Peter Kyle did not dispute Times’ report that under a ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ supermarkets might start running out of some items
Peter Kyle, the business secretary, was giving interviews this morning to promote a government announcement that will help companies in energy-intensive industries with fuel bills.
As the Department for Business and Trade says in a news release, the existing scheme – the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, or BICS – is being expanded. It says:
Automotive and aerospace, steel, and pharmaceuticals are among the sectors where eligible businesses are to benefit from a one-off additional payment in 2027. This will cover the support firms would have received if BICS had been in place from April 2026.
Eligibility has also been expanded by 40%, from 7,000 to over 10,000 businesses. This targets support at energy-intensive firms on the number one issue they face – high electricity costs.
Anyone abusing protections for people fleeing persecution over gender or sexual orientation is beyond contempt.
Let me be clear: try to defraud the British people to enter or remain in the UK and your asylum claim will be refused, your support cut off, and you will find yourself on a one-way flight out of Britain.
A Reform UK government will put a stop to the legal-industrial complex exploiting the generosity of the British taxpayer. We will criminally prosecute unscrupulous immigration lawyers by creating a new strict liability offence. We will also end legal aid for illegal arrivals and visa overstayers. Those who break into our country will no longer get taxpayer funds to fight their removal.
Reform will ensure our borders are secured, illegal migrants deported and British taxpayers are no longer defrauded in this manner.
A Reform government will make facilitating a false asylum claim a ‘strict liability’ criminal offence. There will be no requirement to prove intent in prosecutions, and this serious crime will be punishable by up to 2 years in jail. Lawyers defrauding the British people in this way will not be tolerated. Similar duties already apply to law firms and lawyers to prevent bribery and tax evasion and it’s reasonable to also apply this to immigration law firms.
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