A High Court judge has lifted a super-injunction that had concealed an £850 million airlift quietly relocating thousands of Afghans to Britain, warning that the MoD’s secretive handling of the operation risks undermining democratic accountability.

Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon were convicted at the Old Bailey of causing the death of their newborn after fleeing without medical care, travelling across the country to avoid detection and repeatedly misleading investigators, prompting an intensive nationwide search.

Widespread distrust in the country’s leaders has prompted many to describe Britain as broken, with polls showing deep frustration in the PM and other major figures across the political spectrum.

Starmer and Macron have agreed a reciprocal arrangement returning new arrivals without valid documents to France in exchange for a weekly quota of legal entries, prompting charities to warn of a potential reprise of the PM’s earlier offshore approach.