebede, claimed there were "an awful lot of racists who are getting involved in Reform".
An Updated Outlook For Private Equity In 2025

1 month ago | mondaq.com | Louis Lehot |Brian Wheeler

This year is off to a bumpy start in terms of dealmaking. Amultitude of factors, including tariff-a-geddon, supply chaindisruption, stubbornly high long-term interest rates (not comingdown as expected), deregulation (not yet commenced, much lessbearing any fruit), and an increasingly volatile stock market, havetogether summarized in the now ubiquitous term "marketuncertainty" and have slowed the pace of dealmakingsignificantly.
UK takes control of British Steel under emergency powers

1 month ago | lucianne.com | Brian Wheeler

Original ArticlePosted By: sunset, 4/13/2025 3:47:54 AMThe UK government is taking control of Chinese-owned British Steel after emergency legislation was rushed through Parliament in a single day. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told MPs the government's likely next step would be to nationalise the Scunthorpe plant, which employs 2,700 people.