the bbc has heard evidence that albanian drug gangs are using migrant camps in northern france as a recruitment ground, offering to pay the passage of people who looking for better economic prospects and are prepared to work in the uk s illegal drugs trade. albanians account for at least one third of the 38,000 people who ve crossed the channel to england this year, according to the latest government figures. 0ur correspondent lucy williamson reports. for each boat, each migrant, there can be many smugglers. albanian fixers, uk guarantors, kurdish criminal gangs. one man who paid for a place on a kurdish boat this summer says he was approached by recruiters for the uk drugs trade in a dunkirk migrant camp. translation: they offered me lots of things - - to pay for thejourney, to give me a job, but i wasn t interested. they asked me four or five times. this is where the albanian migrant trail begins. small towns like laknas marked by absence the shuttered houses and empty ca
Silent. He has made his mind up, it is the end of h52 To Manchester. This is what the pm was saying 2a hours ago. What manchester. This is what the pm was saying 24 hours ago. Was saying 24 hours ago. What i wanted it is was saying 24 hours ago. What i wanted it is the was saying 24 hours ago. What i wanted it is the right was saying 24 hours ago. What i wanted it is the right decision i wanted it is the right decision for the country. This is an enormous amount of peoples money, taxpayer money, everybody watching, billions of pounds, we should not be rushed into things like that was what people want from me is to take time to go over it properly and make sure you make the the right long term decision. This right longterm decision. This is what hs2 right longterm decision. This is what hs2 was right long term decision. This is what hsz was hoping to is what hs2 was hoping to change, the existing rail the north of england. What was envisaged, cleaning trains running a brand new lines bu
Road and bus projects in the north, the midlands and across the country. The speech was widely seen as an opportunity for the Prime Minister To Revitalise his party ahead of a general election expected next year. Political editor chris mason reports. Manchester this lunchtime, and the Prime Ministers warm up act his wife. Rishi and i are each others best friends, and i could not imagine being anywhere else to show my support to him. Rishi sunak began by thanking her, his daughters, his parents as he drew a link between himself and margaret thatcher. This conservative party, the party of the grocer s daughter and the pharmacist s son, will always be the party of enterprise, the party of small business. He said hes taken a look at how Government Works since he became Prime Minister, and not liked what hes seen. It isnt anger, its an exhaustion with politics. Weve had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. As for taxes, they will come down,
For the coming uk election. Is it enough to change the political weather . Way to school in croydon last week. For a vigil. Hello. Rishi sunak delivered his most important speech as Prime Minister today, with the promise the country, would see the real him. A Leader Setting out what he believes, including being willing to take the toughest decisions. Well at the conservative party conference, he set out a number of key policies, on education and health. But the most controversial idea had been flagged for weeks, the scrapping of the High Speed Rail Line from birmingham to the north of england, and he made the announcement, in manchester. It was an ambitious project to link up the country, but costs spiralled and the plans were hacked back, with the eastern leg of hs2 scapped two years ago. Then today, came confirmation that the birmingham to Manchester Route would also die, along with the line to east midlands parkway. The big question, what would become of the money saved . The answer
Has already been scrapped. The cabinet will meet in manchester shortly. In his Party Conference speech shortly, rishi sunak is expected to set out alternative projects in the north of england and wales. He is likely to argue they amount to a better use of public money and can deliver improvements more quickly. Speculation over the future of hs2, beset by long delays and spiralling costs, has dominated the tory conference. The West Midlands mayor, andy street, a tory, ones that the prior minister is about to make an incredible political gaffe and he has not ruled out resigning over the issue. Nick eardleyjoins us from manchester. Nick, announcing that the line is going to be scrapped in the line is going to be scrapped in the city that it was supposed to get to. What is the prior minister expecting to get from this, politically . It expecting to get from this, politically . Expecting to get from this, politically . It is pretty bold, isnt it . The politically . It is pretty bold, isnt i