5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, Friday (31 October 2025).

Migrants return to the UK after France refuses to house them:
Migrants removed to France under the one in, one out scheme are trying to re-enter the UK because the French authorities are refusing to house them, according to their lawyers. Several more migrants are due to be removed to France on a charter flight leaving London Stansted at 7.45 am on Thursday. It will drop them in Paris before flying to Tirana to deport a group of Albanian foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers. [GBNews]
House price slows as Reeves considers tax for bigger homes: House prices rose at a slower pace last month as buying stalled in the run-up to potential “mansion tax” in the Budget, industry figures show. The Chancellor is reportedly considering a 1pc levy on properties worth more than £2 million. It means a family in a £2.5 million home would be hit with a bill of £5,000 each year. [Telegraph]
More than half of UK businesses are changing their diversity approach due to Trump’s criticism: More than half of UK businesses are changing the way they approach ethical policies and practices because of the Trump administration’s criticism of the “woke” agenda, research suggests. Interviews with 250 general counsels and chief legal officers at leading UK organisations found that they are reacting to the pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the US by reviewing – and in some cases scrapping – policies. [Guardian]
02 in hot water due to price rises: The UK’s media regulator has criticised O2 for raising its prices by more than it promised customers when they took out their phone contracts. Ofcom said it was “disappointed” with the firm, and said it was going against “the spirit of our rules” around being transparent to customers about price rises. In January, new rules were brought in to stop phone and broadband companies from raising prices in the middle of a contract without warning. [BBC]