The Greenrock-based PG Paper has donated £51,498 to the Conservative party in the past five years. About a quarter of that amount was donated after Sunak became prime minister
By Shajil KumarMay 15, 2024
An Asian-origin businessman who used to donate regulary to the Conservative party has now pledged to fund the Labour.
Puneet Gupta, who co-owns PG Paper with his wife, has said that the country's economic growth has stagnated under Rishi Sunak and the overall performance of the government is 'hugely disappointing', The Times reports.
Some Tory leaders got to know about Gupta's switch at an event to celebrate the Vaisakhi festival at Downing Street reception last month, where he was also invited.
The Greenrock-based PG Paper has donated £51,498 to the Conservative party in the past five years. About a quarter of that amount was donated after Sunak became prime minister. The latest donation was made last December, according to Electoral Commission records.
Before that PG Paper had donated to the Scottish Labour MSP Anas Sarwar’s failed leadership campaign in 2017. Sarwar has since become the Scottish Labour leader.
Gupta said, “As someone who runs an international business headquartered in Scotland, it’s been hugely disappointing to see both the United Kingdom and Scotland remain stagnant in these vital areas in recent years.”
He felt the Labour party offers a realistic chance for change across both the UK and Scotland.
A SRI LANKAN court last Thursday (29) sentenced two former ministers from the government of deposed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to decades in prison in a landmark corruption case.
Ex-sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former trade minister Anil Fernando were found guilty by the Colombo high court of misappropriating 53 million rupees (£131,121) of state funds.
The pair were also fined £1,481 for using government money to donate board games – including 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draughts sets – in an attempt to boost the failed 2015 re-election bid of Gotabaya’s elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Aluthgamage was sentenced to 20 years in jail. Fernando was sentenced to 25 years.
Aluthgamage is now the most senior member of a Rajapaksa-led cabinet to be successfully prosecuted for corruption.
The cases against both men were initiated six years ago, when the Rajapaksa brothers were out of power, but the case had been making slow headway until a new government took office last year.
Aluthgamage also faces a separate investigation into allegations that he authorised in 2022 a payment of $6.09 million (£4.5m) to a Chinese supplier for a fertilizer shipment that was never delivered. He caused a stir in 2020 when he accused Sri Lanka’s national cricket team of rigging the 2011 World Cup final in favour of India, triggering a probe that ultimately failed to substantiate his claims.
Aluthgamage, who served as sports minister from 2010 to 2015, said in June 2020 that he had “not wanted to disclose” the alleged match-fixing plot at the time.
“In 2011, we were supposed to win, but we sold the match. I feel I can talk about it now. I am not implicating players, but certain sections were involved,” he said.
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Scottish Labour candidate for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election Davy Russell arrives at a polling station to cast his vote on June 05, 2025 in Quarter, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
VOTERS are casting ballots across Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse in Scotland to choose a new MSP following the death of Christina McKelvie.
The by-election follows the death in March of the SNP government minister, who passed away aged 57 after battling secondary breast cancer. McKelvie had served as drugs and alcohol policy minister and held the constituency since its creation in 2011.
Ten candidates are competing for the seat, with results expected in the early hours of Friday (6) after polls close at 10pm on Thursday (5). The contest represents the first Scottish Parliament by-election since 2019, offering parties a crucial test of public opinion less than a year before the next Holyrood elections in May 2026.
The late MSP had won the seat comfortably in 2021 with a majority of 4,582 over Labour, making it a key battleground for the main parties. McKelvie first entered Parliament in 2007, representing the Central Scotland region before moving to Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse when boundary changes created the constituency.
The full list of candidates standing includes Katy Loudon for the SNP, Davy Russell for Scottish Labour, and Richard Nelson for the Scottish Conservatives. Other contenders are Aisha Mir (Scottish Liberal Democrats), Ann McGuinness (Scottish Green Party), Ross Lambie (Reform UK), Janice MacKay (UKIP), Collette Bradley (Scottish Socialist Party), Andy Brady (Scottish Family Party), and Marc Wilkinson as an independent.
Voters do not need identification to cast their ballots in this first-past-the-post election, where the candidate with the most votes wins. Those who requested postal votes but haven't sent them can still hand them in at polling stations before the 10pm deadline.
The contest comes at a significant time for Scottish politics, with all parties keen to build momentum ahead of next year's crucial Holyrood elections. The result will provide the first major electoral test since the general election and could offer insights into shifting voter allegiances in Scotland.
South Lanarkshire council is overseeing the election, with counting taking place at their Hamilton headquarters once polls close. The winner will serve as MSP for less than a year before facing voters again in the scheduled May 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.
Broadcasting restrictions prevent media outlets from reporting on campaigning or election issues while polls remain open. However, comprehensive coverage of the count and result will begin once voting ends at 10pm, reports said.
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Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf. (Photo: Getty Images)
A PUBLIC row has erupted within Reform UK after one of their newly-elected MPs called for Britain to ban the burqa, with the party's own chairman branding the move "dumb".
Sarah Pochin, Reform's MP for Runcorn and Helsby, used her first appearance at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday (4) to ask Sir Keir Starmer whether he would follow European neighbours in banning the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women.
"Given the Prime Minister's desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he, in the interests of public safety, follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burqa?" the former Tory councillor asked.
Her question prompted audible disquiet in the Commons, with cries of "shame" from fellow MPs. The prime minister declined to engage with the proposal, telling Pochin: "I am not going to follow her down that line."
However, the controversy deepened when Reform UK's chairman Zia Yusuf publicly distanced himself from the question on social media. "I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the prime minister if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do," he wrote on X.
Yusuf said he had "no idea" that Pochin would raise the issue and confirmed it was not party policy. "Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn't policy. Busy with other stuff," he added.
The split became more apparent when other Reform figures offered conflicting views. Lee Anderson, the party's whip, supported the ban on social media, writing: "Ban the burqa? Yes we should. No one should be allowed to hide their identity in public."
Sarah Pochin (Photo: UK Parliament)
Party leader Nigel Farage later told GB News that he believed "face coverings in public don't make sense and I think we deserve a debate about that, of which I see the burqa being part."
The debate sparked heated discussion on LBC Radio, where journalist Khadija Khan supported the ban, describing the burqa as coming with a "misogynistic ideology" that "denigrates women". She called it a security and gender equality concern, criticising the prime minister's "dismissive" response as "staggering".
However, Muslim Yemeni activist Lila Tamea strongly opposed the proposal, telling LBC that "forcing people to uncover something they don't wish to uncover is outright totalitarian". She warned it was a "dangerous move" and a "slippery slope", arguing there was "deep misunderstanding" over the meaning of the veil.
Several European countries have implemented similar bans. France introduced its prohibition in 2010 under then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, with fines of 150 euros (£126) for wearing face coverings in public spaces. Belgium followed a year later, while Denmark, Austria and Switzerland have since adopted comparable laws.
Pochin later defended her question, saying it was something "a number of people had raised" with her since her election last month.
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In England, MMR vaccine uptake has declined over the past decade.
MEASLES outbreaks are continuing in England, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirming 109 cases in April and 86 so far in May. Since January, there have been 420 confirmed cases, mostly among unvaccinated children aged 10 and under.
London accounted for nearly half of the cases in the last four weeks and has reported 162 cases in total this year. Other affected regions include the North West and the West Midlands.
UKHSA has warned of a possible surge in cases over the summer holidays as families travel abroad, particularly to countries currently experiencing outbreaks. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF reported 127,350 measles cases in Europe this year, the highest since 1997. Large outbreaks have also been seen in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Romania, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Nigeria.
In England, MMR vaccine uptake has declined over the past decade. London has the lowest coverage, with only 73.3 per cent of children receiving their second MMR dose by age five, compared to the national average of 83.9 per cent.
Dr Vanessa Saliba of UKHSA said: “It’s essential that everyone, particularly parents of young children, check all family members are up to date with two MMR doses, especially if you are travelling this summer for holidays or visiting family.”
Dr Amanda Doyle of NHS England said: “Too many babies and young children are still not protected against the diseases, which are contagious infections that spread very easily and can cause serious health problems.”
Measles remains highly infectious and can cause complications, especially in unvaccinated individuals. The first MMR dose is given at age one, and the second at around three years and four months. Anyone who has missed a dose can contact their GP to catch up.
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Caste continues to be a significant factor in Indian society, separating those of higher castes, who have historically held cultural and social advantages, from people of lower castes, who face systemic discrimination. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA will carry out its next census in 2027, the government announced on Wednesday. This will be the country’s first census since 2011 and will include the enumeration of caste, which has not been officially recorded since independence.
“It has been decided to conduct Population Census-2027 in two phases along with enumeration of castes,” the India's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
The main phase of the census will take place on March 1, 2027, across most of the country. However, in high-altitude regions, the exercise will be conducted earlier, on October 1, 2026, to avoid snowfall.
These areas include the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as Ladakh and the region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Caste continues to be a significant factor in Indian society, separating those of higher castes, who have historically held cultural and social advantages, from people of lower castes, who face systemic discrimination.
More than two-thirds of India’s 1.4 billion population are estimated to be from lower caste groups, which form part of an ancient social structure that categorises Hindus by function and status.
The inclusion of caste data in the upcoming census was approved during a government meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May. The census had originally been scheduled for 2021.
The last time caste data was collected as part of the official census was in 1931, under British colonial rule. India gained independence 16 years later.
Since then, governments have avoided updating caste information, citing the complexity of the task and concerns about possible social tensions.
A caste survey was carried out in 2011, but its findings were never released publicly due to concerns over accuracy.
That 2011 caste survey was conducted separately from the general census held the same year, which remains the most recent demographic data collected in India.