UK Politics Thread part II

[Jimbuna]

COMEDY GOLD :)

This is what we currently have as our Chancellor of the Exchequer. Well worth a viewing imho especially if comedy is your topic of choice and at 6:30 the real fun begins on the embarrassing (for her) topic of her CV :haha:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9seuVEc3ME

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer will 'take the knee' to the EU he wishes we were in

They say you should never meet your heroes.

But on Monday, in Brussels, that's exactly what Sir Keir Starmer is doing. Taking the knee to the European Union he wishes we were still in.

Five years after Britain has left the EU, like a crazy ex who won't stop messaging, he still hasn't moved on.

Starmer didn't just oppose Brexit. After he lost in 2016, Starmer made it his life's mission to reverse the people's will.

After this generational vote of confidence in Britain, he voted to block it 48 times in Parliament. Energetically campaigning for second referendum and free movement of people. And he has consistently called for closer alignment with EU against the interest of Britain.

Whichever way you cut it, this is man who can't even imagine a Britain that is confident of our place in the world, where the sun never sets on our horizons and our potential as Britannia is unchained.

But, like Express readers, I can.

Starmer has his head in the sand, determined to deny the many successes Brexit has brought Britain.

We have cut VAT on a range of products - like axing the motorhome tax I pushed through Parliament. We have signed trade deals with the fastest growing economies in the world, including round the pacific rim, uniting against Chinese expansionism. And we delivered the fastest vaccine at pace, allowing us to bounce back from the pandemic far quicker than the continent.

All of these things, Sir Keir Starmer personally tried to delay, block and frustrate however he could. Now he is in Number 10, he will try and kill Brexit with a death by a thousand cuts. He is already talking about taking hundreds of thousands more EU migrants, sacrificing our sovereignty and shackling ourselves to EU regulations wherever possible.

Brexit was a vote of confidence in Britain. I felt the wave of optimism for a Britain out, and back into when we left the European Union. But this is something Starmer just doesn't get.

Perhaps it's because he doesn't believe in Britain.

If Starmer really meant it when he said repeatedly that he would put country before party, he would stop making longing noises towards the EU and instead look beyond to the world of opportunity - including our closest ally - America.

While European economies like France and Germany are flatlining, America is taking off.

A US trade deal would be the ultimate prize of Brexit. For anyone who doesn't have a thinly veiled desire to rejoin Europe, this deal would unleash opportunities for British businesses to benefit from international trade like never before.

We laid the foundations for it, negotiating with President Trump in his first term. Now he's back in the White House, the appetite for it in Washington is there. Despite this, it clearly isn't in Downing Street. It beggars belief given the possibility of tariffs.

Increased trade with the US could add billions to the economy, raise wages and undo some of the damage caused by Labour's economic mismanagement. It could also be the silver bullet to growth Starmer is allegedly looking for. Instead, he is dithering and delaying while we all get poorer.

Despite the Prime Minister's efforts, our country's best days are ahead of us. Britain is a land of opportunity, not a country to apologise for. It's why I will always champion a Brexit Britain. And I look forward to making the post of our new opportunities, not mourn a declining EU like they clearly still are in Downing Street.

Starmer's Britainis holding Britain back in a world that is changing. Our economy is flatlining, inflation is ticking up and we are giving away strategic assets, like our fisheries and the Chagos Islands, left, right and centre.

Making the most of our post-Brexit freedoms is one of Britain's major competitive advantages. After five long years outside his beloved EU, it's about time Starmer puts aside his sour grapes and embraces Brexit Britain. It's in all of our best interests.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/keir-starmer-will-take-the-knee-to-the-eu-he-wishes-we-were-in/ar-AA1yeKvD?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=4e105fa10e8749ff88f13ed48043a41c&ei=36

[Gorpet]

random find but common sense. true for other countries, too.

https://youtu.be/NVAj52nFvGY?si=4Jh1qqR9o38JJC5p

Oh, but no the World Elites who after finding out, we can't leave this Planet. And these rats are using up our resources. We have to kill them all, Look make them believe in science. And will we will kill them all.
And if there are any low brow leaders of any countries will kill them to. We will kill as many as we have to. And when our global world under our new AI ,because our planet has now evolved and AI has stopped climate change.,over population . And after a hundred years we still as humans left this planet. But will we will have a politician.

[Gorpet]

I used to fear for the future of my children when I pass but it is now my granddaughter who is at greatest risk.

Whilst the wife and I are financially comfortable because of prudent saving and multiple pensions that still does not ease our sense of worry for our granddaughter.

Well,Look get ready. Keir Starmer has a future planned for his family but not yours.

[Jimbuna]

More skullduggery from Liebour perhaps?

Fears council shake-up could spell end of independent-run areas

A major shake-up of local councils in England could spell the end of areas where independents – with no allegiance to major political parties – are in charge, councillors fear.

There has been a steady increase in the number of independent councillors over the past decade, with more than 2,200 across England and Wales.

At the moment, groups of independents are involved in running 63 councils, either on their own or in partnership with other parties.

The vast majority - 47 - are smaller district or borough councils, many of which are set to be scrapped or merged under government plans.

Big city councils and regional mayors are dominated by Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Ministers argue combining smaller councils would make local government simpler and save money by making the delivery of services more efficient.

But Marianne Overton, leader of the Local Government Association's Independent Group, said if councillors represented bigger areas it would weaken the link with communities and make it harder for independents to be elected.

Independents argue they can better reflect local views as they do not have to follow the positions of a national party.

However, proposals to reorganise local government - which amount to the biggest shake-up since the 1970s - could threaten the representation of independents, opponents say.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05l60786mlo

[Jimbuna]

Rachel from Accounts, one of the biggest predators toward the UK elderly population in politics.

Ten million pensioners to be hit with income tax bills

Ten million pensioners will be paying income tax by 2032, new figures reveal.

Three quarters of retirees are set to be “dragged into the tax net” under current government policy, a rise of 15 percentage points in a decade, analysis by Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister, shows.

The trend is being driven by a perfect storm of frozen income tax thresholds, an ageing population and the increasing value of the state pension thanks to the triple lock.

Around 61pc of the UK’s 12 million pensioners paid tax in 2022-23, figures from HMRC show.

However, the Office for National Statistics confirmed the number of people over state pension age is expected to hit 13.7 million by 2032.

At the same time, the state pension is on course to become taxable by 2027 after Labour refused to increase tax-free thresholds for retirees.

According to analysis from Sir Steve, now a partner at LCP, it means 76pc of pensioners will have to pay tax by 2032.

He said: “The proportion of pensioners dragged into the tax net has risen sharply in recent years as large cash increases in the pension have been set against a backdrop of frozen tax thresholds.

“Although future pension rises are likely to be smaller, if thresholds continue to be frozen, more and more pensioners will end up paying tax.

“We are also likely to see nearly 2 million more pensioners by the early 2030s compared with today.”

The calculation takes into account the new state pension age, which will be 67 from 2028. It also assumes that the state pension will increase by 2.5pc a year, which is the minimum allowed under the triple lock.

However, pensioners received a 4.1pc boost this year, which followed record-breaking rises in the two previous years. A higher than expected increase via the triple lock would push even more pensioners past the frozen tax threshold.

John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said the “disastrous policy” needed to change.

He said: “Frozen thresholds are causing misery for taxpayers of all stripes. Pensioners too are increasingly feeling the strain as they see their nest eggs chipped away at by this disastrous policy.

“Rachel Reeves has a significant opportunity to ease the burden on households while giving the economy a boost by unfreezing thresholds.”

Pensioners are already bracing themselves for a tax bill on their state pension.

Tax thresholds were frozen by Rishi Sunak, the then-chancellor, in 2021 before Jeremy Hunt extended it to 2028.

However, during the election campaign, the Conservatives also announced a triple lock plus policy that would have protected the state pension from ever becoming taxable.

This was not adopted by Labour, meaning that the state pension will generate a tax bill by 2027 unless the Government intervenes.

Around 10 million pensioners have also been stripped of the winter fuel payment as Labour sought to balance its books.

Morgan Vine, of Independent Age, said: “Around 2 million older people in the UK currently live in poverty, and another 1m hover just above the line.

“Day to day, this looks like washing in cold water, skipping meals and living in just one room to save on energy costs. It is no way to live.

“For both today and tomorrow’s older people, it’s essential that politicians come together to establish what is an adequate income to avoid financial hardship in later life and ensure that everyone receives it.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/ten-million-pensioners-to-be-hit-with-income-tax-bills/ar-AA1yjSh5?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=075c49f89f554f33a6a739b4fa935fed&ei=10

[Jimbuna]

So, Rachel from Accounts has been found out on yet another point of note.

Rachel Reeves’ Heathrow runway report was commissioned by the airport

Rachel Reeves’ Heathrow third runway report was commissioned by the London airport.

On Saturday night it was confirmed that a report cited by the Chancellor as providing evidence that a third runway at Heathrow would boost the UK economy by a significant amount was commissioned by the airport itself.

Experts and green groups have also challenged Reeves' view - also outline in the report - that advances in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) had been a "gamechanger" that would dramatically limit damage to the environment caused by flying, saying the claims were overblown and did not stand up to scrutiny, reports The Guardian.

During her speech in Oxford, Reeves committed to "leave no stone unturned" in the search for economic growth. She also said that a new runway would create 100,000 new jobs and connect the UK "to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth."

She added: “According to the most recent study from Frontier Economics, a third runway could increase potential GDP by 0.43 per cent by 2050" and that “60 per cent of that boost would go to areas outside London and the south-east".

Following her speech, Frontier Economics consultancy confirmed to the Observer that it had been commissioned by Heathrow to write the report, which it insisted had been an entirely independent exercise. Heathrow also confirmed it had asked Frontier Economics to do the work.

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) thinktank criticised the Chancellor on Saturday night for the ­justifications she gave for backing a third ­runway, saying it believed the methodology used had ­previously been judged unreliable by the Department for Transport.

Alex Chapman, senior economist at the NEF, said: “It is very concerning that the chancellor appears to be basing her support for Heathrow expansion on a figure from a report commissioned by Heathrow airport. Even more worrying is the fact that the methodology they have applied is one that the Department for Transport has previously decided is not fit for purpose, and that the report uses forecast data supplied by the airport itself."

Mr Chapman continued that the Heathrow expansion represents a major threat to the UK’s climate goals and "flies in the face of scientific advice". He added, that to ensure that the claimed economic benefits are concrete, assessments should be carried out by independent government economists.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/rachel-reeves-heathrow-runway-report-was-commissioned-by-the-airport/ar-AA1ykjOt?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=ENTPSP&cvid=c00549550d744791a896c497598194e4&ei=74

[Jimbuna]

Top Labour backer turns on party over Reeves’ ‘crippling’ Budget

One of Labour’s top business backers has turned on Rachel Reeves, warning her Budget will cripple businesses and lead to swathes of job losses.

In a damning letter, Labour donor Sacha Lord threatened to quit the party over the chancellor’s tax-hiking autumn statement unless there were urgent changes.

Mr Lord, who was Greater Manchester’s night time economy adviser under mayor Andy Burnham for seven years, said he is “deeply concerned about the precarious situation” facing the hospitality sector.

“I urge you to act before irreversible damage is done,” he warned the chancellor.

Mr Lord is the latest high-profile business leader to oppose measures pushed through by the chancellor in October, with growing signs the Budget has stymied economic growth and caused thousands of job losses.

In his emotional letter sent on Tuesday, Mr Lord wrote: “I myself have been a Labour Party member for four years. I am now reconsidering this position.

“I attended your manifesto launch, I supported you in your bid to become the government and I believed you had a deep understanding of the problems on the ground. Not anymore. I heard Labour declare itself the party for business and growth. I no longer believe that to be the case.”

Mr Lord, who also serves as chairman of industry body the Night Time Industries Association, said the hospitality sector employs 3.5 million people and the government is “threatening its very survival”.

He cited warnings of up to 9,000 pub closures this year, including one pub chain that has halted plans to open five new sites. “These businesses are not just numbers, they prop up our high streets, our communities and our culture that we are famed for the world over,” Mr Lord said.

He warned: “If nothing changes, thousands more businesses will collapse, and Labour will be responsible.”

And in a desperate plea for support or a U-turn on Ms Reeves’ Budget, Mr Lord said: “The hospitality sector is an essential driver of growth, a major employer and an irreplaceable part of our social fabric. It can drive the economy out of the stagnancy it has found itself in. It deserves recognition and support to prevent thousands of closures.

“Chancellor, you must do better.”

In her Budget, Ms Reeves hiked employer national insurance contributions and ended inheritance tax exemptions for farms worth more than £1m.

Economists have branded the national insurance hike a “tax on working people” that will lead to lower wages and job losses, while family farm owners have warned her inheritance tax raid will force a generation of farmers out of business.

Ms Reeves also unveiled a 6.7 per cent hike in the minimum wage, which employers have said will pile further pressure on already stretched businesses.

Sainsbury’s last month said it would cut 3,000 jobs in the UK due to a looming surge in costs including the higher tax and wage bills caused by Ms Reeves’ Budget.

And the Confederation of British Industry, which represents businesses, has said the economy was headed for “the worst of all worlds” after the chancellor’s Budget.

In a bid to get back on the front foot after months of economic stagnation, Ms Reeves last month set out a swathe of measures aimed at “turbocharging” the economy, including backing a third runway at Heathrow and overhauling Britain’s planning rules.

That move prompted another Labour backer, millionaire donor and energy tycoon Dale Vince, to warn the Heathrow expansion would be a mistake and provide only “an illusion of growth”.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/top-labour-backer-turns-on-party-over-reeves-crippling-budget/ar-AA1ynRtl?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=a06fa688c003403ca375c615130c73ac&ei=22

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer accused of 'false promises' as huge council tax increases planned

Keir Starmer was condemned for making "false promises" after his Government announced massive increases in council tax - despite promising to freeze it.

Most councils will be allowed to increase the tax on residents by 5%, double the rate of inflation, while some have been given permission for increases of up to 10%.

But while leader of the opposition, Sir Keir pledged to freeze council tax for a year, using a windfall tax on profits from energy companies to pay for it.

The Labour leader said in March 2023: "We're announcing today that Labour would freeze next year's council tax, using those windfall profits. It's a choice the government can make now that money is on the table. We would obviously vote for it. Ten billion pounds and they're not using it to help working people."

Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said today: "It is clear from this settlement that Labour are once again pushing the burden on to taxpayers after they promised to freeze council tax.

"Their Local Government Finance Settlement will mean that councils will have to raise council tax to accommodate Labour's jobs tax. This means that local people will pay more for less when it comes to local services, especially in rural areas which are losing the Rural Services Delivery Grant that Labour have abolished.

"The Labour Party have made false promises to local people, promising to freeze council tax while many councils will now have to raise it due to Labour's political choice to raise council tax. From Whitehall to your town hall, under Labour, you pay more and get less."

Most councils will be allowed to increase the tax paid by households by 5%, double the current 2.5% rate of inflation, but a number will be allowed additional rises.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, the Cabinet minister in charge of local councils, has decided Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council will be allowed a rise of 9%, Birmingham City Council will be allowed a rise of 7.5%, Bradford Council will be allowed a rise of 10%, Newham Council will be allowed a rise of 9%, Somerset Council will be allowed a rise of 7.5% and Trafford Council will be allowed to increase council tax by 7.5%.

It means people in a band D property in Bradford could see the charge from the council increase by £170 - in addition to an increase in the amount charge by the local police and fire authorities, which are added to council tax bills.

The limit set by Ms Rayner is the biggest increase councils are allowed to charge before they are forced to hold a referendum of local voters asking if they agree with the increase. However, in practice councils are almost certain to impose the maximum rise possible.

According to the Local Government Association, Chancellor Rachel Reeves's decision to increase National Insurance, which is paid by employers including local authorities, has helped push up bills. The Government has provided them with some extra money to meet the extra cost but that leaves councils with a £1.2billion shortfall.

Some authorities had asked for permission to impose even bigger tax hikes, with Windsor and Maidenhead telling Ministers it wanted a 25% rise.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/keir-starmer-accused-of-false-promises-as-huge-council-tax-increases-planned/ar-AA1ynsfD?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=5ad71343384841118fa679d9dabba51f&ei=19

[Jimbuna]

Starmer leads laziest government in modern times, figures show

Sir Keir Starmer leads the laziest new government in modern times, data have revealed.

Following the election in July 2024, Labour has been the most inactive of any newly elected government in the modern period, according to analysis shared by the Conservatives.

By the end of its first 200 days in power, the Government had brought six pieces of primary legislation into force.

This compares to nine bills in the first 200 days of Margaret Thatcher’s first government, 11 in the first 200 days of Tony Blair’s first government, and eight bills in the first 200 days of David Cameron’s first government.

Of the six bills introduced by the Labour government, three began life under the previous Conservative government and one is a standard budgetary bill.

The Government has therefore only passed two new substantive bills since July: the Budget Responsibility Act 2024, and the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024.

The Budget Responsibility Act 2024 received royal assent on Sept 10 and requires the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to follow certain procedures when announcing economically significant measures.

Meanwhile, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 received royal assent on Nov 28 and gives public sector companies responsibility for providing passenger railway services.

The three bills introduced by the former Conservative government, but which were passed by Labour, are the Financial Assistance to Ukraine Act 2025, the Lord Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Act, and the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act 2024.

Sir Keir has been facing mounting criticism for the party’s inactivity in Parliament in recent weeks, with many pointing out that very few Labour MPs contribute during the working day.

On Saturday, the Telegraph revealed that a large number of Labour MPs have barely spoken in the House of Commons at all since they were elected in July.

The majority of backbenchers who have spoken fewer than 10 times in the House of Commons since the general election last summer are Labour MPs.

Of 47 backbench MPs who fit into this category, 40 are Labour MPs, with the newest Labour MPs making up 28 members or two-thirds of the group. Some have officially spoken on just three occasions since they were called to serve and others even less.

Broader analysis of spoken contributions to the Commons, Westminster Hall debates and the submission of written questions showed 220 Labour backbench MPs elected for the first time last year have made only 43 contributions to Parliament on average.

Conservative MPs have also criticised the Government for being “quiet” in its first months in government.

On Tuesday, Esther McVey, a former Tory minister, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Why is Parliament so quiet? Where have all the Labour MPs gone? Seems Starmer is sending his unhappy, restless MPs back to their constituencies to prevent them plotting against him.”

Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, said: “An MP’s job is to represent their constituents in Parliament. With 400 MPs, you would expect to see the government benches always full, but they only ever are for PMQs.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-leads-laziest-government-in-modern-times-figures-show/ar-AA1ytvKH?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=987c5f3103864f698e4c892fb0d008a4&ei=13

[Jimbuna]

Nigel Farage vents fury over decision to postpone local elections

Nigel Farage lashed out at the 'cowardice of the political class' today as Labour agreed to postpone local elections for a year.

The Reform leader said he was 'blummin' angry' after votes due to be held in May in nine areas were pushed back a year amid efforts to reform local government.

He claimed his party was on course to make huge gains especially in East Anglia, including Essex, where he is an MP, before they acted.

At a press conference today he vowed the party would still stand around 1,500 candidates, adding: 'I thought only dictators cancelled elections?'

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, he claimed the decision was a result of 'the connivance of a now terrified Labour Party… and Conservative-led councils who of course want to keep the money rolling for at least another couple of years'.

He added: 'The reorganisation of local government is going to take up to three years to complete, and given that the term for a county councillor is four years, there is absolutely no justification for cancelling the elections for 5.5 million people other than the cowardice of the existing political class.'

Angela Rayner gave nine local authorities permission to tear up plans for May due to imminent reforms that will see scores of them axed.

The English Devolution White Paper, published in December, said 164 district and 21 county councils responsible for a combined population of 20 million and an annual budget of £32 billion will be merged to create authorities serving at least 500,000 people.

Permission has now been given for some of those affected to delay elections until the new council is up and running, to avoid having councillors serving terms of a year or less.

Communities secretary Ms Rayner told MPs that she was only agreeing to half of the requests for postponements, allowing them in areas where 'significant amounts of work' were required to alter the council structure.

They are: Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Thurrock, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/nigel-farage-vents-fury-over-decision-to-postpone-local-elections/ar-AA1ytcm5?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=987c5f3103864f698e4c892fb0d008a4&ei=51

[Jimbuna]

Bank of England halves growth forecast in blow to Rachel Reeves

The Bank of England has cut its 2025 growth forecast in half and warned that Rachel Reeves’s record tax raid risks driving unemployment far higher than expected.

Officials believe the economy will barely avoid recession as the Bank cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 4.5pc, with two officials calling for even steeper reductions.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) that sets interest rates said the economy probably shrank by 0.1pc in the wake of the Chancellor’s maiden Budget, and would barely grow in the first three months of this year.

Bank staff now believe the economy will expand by just 0.75pc this year, down from a projection of 1.5pc just three months ago.

The prediction is likely to be regarded as an embarrassment for the Chancellor, who vowed to put growth at the heart of the Government’s agenda in a major speech just last week.

The Bank’s latest economic forecasts warned of a stagnating economy, higher inflation and rising unemployment against the backdrop of a £40bn tax raid that will hit low-paid workers hardest.

It said businesses were raising prices faster and shedding jobs more quickly than initially anticipated.

Andrew Bailey, the Governor, said policymakers would take a “gradual and careful approach to reducing rates further” as he signalled that the impact of higher taxes and Donald Trump’s trade war would affect how quickly the Bank could cut rates going forward.

Inflation is expected to rise to 3.7pc by the end of this year, almost double the Bank’s target. However, officials signalled that they were prepared to continue cutting rates despite this increase because it will be driven by higher energy bills, as wage growth continues to cool.

However, price rises, as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), are not expected to return to 2pc until the end of 2027.

Consumer-facing sectors such as retail and hospitality are expected to be hit hardest by Ms Reeves’s decision to increase employers’ National Insurance by £25bn.

Bank staff highlighted that a large share of these businesses employed staff at or just above the minimum wage, preventing them from absorbing the tax rise through lower wages.

Instead, these businesses which employ millions of workers, were expected to hire less or shed more jobs.

The Bank warned: “Employment may have a more prominent role as a margin of adjustment than otherwise, as the sectors that are most affected by the NICs [National Insurance contributions] increase also tend to be more labour intensive.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/bank-of-england-halves-uk-growth-forecast-in-blow-to-rachel-reeves/ar-AA1ywAoO?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=48f3d994413845479d3506f73346642e&ei=8

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves doesn't want you to realise one thing about interest rates drop

I reckon Rachel Reeves spent this morning with her eyes closed, hands clasped together as she knelt, praying for an interest rate reduction from the Bank of England.

Scratch that, she's more likely to have been sticking pins into a voodoo doll resembling her Labour predecessor Gordon Brown, the man who told the bank it can do what it wants as long as it aims for 2% inflation.

After all, how much more tolerable life would be for Reeves if she could just tell Governor Andrew Bailey to cut interest rates. How much more convincing her clarion calls of economic exuberance would sound if she could follow them up with some actual good news.

It'd appear in far better taste to have the Chancellor claiming the Britain is on the up if she was telling it to home-owners to whom she was granting relief.

Perhaps those in rented accommodation could not be offended by her smiles if their buy-to-let landlords lost their excuse for rental price increases.

People with credit card debt might be a little lighter on their feet, feeling like there might be an end to the abusive barrage to which they've been subjected in recent years.

In the Reeves, she got what she wanted. So some might think it's a good day for a clearly struggling Chancellor.

But to say this is a sticking plaster holding together her political reputation would be to vastly overestimate this decision while underestimating the British people.

We're not stupid, we know the Labour Government has no say over what the Bank of England does to its base rate. Any economic improvement will be credited to the people who really have power in this decision - those who sit on the Monetary Policy Committee.

Reeves on the other hand still has to bet that an ever-elusive third runway at Heathrow Airport will materialise. She also has to hope we'll forget that it was her Government that told the population its economy was in the toilet.

Ah, but that was the fault of the Tories. We have Labour now. And they're fixing it. How, exactly? By hiking Employer National Insurance? How are workers supposed to benefit from their employers penny-pinching to pay the new rate? What about raiding the pockets of dead soldiers? Will that fix the economy? No.

The primary problem for Rachel Reeves is that voters remember her pronouncements of doom when Labour entered office. And many know why she did it. It wasn't because she was genuinely shocked by Tory governance and the state in which they left the economy (in the first half of 2024 we had the fastest-growing economy in the G7). She did it to hit us with tax rises.

So although a cut in interest rates is welcome, Rachel Reeves should not benefit from a boost to the country's morale. Her smiles should not scorch from our memory her previous grim-faced pronouncements. Remember why she did it - she did it to take your money. And she doesn't want you to realise that today she's given you nothing back.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/rachel-reeves-doesn-t-want-you-to-realise-one-thing-about-interest-rates-drop/ar-AA1ywIjZ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=48f3d994413845479d3506f73346642e&ei=73

[Jimbuna]

Some on benefits are 'taking the mickey', says minister

Some people on benefits are "taking the mickey", Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has said, as the government seeks ways to curb welfare spending.

Kendall was speaking to ITV about a Department of Work and Pensions survey that suggested 200,000 people on benefits were ready to work if they had support.

The DWP report, external found 49% of health and disability benefits claimants felt they would never be able to work again.

But it also showed nearly half (44%) of people with a mental health condition expected to be able to work in future if their health improved.

Kendall told ITV, external: "I think what the survey shows today is that despite all the myths, a lot of people who are currently on sickness or disability benefits want to work."

When asked if people on benefits were "pretending they can't work", she added: "Many of them have either just lost jobs that they desperately miss, or really want to get back into to work once they've got their health condition under control.

"So I think that there are many more people who want to work. I have no doubt, as there always have been, there are people who shouldn't be on those benefits who are taking the mickey and that is not good enough - we have to end that."

The government says the number of young people aged 16 to 34 who do not work because of long-term sickness and have a mental health condition has reached 270,000.

This number increased by 60,000 (26%) in the last year, according to the DWP.

As of January, 9.3 million people aged 16 to 64 in the UK were economically inactive - a rise of 713,000 since the Covid pandemic.

Last year, the government spent £65bn on sickness benefits, external - a 25% increase from the year before the pandemic. That figure is forecast to increase to around £100bn before the next general election.

Kendall said the DWP survey, which spoke to 3,401 benefit recipients, showed the need to reform the current welfare system and encourage young people to work if they can.

The DWP secretary said: "There is genuinely a problem with many young people, particularly the Covid generation, but we can't have a situation where doing a day's work is in itself seen as stressful."

Kendall said supermarket managers had told her some young people did not understand work was "just the nature of life and that isn't stress or pressure".

The DWP secretary is expected to present a policy paper on welfare reform next month.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5gpyv4dnwo

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPuntlpIUgk

[Jimbuna]

M&S chief accuses government of raiding retail sector ‘like a piggy bank’

The chief executive of Marks & Spencer has accused the government of raiding the retail sector “like a piggy bank” with its latest tax policies as businesses face mounting financial pressures.

Stuart Machin highlighted rising National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for businesses and new packaging levies as major burdens on the industry. He called on the government to stagger NIC changes over time and delay the introduction of the controversial packaging levy, warning that these measures risk stifling growth.

“The long-term growth ambitions [of the government] are laudable, but they are at risk of remaining only that unless action is taken to encourage growth today,” he wrote.

In October’s Budget, the government announced an increase in NIC rates for employers from April and lowered the threshold at which firms begin paying them, from £9,100 to £5,000. The National Living Wage will also rise. While unions welcomed the wage increase, businesses have expressed concern over higher costs.

Machin also condemned the government’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) levy, which aims to make producers cover the costs of recycling packaging waste. He warned that the £2bn measure would lead to significantly higher tax bills for retailers, with “no improvement to recycling.”

“Retail is being raided like a piggy bank, and it’s unacceptable,” Machin said, writing in The Sunday Times.

Despite M&S reporting a £672m profit last year, he cautioned that many retailers were struggling and warned of job losses, store closures, and slower wage growth across the sector.

Machin echoed calls from Next boss Lord Wolfson to phase in NIC increases and urged the government to rethink its approach to business rates and packaging levies to give retailers “breathing space.”

A Treasury spokesperson defended the policies, saying: “We delivered a once-in-a-Parliament budget to wipe the slate clean and deliver the stability businesses need, laying the foundations for economic growth.

“In addition to capping corporation tax for the duration of parliament, we’re permanently cutting business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure on the high street from 2026.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/m-s-chief-accuses-government-of-raiding-retail-sector-like-a-piggy-bank/ar-AA1yHEfs?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=27af182dbf2043a1bf73aebcb99e69ee&ei=17

[Jimbuna]

Taxpayers ‘face £200bn cost of Labour failure on migration’

Kemi Badenoch has warned that taxpayers could face an “astronomic” bill of more than £200 billion because of Labour’s failure to tackle mass migration.

The Tory leader said that Labour’s “lax approach” would see Britain carry on subsidising low-paid foreign workers and their dependents.

Mrs Badenoch was responding to a think tank report which found households face a long-term bill of £8,200 each to fund extra services for 800,000 recent arrivals.

The Centre for Policy Studies has calculated that more than 800,000 migrants who came to Britain between 2021 and 2024 could permanently settle in the UK.

It said the cumulative bill for the extra services and benefits they required, compared with the taxes they would pay, would come to £243 billion over their lifetimes.

Mrs Badenoch said the findings showed that Labour needed to take action to “end the conveyor belt to a precious British passport”.

Mrs Badenoch added: “This new research shows that, if the Government stubbornly refuses to adopt our plan, British taxpayers could be lumbered with an astronomic cost.

“The country simply can’t afford the Labour Party’s lax approach to immigration.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/taxpayers-face-200bn-cost-of-labour-failure-on-migration/ar-AA1yGlnl?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=5d0f6f8df82a4b788983b89f7d323e99&ei=88

[Gorpet]

Taxpayers ‘face £200bn cost of Labour failure on migration’

Is,It true that your Labour Party politicians have held their positions for years ? and did nothing and just set in the shadows, All the while still taking the taxpayer pound.And showing up at every party, and fox hunt, deer, boar, chicken,and women, Any hunt they were invited to mingling with the Tories.

And now they are in power. And none of these politicians have no idea what was happening as they themselves were in the Government. And now they are in power.....The Americans have taught them to Blame the other guy and dubble down create havoc, and in the end while they drink wine, Rome Burns.

[Jimbuna]

IMHO this current Liebour government is the most inept and deceitful bunch of miscreants I have ever come across during my lifetime.

[Jimbuna]

Nigel Farage warns ‘vulnerable’ Rachel Reeves her days are numbered as Chancellor braces for revolt

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is in a "more precarious position" than Labour leader Keir Starmer ahead of today's farmers' protest in London.

Speaking to GB News, Nigel criticised Reeves' Budget for "denting confidence in the UK economy" and targeting farmers with "sums that don't add up."

He called for the complete abolition of inheritance tax, describing it as "death taxes."

"Whatever level you're at, I think inheritance tax, or more accurately, death taxes, should be abolished outright," Nigel told Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello.

Farmers are staging another tractor protest outside Parliament today against Labour's proposed inheritance tax changes.

The rally comes as MPs debate an e-petition with over 148,000 signatures calling to maintain current inheritance tax exemptions for working farms.

Labour has confirmed it will not reverse its plans to introduce a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate on farms worth more than £1 million.

The changes, announced in the Budget, are set to come into force in April 2026.

The new rules will end an existing exemption that allowed family farms to be passed down without paying inheritance tax.

The Reform UK leader argued that current inheritance tax rules have distorted land values, citing examples of wealthy investors exploiting loopholes.

"Some big billionaires have bought up vast tracts of Lincolnshire, pushing land prices up to £25,000 an acre, because there has been an inheritance tax loophole," he told GB News.

He warned the proposed changes would have wider implications beyond agriculture.

"The new proposals don't just affect farmers, they affect family businesses as well, and it's just yet another reason why people are selling up and leaving the country," he said.

Joining protesters in London, Nigel rallied support for the farmers' cause.

"The family farm should not be driven out of existence. Politically, I think we can win this," the Reform UK leader told demonstrators.

He insisted that "MPs need to listen" to the farmers.

Nigel expressed optimism about the protest's potential impact, suggesting there "are some wins" that could be achieved through continued demonstrations.

"The whole thing is monstrous!" he declared, referring to the inheritance tax changes affecting both farms and family businesses.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/nigel-farage-warns-vulnerable-rachel-reeves-her-days-are-numbered-as-chancellor-braces-for-revolt/ar-AA1yK5wC?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ENTPSP&cvid=d678a91366234da69be0bb313b9f6338&ei=53

[Jimbuna]

Nothing beats lining one's own pockets.

Money well spent, I thiunk not.

Watchdog recommends £2,500 pay rise for UK MPs

MPs should receive a £2,500 pay rise for the next financial year, an increase of 2.8%, the body that recommends their salaries has said.

If the pay rise proposed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) goes through, it would raise a backbench MP’s salary from £91,346 to just under £94,000.

The year-on-year figure for consumer price index inflation in December was 2.5%, but it is expected to increase as the year goes on.

At the end of last year, ministers recommended a 2.8% pay increase for public sector staff including NHS workers, teachers and senior civil servants, prompting the threat of strikes.

MPs used to decide on their own annual pay rises but since 2011 the decision has been left to Ipsa, which consults on the proposed increase before confirming it.

The question of whether MPs and ministers should accept pay rises is still debated among parliamentarians. Asked about whether Keir Starmer would accept the latest increase, his official spokesperson said pay rises for MPs were a matter for Ipsa.

Richard Lloyd, the chair of Ipsa, said: “Our pay proposal for 2025-26 reflects the experience of the wider working public-sector population, and recognises both the vital role of MPs and the current economic climate.”

The increase is the pay for a backbench MP. Ministers receive additional pay, as does the opposition leader and shadow chief whip and their deputy.

Separately, MPs can claim back expenses accrued as part of their work, which mainly comprises staffing and office costs.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/watchdog-recommends-2-500-pay-rise-for-uk-mps/ar-AA1yKLme?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=cefad7670d374cc5ddd011514a21e279&ei=28

[Jimbuna]

Humiliation for Keir Starmer as dozens of his own MPs fail to back Channel migrant plan

Keir Starmer's plan to end the Channel migrant crisis was thrown into chaos last night as dozens of his own MPs refused to back it.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill passed its first hurdle by 333 votes to 109 - a majority of 224.

But voting records showed 74 Labour MPs refused to support the flagship legislation designed to smash the smuggling gangs.

Hours earlier, the plan was attacked by politicians from all sides.

Veteran Labour politician Diane Abbott asked Home Secretary Yvette Cooper if "she is trying to stigmatise desperate migrants".

And Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp branded the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill a "border surrender Bill", which "creates a pathway to citizenship for people who have entered the country illegally".

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly also accused Labour of creating a "blank cheque" for asylum seekers as the Government cannot deport migrants to countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.

It comes as Ms Cooper confirmed smuggling gangs are forcing migrants to wait in the water for a boat to pick them up.

And the Home Secretary revealed asylum seekers on a small boat "refused rescue and remained on the boat" despite a seven-year-old girl being trampled to death.

Ms Abbott said: "This is a difficult time to speak up for a fair and ethical immigration policy, with the tides of far right politics sweeping Europe and maybe even lapping on the shores of this country.

"But does (Ms Cooper) accept that she has a danger of sounding like she is trying to stigmatise desperate migrants rather than building a fair system?"

Ms Cooper replied: "Immigration has always been an important part of the UK, but in order for that to be so, the rules need to be respected and enforced, and we cannot allow the criminal gangs to end up putting lives at risk in this way, or to undermine our border security."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/humiliation-for-keir-starmer-as-dozens-of-his-own-mps-fail-to-back-channel-migrant-plan/ar-AA1yLYUG?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=165d578303114eaefec9d51399299854&ei=116

[Jimbuna]

A bit rich coming from him but for once I agree with him.

Jacob Rees-Mogg rages over foreign aid and demands end to 'waste of money'

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested Britain should copy Donald Trump and freeze foreign aid spending.

The US President paused all international aid after returning to the White House.

Former Tory MP Sir Jacob questioned whether the UK should follow suit.

The ex-Cabinet minister told GB News: "The UK is allocated a staggering £13.7 billion of your money to foreign aid.

"While the notion of supporting global development may seem noble, there have been repeated concerns about the effectiveness of such spending.

"Now we learn that £15.5 million has been committed to a climate smart jobs programme in Uganda, with the potential for an extension to £23.25 million.

"A smaller, yet equally egregious example, £50,000 was allocated to study shrimp health in Bangladesh.

"These expenditures forced us to ask, is the government entrusted with the hard-earned money of taxpayers truly justified in funding such initiatives abroad while pressing needs remain on our own shores?

"Is it time to reconsider and perhaps model ourselves on Donald Trump and cancel the whole thing?"

Sir Jacob added: "Trump and Musk have closed down USAID because they found within it so many of those sorts of examples of money being wasted. And isn't that the problem? That it undermines confidence in this type of spending because it goes on shrimp health and climate change jobs?

"What has reduced global poverty massively since 1990 is China and India joining the trading nations. And the trade and the investment that follows trade is much greater than the overseas aid.

"The overseas aid has all these problems of favouring dictators who siphon it off, of going to weird and wacky schemes that wouldn't be funded in this country, that gives it a bad name.

"I'm not against helping people with their health and with Rotary International and others, polio in India has been massively brought under control. Great steps have been taken. But it's the waste of money on frivolous projects that I object to.

"I think charity is a private matter, not a matter for the state to take money from poor people in this country and give it away."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/jacob-rees-mogg-rages-over-foreign-aid-and-demands-end-to-waste-of-money/ar-AA1yUd72?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=a392de2f210f4cf3a052d3c5e89a0cc1&ei=31

[Jimbuna]

No concerns raised with me about my expenses, says Reeves

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said no concerns were raised with her about her expenses during her time working at Halifax Bank of Scotland.

A BBC News investigation found that while at HBOS, Reeves was subject to a detailed whistleblowing complaint which raised concerns about her use of company money.

Reeves said she "submitted and had her expenses signed off in the proper way".

However, the BBC has seen documents which show concerns about spending habits in the department Reeves worked in were raised with her.

A spokesman for the chancellor previously said she had no knowledge of the investigation, always complied with expenses rules and left the bank on good terms.

Asked what her understanding of the investigation was, Reeves told the BBC: "No one ever raised any concerns about my expenses when I worked for Halifax Bank of Scotland.

"I submitted and had my expenses signed off in the proper way, as you would expect."

Pressed over why some of her former colleagues were aware of an investigation, the chancellor said: "I don't know what they are saying and of course none of them have gone on the record.

"But I was never questioned, never asked to pay back any expenses."

Reeves said she was "really proud of the work that I did before I became an MP" but added: "In the end, people are going to judge me on the job that I'm doing now as chancellor of the exchequer to grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of working people."

A Facebook group for former HBOS employees included several joking about Reeves's expenses spending and the fact she was investigated.

In the late 2000s before entering politics, Reeves worked at HBOS as a senior manager.

The BBC has learnt that during her time at the bank concerns were raised about Reeves, and two other managers, using the bank's money to "fund a lifestyle".

The concerns raised about Reeves's spending included a £400 leaving meal for a colleague, a £49 handbag for her PA and £152 spent on another bag, along with some perfume as a present for her boss in a joint gift with another manager.

One of the other employees investigated was Reeves's manager and the person who signed off her expenses.

The bank's internal audit department carried out the initial investigation and found there was evidence expenses rules appeared to have been broken, a senior source said.

The BBC has not been able to establish what the final outcome of the investigation was, or whether it reached a conclusion.

In late 2008, a memo was circulated to Reeves and others calling for tighter cost controls.

It specifically raised concerns about "spending on travel" and on corporate spending cards, including Motivation cards which were used to reward staff.

The proposals it laid out for improving cost controls included monthly discussions with Reeves and another manager to look at "claims, invoices, Thanks card use and reports". That other manager was also one of those subsequently investigated over their use of expenses.

Separately, Reeves was emailed in mid-December 2008 by an HBOS employee who suggested they should give a presentation to raise awareness of how much was being spent on taxis and on Motivation cards.

Reeves replied to say that she was not sure a "huge analysis" was needed and she wanted to see the papers before they went any further.

The BBC investigation has also raised questions about the accuracy of Reeves's online CV on LinkedIn.

After she was accused of embellishing it last year, her profile was then changed to describe her role at HBOS to "retail banking", rather than "economist" as it had said previously.

The BBC has now established that she exaggerated her time at the Bank of England and left nine months earlier than she had claimed on LinkedIn.

Reeves was at the Bank of England for five and a half years, but nearly a year of that was spent studying for a Masters at the London School of Economics.

As recently as last year, she said she had spent "the best part of a decade as an economist at the Bank of England".

A spokeswoman for Reeves said the dates on her CV were inaccurate due to an administrative error by a member of the team and that Reeves had not seen it before it had been published.

Speaking on Friday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Reeves had "some very, very serious questions to answer".

"Keir Starmer said he was bringing in a government of integrity.

"Telling lies and untruths on your CV, expenses fraud which is what the allegations are, are very serious things. And I do think [Reeves] needs to come out and explain what is going on."

The BBC investigation relates to potential breaches of HBOS expenses rules, not fraud.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed his chancellor, saying she had "dealt with any issues that arise" from "many years ago".

She has also been defended by Science Secretary Peter Kyle, who insisted she can "absolutely" be trusted.

He claimed the BBC's reporting had been "inaccurate", adding: "The head of HR at that bank at that time says it's untrue, said that she never, ever received a file on Rachel Reeves.

"And she says that before she left the bank, there was no investigation that passed her desk. And she's also said if there was one, it would have passed her desk."

However, the BBC's reporting did include quotes from Jane Wayper, who was an HR business partner, not head of HR as Kyle described her.

Wayper had told the BBC she "would have been made aware of any investigation which concluded there was a case to answer".

The BBC has not reported that the investigation reached a conclusion, or that there was a disciplinary process.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clynd9l09w3o

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/x8SHP210/477535334-2127437097770785-8895467660779743518-n.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Catfish]

Hehe :D

[Commander Wallace]

:haha: That's just wrong, Jim.

[Gorpet]

A bit rich coming from him but for once I agree with him.

Just like here in America, All of these people have been in politics and government for years. What brings them out of the shadows now?

[Jimbuna]

Muslim MP opposing calls to scrap Christian prayers in the Commons

Calls to scrap Christian prayers at the start of every House of Commons sitting are being opposed - by a new Muslim MP.

Independent MP Shockat Adam sprang to the defence of the daily worship after nine MPs - including three new Labour members said ‘religious worship should not play any part in the formal business of the Commons’.

In a tradition dating back to 1558, each daily session at the Commons begins with a few minutes of private Christian prayer and contemplation.

Last month, the Mail on Sunday revealed how some of the new generation of Labour MPs had told the Commons’ modernisation committee that the practice was out of date.

And last week, nine MPs - led by newly-elected Labour politician Neil Duncan-Jordan - publicly called for the prayers to cease.

In a Commons early day motion, they say that ‘Parliamentary meetings should be conducted in a manner that is equally welcoming to all attendees, irrespective of their personal beliefs’.

The MPs - including three Labour and three Liberal Democrats - say Parliamentary prayers ‘are not compatible with a society that respects the principles of freedom of and from religion’.

And they are asking the modernisation committee to consider ‘alternative arrangements’.

But last night, Leicester South MP Mr Adam - who was himself only elected last July - disagreed.

He told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Prayers in the House of Commons are part of our Christian heritage and Parliament’s traditions.

‘They’re not compulsory, so MPs have a choice whether to attend or not.

‘So I see no reason for them not to continue.’

He added: ‘MPs of other faiths don’t need collective prayers in the Chamber but should remain free to pray in their own private way on the Parliamentary estate.’

Last month, veteran Conservative MP Sir John Hayes hit out at the ‘arrogance’ of ‘new kids in town’ who wanted prayers scrapped, accusing them of a ‘lack of respect’ for Parliament’s Christian traditions.

Sir John, first elected in 1997, said: ‘Whether you believe in the divine or not, it’s important to recognise our country is rooted in the Christian traditions.

‘Prayers are a reminder of that.’
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/muslim-mp-opposing-calls-to-scrap-christian-prayers-in-the-commons/ar-AA1z8hZi?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=120d067b593a4ceaf6c0f7ba1f8d4500&ei=21

[Jimbuna]

Labour civil war erupts as Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer clash over defence spending

Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly set to overrule Rachel Reeves by calling for increased military spending in a bid to boost support for Ukraine.

The Prime Minister will scramble to Paris on Monday for emergency talks with European counterparts after the US heaped pressure on the continent to bolster its support for war-torn Ukraine.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the need for increased defence spending is widely recognised, including by Ms Reeves.

He said: "The whole Cabinet, the whole Government, I think most people in this country recognise the pressures the world is under, recognise more will have to be spent on defence.

"Now the spending review will set out the roadmap towards that target."

The Chancellor will set out the multi-year plan for public spending on June 11, which is expected to set out how the UK will increase the share spent on defence to 2.5% of the size of the economy, although it is not yet clear when that target will be reached.

But the Government is under pressure from defence chiefs to go further and Nato's secretary-general Mark Rutte has suggested the alliance must set a target to spend at least 3% of gross domestic product.

"The Chancellor knows more than most people the pressures on public services across the board, but defence has to be the cornerstone of our national prosperity as well as our security," Mr Reynolds said.

"There's a whole range of things the UK does. Our contribution to the intelligence services, for instance, should be considered, I think, as part of that contribution to collective Western security."

It comes as David Lammy warned the Chancellor that defence spending may need to treble to Cold War levels if Russia is allowed to win in Ukraine.

Sir Keir is expected to overrule his Chancellor and call for increased defence spending in a bid to woo Donald Trump before he flies to Washington to meet the president at the White House.

Downing Street has maintained plans to boost defence spending since Labour entered power last year but has yet to give a timetable as to when they will reach their goal of 2.5% of GDP. The spending review will set out the roadmap for hitting this.

The UK is currently at 2.3% of spending - although there are calls to reach 2.65% of GDP.

Mr Reynolds tried to play down divisions with the United States over the future of Ukraine.

The Business Secretary told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "We all want the war to end. Desperately want the war to end. I think it's clear for that to be a durable peace, Ukraine has to be at the table, has to be part of that agreement.

"We believe Ukraine is on an irreversible path to Nato membership. But the US defence secretary has said everything is still on the table."

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington "does not believe that Nato membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement" to end the war.

Mr Reynolds said the UK could act as the "bridge between European allies and our US allies, we can be the bridge that strengthens that relationship".

Asked whether British troops could form part of a peacekeeping force after a ceasefire is agreed, he said: "We always say we'll play our part in a peace settlement. It's a little bit hypothetical at this stage, but of course it's in our national interests to make sure that's a durable peace."

Meanwhile Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the Munich Security Conference "Putin will not go away", and that, while it was positive 23 Nato countries were now spending at least 2% of their GDP on defence, "we all know we have to go upward".

He said the UK was "absolutely" committed to spending 2.5% and would set out a "pathway" to achieving that goal in a few months' time.

Mr Lammy's comments came after US Vice-President JD Vance told the conference on Friday that Europe must "step up in a big way to provide for its own defence".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/labour-civil-war-erupts-as-rachel-reeves-and-keir-starmer-clash-over-defence-spending/ar-AA1z8HNj?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=120d067b593a4ceaf6c0f7ba1f8d4500&ei=51

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/50s89Vcf/480026082-2865081143673239-8780585345398542920-n.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves dealt huge blow as unpopularity laid bare in new poll

Rachel Reeves was dealt a fresh blow after new polling found half of Britons say she has been doing a bad job as Chancellor.

Just 15% said the Chancellor had done well in the Ipsos survey, while the rest said neither or did not know.

Some 52% said Ms Reeves's decisions have made them less confident about economic growth, including a third of Labour voters.

Two in three disagree with the controversial policy of stripping most pensioners of winter fuel payments.

Just over half - 53% - oppose the hike in employers' national insurance contributions.

However, 72% support increasing NHS funding in the poll of 2,248 British adults carried out from February 7-11.

Gideon Skinner, senior director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said: "While increasing NHS funding is welcomed by a substantial majority, the public remain unconvinced about the overall direction of the economy under Rachel Reeves' stewardship.

"The fact that half of Britons believe she is doing a bad job as Chancellor, coupled with widespread pessimism about rising unemployment, should sound alarm bells in Downing Street.

"This negativity is likely fuelled by the significant proportion of the public (50%) who feel less confident about economic growth following her policy decisions.

"The Chancellor's efforts to highlight investment and a long-term vision for growth have yet to resonate with voters, who are continuing to feel pressures from the cost of living."

It comes as Ms Reeves has faced an ongoing backlash since her tax-hiking Budget last October.

There is speculation she could be moved out of 11 Downing Street in a reshuffle by Sir Keir Starmer.

Speaking last week, Ms Reeves said:"It's not possible to turn around more than a decade of poor economic performance in just a few months. But we are doing what is necessary to bring stability back to the economy.

"Reforming the economy, the planning system, regulation and pensions to encourage investment in our economy, which is the lifeblood of a successful economy. We need to go further and faster in doing that, to turn around our poor growth performance and to make working people better off."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-dealt-huge-blow-as-unpopularity-laid-bare-in-new-poll/ar-AA1zdu5Y?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=e13172c3be28449f9969e71874618200&ei=20

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer 'must stop punishing hardworking Brits'

The news that nine in ten councils across England are being forced to impose the maximum council tax hike is a bitter pill for hardworking families, pensioners, and small businesses already grappling with higher outgoings from Labour's budget.

These soaring council tax increases come at a time when inflation is already driving up household food bills. Families are facing rising costs at the supermarket, higher mortgage rates and Labour's jobs tax is leading to higher costs for councils.

But instead of offering relief, Labour has doubled down on its tax-and-spend approach, squeezing people's finances while stifling economic growth.

It is especially shocking to hear that Angela Rayner has allowed many councils to increase their rate beyond the 5% cap without a referendum. Lib Dem run Somerset, and Windsor & Maidenhead councils, as well as Labour run Trafford and Birmingham City councils are all in this category which has left many thinking that Angela Rayner will only reward councils who live beyond their means.

It doesn't stop at council tax. Labour's introduction of the jobs tax and higher business rates levied on small businesses and pubs, means the Government are attacking the very backbone of our communities. Pubs, vital social hubs in towns and villages, are being hit with higher taxes leaving many on the brink of closure.

To make matters worse, Labour has taken the disgraceful decision to strip pensioners of the Winter Fuel Allowance. So we now have a situation where some of the most vulnerable members of society are going to be forced to pay more council tax so that Labour can reward the poor financial decisions of bankrupt councils.

Conservative run councils have always delivered better services for less money and on average have lower rates on Band D council tax bills.

We believe in keeping taxes low so that families can thrive, businesses can grow and communities can prosper. Labour's relentless tax hikes are an attack on aspiration and hard work and voters will remember who stood up for their interests come the elections in May.

It's time to stop punishing success, reward responsibility and give hardworking Brits the financial breathing space they deserve.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-and-keir-starmer-must-stop-punishing-hardworking-brits/ar-AA1znxuo?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=19ca8dd6ab9b4e67c140bc3f20cca692&ei=17

[Jimbuna]

Households face further squeeze as energy bills cap set to go up

Households face a further squeeze on their finances – with energy bills set to go up again and Britain’s biggest water firms looking to hike prices for millions.

Despite Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s pre-election pledge to bring down bills by £300, an expected £85 rise in the price cap next week will mark the third such lift since Labour came to power.

The jump – equating to a £255 hit for the average home – is a fresh blow to millions of pensioners who last year were stripped of their winter fuel allowance payments.

Meanwhile, more than 27 million people face soaring water bills after three companies last night joined Britain’s biggest utility firm in urging for further price rises.

Thanks to cold weather and low gas storage levels in Europe, energy costs are set to rise again in April, taking the average bill to over £1,800 per year, a forecast says.

Consultancy Cornwall Insight predicted that the energy price cap, controlled by watchdog Ofgem, will jump to £1,823 from April, an £85 rise from the last change in January.

‘Once again, it’s more money out of working people’s pockets under this Labour government,’ said acting Tory energy spokesman Andrew Bowie MP.

He added: ‘During the election, they promised the public £300 off energy bills.’

When Labour entered government in July last year, the cap stood at £1,568 but since then has risen twice to £1,717 in October and then £1,738 last month.

If the latest prediction is accurate, it will mean the average annual energy bill will have leaped by £255 since the election.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/households-face-further-squeeze-as-energy-bills-cap-set-to-go-up/ar-AA1zjoao?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=19ca8dd6ab9b4e67c140bc3f20cca692&ei=69

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/JhktJTMZ/original-EE503869-F625-480-C-89-F7-65-CFA60-E0-D90.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5HfxWSH2)

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer's EU dream exposed as the farce it is on the world stage

The EU is left out of the room as talks continue over Ukraine, just as it recently emerged Russia is now outspending the rest of Europe combined when it comes to defence.

Does the Labour government seriously want to get back into bed with this underwhelming, underfunded and underachieving bloc?

Full disclosure, I voted Leave in 2016 for very specific reasons. For starters, given the binary yes/no nature of the referendum, my sense then - and now - is a Remain vote would have seen Britain go 'all in': single currency and the works.

That was a fate not worth having, and while perhaps the Swiss/Norway/EFTA model could have offered the best of both worlds, the binary nature of the vote, coupled with Britain's opportunities in the Commonwealth, alongside how sclerotic and tired the EU had become led me to vote out.

Sadly, since the Tories by and large never really believed in Brexit, that Leave vote has turned out to be symbolic rather than substantive. Yet, with a government which had confidence in the UK and its future beyond a tired EU, the benefits of Brexit could actually be realised.

Sadly, Sir Keir Starmer's government is even less willing to realise this potential than the Tories, and even more likely to want to drag the UK back in through the side entrance.

Yet what on earth would Britain gain from returning to an EU which cannot defend itself, wants to regulate tech to death rather than lead in it, and whose economy is barely growing?

Beyond Brussels is a burgeoning Commonwealth plus a "CANZUK four" of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and the UK which not only share a king, language and legal system, but which combined would be the world's largest polity and third largest economy.

In an era where cultural proximity outpaces geographic proximity, why would the UK wish to tie itself to a bloc of geriatric ex-imperial powers bandying together to somehow stay relevant?

Under Sir Keir, Britain risks a similar fate of irrelevance and sclerosis. It need not be this way. Commonwealth aside, Britain has its superstar universities to develop the growth technologies of tomorrow, an advantage the forlorn EU sorely lacks.

Perhaps the UK could have had its cake and eaten it with EFTA, able to rebuild its Commonwealth future while keeping some trade links with the EU, rather as the Swiss have. But, in the post-Brexit era, it is time for Britain to cut the apron strings and make a new future for itself entirely.

Not simply a bridge between Brussels and Washington, nor aching to join itself at the hip to either, the UK should seize the moment for a third and more dynamic option, forging its own path alongside the Commonwealth Realms and republics.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/keir-starmer-s-eu-dream-exposed-as-the-farce-it-is-on-the-world-stage/ar-AA1zqYHt?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=92a932d195ee48be8799b977193e113a&ei=29

[Jimbuna]

Labour still doesn't get one major reason UK is being laughed at on world stage

Welcome to Labour's Britain - where free speech is persecuted, dissent is silenced, and the very freedoms we once took for granted are slipping through our fingers.

When a senior US politician stands on the world stage and calls out Britain for its draconian suppression of free speech, you'd think any self-respecting government would sit up and take notice.

Instead, Labour's Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, shrugged it off, demonstrating that he's incapable of grasping the gravity of his own words.

The UK, under this weak yet authoritarian government, is losing its standing as a bastion of democracy - and the world is watching in horror.

At the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President JD Vance took a sledgehammer to European hypocrisy, and rightly so. He didn't hold back in exposing the sheer double standards of our so-called "liberal democracies" - where freedom of speech is being sacrificed for Labour's radical left-wing ideology.

The UK was squarely in his sights, and for good reason. A British Army veteran was fined thousands for the "crime" of silently praying outside an abortion clinic. Read that again. A man stood quietly in his own thoughts and was punished by the state. If that doesn't send shivers down your spine, you've lost all sense of what a free society should be.

And how does Labour respond to this damning indictment? With platitudes, evasion, and a complete lack of accountability. Reynolds, a self-proclaimed Christian, had the gall to claim that "no one is arrested for what they are praying about" in Britain. Really? Tell that to Adam Smith-Connor, who was convicted for doing precisely that.

Labour's response isn't just weak - it's Orwellian gaslighting.

Labour's authoritarian streak is now plain for all to see. They claim to champion human rights, but only for those in "protected groups" that fit their ideological agenda. The rest of us? We get silenced, fined, or worse.

And the EU is no better. Brussels is openly threatening to shut down social media during times of unrest, police are raiding citizens for online "misogyny" and in Sweden, a Christian activist was jailed for a Quran-burning that led to his own friend's murder. These are not the actions of free societies. These are the hallmarks of creeping tyranny.

The reality is simple : Britain is no longer respected on the world stage. Under Labour, we have become a cautionary tale - a warning from the US that Western democracies are in retreat. And if anyone still doubted it, Trump himself doubled down, praising Vance's speech and affirming that Europe is "losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech".

This isn't just about reputation. This assault on free speech has real consequences. Once you give the state the power to police thought, there is no stopping its overreach.

Today, it's silent prayer outside an abortion clinic. Tomorrow, it's dissent against government policies. The creeping erosion of our rights has been disguised as "progress" but make no mistake - this is regression into tyranny.

Britain was once a beacon of liberty, a model for the world. Under Labour, it is fast becoming a

parody of itself - an insecure, censorious nanny state, mocked and pitied by our allies. And unless we fight back, that decline will only accelerate.

Free speech is not up for negotiation - and if Labour doesn't get that, it is Labour that needs to go.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/labour-still-doesn-t-get-one-major-reason-uk-is-being-laughed-at-on-world-stage/ar-AA1zvqAX?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=25eb680c99924d03e4835d285a55a27a&ei=33

[MGR1]

As if we weren't already. How many Tory PM's did we have in quick succession due to the party fighting itself over Brexit and economic policy?

How did that look on the world stage? Not very flattering, I suspect.

The British Political Right can't exactly take the high-ground on this one.

For an ideology that's supposed to prize individual responsibility and freedom over the collective, they aren't very good at owning up to their own cock-ups.

Mike.:doh:

[Jimbuna]

First it was 'Rachel from Accounts' and now it is the governments Business Secretary :o

Business Secretary accused of falsely claiming he was a ‘solicitor’ — despite quitting training contract and never qualifying

The government’s Business Secretary is facing awkward questions after it emerged that he had apparently claimed to be a ‘solicitor’ despite not completing his training.

Jonathan Reynolds MP studied law at BPP Law School before securing a training contract at Addleshaw Goddard‘s Manchester office. However, 10 months into his two-year training contract, he is said to have decided against a legal career and instead pursued a path in politics.

While there’s nothing wrong with a change in careers, questions have been raised about why Reynolds has previously described himself as a “solicitor” in several places online, including on his LinkedIn profile.

The use of the term “solicitor” is strictly regulated under the Solicitors Act 1974. Only individuals who have been admitted as solicitors of the Senior Courts of England and Wales and whose names appear on the roll are allowed to use the title. A spokesperson for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) confirmed Reynolds is not qualified as a solicitor.

The Business Secretary’s use of the term “solicitor” was first questioned by the political blog Guido Fawkes, which shared a screenshot purportedly showing Reynolds’ LinkedIn profile describing him as a “solicitor” at Addleshaw Goddard from May 2009 to May 2010. The reference appears to have been removed.

Reynolds did not respond to our request for comment, but his spokesperson told the blog that the reference was a mistake and that he has sought to make it clear he was a trainee solicitor before entering politics.

The revelations add to growing scrutiny over the accuracy of CVs among politicians. Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently faced criticism after edits were made to her online biography to clarify that her previous role at Halifax Bank of Scotland was in retail banking rather than as an economist.
https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/02/business-secretary-accused-of-falsely-claiming-he-was-a-solicitor-despite-quitting-training-contract-and-never-qualifying/

[MGR1]

I suspect that there will be some serious back peddling on this matter prior to Starmer heading to Washington:

Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgj54eq4vejo)

Apple is taking the unprecedented step of removing its highest level data security tool from customers in the UK, after the government demanded access to user data.

Advanced Data Protection, external (https://support.apple.com/en-gb/108756#:~:text=Advanced%20Data%20Protection%20is%2 0designed,secured%20using%20standard%20data%20prot ection.) (ADP) means only account holders can view items such as photos or documents they have stored online through a process known as end-to-end encryption.

But earlier this month the UK government asked (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20g288yldko) for the right to see the data, which currently not even Apple can access.

Apple did not comment at the time but has consistently opposed creating a "backdoor" in its encryption service, arguing that if it did so, it would only be a matter of time before bad actors also found a way in.

Now the tech giant has decided it will no longer be possible to activate ADP in the UK.
It's another example of the basic incompetence of the Home Office. If it can't even understand the full ramifications of modern technology, what hope is there?

Although it is another example of how dependent we, and the larger "West" are on American tech. The US companies have become so prevalent that no-one can really function effectively without them. Thus it allows significant pressure to be exerted by the US over anyone who uses their tech.

Perhaps we should just surrender now and allow ourselves to become overseas territories of the US, like Puerto Rico or American Samoa.:hmmm:

Mike.

[Catfish]

Do not worry, your special relationship will save the UK :03:

[Jimbuna]

Do not worry, your special relationship will save the UK :03:

LMAO :haha:

[Catfish]

^ I'm sorry, I know this was a bit unfair :oops:

[Jimbuna]

^ I'm sorry, I know this was a bit unfair :oops:

Not at all....this is just the beginning for the UK and Europe :o

[MGR1]

https://i.imgflip.com/4dfdoa.jpg

:salute:

Mike.

[Jimbuna]

Quite possibly :)

[Jimbuna]

State pension row reignites as Waspi women threaten Labour with legal action over £3k compensation rejection

Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaigners have threatened to take legal action against the Labour Government.

Activists are slamming ministers over their rejection of £10billion compensation for women affected by state pension age changes.

The Waspi campaign has sent a "letter before action" to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), warning of High Court proceedings if the issue remains unresolved, giving 14 days to respond before filing their case.

This dispute centres on compensation for women born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised to match men's, which campaigners say was not properly communicated.

Last March, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) recommended compensation of up to £2,950 each for the affected women, arguing the changes had not been properly communicated.

Despite the PHSO's recommendation to the Government, Labour ruled out any compensation package for those affected last December.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged concerns but remained firm on the decision, stating: "Ninety per cent of those impacted did know about the change – and in those circumstances, the taxpayer simply can't afford the burden of tens of billions of pounds of compensation."

The changes were first announced in 1995, with the process later accelerated under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government.

Angela Madden, chair of the Waspi campaign, said members would not allow the DWP's "gaslighting" of affected women to go unchallenged.

"The Government has accepted that 1950s-born women are victims of maladministration, but it now says none of us suffered any injustice. We believe this is not only an outrage but legally wrong," she said.

Amid this standoff with the Government, the group has launched a £75,000 CrowdJustice campaign to fund their legal action.

"We have been successful before and we are confident we will be again," Madden added, urging the Secretary of State to "come to the table to sort out a compensation package.

"The current Labour leadership faces scrutiny over its stance, as several senior ministers backed the Waspi campaign while in opposition.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall were among those who previously supported the campaign's demands.

Approximately 3.6 million women in the UK were affected by the phased changes to bring their retirement age in line with men.

Labour MP Brian Leishman was one of 10 party members to support an SNP bill urging action on the ombudsman's findings.

Leishman warned that the next UK Government could be a "hardline far-right effort" if Labour failed to deliver "improved living standards".

A Government spokesman responded to the campaign's threat, saying: "We accept the ombudsman's finding of maladministration and have apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women."

The spokesman added that evidence showed only one in four people remember reading unexpected letters, while by 2006, 90 per cent of 1950s-born women were aware of the state pension age changes.

"Earlier letters wouldn't have affected this. For these and other reasons the Government cannot justify paying for a £10.5billion compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer," they concluded.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/state-pension-row-reignites-as-waspi-women-threaten-labour-with-legal-action-over-3k-compensation-rejection/ar-AA1zFaT8?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=46adea6cee2e4cd9ccca2420e91502af&ei=22

[Jimbuna]

Who in Gods name does this self proclaimed tool think he is!!!

Starmer removes Churchill portraits from Parliament as Labour continues assault against greatest Britons

Sir Keir Starmer has removed portraits of Winston Churchill, the Duke of Wellington, and more British heroes from the Houses of Parliament.

Since Labour's General Election victory last summer, the Prime Minister has axed drawings, photographs and prints of historical British political leaders and monarchs.

As many as five images of Churchill have been removed from parts of the parliamentary estate occupied primarily by MPs' offices, according to a new report in the Telegraph.

One photograph removed from Portcullis House - the main office building for MPs, showed the Second World War leader standing at the Cenotaph in 1945.

Meanwhile, images of the Duke of Wellington - the country's second most popular PM in history after Churchill, according to YouGov - were removed from display after Labour's victory.

The portraits comprise part of the Parliamentary Art Collection, which oversees some 10,000 works which MPs can use to decorate their offices.

Back in 2020, the collection was subjected to a probe for "links to slavery and racism" in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

The audit was carried out by the cross-party Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art, which compiled a dossier of artworks of historical figures which risked controversy.

Portraits of several figures included in the dossier were canned following the election - including five portraits of former PM William Gladstone just days after July 4.

Three portraits of the Duke of Wellington were removed in the week following the election, while anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce also saw his portrait taken down.

Further images of poet John Milton, King Charles I, and a painting of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were all canned after Labour returned to power for the first time in 14 years.

Most of the artworks were removed from the office buildings of Portcullis House, Derby Gate and the Norman Shaw building - which all house MPs' offices outside the Palace of Westminster

The Telegraph reports the artworks are now in storage.

Though inside the Palace of Westminster itself, several statues and paintings of Churchill remain.

The display and location of art in the Commons is overseen by the Heritage Collections Team and the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-removes-churchill-portraits-from-parliament-as-labour-continues-assault-against-greatest-britons/ar-AA1zGUYP?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ENTPSP&cvid=5c2d1fb4356644c3b2137824047cdf3d&ei=18

[Jimbuna]

Reeves told to raise personal allowance by £1,000 to stop state pension tax raid

Rachel Reeves has been urged to raise the personal allowance to save state pensioners from falling into a “retirement tax” trap.

Campaigners have called for the incomes of retirees to be protected from being dragged into a tax bracket for the first time.

Silver Voices, an advocate group for pensioners, said those with no other income aside from the state pension risked paying income tax from next year due to frozen allowances.

To avoid this it has proposed increasing the personal allowance, currently £12,570, by £1,000 from April and then uprating it on the same basis as the pensions triple lock.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/reeves-told-to-raise-personal-allowance-by-1-000-to-stop-state-pension-tax-raid/ar-AA1zKAPH?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=ff00eec1652a4f3ff1ff79f26eef9caa&ei=26

Charities ‘shocked’ and ‘stunned’ by decision to cut aid to fund defence spending

Charities and aid organisations have criticised the Prime Minister’s “reckless” decision to cut the aid budget in order to increase defence spending, labelling it a “betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable”.

Sir Keir Starmer announced a dramatic increase in defence spending from its current 2.3% to 2.5% by 2027 in response to “tyrant” Vladimir Putin and amid uncertainty over the US’s commitment to European security.

The change means spending £13.4 billion more on defence from 2027, but, in order to find the increase, development assistance aid will be slashed form its current 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in the next two years.

Charities have said the changes will have “devastating” repercussions and will have “direct consequences for children and families in the UK as well as around the world”.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/charities-shocked-and-stunned-by-decision-to-cut-aid-to-fund-defence-spending/ar-AA1zKLnn?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=ff00eec1652a4f3ff1ff79f26eef9caa&ei=35

[Jimbuna]

You simply couldn't make this up!!

Labour MP jailed for punching man in street will receive full pay while in prison

Mike Amesbury will still be paid his £91,346 taxpayer-funded salary despite being handed 10-week sentence for ‘drunken brawl’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/02/24/labour-mp-mike-amesbury-jailed-punching-man-in-street/?msockid=3cbf037a65306e9a2d01162464a76f6a

[Commander Wallace]

You simply couldn't make this up!!


Where do I sign up ? To be the puncher, not the punchee. :yep: :haha:

[Jimbuna]

Where do I sign up ? To be the puncher, not the punchee. :yep: :haha:

Any constituency held by a LIEbour MP :)

[Jimbuna]

Looks like the thug is also a softie.

Jailed MP Mike Amesbury to return to court to appeal against sentence

Jailed MP Mike Amesbury is to return to court later this week to appeal against his sentence.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP, who was given a 10-week prison sentence on Monday for punching a man in the street, will attend an appeal hearing at Chester Crown Court on Thursday morning, a court spokesman said.

The sentence leaves the 55-year-old at risk of being ousted if his constituents back a petition calling for a by-election.

The former Labour MP has been sitting as an Independent for the Cheshire seat since he was suspended by the party after his arrest last year.

There is no automatic suspension for MPs serving a custodial sentence, although opposition parties have called for Amesbury to resign so a by-election can be held.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/jailed-mp-mike-amesbury-to-return-to-court-to-appeal-against-sentence/ar-AA1zPYCq?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=d465166026b94b7b849f77a662633770&ei=46

[Jimbuna]

Ed Miliband is accused of breaking his election promise

Ed Miliband was last night accused of breaking his election promise to slash energy bills as millions of households face paying another £111 a year from April.

The Energy Secretary pledged during the election campaign that his controversial plan to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 would reduce household bills by £300.

But yesterday, the regulator Ofgem announced the energy price cap will rise from £1,738 a year to £1,849 – 6.4 per cent – following a spike in wholesale prices.

The third consecutive rise will equate to £111 for an average household per year, or around £9.25 a month. It brings the average total rise in energy bills since Labour took power to £281.

Conservative energy spokesman Andrew Bowie last night said: ‘The latest hike in the energy price cap is a betrayal to the families who Ed Miliband promised to save £300 on their bills. Labour’s election promise is shot and bills are on the rise.

‘The Government are not being honest about the trade-offs required to fund their fantastical energy policies – it will be families who are hit with the bill.’

Mr Miliband said the price cap rise was ‘worrying news’ for many families but insisted that making Britain a ‘clean energy superpower’ would bring down bills.

He added that around 2.7million extra households, including nearly a million with children, would be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount next winter. This would bring the total number of recipient homes to more than 6million.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/ed-miliband-is-accused-of-breaking-his-election-promise/ar-AA1zMSFH?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=d465166026b94b7b849f77a662633770&ei=94

[Catfish]

Looks like the thug is also a softie.
I thought this is the U*K* Politics thread?
At least no one in the Yuck tries to enter Putin's or Trump's rectum.

[Catfish]

https://news.sky.com/story/rod-stewart-labels-vladimir-putin-an-a-e-and-urges-support-for-ukraine-right-to-the-end-13079586

[Jimbuna]

:haha:

[Jimbuna]

It's starting to become more embarrassing with each passing day.

Yvette Cooper new portrait is back-slapping self-congratulation while Brits struggle

Labour's failure on immigration is clear. Yet, instead of bringing forward any plan to fix the unfolding crisis in the channel, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has been busy on other matters - like hanging portraits of herself in Parliament replacing the great British Admiral, Nelson.

Because whilst illegals cross the channel and more and more asylum hotels are used, Labour is focusing on self-glorification and vanity. The numbers we have seen today prove it. More illegals in hotels that Labour pledged to shut. Deportations collapsing. And 96% of illegals crossing by boat, staying in this country indefinitely.

38,079 so-called asylum seekers are currently cosied up at our expense. And that's been on the rise since Labour took over.

And the asylum backlog is up under Labour, with 90,000 cases waiting for a decision.

Deportations of small boat arrivals are at rock bottom, with only 4% of those who waltzed up on our shores unlawfully being kicked out of this country.

Instead of sorting this out, Labour is actively choosing to make it easier for illegals to stay in our country. They're letting illegals claim asylum despite the Conservative government passing laws stopping it.

They are even fast-tracking a British passport for illegals, debasing the value of our citizenship and as good as stamping on what it means to earn a passport through service.

And they're watering down age checks, making it easier for illegals to pose as kids so they can skirt our laws and putting fully grown men in classrooms with teenage girls. Labour is rewarding criminality, and taxpayers are left picking up the tab.

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, should be fixing this crisis, not toasting herself.

Her new portrait in parliament, which replaces that of Admiral Nelson, a national icon who defended Britain, symbolises the vanity, hubris, and ineptitude of this government. Under Yvette, our borders are left defenceless.

Nelson fought to protect Britain's sovereignty, but Cooper gave it to criminals. And whilst Labour indulges in back-slapping self-congratulation, hardworking Britons are struggling under the weight of this government's failures.

On every front, they are backing down or screwing up. The UK needs strong leadership and the restoration of control over our borders.

Whilst Labour celebrates itself, the Conservatives will fight to fix this crisis. Britons deserve so much better, and only the Conservatives will deliver it.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/yvette-cooper-takes-break-from-failing-on-immigration-to-remove-nelson-s-portrait/ar-AA1zVt65?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=deab2a7c64e44be7dcefa1aafb099223&ei=11

[Jimbuna]

International Development minister quits over aid cuts

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds has resigned over the prime minister's cuts to the aid budget.

In a letter to the prime minister,, external Dodds said the cuts to international aid, announced earlier this week to fund an increase in defence spending, would "remove food and healthcare from desperate people - deeply harming the UK's reputation".

She told Sir Keir Starmer she had delayed her resignation until after his meeting with President Trump, saying it was "imperative that you had a united cabinet behind you as you set off for Washington".

The MP said it was with "sadness" that she was resigning, adding she knew Sir Keir was not "ideologically opposed" to international development.

Ahead of his trip to meet Trump, Sir Keir announced aid funding would be reduced from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in 2027 in order to fund an increase in defence spending.

Defending the move, the prime minister said it was "not a decision I wanted to make" but added there was "no driver of migration and poverty like conflict".

In her resignation letter, Dodds warned that the cut would "also likely lead to a UK pull-out from numerous African, Caribbean and Western Balkan nations - at a time when Russia has been aggressively increasing its global presence".

"It will likely lead to withdrawal from regional banks and a reduced commitment to the World Bank; the UK being shut out of numerous multilateral bodies; and a reduced voice for the UK in the G7, G20 and in climate negotiations."

Dodds said the post-war global order had "come crashing down" and that she welcomed an increase in defence spending.

"I stood ready to work with you to deliver that increased spending, knowing some might well have had to come from ODA [overseas development assistance].

"I also expected we would collectively discuss our fiscal rules and approach to taxation, as other nations are doing."

However, Dodds said that instead of taking this approach the prime minister had decided to allow the ODA to "absorb the entire burden".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpv44982jlgo

https://i.postimg.cc/T1PJ1DHR/oh-dear-how-sad-never-mind.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Coming from Two Tier Keir I'd have thought the words were worth nothing.

Starmer tells Zelensky he has 'full backing' of UK

Sir Keir Starmer has told Volodymyr Zelensky he has "full backing across the United Kingdom" as the two met in Downing Street.

The Ukrainian president told the prime minister he was happy his country had "such friends", after arriving in the UK in the wake of a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump that descended into a row between the two leaders.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4k137ezlgo

[Catfish]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=57rv-3jxxew&pp=ygUKSGFyZCB0aW1lcw%3D%3D

[Jimbuna]

Angela Rayner dealt huge blow as major 'workers rights' plan faces chop

The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to be dealt a major blow after reports ministers are set to axe plans to give people the "right to switch off" outside working hours. The policy, which was championed by Angela Rayner, was a crucial part of the Government's manifesto promise of a "New Deal for Working People" designed to bolster employment rights.

The decision to cancel the policy has reportedly been taken by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Chancellor Rachel Reeves amid concern it would have placed too much of a burden on businesses, the Sunday Times reports. A Government source told the newspaper the "right to switch off is dead". The policy would have followed similar laws already seen in France, Belgium and Ireland.

It did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, but there were promises from ministers it would emerge in future.

Ministers are now expected to say in this coming week that the policy has been dropped, when they table a series of amendments to the bill.

They are said to be making the change in a bid to boost business confidence, after the Budget placed extra costs on employers in the form of the National Insurance contributions hike.

Some of Britain's most famous piers have told the Daily Express Ms Reeves' Budget is having a devastating impact on the industry.

The Sunday Times' Government source added: "Growth that puts money in people's pockets is the number one priority of this Government's plan for change.

"That means making Britain the best country in the world to do business and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers."

Ms Rayner, who led Labour's workers' rights programme while in opposition, has reportedly agreed to the move, although it is unclear how supportive she is.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/angela-rayner-dealt-huge-blow-as-major-workers-rights-plan-faces-chop/ar-AA1A6AS3?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=647f9ac430bc4a98a1f463e226b46ee6&ei=46

[Rockstar]

https://youtu.be/EfIL12DzPOE

British media and herr Starmer driving a final wedge between us would be a spectacular achievement. To do it without a shot fired would be one of the most masterful strategic moves in history. A disaster for many nations and global security and the last straw on an already fragile so called ‘special relationship’.

Probably not a good idea for an island without a navy and more dandy’s prancing around on horses than infantry and armor.

[Jimbuna]

Boat loads of mostly men are breaking into Britain while leaders talk about protecting Europe

If only we put as much effort into defending our own borders as we are when it comes to protecting Ukraine's.

Nearly 600 illegal migrants crossed the Channel yesterday. The highest number for a single day this year.

2,716 have arrived this year - 20 per cent more than at the same point last year.

What's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper done? Agreed to send even more money to the French - in fact she's extended the deal until 2027.

Oh but it's on one condition...that they build a £12.5m migrant detention centre in Dunkirk. Yeh alright, they were supposed to do that years ago.

It's been held up due to planning rows. This mythical migrant detention centre was part of the £480m Britain agreed to pay for additional border patrols and surveillance equipment such as drones and night-vision binoculars.

You are paying for 730 of the 1,200 French police officers dedicated to patrolling France’s northern border.

The French, after all these years, have literally only just passed a law to allow police officers to intercept migrant boats in shallow water.

So this whole time they were operating under a law that prevented them from stopping migrant boats in the water - which is why people smugglers have been putting people in boats in rivers that lead into the Channel because once they get in those boats they can't be stopped.

Does that sound like the French really want to do anything about the problem?

A convenient law that prevented them stopping any migrants in the water, their new detention centre which Brits have already paid for, can't be built because of planning rows...we even paid for night vision cameras on the beaches that the French installed, didn't turn on and then when they did only a few of them worked.

Under Labour the number of migrant hotels has risen by at least seven.

A load of European leaders talking about our values and protecting Europe from invasion...and literally whilst that's happening boat loads of mostly men from the Middle East and Africa are breaking into Britain.

Starmer has formed a coalition of the willing to help Ukraine...Maybe we actually need a 'coalition of the willing' to prevent Britain from being invaded.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/boat-loads-of-mostly-men-are-breaking-into-britain-while-leaders-talk-about-protecting-europe-says-patrick-christys/ar-AA1AaRuG?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=e1293a968c764ea3879c52bf30133802&ei=8

[Catfish]

^^
"We rate The Duran as a Questionable source based on far-right-wing bias, promotion of Russian propaganda, right-wing conspiracies, and lack of transparency."
Still both views may be true. But as we cannot know for sure this narrative is as credible as any other russian source. Or ukrainian, of course.
Regardless what the media say, there will be support from other countries, even if the US have gallantly chickened out.

[Rockstar]

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.

Good luck with that.


https://youtu.be/e4TmtkjcY9A

https://youtu.be/po9duwvipB0

[Rockstar]

^^
"We rate The Duran as a Questionable source based on far-right-wing bias, promotion of Russian propaganda, right-wing conspiracies, and lack of transparency."
Still both views may be true. But as we cannot know for sure this narrative is as credible as any other russian source. Or ukrainian, of course.
Regardless what the media say, there will be support from other countries, even if the US have gallantly chickened out.

Gallantly chickened out? Who do think is keeping European Asian trade routes through the Red Sea open the Deutsche Marine or Royal Navy? Hell we have more US Coast Guard cutters in theater than either of those two combined.

[Catfish]

Chickened out of supporting an ally called Ukraine?
Well maybe not in the long run, we will see.

[Rockstar]

Chickened out of supporting an ally called Ukraine?
Well maybe not in the long run, we will see.

Chicken out? You cowards are working both ends. On one hand you’re loaning Ukraine 19 billion in financial aid and on the other you’re paying Russia 23 billion for energy to keep the war going. Now you, Herr Starmer, Macron and Zelensky want US troops in Ukraine to protect that arrangement? Send your own soldiers to protect your interests you were warned by Trump in 2018 not to become dependent on Russian energy, it’s your bed, you sleep in it.

[Catfish]

^ Right :haha:
It it was my decision ... I know you are only here for trolling but seriously. We hope Europe does exactly that.

[Rockstar]

^ Right :haha:
It it was my decision ... I know you are only here for trolling but seriously. We hope Europe does exactly that.

Oh look more common ground! We hope Europe does exactly that too.

[Catfish]

^ there is no common ground left.
[...] you were warned by Trump in 2018 not to become dependent on Russian energy, it’s your bed, you sleep in it.

Hmm, can you explain this then?

"A former spy and close friend of Vladimir Putin has been engineering a restart of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe with the backing of US investors, a once unthinkable move that shows the breadth of Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow.

The efforts on a deal, according to several people aware of the discussions, were the brainchild of Matthias Warnig, an ex-Stasi officer in East Germany who until 2023 ran Nord Stream 2’s parent company for the Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom.

Warnig’s plan involved outreach to the Trump team through US businessmen, the people said, as part of back-channel efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine while deepening economic ties between the US and Russia."

https://www.ft.com/content/dc9c51ab-03cb-47ba-ad0a-09c4deed9b50

B.t.w. the "Moscow Times" is not located in Russia, nor does it follow the Kremlin's propaganda:

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/03/russia-and-us-held-secret-talks-on-restarting-nord-stream-2-pipeline-bild-a88225

https://www.firstpost.com/world/putin-ally-backed-by-us-investors-pushes-plan-to-restart-nord-stream-2-pipeline-13867961.html

[Rockstar]

^ there is no common ground left.


Hmm, can you explain this then?

"A former spy and close friend of Vladimir Putin has been engineering a restart of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe with the backing of US investors, a once unthinkable move that shows the breadth of Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow.

The efforts on a deal, according to several people aware of the discussions, were the brainchild of Matthias Warnig, an ex-Stasi officer in East Germany who until 2023 ran Nord Stream 2’s parent company for the Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom.

Warnig’s plan involved outreach to the Trump team through US businessmen, the people said, as part of back-channel efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine while deepening economic ties between the US and Russia."

https://www.ft.com/content/dc9c51ab-03cb-47ba-ad0a-09c4deed9b50

B.t.w. the "Moscow Times" is not located in Russia, nor does it follow the Kremlin's propaganda:

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/03/russia-and-us-held-secret-talks-on-restarting-nord-stream-2-pipeline-bild-a88225

https://www.firstpost.com/world/putin-ally-backed-by-us-investors-pushes-plan-to-restart-nord-stream-2-pipeline-13867961.html


According to a recent report by the Financial Times, which cites anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter,

Looking at your links the Financial Times article is the original source . The others links dont offer anything new and seem to simply regurgitate a mirror image of the original FT article.

I guess if you repeat the same thing enough times people may begin to believe it.

Gives me a Steele Dossier vibe, made up b.s.. My advice is to be wary of any article which cite anonymous sources. If history has shown us anything it’s how they made a lot of gullible people here look very foolish.

I guess my first question would be who the source is ? No sense in arguing anything else until that can be determined.

https://youtu.be/b3AN2wY4qAM

[Jimbuna]

Can there ever be an end to this insanity?

Express witnesses more migrants being escorted across Channel by French ship

Dozens of migrants have been intercepted crossing the Channel as a "surge" of boats from France continues.

The Daily Express witnessed the French navy ship Ridens escorting the inflatable - packed with scores of men - to the median line of the Channel on Wednesday before Border Force's Typhoon collected the asylum seekers and took them to Dover.

Some 326 crossed the Channel on Tuesday, adding to the 182 on Monday and 592 on Sunday, Home Office figures show.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/express-witnesses-more-migrants-being-escorted-across-channel-by-french-ship/ar-AA1AidYO?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=6d5c22f9887d4e5e8eb6d6bf98b255c9&ei=27

[Jimbuna]

With a bit of luck they'll manage to kill/destroy each other and Two Tier will closely follow.

Even Labour's had enough of Ed Miliband - now Rachel Reeves is moving in for the kill

Reports suggest the Labour cabinet is sick of his wild green dreams - with Chancellor Rachel Reeves leading the charge to put him out to pasture.

There was bound to be a backlash against Ed Miliband once the reality of governing sunk in. Because the Energy Secretary has zero connection with reality.

Miliband has a head full of eco dreams, and I'm sure they're lovely. But they're wreaking havoc in the real world.

Now the handful of grown-ups in the Labour cabinet have had enough. What took them so long?

Miliband is a man on a mission - a clean energy superpower mission. Unfortunately, it's now clashing with a more urgent task.

Which is building the economy to fund higher military spending and stand up to Vladimir Putin.

This mission may not always be clean, and it probably won't be green, but it is critical. And Miliband is standing in the way.

He's turned into the cabinet's number one blocker.

Reeves is desperate to deliver growth - as she should, given all she's done to destroy it as Chancellor.

Yet at every turn, Miliband is in the way.

Britain urgently needs cheap, abundant energy to grow. Yet the UK's own Energy Secretary is busy shutting down North Sea oil and gas, while blocking other options like fracking before they've been properly explored.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/even-labour-s-had-enough-of-ed-miliband-now-rachel-reeves-is-moving-in-for-the-kill/ar-AA1AhNIK?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=d37786787b2f4942a1a47d0490ada251&ei=18

[Jimbuna]

Nauseating is far too polite a word :)

WINSTON Starmer, cries the latest cover of The Economist.

It is a front page that Boris Johnson in his prime would have killed for.

But here he is, Sir Keir, made up as Sir Winston. And it is nauseating.

https://i.postimg.cc/ydrNW20f/Gl-YEHWXX0-AAk-Br-L.jpg (https://postimg.cc/N9mtzJJT)

[Jimbuna]

Fiscal drag in its finest form :nope:

Pensioners Caught in Tax Trap as State Pension Breaches Allowance

Millions of state pensioners in the UK may soon find themselves paying income tax on their pensions for the first time. According to Deutsche Bank forecasts, state pension payments could increase by 5.5% in April 2026, pushing them above the current tax-free personal allowance and triggering unexpected tax liabilities.

The government’s freeze on tax thresholds means that as pension payments rise, more retirees are being drawn into taxation. Experts warn that this “stealth tax” could significantly impact pensioners, particularly those relying solely on state support.

Critics argue that while the government maintains income tax rates have not increased, the effects of frozen thresholds mean more individuals will pay tax each year.

State Pension Increase Set to Breach Tax-Free Threshold
State pension payments are expected to rise to £12,631 in April 2026, surpassing the £12,570 tax-free personal allowance, according to Deutsche Bank. This would mean pensioners receiving only the state pension would have to start paying income tax—an obligation many have never faced before.

The increase follows the application of the triple lock mechanism, which ensures state pensions rise in line with either inflation, wage growth, or 2.5%, whichever is highest. While designed to protect pensioners’ income, it has inadvertently placed many in the tax net due to the frozen personal allowance.

According to Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, this policy has already led to a substantial increase in the number of taxpayers. “In 2024/25, there are an estimated 37.4 million income taxpayers, up 4.4 million since tax thresholds were frozen in 2021/22,” she said.

This trend is set to continue, meaning that pensioners who were previously untaxed will see a portion of their pension income deducted. Critics argue that this effectively amounts to a tax rise, even though tax rates themselves have not changed.

Critics Warn of Financial Strain on Pensioners
Campaigners and financial analysts have expressed concerns that this additional tax burden will hit pensioners at a time when many are already struggling with higher living costs.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, highlighted the impact on those reliant on fixed incomes. “Older people on fixed incomes are facing a cruel double whammy, squeezing their living standards to the point of poverty. The research nails the lie that older people will be better off under Labour this year.” he said.

The political debate surrounding pensioner taxation has intensified, with some blaming the current government’s policies and others pointing to Labour’s approach to pensioner support.

Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake accused Labour of failing to protect pensioners, stating: “First Labour snatched away the winter fuel allowance and is forcing councils to hike up council tax to pay for Labour’s new jobs tax despite Starmer promising ‘not a penny more’ during the election”.

Meanwhile, Sarah Coles argued that the ongoingtax threshold freeze is a discreet way for the government to increase tax revenues without explicitly raising tax rates. “Yet it feels like a crafty way to hike how much tax we pay – while still being able to say taxes haven’t risen.” she said.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/pensioners-caught-in-tax-trap-as-state-pension-breaches-allowance/ar-AA1ArW2j?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=bd92e3dbf62e471f8419ae751c49f69b&ei=42

[Dargo]

Who wants to be seen in a Tesla any more? With Elon Musk committed to the far-right and twice giving the Hitler salute, British Tesla owners are dumping their cars en masse. This is according to figures from Auto Trader. In February, there were 4,822 used Swasticars for sale on the site. That's 36 % more than in December and a whopping 70 % more than in the same period last year, reports The Telegraph (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/second-hand-teslas-flood-market-154526718.html). Meanwhile, prices of second-hand Tesla cars are falling fast. For a three-year-old second-hand Model 3,17 % less is paid than a year ago. For electric cars from other brands, the price drop is much less steep.

Tesla is not only suffering from Musk's support for Donald Trump, AfD and British right-wing extremist hooligan Tommy Robinson. Car buyers are also more likely to choose an electric vehicle from another brand, as other car manufacturers are now technologically inferior to Tesla. Falling sales are affecting Tesla's share price and thus Musk's wealth. The DOGE chief has already lost over $150 billion (https://qz.com/elon-musk-tesla-net-worth-loss-1851768417) this year. That still makes him the richest man in the world, by the way.

[mapuc]

Have nothing but contempt towards far left and far right.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Military spending is touted as a remedy for Britain’s ailing economy. Here’s why it won’t work

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have announced their latest rescue remedy for Britain’s economy. Old promises – good jobs, thriving small businesses and regional equality – will now be delivered by an increased military budget, used to buy equipment from the private sector. More military spending is not a tonic, however, but a poison that will worsen our economic ills and make Britain less safe in the long run.

Assurances of prosperity for small businesses and ex-industrial towns rest on a misleading depiction of military spending. Last financial year, 56% of Ministry of Defence spending with UK businesses went to London and the south of England. In the same year, nearly 40% of the £37.6bn military equipment budget went to just 10 multinational companies. “Slashing red tape” and granting small businesses more access to the military budget will not build a family-run missile factory on every street corner of ex-industrial Britain.

BAE Systems, leading weapons dealer to government and happy recipient of 15% of the equipment budget, has just declared record orders and rising profits. Military contractors are large multinationals that reward their asset manager shareholders from government contracts: since 2015, BAE has paid out £9.8bn to shareholders while receiving more than a fifth of its global revenue each year from the British government.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/military-spending-is-touted-as-a-remedy-for-britain-s-ailing-economy-here-s-why-it-won-t-work/ar-AA1Askrv?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=bb630ae258d24185bc4304e3ca5b4aac&ei=39

[Jimbuna]

And so the madness continues

The English Channel is at the centre of a fresh migrant tragedy, after one person died while attempting to cross to the UK by small boat on Saturday.

A second migrant is reported to have fallen overboard from a small boat and is missing.

The tragedy comes as more small boats have made the illegal journey from France today, the eighth straight day of migrant crossings.

It takes the total number who have crossed since last Saturday to around 1,900 and has shattered all previous records for the number of migrant arrivals at this point in any year since the crisis began in 2016.

The latest death takes the number of migrants who have perished already this year to six.

French media are reporting that maritime authorities confirmed the migrant died early on Saturday morning near the community of Marck, in the Pas-de-Calais.

A lifeless body was dropped off on a local beach.

Despite efforts by rescue services to resuscitate the man, he was declared dead on the beach.

French newspapers said that migrant who died was a 60-year-old man from Kuwait.

The small boat that dropped his body on Marck beach is reported to have headed back out into the Channel and towards the UK.

GB News Kent producer said that the Border Force vessel Volunteer picked up those onboard one migrant boat, after it reached UK waters just before 10am.

He later counted 70 migrants being offloaded at the Border Force migrant processing centre at Dover harbour.

Another Border Force vessel Typhoon is picking up migrants from two more small boats that made it to British waters further along the Channel.

The latest arrivals mark a deepening crisis for Sir Keir Starmer, who promised to "smash the gangs."

Instead, the new Labour government is scrambling to deal with record migrant arrivals.

One senior maritime security source told GB News that on current trends, "this year is set to easily overtake last year" in terms of those arriving by small boat.

More than 36,800 migrants arrived illegally across the Channel in 2024, a figure that was 25% higher than the previous year.

This year already, with almost 4,000 crossings, the figure is some 17% ahead of the 2024 at this point.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

"The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay.

"We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/migrant-dies-as-more-than-150-head-for-uk-on-eighth-straight-day-of-small-boat-crossings/ar-AA1Avsru?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=eb2993456db54fae9c488cb01daa1d48&ei=65

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/ZK75JVJc/aaaa.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRSTwQLT/bbbb.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

What will be in the chancellor's Spring Statement?

The chancellor will give an update on her plans for the UK economy when she gives a statement alongside an economic forecast on 26 March.

Rachel Reeves has previously ruled out further tax rises, but faces difficult choices because of the performance of the UK economy and world events.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9qjn879lr4o

[Jimbuna]

A very well done to Rachel from Accounts....possibly the most useless Chancellor in modern times.

More than 300,000 small businesses plan to axe jobs as Budget starts to bite

Following recent government Budget measures targeting employment, indications of a deceleration in the jobs market are surfacing, with more than 300,000 businesses anticipated to dismiss staff.

The significant rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) implemented by the Chancellor last October, amounting to £25 billion, is expected to come into effect next month, as reported by City AM.

A study from digital lender Iwoca suggests that over 300,000 small business owners might reduce their workforce as a direct reaction to the upsurge in national insurance costs.

The company's research included a survey of 500 business proprietors, which revealed that 31% are contemplating smaller pay increases while 27% intend to put staff promotions on hold.

Additionally, the BDO’s employment index indicated a decline, falling from 94.72 last month to 94.30 currently, with a projection that it may sink to its lowest level since the financial crisis of 2008.

British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) research shows that a sweeping 82% of business leaders think the Labour Party’s national insurance increase will affect their companies negatively.

Moreover, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has reported a notable slowdown in job openings, marking the second sharpest reduction in five years. This report arrives on the heels of alarming data from the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) regarding a "crisis" in business confidence after the Budget was announced.

A meager 3.8% of those surveyed by ASI expressed 'high or very high confidence' in the UK as a conducive environment for business operations.

A spokesperson from the Treasury conveyed an optimistic outlook to The Times, referencing recent positive economic indicators: "Lloyds Banking Group reported last month that business confidence is at a six-month high. Since the general election, there have been three interest rate cuts, real wages are rising at the highest level in six months and working people's payslips have been protected from high taxes."

Looking ahead, the spokesperson emphasized the government's commitment to adapting to global shifts, adding, "The world is changing. That's why the government is going further and faster to deliver our Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth and put more money in people's pockets."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/more-than-300-000-small-businesses-plan-to-axe-jobs-as-budget-starts-to-bite/ar-AA1ABm5u?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=60b73c094b764eb08172ca585401e429&ei=21

[Jimbuna]

LIEbour ar at it again, taking from the poorest and most in need yet leaving the wealthiest in society alone.

DWP crackdown to push '700,000 PIP claimants into poverty' as thousands denied benefit payments

The growing controversy over potential cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has sparked urgent warnings from charities, with fears that such reductions could push 700,000 disabled households into poverty.

As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver the Spring Statement, concerns are mounting that any cuts would exacerbate the crisis, especially with PIP rejection rates already soaring above 332,000.

More than a dozen organisations have signed an open letter disputing Government claims that benefit cuts would encourage employment among disabled people.

The letter, signed by organisations including Disability Rights UK, Citizens Advice, Scope, and Sense, calls on Reeves to "safeguard" PIP benefits.

Charities emphasised that PIP is a "lifeline for disabled households" that often enables people to remain in work.

The letter stated: "We agree with the Government's ambition to support more disabled people into work. However, making cuts to disability benefits will not achieve this goal or fix the system."

The organisations warned that the rumoured £6bn worth of cuts could have a "catastrophic impact" on vulnerable households. They urged the Chancellor to "think again about cuts to disability benefits".

The warning follows recent data shared by Work and Pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms revealing that the DWP "disallowed" 332,800 PIP claims at assessment during the 2023/2024 financial year.

Of these rejected claims, only 13,500 were subsequently awarded PIP following an appeal - just four per cent of those initially disallowed.

A further 18,900 appeals have not yet been cleared, according to figures up to September 2024.

The high rejection rate comes amid criticism that the DWP is providing "unacceptably poor service" to disability benefits claimants. Many claimants face lengthy waits for their appeals to be processed.

A Government spokesperson defended the planned reforms, stating that the current welfare system is "broken and must change.

"Without reform, more people will be locked out of jobs, despite many wanting to work. That is not just bad for the economy, it's bad for people, too."

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has highlighted that 2.8 million people are out of work due to ill health.

The cost of working-age sickness and disability benefits has increased by £20 billion since the pandemic. It is projected to reach £70 billion over the next five years.

Charities insist there is "little evidence to suggest cutting benefits increases employment outcomes" and argue the benefits system needs reform, not cuts.

They acknowledge that while many disabled people want to work, they require appropriate support systems to help them find suitable employment. For others, work simply isn't a viable option due to their conditions.

Shelley Hopkinson from Turn2us criticised DWP delays, saying: "When payments are delayed, people struggle to afford basic essentials and care, their health deteriorates, and the stress can affect their ability to work."

She urged the Labour Government to prioritise creating a "fair, efficient, and accessible social security system."

The Chancellor is set to deliver her spring statement on March 26, with welfare reform expected to be a key target for savings.

Ministers aim to achieve an 80 per cent employment rate through what they describe as "meaningful, principled reforms rather than arbitrary cuts to spending."

With PIP rejection rates already high, disability advocates argue any further cuts would only deepen existing hardships.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/dwp-crackdown-to-push-700-000-pip-claimants-into-poverty-as-thousands-denied-benefit-payments/ar-AA1AHPwU?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=eec99cd0a9a14530b32f2925b198fad0&ei=77

[Jimbuna]

Indecent exposure ex-aide should quit - Streeting

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called for his former assistant to stand down as an east London councillor after the aide admitted indecent exposure.

Sam Gould, 33, a Redbridge representative, pleaded guilty to two separate counts at Barkingside Magistrates' Court in Ilford on Monday.

The Labour councillor has been suspended from the party but "there is no process for his suspension" from Redbridge Council, the local authority says.

Mr Streeting, who said Gould had exposed himself to a mother and her daughter, said there were "no words to express his horror" at their ordeal, the trauma of which they would have to deal with for some time to come.

'Despicable behaviour'

He added: "As soon as I was made aware of his arrest he was suspended, and as soon as the guilty plea was entered, I took immediate steps to sack him through official HR processes.

"There are no excuses for his appalling behaviour. I am calling for him, again, to resign as a Redbridge councillor immediately."

Kam Rai, leader of Redbridge Council, said he was "shocked and appalled" by the "inexcusable betrayal of his residents".

He said: "As soon as Mr Gould's arrest was communicated over the weekend, he was rightly suspended by the party.

"Unfortunately, there is no process for his suspension from the council. My heart goes out to the victims who have had to endure his despicable behaviour."

Gould, of Hornchurch, east London, was bailed until sentencing on 7 April.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwynxyxl9e1o

[Jimbuna]

Starmer says 'all options on table' on US tariffs

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK will "keep all options on the table" as US President Donald Trump's tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium take effect.

The UK exports hundreds of millions of pounds worth of steel to the US every year, which will be subject to the 25% levy.

The EU, facing the same tariffs, said on Wednesday it would impose counter-tariffs on €26bn (£22bn) of US goods, and Canada also responded with countermeasures, in an escalation of the wider trade war.

Sir Keir said the UK was taking a "pragmatic" approach and was pushing for a trade deal, but opposition politicians called for a more "robust" response.

When Sir Keir visited the White House last month, trade was high on the agenda, with the PM seeking a trade deal and exemptions to Trump's tariffs.

Asked at the time if the prime minister had convinced him not to impose trade tariffs on the UK, Trump said "he tried", adding: "He was working hard, I'll tell you that. He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there."

It is understood tariffs were also discussed during a phone call between Sir Keir and Trump on Monday.

However, as the latest tariffs came into effect, there were no exemptions for any country.

European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU's retaliatory tariffs were "strong but proportionate" and that the EU remains "open to negotiations".

The EU tariffs will be imposed on "products ranging from boats to bourbon to motorbikes," the EU said, external. They will be partially introduced on 1 April and fully in place on 13 April.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r3md0j84o

[Jimbuna]

So Two Tier Keir is taking on the mantle of God now.

NHS England to be abolished, Keir Starmer announces

Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will abolish NHS England as part of his plans to overhaul the public sector.

Explaining his decision during a speech laying out plans to make the "overcautious, flabby state" more effective, including putting the NHS "back into democratic control", the prime minister said decisions about billions of pounds of taxpayer money should not be taken by an “arms-length” body.

He said the move would free up cash for doctors, nurses and frontline services, and cut red tape to help speed up improvements in the health service amid frustrations about the pace of change.

Starmer said: "I don’t see why decisions about £200bn of taxpayer money on something as fundamental to our security as the NHS should be taken by an arm’s length body, NHS England.

"And I can’t, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy. That money could and should be spent on, nurses, doctors, operations, GP appointments.

“So today, I can announce we’re going to cut bureaucracy… focus government on the priorities of working people, shift money to the front line.

“So I’m bringing management of the NHS back into democratic control by abolishing the arms-length body, NHS England.

“That will put the NHS back at the heart of government where it belongs, free it to focus on patients – less bureaucracy with more money for nurses."

Answering a question from a cancer patient on how the decision would improve NHS services, Starmer said: “Amongst the reasons we are abolishing it is because of the duplication.

“So, if you can believe it, we’ve got a communications team in NHS England, we’ve got a communications team in the health department of government; we’ve got a strategy team in NHS England, a strategy team in the government department. We are duplicating things that could be done once.

“If we strip that out, which is what we are doing today, that then allows us to free up that money to put it where it needs to be, which is the front line.”

The government said work would begin “immediately” to return many of NHS England’s functions to the Department of Health and Social Care.

In a statement in the Commons about the abolition of NHS England, health secretary Wes Streeting said staff were “drowning in the micromanagement”, which could now be solved.

Streeting added that value for money was not achievable with the current system, telling MPS: “There is always a duty on ministers to get as much value for taxpayers’ money as is possible and I cannot honestly say that it is achievable with the way that my department and NHS England are set up today...

“Frontline NHS staff are drowning in the micromanagement they are subjected to by the various and vast layers of bureaucracy.”

What is NHS England?
NHS England was set up in 2013 by Andrew Langley, the former Tory health secretary under the Coalition government.

It was established to give the NHS greater independence and is responsible for overseeing and delivering health services across England.

While funded by taxpayers, NHS England is a quango and therefore is not controlled by central government.

It collaborates with local clinical commissioning groups to address regional needs, distinct from the devolved NHS bodies in other UK nations, which have their own governance.

NHS England currently employs around 15,300 people.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/nhs-england-to-be-abolished-keir-starmer-announces/ar-AA1AQ57p?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=7df9a72c0c33474e9e1f4b9304496f01&ei=15

[mapuc]

Talking about deviate from promises made during the election campaign.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

That's the crux of the matter Markus, they have failed thus far to keep any pre-election promise.

[Jimbuna]

And next we have.....

Jonathan Reynolds finally apologises to Parliament over fabricated CV claim

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has finally apologised for misleading MPs by claiming to have been a solicitor before entering Parliament. Mr Reynolds said he worked as a solicitor for law firm Addleshaw Goddard before becoming an MP.

As well as making claims on his constituency website, he also told the House of Commons in 2014 that he "worked as a solicitor in Manchester city centre" before switching careers. However, it later emerged he did not qualify for the title because he did not complete his training contract.

In a point of order in the House on Wednesday, Mr Reynolds finally asked to correct the record.

He told MPs: "It has come to my attention that in a speech I gave on 28 April 2014 on the subject of High Speed Rail I made reference to my experience of using our local transport system in Greater Manchester when I 'worked as a solicitor in Manchester City centre'."

"I should have made clear that specifically that was a reference at the time to being a trainee solicitor.

"It was an inadvertent error, and although the speech was over a decade ago as it has been brought to my attention I would like to formally correct the record."

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Express Mr Reynolds should apologise for his other claims outside the Commons.

The top Tory blasted: "Jonathan Reynolds has finally admitted he lied in Parliament about being a solicitor.

"He should apologise for the many other instances, spanning well over a decade, where he deliberately lied about his qualifications.

"As a former director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer knows Reynolds broke the law. Unless Starmer sacks him, it'll be another case of two-tier justice under two-tier Keir."

In February the watchdog in charge of regulating the profession said they had previously looked into the claims and dropped them, however has now announced it has opened a fresh line of inquiries.

Under s17 of the Legal Services Act 2007, pretending to be a solicitor is a criminal offence, something the Tories are saying demands Mr Reynolds' resignation.

In a fresh statement this afternoon, the Solicitors' Regulation Agency (SRA) confirmed a second inquiry is now underway into the top Labour minister.

A spokesman said: "We looked at that issue at the time we became aware of it and contacted Mr Reynolds about the profiles."

"The materials were corrected, and we closed the matter with no further action based on all the evidence we had at the time.

"However, we've now become aware of further information, so we will look at this."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/jonathan-reynolds-finally-apologises-to-parliament-over-fabricated-cv-claim/ar-AA1ANgzb?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=7df9a72c0c33474e9e1f4b9304496f01&ei=43

[Jimbuna]

Fury as thousands sign petition to stop Rachel Reeves' 'ludicrous' state pension tax

Rachel Reeves is under pressure to stop pensioners from being skewered with a further hit to their finances as an online petition continues to grow. More than 80,000 people have singed the petition started by campaign group Silver Voices as they call on the Chancellor to stop pensioners from being taxed on their state pension.

Triple lock increases and frozen thresholds have left OAPs at risk of being taxed on their state pension, which for many, is their only source of income. Labour pledged to maintain the triple lock - which sees the state pension go up each year by whichever is highest out of 2.5%, inflation, or average earnings growth - in its election manifesto. Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said: "Because of the Silver Voices/Daily Express campaign it was impossible for the government of the day to scrap the vital triple lock, but now Labour is intending to erode it by stealth."

Mr Reed warned that countless other pensioners could begin to see their pension taxed from early next year with frozen tax personal allowances meaning that many might cross the current personal allowance of £12,570 in 2026.

He added: "If the basic state pension starts being taxed it undermines the whole principle of a safety net in retirement to ensure that the basic necessities in life can be afforded. And if Triple Lock increases each year are also taxed then that safeguard, to protect against sudden increases in the cost of living, is also undermined."

The Chancellor, who has already fallen foul of the pensioner community over her decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance, will deliver her spring statement on March 26. The tax-free personal allowance has been frozen at £12,570 until 2028, but the new state pension is due to increase to £11,973 next month.

But if it does not exceed the threshold next year, it will the year after as the triple lock means there will be a rise of at least 2.5% in April 2026 and 2.5% in April 2027.

Independent Age director of policy and influencing said: "Many of the older people on a low income that we support are worried about the prospect paying income tax on their state pension. These are people that are already cutting back on essentials like food and heating. Their budgets are already stretched to breaking point.

"By April, the gap between the new state pension and the tax-free personal allowance will be less than £1000. This will lead to people with small private pensions facing taxation that will put their finances under even more strain.

"We should all be able to live a later life in financial security, to live well rather than just survive. We need a consensus among all the political parties on the adequate income needed to prevent poverty in later life. Following this, long-term plans must be put into place to ensure every older person is able to receive this amount."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/fury-as-thousands-sign-petition-to-stop-rachel-reeves-ludicrous-state-pension-tax/ar-AA1AS8MI?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ENTPSP&cvid=ab6aaeeb060547bb8970177ab9d1741f&ei=14

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReq3grLhz4

[mapuc]

I can understand Keir Starmer has some nicknames
Lier Starmer-Which I understand why
Two tier Starmer-This one is a riddle for me-Why is he called Two tier Starmer ?

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Take your pick my friend but the first two examples are spot on.

https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-phrase-two-tier-Keir-mean

[mapuc]

Thank you, it comes as a surprise no one tried to prosecute him. Or was there ?

What baffle me most is that British People do put their vote on this party.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

I doubt they'll get a second term in office Markus because it has eventually dawned on the British public precisely the kind of sh!t show Liebour have created.

And I speak as a former party member.

[Jimbuna]

One man is doing more damage to UK than Putin, Trump and Rachel Reeves combined

Trump wasn't to blame for GDP contracting by 0.1% in January. The world wasn't taking the US president's tariff threats seriously at that point.

His shameful bullying of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office didn't happen until the end of February.

If the economy slumps more than expected in March, Reeves can pin some of the blame on Trump. But not today.

Reeves is known for playing fast and loose with the truth. She bizarrely assumes we won't notice, but we always do.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a cruel dictator but he isn't to blame for the January slump either.

Rachel Reeves herself is the most obvious culprit.

She's made a total hash of the economy since becoming Chancellor. I could spend the rest of this article listing her errors, but thankfully, there's no need. Here's a list of 20 disastrous mistakes I prepared earlier.

At least Reeves has woken up to the damage she's inflicted by talking the UK economy down and hiking taxes.

She's suddenly obsessed with growth, which is ironic, given how much she's done to destroy it.

Yet Reeves isn't the only Labour figure wreaking havoc on our productive capacity.

Another key player has arguably inflicted even more pain on UK industry. Worse, he won't stop. And he certainly won't admit his mistakes.

That man is Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

Climate change is a serious issue. But his madcap response has driven him to commit an unforgivable act: deliberately sabotaging the UK economy.

Unlike Reeves, who stumbled into her mess through incompetence, Miliband's damage is intentional.

The UK's high energy prices are the highest in the developed world, putting a huge burden on households and making it impossible for energy-intensive manufacturing businesses to compete.

Miliband's priority was to drive energy prices down. Instead, his policies will do the opposite.

His first move? Shuttering remaining North Sea oil and gas projects, leaving us even more dependent on imported fossil fuels.

Then, throw tens of billions at unproven green tech while slapping extra levies on industrial energy to fund the transition.

Miliband has also been dishonest, claiming Net Zero will lower household bills when in practice they'll cost us a fortune.

The result? UK industry is shutting down. We've just dropped out of the world's top 10 manufacturing nations for the first time since the Industrial Revolution, according latest data from trade body Make UK.

Under Miliband's watch, Scotland's last oil refinery at Grangemouth has shut down. Port Talbot's final blast furnace has gone. Vauxhall owner Stellantis is closing its Luton car factory. Oil giants BP and Shell are threatening to quit the FTSE for New York.

No other country is sabotaging itself like this. Others balance their energy policies, keeping power affordable while gradually shifting to green alternatives.

Miliband doesn't care. While he remains in post, he's doing more damage than Trump, Putin and Rachel Reeves put together.

Starmer knows this. If he's serious about rebooting his struggling government, he must decommission his misfiring Energy Secretary now.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/one-man-is-doing-more-damage-to-uk-than-putin-trump-and-rachel-reeves-combined/ar-AA1B1eEq?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=310975f3e7914ad48304212928b172de&ei=15

[Jimbuna]

Reform UK pledge to stand candidates at all council elections in May

Reform UK has promised to stand candidates in all the council elections in May.

Chairman Zia Yusuf has pledged the party will stand candidates in all council seats at the local elections on May 1.

Speaking at a press conference in central London, Yusuf said: “Last May, Reform failed to stand in 88 per cent of the council seats that were up. This year, Reform will stand in all of the council seats that are up.”

He insisted: “It’s clear Reform has all of the momentum in British politics.”

The announcement came ahead of Reform leader Nigel Farage welcoming 29 new councillors to the party at a press conference in Westminster – and with the latest YouGov voting intention poll putting Reform on 23 per cent of the vote just shy of Labour’s 24 per cent.

The party leader slowly read aloud of a list those who are joining Reform – including 11 previously independent councillors, 15 former Conservatives, and an ex-Liberal Democrat – who all gradually joined him on stage. One defector was elected as a Labour member before becoming independent.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/reform-uk-pledge-to-stand-candidates-at-all-council-elections-in-may/ar-AA1B5oLX?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=6418f94606bf4cd4b2088e57dc4bdb4a&ei=88

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/g0WGnLWD/11111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRYZLk0v/22222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Not a cat in hells chance.

[Jimbuna]

Scores of Labour MPs raise concerns over welfare changes

Scores of Labour MPs have voiced significant doubts about the government’s welfare changes in a tense meeting with the work and pensions secretary.

About 100 MPs attended a private meeting in parliament with Liz Kendall and the disability minister, Stephen Timms. MPs said there were grave concerns in the room about the huge hit to incomes that the changes would mean, and one said a party whip appeared to be taking notes of who was raising their concerns.

Many voiced particular concerns about how hard some disabled people would be hit if they were found newly ineligible for personal independent payments (Pips) – which can be claimed by those who are both in work and out of work. The criteria is set to be significantly tightened, saving about £5bn.

There was also considerable anger about the effect on young people and that those under 22 will no longer be able to claim the incapacity benefit top-up to universal credit. MPs also questioned why many of the most controversial changes would not be subject to consultation.

Those who are not in work who are found newly ineligible for Pips would also lose their universal credit top-up and potentially other benefits linked to disability, which would mean a huge cut to incomes.

One MP said there was only one colleague in the room who defended the reforms without qualifications and that dozens of others had voiced concerns.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/scores-of-labour-mps-raise-concerns-over-welfare-changes/ar-AA1Bg2Gz?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=30661614e038487e89a0577d537f2ead&ei=70

[Otto Harkaman]

https://youtu.be/O2Z0Y-mFMBk?si=aJzOPUicKs6BC3zk

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves dealt huge new poll blow

Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves face a crisis of support among Labour members according to new research which lays bare the scale of unhappiness with the Government. The Prime Minister is only the 17th most popular member of the cabinet and Ms Reeves is the least favourite. Thirty-one percent of respondents said Labour should have a change of leader before the next election.

Half of Labour members (48.9%) say the party is going in the wrong direction and there is much more worry about the challenge from Reform UK than from the Conservatives. Nearly one in 10 (9%) expects Reform to lead the next Government.

The Survation survey of more than 2,000 LabourList readers who said they were party members found just 6% expect Labour will win another large majority at the next election - with 24% anticipating Labour being the largest party in a hung parliament and 43% expecting the party will win a small majority.

When asked which party poses the greatest threat to the Conservatives, 71% named Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Just 16% named Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives; a mere 3% thought the Liberal Democrats were the greatest danger, with the same share of members naming the Greens.

While 1% expect Reform to win the next election with a large majority, 3% think it will win a small majority and 5% see it forming the Government in a hung parliament.

The polling found Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is the most popular member of the cabinet with a favourability rating of +68.6. He is followed by Deputy PM Angela Rayner (+62.95) and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy (+38.87).

In contrast, Sir Keir's rating is just +13.83 and the Chancellor is in negative territory. Ms Reeves has a rating of -11.19, and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall - who this week announced controversial welfare changes - had a rating of -7.49.

The Prime Minister had a negative approval rating in Scotland (-14) and the North West (-3.62).

Nearly half of respondents (49.4%) gave Sir Keir credit for changing Labour for the better but 40.6% thought the party is governing badly - and one in eight is unsure how they would vote at the next election.

He can take comfort in strong percentages of members saying the party has been competent (65.8%), decisive (60.6%), trustworthy (56.1%) and strong (53.8%).

Nearly half of those surveyed (48.4%) named health as one of the most important issues facing the country is facing - more than the economy (46.2%), the cost of living (42.1%), defence and security (38.7%), housing (36.9%) and the environment (29.5%).

Tom Belger, editor of LabourList, said: "It should raise alarm bells with the leadership that there's so much unease even among the so-called 'party faithful', less than a year into office. The grassroots mood matters if Labour wants a strong ground operation in upcoming elections."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tories-could-lose-all-councils-won-in-2021-if-general-election-voting-repeated-admits-kemi-badenoch/ar-AA1Bj4WP?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=d6038bbbf1c64846f22f4eed3cc23c3f&ei=12

[Jimbuna]

Ed Miliband tops a poll of Labour party activists

Ed Miliband has topped a poll of Labour activists – as party members urged Sir Keir Starmer to move further to the Left.

The controversial Climate Change Secretary had the highest approval rating of any Cabinet minister in a survey of more than 2,000 party members.

Mr Miliband's zeal for achieving net zero at any cost had alarmed some of the PM's allies and triggered rumours he could be moved aside in a Cabinet reshuffle this summer.

But, his popularity among Labour activists could make him almost unsackable.

The Survation poll for the website LabourList found Mr Miliband has a net approval rating of 68.6 per cent among Labour members, putting him narrowly ahead of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner on 62.3 per cent.

The Left-wing pair are both far ahead of Sir Keir, who is on just 13.8 per cent.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is in last place, with Labour members giving her a net approval rating of -11.2 per cent.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, whose £5 billion cuts to welfare triggered a Labour backlash this week, has a rating of -7.5 per cent.

The survey also found that Labour members believe the Government is going in the wrong direction by a margin of 49:40.

Tom Belger, editor of LabourList, said: 'It should raise alarm bells with the leadership that there's so much unease, even among the so-called party faithful, less than a year into office.

'The grassroots mood matters if Labour wants a strong ground operation in upcoming elections.

'But it's no surprise given how many controversial decisions ministers have felt forced into in tough fiscal circumstances, when hopes are high after so long out of power.'

The poll also revealed that Labour members fear the rise of Reform UK, with 71 per cent saying Nigel Farage's party now presents the biggest electoral threat compared with just 16 per cent identifying the Conservatives and 3 per cent naming the Liberal Democrats and the Greens.

Despite the Government's rocky start, more than half of party activists (52 per cent) said they want Sir Keir to lead Labour into the next election, while 31 per cent want a new leader.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/ed-miliband-tops-a-poll-of-labour-party-activists/ar-AA1BliFb?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=42f762c9d75244edb67a47977a39c9a0&ei=65

[Jimbuna]

Someone must be getting desperate.

https://i.postimg.cc/B6sgZB2H/11111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rdnWQWnw)
https://i.postimg.cc/hjr0XQ0w/22222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Chancellor rules out ‘tax and spend’ policies ahead of spring statement

The Chancellor has ruled out “tax and spend” policies ahead of her spring statement next week.

Rachel Reeves is under pressure to increase taxes or cut spending to meet the financial rules she set at the budget in October amid disappointing growth figures and higher-than-expected borrowing.

Figures released on Friday came as a further blow, showing that government borrowing had soared past forecasts in February.

She signalled that she would neither raise taxes nor Government budgets in an interview with the BBC.

“We can’t tax and spend our way to higher living standards and better public services. That’s not available in the world we live in today,” she said.

The defence budget has already been boosted by slashing spending on aid, and sweeping cuts to welfare were announced this week.

When she delivers her spring statement on Wednesday, Ms Reeves will be responding to new forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility made after the Bank of England reduced its forecasts for growth this year.

Public sector net borrowing was £10.7 billion in February, £4.2 billion more than had been forecast by the OBR.

Former Labour work and pensions secretary Lord Blunkett has urged the Chancellor to loosen her fiscal rules.

“I would like the Chancellor to loosen a little the self-imposed fiscal rules, this is Treasury orthodoxy and monetarism at its worst,” he told BBC Radio 4’s the Week in Westminster.

“I would lift them marginally. I would raise the self-imposed rule by at least £10-15 billion and I would spend a great chunk of it on what we did back in ‘97 with the new deal for the unemployed.”

Treasury minister Darren Jones denied the Government was “blindly cutting spending” and moving towards austerity earlier this week.

Government departments have been asked to go through their spending line by line.

Experts estimate that around a million people in England and Wales will lose their disability benefits as part of a welfare overhaul that the Government believes will save more than £5 billion a year by the end of the decade.

Ms Reeves told the BBC: “I recognise that with the privilege of doing a job like the one I’m doing today also comes a great deal of scrutiny. I absolutely believe that every policy that I announce, every pound of public money, of taxpayers’ money that I spend, and every pound that I take from people is properly scrutinised. That’s part of the job.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/chancellor-rules-out-tax-and-spend-policies-ahead-of-spring-statement/ar-AA1Bra6h?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=dc3cfcf1d2d6494e95aaa36bf56e53ad&ei=27

[Jimbuna]

Fraudsters and scroungers the whole bunch of them.

Reeves defends taking free Sabrina Carpenter tickets

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has defended accepting free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert, adding she will declare them.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Reeves said she attended the concert a couple of weeks ago with a family member.

"I do now have security which means it's not as easy as it would have been in the past to just sit in a concert," she said.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tightened rules on ministers accepting gifts and hospitality in November after he and a number of cabinet ministers faced criticism over donations.

Sir Keir paid back more than £6,000 worth of his own gifts and hospitality that he had received since becoming prime minister after the backlash. The figure included the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets.

Nonetheless, the prime minister did defend his acceptance of corporate hospitality from the Arsenal football club in September – citing security as his reason for doing so.

The Premier League football club made two seats available for Sir Keir in the corporate area of the Emirates Stadium.

The prime minister explained at the time he had been advised that necessary security costs for him to sit in the stands would cost the taxpayer more.

The new rules introduced last year did not ban ministers from accepting donations but do now require them to consider the "need to maintain the public's confidence".

Reeves was asked by Kuenssberg why she did not pay for the tickets. The chancellor responded that they were not tickets you could pay for.

"There wasn't a price to those tickets," she said, as she underlined she would declare the value of them.

Her confirmation follows reporting from a number of media outlets on the story earlier this week.

In September 2024, the chancellor said she would not accept clothing donations while in her current role after it emerged that she had accepted such donations while in opposition.

She had been one of a number of Labour politicians who faced questions after accepting thousands of pounds worth of clothes as gifts before the election.

Reeves previously told the BBC that accepting donations to pay for clothes was not something she had planned to do as a government minister.

As a government minister, Reeves would receive a salary as an MP which was £91,346 as of April 2024, as well as an additional sum for being a minister.

The salary for the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the financial year 2022/23 was £67,505.

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride was also quizzed about gifts on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg with respect to ski passes and Bafta tickets accepted by shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith.

Griffith's registered interests, which are detailed on Parliament's website, include a declaration of two tickets with hospitality to the 2025 British Academy Film Awards (Bafta) estimated to be worth £4,000.

The shadow business secretary has also declared discounted ski-passes and guiding for two worth £973 for a trip to Switzerland in January.

Stride said on Sunday that he does not know the specific details.

Speaking of both Griffith and Reeves, Stride said: "I think it's for them to justify what they do."

In a statement to the BBC, Griffith said: "Clearly my attacks on Labour's devastating impact on business have got under someone's skin."

He added that he "diligently" registers hospitality he receives and did so for the two cited instances.

"The Baftas are a celebration of the creative sector - one of the UK's largest exporters - and were also attended by Labour ministers," he said.

"It might be more of a story had the shadow business and trade secretary not attended."

Regarding the ski passes for the Parliamentary Ski Trip, he said it was a "long standing and cross-party event" as he underlined that he personally covered the costs of flights and accommodation.

"It does include social events with Swiss parliamentarians, and these are the elements which were properly disclosed on my register of interests," Griffith added.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg70k2l5759o

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Thieves latest scam to snatch more money in taxes.

Chancellor set to increase punishment for late tax returns

Businesses and landlords will be hit with huge fines for completing their tax returns late under plans to tackle tax avoidance.

Rachel Reeves will drastically increase late-payment penalties to incentivise people to pay their tax on time as part of a bid to raise £1 billion a year by the end of the decade.

A total of 1.1 million people missed the self-assessment tax return deadline last year.

The plans will be announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement on Wednesday, in which she is expected to announce swingeing public sector cuts and a huge reduction in the number of civil servants.

Taxpayers with an income of more than £20,000 will be hit with a penalty worth 3 per cent of the outstanding amount if they are late by 15 days.

And people who are late by more than a month will face a penalty of 10 per cent on the outstanding amount.

Ms Reeves will also employ more third-party debt collectors and HMRC staff to help them collect more tax.

It will lead to fears that small businesses will bear the brunt of the Government’s plans to claw back more money through tax.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/chancellor-set-to-increase-punishment-for-late-tax-returns/ar-AA1BvaPv?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=81ba5d3871cc4c04a77164d91ab72155&ei=13

[Jimbuna]

Always check the background before posing for an image.

https://i.postimg.cc/0QBt6WwM/Image.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1nD02KMs)

[Jimbuna]

Labour's disastrous Spring Statement is a warning of more horror from Rachel Reeves ahead - Richard Tice

Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement is exactly what we expected — full of empty promises, while laying the blame on Trump, Putin, previous Tory governments… basically anyone but herself. All the while, the Chancellor continues to pretend that she is a champion of the working man.

Following intense criticism over her Autumn Budget — which included £40 billion in tax hikes, a reduction in the tax threshold from £9,100 to £5,000, a 50% increase in bus fare caps, and sharp rises in Capital Gains Tax — her Spring Statement delivers yet more gloomy news.

Rather than acknowledging the consequences of her policies, she today pointed the finger at almost everyone - but herself.

For those still oblivious to Labour’s shortcomings, just look to the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) for answers.

The OBR has halved the UK’s economic growth forecast to just 1% this year, while government borrowing is expected to exceed previous projections by £10 billion. It could even be much higher.

Additionally, it gives Reeves a 50-50 chance of meeting her own fiscal rules. Yet magically the OBR forecasts higher growth from 2026 onwards despite higher taxes and more costs. The OBR is delusional, and this administration is a disaster for the UK. They are an outright attack on hardworking British people.

Labour has failed on every front. Since taking office, real GDP per capita has fallen. No matter how much they try to cook the books by importing millions of people from abroad, the average person in Britain is getting poorer.

Meanwhile, their much-touted pledge to build 1.5 million homes remains empty rhetoric, making little difference in combating the housing crisis.

Why? Because the OBR also (optimistically) projects that Britain will see an additional 1.5 million new migrants by 2030—on top of the 1.2 million Labour has already allowed in over the past two years. Nowhere in their budget is border security made a priority, despite it being a top concern for the British public.

Housing prices are set to rise from £265,000 to £295,000 by 2029—not due to a housing shortage, but because Labour has allowed net migration to spiral out of control.

Labour’s policies have driven up costs, crushed growth, and left British citizens struggling to afford homes of their own. Instead of delivering real solutions, Reeves offers only deflection and failure.

Despite Reeves’ repeated claims that she will not raise taxes on working people, the OBR forecasts that the tax share of the economy will reach a historic high within the next three years. With only £9.9 billion in fiscal headroom, if economic forecasts shift even slightly, what taxes will she be forced to raise in the Autumn Budget?

Thanks to this Labour government, the downgraded growth forecast has pushed the tax burden to a record high. The OBR predicts that taxes will rise from 35.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) to a historic 37.7% by 2027-28.

The overall tax take remains on course to rise to 37.6%, a level last reached just after the Second World War and never sustained.

Her promises of welfare cuts to encourage employment have also fallen flat. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has dismissed these cuts as “unlikely to incentivise work as much as the government states.”

This is a country that, just a year ago, was growing at the fastest rate in the G7. Britain is home to a tremendously talented population and vast untapped potential. Yet successive Conservative and Labour governments continue to prioritise net zero, killing free speech, and indoctrinating our youth over pursuing true economic growth.

To turn this around, we must abandon net zero, lower energy costs, and take full advantage of drilling opportunities in the North Sea and rolling out new small modular nuclear reactors. No country can succeed with energy prices as high as ours.

To put this in perspective: the United States has energy prices some 50% lower than the UK and its economy is growing at 3%. There is a direct correlation between energy prices and economic growth.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/labour-s-disastrous-spring-statement-is-a-warning-of-more-horror-from-rachel-reeves-ahead-richard-tice/ar-AA1BInL3?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=041f82d709da4011abb8918d84204fd5&ei=9

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/CLRXJNTg/485694034-1113540864149551-7669886143294970136-n.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr8Hnl3VLVc

[Jimbuna]

Government's defence spending increase 'more spin than substance'

An entire fleet of military helicopters - the Royal Air Force's Puma aircraft - was retired this week as part of a cost-saving plan to scrap older kit that was announced in November.

The sight of old but still airworthy helicopters being taken out of service before a replacement is ready - creating a capability gap - contrasts with statements by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, and John Healey, the defence secretary, about boosting the defence budget.

Sir Ben Wallace, the longest-serving Conservative defence secretary, said he had expected better given the urgent need to rearm at a time of heightened threats and following Donald Trump's warnings to Europe to stop relying on the United States to bankroll its security.

"We are at the dawn of a new era of insecurity across the world," Sir Ben said.

"The US has warned us for a decade about not taking them for granted, and we all did nothing. In Germany, Poland, and France the penny has dropped and they have embraced a necessary culture change and re-prioritisation of government spend.

"In the UK, the government still thinks it is about spin and tinkering. It fools no one, and we risk losing our credibility and leadership on defence amongst allies."

In her spring statement on Wednesday, the chancellor announced an extra £2.2bn for defence this coming financial year.

Ms Reeves told MPs it was a further "down payment" on a promise by the prime minister to lift expenditure on defence to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027. Defence spending is currently around 2.3% of gross national income. The new money will help inch it up to 2.36%.

The chancellor, defence secretary and prime minister have repeatedly phrased their plan to inject cash into the armed forces over this parliament as "the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War".

But defence insiders say, while any new money is welcome, this claim is more spin than substance because the defence budget largely suffered repeated cuts since the Soviet Union collapsed. Also, focusing on a slogan does not answer the question of whether an extra £2bn over the next 12 months is enough to transform the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force at the speed that is necessary, they said.

Asked whether it was sufficient, multiple military sources and a defence industry source collectively said "no".

"This is just another sticking plaster that overlooks decades of underinvestment and chronic financial mismanagement of our armed forces," the defence industry source said.

"Increasing spending or a focus on 'novel technologies' ignores the fact that we have let a broken system flourish.

"Time and time again, we see celebration over procuring outdated solutions while their manufacturers get away with significant delays or overspends with seemingly few repercussions.

"While we continue to spin and fight over tiny percentages of spending, we are allowing our armed forces to get hollowed out in front of us, hoping that government soundbites will provide the deterrence that our current equipment can't."

A military source said the additional £2.2bn for the year to March 2026 was a step in the right direction, but said it would merely keep defence on "life support".

The situation only starts to improve marginally in two years' time when the defence budget is finally forecast to hit 2.5% of GDP, the source said.

This is despite the UK being a leading member of the "coalition of the willing", with Sir Keir Starmer pledging to deploy forces to secure any ceasefire deal in Ukraine - a move that would put huge additional strain on his already stretched armed forces.

While the UK talks about 2.5% for the defence budget, Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, says allies must spend more than 3%, while Mr Trump wants them to aim for 5%.

In 2020, Boris Johnson, as the prime minister, said a plan to increase the defence budget by £16bn over four years, on top of a commitment to lift defence spending by 0.5% above inflation for each year of the parliament - so what was described at the time as an additional £24bn in total - was the biggest boost to defence expenditure since the Cold War.

Sir Keir has added the word "sustained" when describing the size of his defence spending boost - though that will depend upon the accuracy of forecasts that GDP will expand at the rate predicted in the coming years.

Sir Ben said: "The UK is facing some of the highest threats in a generation, yet John Healey thinks spin is the appropriate response. He fools no one - not the men and women of the armed forces and not our enemies. I had expected better of him."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/government-s-defence-spending-increase-more-spin-than-substance/ar-AA1BTAMu?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=ENTPSP&cvid=cd733d4ce738434c855b1ac6092a10a9&ei=18

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/6p7SRsgN/Untitled1111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MnSd2Lzs)
https://i.postimg.cc/v83SNHds/Untitled2222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Exocet25fr]

Papers strewn on Newcastle street feared to be sensitive army documents !

MoD urgently investigates after member of public finds documents reportedly including emails and shift patterns

The documents reportedly included army soldier ranks, emails, shift patterns and weapon-issue details. Other papers contained information that appeared to relate to an armoury and an intruder-detection system.

“Details of the perimeter, the patrol, checking weapons in and out, requests for leave, mobile phone numbers, high-ranking officers.”

He said to his wife: “This shouldn’t be here. Anyone could pick it up.”

One document was headed “armoury keys and hold IDS codes”, thought to stand for intruder-detection system. Others contained general medical information and ingredients order sheets.

Another document was footnoted with the words “official – sensitive”. According to government guidance, the unintended disclosure of such documents “can lead to moderate damage (including to the UK’s longer-term strategic/economic position) and, in exceptional circumstances, it could lead to a threat to life”.

“The documents have now been handed to the Ministry of Defence.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/28/papers-strewn-on-newcastle-street-feared-to-be-sensitive-army-documents

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves's benefit cuts will hit UK armed forces veterans who served their country

British veterans who served in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan face losing essential financial support because of the Government's benefit cuts, charity Help for Heroes has warned. The charity's helpline is receiving calls from veterans and their families who fear a "vital lifeline" will be taken away.

There is particular concern that the Government's decision to cut the number receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) by 800,000 will lead to ex-service personnel with mental health issues without support. Carol Betteridge, a Help for Heroes director who ran the field hospital in Helmand Province during British presence in Afghanistan, said: "Within this package of benefit reforms also lies the tightening of PIP eligibility, threatening to strip away a vital lifeline for many, which may be especially difficult for veterans who need mental health support.

"Mental health issues are often given less consideration compared with physical health issues, but they can be just as devastating. According to research, there are over 700,000 former serving personnel who find their mental health challenging - and the real figure is surely higher, as we know that many veterans delay seeking help due to stigma and pride.

"Stricter rules could shut them out completely, leaving the charity sector to pick up the pieces. It is therefore no surprise that at Help for Heroes, our helpline is already receiving calls from veterans and their families worried what this means for them and their future.

"The Government says these reforms are about getting more people back into work."

She said veterans were keen to work but needed support.

She added: "Let's remember, these are highly skilled, disciplined men and women who have dedicated their lives to service. If we expect them to risk everything for their country, we must ensure their country is there for them when they most need it."

And she warned that serving their country left many veterans with genuine and serious physical and mental health issues.

Ms Betteridge said: "I have seen first-hand the devastating impact of conflict. In 2011, it was my honour to Command the military hospital in Helmand during the Afghanistan war, treating our wounded on the front line.

"There, we were able to meet the immediate needs of those who came in through our doors - but we knew that for many, their lives had changed forever. Injuries, trauma, mental scars - these do not always fade when service ends, and our duty to support those who have given us their service does not end when the plane lands back in the UK."

Benefit cuts announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Chancellor Rachel Reeves mean 370,00 current PIP recipients are expected to lose entitlement an average of £4,500 a year, and 430,000 future recipients who would have received the money will no longer be eligible.

In addition, 2.25million recipients of the health element of Universal Credit are to lose £500 per year on average while 730,000 future recipients will lose £3,000 a year.

Some Labour MPs have vowed to fight the cuts, with left-wing Labour MP Richard Burgon predicting "the mother of all rebellions".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-s-benefit-cuts-will-hit-uk-armed-forces-veterans-who-served-their-country/ar-AA1BUwSe?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0667b5a301dd431b83a6d48b15996f2d&ei=43

[Jimbuna]

Another pig finds a space in the trough to get their snout in.

Labour MP charges taxpayers £900 ‘pet rent’ for her cockapoo named Bella


A Labour MP has claimed back £900 from the taxpayer in “pet rent”.

Taiwo Owatemi, a Government whip and the MP for Coventry North West, made the expenses claim in August last year, a document published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) revealed.

Ms Owatemi’s landlord at her second home in London issued the extra charge in order to let the MP’s dog stay at the property, according to The Times newspaper.

Parliamentary authorities paid the expenses claim, which is not in breach of the rules governing MPs’ expenses.

Labour defended Ms Owatemi’s expenses claim, with a party spokesman telling The Times: “MPs are required to work in two locations, and this is a requirement for living in this house.

“It is the same for many other MPs and has been approved by the parliamentary expenses watchdog.”

Ms Owatemi has frequently posted on social media in the past about her dog, a cockapoo named Bella.

She is also a supporter of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and other pet-related charities.

MPs can claim back rent on their accommodation in London if they have a constituency outside of the capital.

Ipsa told The Times it agreed to fund the pet rent surcharge for Ms Owatemi, but “gave incorrect advice as to how it should be described”.

“We have apologised directly to the MP and are sorry for any confusion,” the parliamentary watchdog said.

A spokesman added: “MPs are required to work in two places: their constituency and in Westminster.

“IPSA is committed to supporting a Parliament where people without the private finances to fund working from two locations themselves are not prevented from becoming an MP.

“That is why we fund accommodation costs, within strict limits. It is common for landlords to include additional surcharges in rental agreements."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/labour-mp-charges-taxpayers-900-pet-rent-for-her-cockapoo-named-bella/ar-AA1BUQGn?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=24cacb8f6f5d4c73ac75d530daefb6fa&ei=42

[Jimbuna]

Keir Starmer admits UK to be hit by Donald Trump's tariffs in Rachel Reeves blow

Britain is set to be hit by Donald Trump's tariffs, Downing Street has admitted. Sir Keir Starmer's government had been trying to negotiate an exemption from the taxes on imports into the US which come into force later this week.

The US President has announced a 25% import tax will be introduced on all cars imported to the US, a measure expected to hit British luxury car makers such as Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin. The levy is on top of a series of tariffs set to come into effect on April 2, which could include a general 20% tax on UK products in response to the rate of VAT.

Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesman said today: "When it comes to tariffs the Prime Minister has been clear he will always act in the national interest and we've been actively preparing for all eventualities ahead of the expected announcements from President Trump this week, which we would expect the UK to be impacted by alongside other countries.

"Our trade teams are continuing to have constructive discussions to agree a UK-US economic prosperity deal.

"But we will only do a deal which reflects this Government's mandate to deliver economic stability for the British people, and we will only act in the national interest."

Asked whether the Government had given up hope of an economic deal between the UK and the US being signed before Wednesday, the spokesman said he is "not going to put a time frame on those discussions" but that they are "likely to continue beyond Wednesday".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/keir-starmer-admits-uk-to-be-hit-by-donald-trump-s-tariffs-in-rachel-reeves-blow/ar-AA1C0c1C?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=77a2e8ac27634a019578d56cf1f010d9&ei=94

[Moonlight]

EXCLUSIVE From preventing diabetic foot ulcers in Peru to teaching Pakistanis about their country's 'violent past', see ALL the 3,250 projects Britain's foreign aid funding is being spent on

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14539641/diabetic-ulcers-Peru-Pakistan-violent-past-search-table.html

I've said it more than once before, this Foreign Aid Budget must be scrapped immediately, countries around the world are taking the piss out of the British taxpayers and, these WetBack MPs are letting them get away with it.

There are thousands of more examples of this madness taking place but, the Foreign Office won't release the details to the press or the taxpayers, I wonder why?. :O:

[Catfish]

^ Because it obviously is not the task of the "taxpayers", nor have they the knowledge how to help other nations' peoples best, nor are they aware of Britain's past and show commitment, or obligation ;)

[Jimbuna]

Sentencing guidelines ditched after 'two-tier' row

New rules on sentencing criminals from ethnic minorities have been abandoned following a weeks-long standoff between senior judges and the government.

Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, believed the proposals from top judges would have created a "two-tier" justice system.

The new guidelines, which had been in development for months, told judges to seek extra information before deciding how to punish offenders from certain minority groups.

The proposals had sparked condemnation from politicians across both main parties in recent weeks and, following the Sentencing Council refusing Mahmood's demands to reconsider, she was set to overrule them with emergency legislation.

The Council, made up of some of the most senior legal figures in England and Wales, was adamant that the guidelines would have helped address disparities between how different ethnicities are treated in the justice system.

The new rules, which would have been binding on judges, were set to take effect on Tuesday but were delayed on Monday because of the inevitability that they would be overturned by parliament anyway.

Government sources had said it would be all but impossible to pass such legislation before Parliament breaks for Easter.

In a statement, the Sentencing Council said its chairman, Lord Justice William Davis, met Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday morning.

In the meeting, Lord Davis indicated the guidelines would not be brought in while there was a "draft bill due for imminent introduction that would make it unlawful".

"On that basis, the council, an independent statutory body, has chosen to delay the in force date of the guideline pending such legislation taking effect," the statement said.

Mahmood said she was "grateful" to the Sentencing Council for delaying the implementation of its new guidelines.

The minister said: "These guidelines create a justice system where outcomes could be influenced by race, culture or religion.

"This differential treatment is unacceptable - equality before the law is the backbone of public confidence in our justice system.

"I will change the law to ensure fairness for all in our courts."

Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick claimed the Sentencing Council had "folded under the pressure" after he had threatened a legal challenge against the guidelines.

The guidelines advise that magistrates and judges get a pre-sentence report - giving further details of an offender's background - before handing out punishment for someone of an ethnic or faith minority, alongside other groups such as young adults, abuse survivors and pregnant women.

The Sentencing Council, made up of some of the most senior legal figures in England and Wales, said the guidance would address disparities in the punishments meted out by judges.

Official figures, external show that offenders from ethnic minorities consistently get longer sentences than white offenders for indictable offences.

Earlier on Monday, the prime minister had said he was "very disappointed", after the Sentencing Council previously refused to reconsider the guidance.

Sir Keir Starmer said the government would bring forward legislation to reverse it.

"There's no other option, so we will do that. We will fast-track it," he told GB News.

The Ministry of Justice said the legislation would "clarify that guidance relating to sentencing reports should not single out specific cohorts for differential treatment".

The Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill will be introduced on Tuesday.

However, it needs to be debated and approved by MPs and peers before it becomes law.

The House of Lords breaks for Easter on Thursday, while MPs break up on 8 April, and Parliament is not due to return until 22 April.

This means there is limited time for the bill to complete its passage.

Some in government believed the law could and should have been rushed through before the Easter break.

Others are understood to have raised concerns that it would be obstructed in the House of Lords, especially by eminent lawyers, if the government were seen to be moving with excessive speed.

Jenrick first raised concerns about the guidelines earlier this month, saying they were biased "against straight white men" and amounted to "two-tier justice".

In response, Mahmood said she also opposed a "two-tier sentencing approach" and that she "did not stand for any differential treatment before the law".

The Sentencing Council was established in 2010 to try to ensure consistency in sentencing. Sir Keir, at the time Director of Public Prosecutions, was one of its founding members.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yg887m6qdo

[Moonlight]

^ Because it obviously is not the task of the "taxpayers", nor have they the knowledge how to help other nations' peoples best, nor are they aware of Britain's past and show commitment, or obligation ;)

What a load of Bollocks, I'll put you in the same clique as those WetBack MPs of ours, they spout as much Bollocks as you're doing. :O:

[Moonlight]

Rayner blames Tories for Birmingham bin crisis

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/rayner-blames-tories-for-birmingham-bin-crisis/ar-AA1C4YVL#

Labour have been in charge since 2012, it's quite clear that those councillors are out of their depth, after reading about the Taxi Fiasco in Birmingham in 2023, I'm not surprised that the rest of the council is being run by a set of bleeding idiots.

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out MORE tax hikes for Britons during intense grilling from MPs

Rachel Reeves refused to rule out fresh tax hikes for Britons following her Spring Statement, while being grilled by the Treasury Select Committee of MPs.

Reeves admitted Labour had made "a number of difficult decisions around taxation" in her October Budget, but was pressed on whether taxpayers will be hit with more increases in the future.

Conservative MP John Glen asked the Chancellor: "Can you confirm to the committee today that you won't be raising taxes?"

Reeves attempted to dodge answering directly, stating: "I said in the Budget last year that it was a once in a Parliament budget, to wipe the slate clean after the mismanagement of the previous administration. We made a number of difficult decisions around taxation.

"We increased taxes on the wealthiest in our country, and we also increased, as we've already discussed, taxes on business. I think that was the right balance to restore stability to our public finances."

Pressing again, Glen asked: "So you can rule out tax rises?"

Only willing to not carry out tax hikes on the same scale as six months ago, Reeves replied: "I'm not going to write another four years worth of budgets, that would not be responsible.

"But I can ensure the committee that I will not need to repeat a budget on that scale, because we have now wiped the slate clean and put our public finances on a firm footing."

Noting the upcoming spending review in June, Reeves made clear to the committee that plans for "capital and day-to-day spending" will be laid out "for the next few years".

She told the committee: "The spending review in a few months time on June the 11th, we're going to be setting spending for departments, capital and day to day spending for the next few years.

"And public services now need to live within the limits that that we've set out."

The Chancellor also rejected calls for "posturing" over potential US tariffs, as the world braces for Donald Trump to announce global trade barriers later today.

Speaking to MPs, Reeves emphasised her belief in free trade whilst addressing concerns about the impact on the UK economy.

"I do believe in free trade, the UK has balanced trade with the US," the Chancellor said.

Shestressed the importance of maintaining open trade channels with the US.

"We do not want to see trade barriers go up," she told the committee.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-refuses-to-rule-out-more-tax-hikes-for-britons-during-intense-grilling-from-mps/ar-AA1C9XKh?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=3b9cbe422d5c471dbe8217714a2c4924&ei=13

[Jimbuna]

Skulduggery in its finest form.

Council tax premium on second homes rises but 'loophole for MPs means they don't have to pay'
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/council-tax-premium-on-second-homes-rises-but-loophole-for-mps-means-they-don-t-have-to-pay/ar-AA1CeY2c?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=888997f86b3442db93e43181b9c56503&ei=13

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves dealt blow as expert warns tax will ‘decimate' sector key to Angela Rayner

Rachel Reeves' National Insurance tax hike will "decimate" a sector key to Angela Rayner's plans, an expert has warned. Steven Mulholland, Chief Executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), said: "The National Insurance hike is a direct threat to the future of family-run construction businesses across the UK. It's a tax on jobs that will drive up employment costs, making it harder to recruit and retain the workers we so urgently need - all while the industry is already battling a growing skills crisis."

He then suggested the measure would be counter productive as Ms Rayner, Sir Keir Starmer's housing secretary, aims to build more than a million new homes before the end of this Parliament. Mr Mulholland added: "If Labour is serious about delivering growth, it must urgently reassess this tax on jobs. Family-owned construction companies and their supply chain are the backbone of our sector - undermining them now will only risk delaying critical infrastructure projects like the Heathrow third runway and dampen housebuilding, making it far harder for Labour to deliver its 1.5million new homes."

The policy will make some firms unsustainble, the construction boss then warned.

Mr Mulholland said: "This hike, combined with further tax burdens coming down the track from changes to Business Property Relief and Inheritance Tax, will push independent family-run businesses to the brink of extinction."

On March 24, the planning reforms cleared their first Commons test, amid warnings that changes risk undermining efforts to accelerate the delivery of new homes.

MPs voted 330 to 74, majority 256, to approve the Planning and Infrastructure Bill at second reading on Monday evening.

Ms Rayner said the Bill would speed up the planning system, help achieve her build target, allow for an expansion of Britain's energy network and give greater environmental protections.

She told the Commons: "Make no mistake, this Bill will transform the lives of working people and Britain's prospects for years to come. It is hugely ambitious and rightly so, because everywhere I go I hear the same frustrations.

"We just can't build anything any more. We desperately need more homes and more development. But for too long, the answer has always been no, and that is choking off growth, leaving working people worse off, and leaving Britain behind."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-dealt-blow-as-expert-warns-tax-will-decimate-sector-key-to-angela-rayner/ar-AA1CiAf5?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=b57cad0b0a77491487f8078fc994a341&ei=18

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves confirms whether Brits will see new tax hikes after Donald Trump tariffs

Rachel Reeves has said working people will see "no rise in taxes in their pay slips" amid swirling concerns her wiggle room at the Treasury will run out.

Economists have warned the Chancellor that the cash left to give her room to manoeuvre with the public finances could be eaten up by Donald Trump's huge tariff announcement. It has raised fears she could be forced to hike taxes or cut public spending at the next Budget in the Autumn.

But, for the first time since the US President's bombshell move, Ms Reeves has reassured the public that she will not raise taxes on workers. "W orking people will see no rise in taxes in their pay slips, whether that's their national insurance, income tax, or indeed their VAT, or fuel duty,” she told broadcasters.

British businesses are facing a double whammy of 10% tariffs on all British products sold to the US and an increase in employers' National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Asked if one of the best ways to negate the impact of tariffs was to reverse the NICs hike, Ms Reeves said: “When I became Chancellor, we faced a £22billion black hole in the public finances.

"The decisions that I took in the budget last year both stabilised the public finances but also enabled us to invest £25billion in the NHS, and that money has meant that for the last five months in a row, we've seen NHS waiting lists fall, and within the first few months of this Labour government taking office, two million additional appointments are in our NHS.

"That's the difference that we are making, only possible because of those decisions that we took but working people will see no rise in taxes in their pay slips, whether that's their national insurance, income tax, or indeed their VAT, or fuel duty.”

Ms Reeves said that the Government is "determined to get the best deal we can" with the US after Mr Trump slapped tariffs on goods from the UK. "Well, of course, we don't want to see tariffs on UK exports, and we're working hard as a government in discussion with our counterparts in the US to represent the British national interest and support British jobs and British industry," the Chancellor said on Friday.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-confirms-whether-brits-will-see-new-tax-hikes-after-donald-trump-tariffs/ar-AA1Ci4fF?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=e86a528dd4004bbda51dfb8e1c69aa9e&ei=14

[Jimbuna]

Ed Miliband told to 'accept reality' and stop 'dragging us down with Net Zero'

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband needs to "accept reality" rather than pursuing Net Zero policies which are "dragging the whole economy down", director of Net Zero Watch has claimed.

Andrew Montford made the claim after figures revealed that Miliband's Department for Energy Security & Net Zero spent over £40,000 on UK flights in Labour's first six months in office.

New figures show the total bill for Miliband's department topped £43,644 bill for internal flights between July and December last year.

The spending on domestic air travel exceeded the £40,279 spent under the Conservatives in the first half of 2024.

Speaking to GB News, Montford said: "I live in Scotland, and I have to travel to London quite often. If I want to take the train, I get on the first one in the morning, but I don't arrive in London until lunchtime.

"So, that's half the day gone. If I take the first flight, I'm in London by 9:00. So, yeah, that’s absolutely the only way of doing it.

"The problem with high-speed rail is that it’s not really suited to the UK. We're a highly densely populated country, and high-speed rail needs to travel in straight lines, which just isn’t going to happen. So, the reality is that we’re stuck with airplanes here.

"The airplane service is very, very good in a way that the rail service isn’t. The railways tend to be quite unreliable.

"A lot can go wrong — if one train breaks down, it can cause a tailback. Whereas with airplanes, there are no such barriers.

"Again, it's this issue of the climate "religion," if you like, that says we’ve got to deal with airplanes. But the practical reality is that there isn’t actually an alternative.

"I just wish Ed Miliband would start dealing with reality, rather than this fairy tale of net zero. Because that is what’s really dragging the whole economy down and making him look like a hypocrite."

The spending figures have drawn particular attention as they come from a department focused on achieving Net Zero carbon emissions.

Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie highlighted what he called a contradiction in Labour's approach to environmental policy.

"In opposition, Miliband was all too happy to lecture the rest of us — but now in Government, it's one rule for him and another for everyone else," Bowie said.

The Conservative MP further criticised Miliband as an "eco-zealot" who is "forcing the country to suffer under his sanctimonious eco agenda."

A spokesman for the energy department defended ministers and officials using domestic flights, adding: "Ministers and civil servants are required to travel for government business.

"While most journeys are by train, flights are sometimes necessary to ensure ministerial and officials’ time is used as efficiently as possible.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/ed-miliband-told-to-accept-reality-and-stop-dragging-us-down-with-net-zero/ar-AA1ClSwv?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0b14b2da2aed4a4ea78f9f2558ba190a&ei=13

[Jimbuna]

Starmer speaks to world leaders as FTSE 100 plunges after Trump’s tariffs

The UK’s FTSE 100 suffered its worst day since the start of the pandemic as Sir Keir Starmer agreed that “like-minded countries must maintain strong relationships” in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Trading across the world has been hammered in the aftermath of the US president unveiling his full range of import taxes on countries around the world.

The Prime Minister spoke to the leaders of Australia and Italy on Friday – the first in a series of calls expected with world leaders over the weekend – as nations reel from the economic hit.

London’s top stock market index shed 419.75 points, or 4.95%, to close at 8,054.98 on Friday, the biggest single-day decline since March 2020 when the index lost more than 600 points in one day.

From Saturday, UK goods imported into the US will be subject to a 10% import tax, and the car industry has already been hit with a 25% levy which came into effect in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Downing Street has said that Sir Keir, Anthony Albanese and Giorgia Meloni “all agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging”.

Issuing a readout of the separate discussions on Friday, a Downing Street spokesperson said the PM “has been clear the UK’s response will be guided by the national interest” and officials will “calmly continue with our preparatory work, rather than rush to retaliate”.

“He discussed this approach with both leaders, acknowledging that while the global economic landscape has shifted this week, it has been clear for a long time that like-minded countries must maintain strong relationships and dialogue to ensure our mutual security and maintain economic stability,” the spokesperson added.

“They all agreed that an all-out trade war would be extremely damaging and is in nobody’s interests, while agreeing to keep in close contact in the coming days.”

It is expected that Sir Keir will take further calls with counterparts over the weekend.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday, with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Mr Trump claimed on Thursday that Sir Keir was “very happy” with Britain’s treatment over tariffs, telling reporters on board Air Force One that the pair “have a very good dialogue”.

Number 10 contradicted the characterisation, and said the UK is “disappointed” by the President’s decision.

Asked on Friday whether Mr Trump’s characterisation was accurate, a Downing Street spokesman said: “We’re disappointed by the tariffs that have been brought in.

“Clearly, there will be an economic impact from the decisions the US has taken, both here and globally, but both the Prime Minister and the Business Secretary have been very clear over the last 24 hours that we will continue to act in the best interests of the UK, and we’re prepared to do so.”

Analysts for AJ Bell estimated that about 4.9 trillion US dollars (£3.8 trillion) had been wiped off the value of the global stock market since the US president announced his tariffs on Wednesday evening.

“China’s retaliation to Trump’s latest round of tariffs means that both sides are not backing down.

“It caps off a horrible week for financial markets and dragged share prices even lower,” AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth said.

“The escalation in tariffs is bad for US companies who buy goods from China, and vice versa, because their costs will go up.

“It’s also bad for the world in general as we now have a repeat of the heightened geopolitical tensions between the US and China which dominated Trump’s first term in office.

“The rapid pullback in stocks and shares over the past few days has put a dent in people’s investments, including those in the US who were meant to have benefited from Trump’s actions.

“Instead, his tactics have caused shockwaves in every corner of the world.”

Wall Street was also facing another punishing day of trading on Friday, with US stocks tumbling after both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes suffered their worst days since 2020.

The S&P 500, which tracks the country’s leading listed companies, was sliding by about 4% to 5,179 when European markets closed.

This took the index down to its lowest level since August last year.

The Dow Jones, which tracks 30 large US companies, had also plunged 3.6%, while the technology-focused Nasdaq index was also dropping about 3.6%.

Ministers are still hoping for a deal with the US that could secure some exemption from the tariffs, with Sir Keir promising businesses on Thursday that he would “fight for the best deal for Britain”.

Ministers have so far avoided criticism of Mr Trump as they seek to secure an agreement with America. However the Government has drawn up a list of products that could be hit with tariffs in retaliation and is consulting with businesses on how any counter measures could impact them.

Rachel Reeves said on Friday that the Government is “determined to get the best deal we can” with Washington.

“Of course, we don’t want to see tariffs on UK exports, and we’re working hard as a government in discussion with our counterparts in the US to represent the British national interest and support British jobs and British industry,” the Chancellor said.

However, she declined to give a timeframe for when she expected those discussions to bear fruit.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/starmer-speaks-to-world-leaders-as-ftse-100-plunges-after-trump-s-tariffs/ar-AA1CjoIv?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0b14b2da2aed4a4ea78f9f2558ba190a&ei=80

[Jimbuna]

I simply don't believe him.

He is trying to keep the pensioners vote after robbing them of the winter fuel payment amongst other things.

Keir Starmer Makes Bold Statement on Future of State Pension Triple Lock

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, has recently reaffirmed his commitment to the state pension triple lock policy amidst growing discussions about its future. The triple lock ensures that pension payments increase every year by the highest of inflation, wage growth, or 2.5%, offering a crucial level of security to millions of pensioners. As Birmingham Mail reports, from April 7, pensioners are set to receive up to £470 more in their payments.

While the policy has long been a safeguard for pensioners, its sustainability has become a contentious issue. The ongoing debate about the future of the triple lock is gaining traction, especially as some Conservative leaders have questioned its long-term viability.

A Pledge for Stability
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer took the opportunity to address the growing concerns surrounding the triple lock. He emphasized that the Labour Party was fully committed to the policy, stating, “We can commit to the triple lock because we restored stability after they (the Conservatives) crashed the economy.” Starmer pointed out that, under Labour, the country had achieved economic stability, and in return, pensioners would benefit from an increase of up to £470 in their payments. This increase, he argued, was evidence of Labour’s dedication to ensuring pension security, especially as the nation faces economic challenges.

Despite this, the issue of whether the triple lock can be sustained long-term remains under heavy scrutiny. Starmer added that, while Labour fully supports the policy, the Conservative Party has made comments suggesting it is unsustainable. He went further, claiming that the Shadow Chancellor had referred to the triple lock as “unsustainable,” and “the leader of the opposition wants to means test the triple lock so she can cut it.” This remark was aimed at the growing Conservative push to reconsider or reform the policy, calling into question its future under a potential Conservative government.

Conservative Pushback: Is the Triple Lock Under Threat?
The Conservative Party’s stance on the triple lock is becoming increasingly vocal, with figures like Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, offering their own critiques of the policy. Badenoch was quick to point out that the triple lock was, in fact, “Conservative policy,” originally brought in under the Tories. Despite this, she, along with other party members, has raised concerns about its long-term affordability, especially as public finances come under increasing strain.

The conflict over the future of the triple lock highlights a larger debate about balancing financial sustainability with the need to protect pensioners. While the Labour Party remains steadfast in its commitment to the policy, Conservative leaders are pushing for changes, arguing that the growing costs associated with the triple lock are unsustainable.

As Starmer continues to defend the policy, it is clear that the debate is far from over, with both parties holding opposing views on how to best secure the future of pension payments in the UK.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/keir-starmer-makes-bold-statement-on-future-of-state-pension-triple-lock/ar-AA1CnCkt?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=4bcc3ddb804144ecb813e276a64e0135&ei=53

[Jimbuna]

Way way out of her depth.

Government will meet target of 1.5m homes, says Rayner after watchdog forecast

The Government will meet its target of building 1.5 million homes over five years, the Deputy Prime Minister has said, as she took questions about a watchdog forecast which appeared to lower this figure to 1.3 million.

Angela Rayner said the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast, that the UK’s housing stock would rise by 1.3 million by 2029-30, “will increase” once further reforms are agreed, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Conservative former minister Graham Stuart asked Ms Rayner to “confirm today that the 1.5 million target has gone”.

Ms Rayner told MPs that the OBR forecast scored changes last year to national planning rules, known as the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

She said: “I don’t know if my Mancunian accent will help, as opposed to the minister (Matthew Pennycook) who answered this question just a moment ago, the OBR scored the NPPF changes we’ve already made, that’s where that figure came from.”

The Deputy Prime Minister added: “Our other plans, including the homes acceleration plan and the money that we’re investing since then, and the Planning Infrastructure Bill changes will mean that that number will increase and we will meet our 1.5 million homes target.

“I don’t think I can say it much clearer than that.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/government-will-meet-target-of-1-5m-homes-says-rayner-after-watchdog-forecast/ar-AA1CsMsZ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=2c2365de92bd403296f43c848f5a5e37&ei=73

[Jimbuna]

Workers face hit of up to £11k by 2030 due to Labour's 'job tax'

Workers are facing a hit of up to £11,000 over the next five years due to Labour's 'jobs tax', an analysis has found.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' hike to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs), which she announced in October, is now in effect and is set to keep down wages.

From 6 April, the rate of employer NICs rose from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent as the Treasury attempts to raise around £25billion a year.

The Chancellor has also cut the threshold at which firms become liable to pay NICs on an employees' earnings.

Business chiefs have warned of a devastating impact from the tax rise, which they say is putting many firms at risk of closure due to hiked costs.

New research has also set out the 'grim reality' of the NICs rise on workers' pay packets. It is estimated most of the tax hike will be passed on to employees through lower real wages.

A Liberal Democrat analysis found, on average, an employee would be worse off by roughly £2,900 by 2030. It also showed how workers are set to experience a hit of nearly £470 in the next year on average.

The analysis revealed that of the £25.7billion hit to firms from Ms Reeves' 'jobs tax' in 2029/30, around £19.5billion would get passed on to workers.

Kensington and Chelsea was the worst impacted area in the country, with employees expecting to see an average hit of £10,800 in total by the end of the decade.

Some 60,043 payrolled employees in the London borough were forecast to be hit by a combined £649million due to the NICs rise over the next five years.

The next worst impacted area was the City of London, where employees were found to be facing an average hit £10,469 over the next five years.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/workers-face-hit-of-up-to-11k-by-2030-due-to-labour-s-job-tax/ar-AA1CpvOO?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=b1431798a67d4f53abc4e7abeb12c273&ei=94

[Jimbuna]

What a lying hypocrite this individual is.

Dignity is what drives me, Starmer says in Commons grilling on welfare cuts

Sir Keir Starmer suggested ministerial language on welfare reform has sometimes been misguided and insisted “dignity” is what drives his politics as he defended Government plans to slash the benefits bill.

The Prime Minister said people “occasionally don’t get it quite right” with the words they use and are “quite right” to apologise for doing so as he faced a grilling from MPs over the spending squeeze.

He said dignity was “probably the most important word in my dictionary” and has guided his decision-making in Government after being asked whether he agreed it was important to prevent language which “demonises” claimants.

It comes after Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones apologised for likening benefits to “pocket money” following a backlash over his remarks made in the wake of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spring statement.

Asked whether there would be efforts to clamp down on the use of such language, Sir Keir told the Commons Liaison Committee on Tuesday: “Of course language matters.

“I think every member of Cabinet knows that. Occasionally people don’t get it quite right. They usually apologise and are quite right to.”

He added: “The two values that have driven me in everything I’ve done as a lawyer and as a politician are dignity and respect. Dignity is probably the most important word in my dictionary.”

Mr Jones had sought to explain that extra funding to learn new skills and get into work would make people better off than if they relied on benefits payments alone.

Ms Reeves later said he had made a “clumsy” analogy when he compared the uplift for skills to his children working a weekend job on top of receiving pocket money.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/dignity-is-what-drives-me-starmer-says-in-commons-grilling-on-welfare-cuts/ar-AA1CxjX9?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=643e8e2035b84084833e805a1d5986f9&ei=45

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves deals another blow to pensioners with £2.7k in extra bills

Pensioners must now pay £2,700 more in tax to maintain their lifestyles than four years ago. In 2020-21, a pensioner would have paid £5,058 in income tax to live a "comfortable" retirement, whereas this rose to £7,787 in 2023-24, as per The Telegraph. This is due to higher living costs and frozen tax thresholds that have sent tax bills rising by £2,729, the equivalent of 54%.

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) defines a "comfortable" retirement as spending £70 on groceries and £60 on meals out each week, while still having enough for activities such as theatre trips, holidays, and regular beauty treatments. The cost of maintaining this lifestyle shot up from £32,800 a year in 2020-21 to £43,100 in 2023-34 as the cost of energy, groceries, holidays, and driving have all increased, as per the PLSA.

Compounding this, income tax thresholds have been frozen since 2020-21 until 2027-28, but Rachel Reeves has not ruled out extending this period.

This has forced pensioners into higher brackets as incomes rise in a failed effort to keep up with inflation.

Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, told The Telegraph: "Retirees are increasingly finding themselves caught paying ever increasing amounts of tax.

"The cost of maintaining a decent standard of living in retirement has risen sharply in recent years, yet income tax thresholds have remained unchanged.

"As a result, pensioners are now paying significantly more tax than they were just a few years ago - not because their incomes have grown, but because the system hasn't kept pace with inflation.

"This creeping tax burden risks undermining retirement security for thousands of people who did everything right.

"They saved diligently, planned carefully, and expected a stable system in return. Instead, they are being taxed more heavily simply to stand still."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-deals-another-blow-to-pensioners-with-2-7k-in-extra-bills/ar-AA1CFrug?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=e585ecef377c47dcbc347160f837d6a0&ei=12

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/cCwSwRvM/11111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/v8VMJs0g/22222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

The British town where homeless men sleep rough opposite a migrant hotel

Walking around a near-empty Hull city centre on a quiet, drizzly Tuesday afternoon, it is difficult to imagine that just eight months ago it was ablaze with far-right riots. The historic port city was thrust into the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as shop windows were smashed in and bricks hurled at mosques.

Less than a year on, and the city has once again faded from the nation's consciousness. The Lush cosmetics store, which was emptied out by opportunistic looters, has been repaired to new, and people are once again dealing with their daily trials. However it's clear that the discontent, anger and financial woes that culminated in last year's riots have gone nowhere. Two issues repeatedly come up speaking to residents in both Hull, and the city's leafy outskirts - migrants and benefits.

Multiple hotels in the city centre have been appropriated for that exact use, including the grand Royal Hotel, where Queen Victoria stayed in 1854.

Sitting opposite its grand visage, a white British homeless man cannot comprehend why the council and the government have given illegal migrants free accommodation, while he sleeps rough.

John, 50, voiced sadness and resentment at being allowed to slip through the country's welfare safety net following a divorce and health complications.

In the village of Cottingham, an elderly couple reveal they went on a local protest march when there was a threat that other former student halls in the large village was also on track to become more migrant accommodation.

A shop owner on the high street says that while he personally refuses to pay any attention to politics, his wife is a big fan of Tommy Robinson, hardline media personality Katie Hopkins and Nigel Farage.

In a Cafe Nero in Hull, a man inquires about our trip to the city before quietly saying "I'm a fascist" and performing a Nazi salute.

The riots may have faded, but political extremism, and the government failures that fuel such fury, are still here.

It's clear homelessness, benefits and poverty are a massive issue here too, thus underlining the huge political risk being made by Rachel Reeves' recent welfare cuts with Reform breathing down Labour's neck in parts of the country like this.

Aaron, 22, voted Labour last year, but appeared intrigued by Nigel Farage and his local celebrity candidate, boxer Luke Campbell.

He says he's on Universal Credit and has only just been awarded personal independence payment for his mental and physical health, although didn't address Rachel Reeves' recent cut to the budget.

Another passing local raises the recent benefit cuts unprompted, voicing concerns that while she's not on PIP she may be affected by the changes.

Margaret, 63, says she often visits local homeless shelters and is eyeing opening up a business to help people navigate the bureaucracy getting in the way of accessing financial support from the council and the government.

The state of the high street is also at the forefront of locals' minds. While wealthier areas like Cottingham and Beverly have avoided the worst of recent years, Hull city centre is filled with empty shop fronts, and the loss of both M&S and House of Fraser in particular hit hard.

In the place has been the ever-growing numbers of vape shops, Turkish barbers and Vietnamese-run nail salons, which raise consternation and disappointment from locals.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/the-british-town-where-homeless-men-sleep-rough-opposite-a-migrant-hotel/ar-AA1CMCch?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=7f88d02b7ee24bd9e64ce4d49c57f22d&ei=7

[Dargo]

British Steel heads for nationalisationThe nationalisation of the UK's very last blast furnaces has moved a step closer. The UK Parliament, in a rare emergency session, passed a bill transferring the running of British Steel's blast furnaces in S****horpe, England, to the UK government. The House of Lords also still has to agree to it, but that is a formality. King Charles is likely to put his signature to the bill tonight. According to the Labour government, the move is urgent because negotiations with the Jingye Group had completely stalled. Jingye is the Chinese group that owns British Steel. With the negotiations deadlocked, the blast furnaces were in danger of shutting down within about 10 days. Once the last fire is put out, it is incredibly difficult to restart the blast furnaces. Hence, Prime Minister Starmer's government submitted an emergency bill to parliament.

The government is now taking over the supply of iron ore and coke needed to keep the blast furnaces running. This gives negotiating parties time to look for a better solution, although the government no longer has much faith in Jingye. Ideally, Labour would like other investors to take over the blast furnaces with a big bag of money from the government. But that chance is extremely slim given the company's huge losses. Officially, Jingye is still the owner, but Trade Minister Reynolds acknowledged in the debate that nationalisation is ‘the most likely’ end result. Nationalisation does require another separate law.

Britain's steel industry has been in deep trouble for years. The pandemic disrupted the industry, followed by a sharp rise in energy prices, which sent the cost of energy-guzzling blast furnaces skyrocketing. Moreover, the British steel industry struggled to compete with cheap imported steel from China. This already led to the closure of Tata Steel's blast furnaces at Port Talbot in Wales last year. What remained were the S****horpe blast furnaces, the last in the UK, but they too were in big trouble. British Steel went bust back in 2019, with Jingye Group taking over the blast furnaces in S****horpe a year later. Despite a €1.4bn investment, the Chinese owners failed to make the blast furnaces profitable. It was Trump's import duties on steel in March that gave the final push towards the abyss. The British government offered Yingye €600 million in subsidies to keep the blast furnaces afloat, but that was not enough. The Chinese owners judged that the blast furnaces were ‘no longer financially viable’ and decided to pull the plug.

This was a painful moment for the British. Not only is the UK the cradle of modern steel industry, it was in danger of becoming the only major economy in the world that could no longer produce high-quality steel on its own soil. It explains the urgency of the emergency session of parliament, which is very rarely called back from recess. All parties voted in favour of the emergency bill. The debate on nationalisation of the steel industry gained new momentum in the UK when Donald Trump entered the White House in January. He started a trade war, introduced import tariffs on steel and made it clear that America is washing its hands of Europe's security.

This was a painful moment for the British. Not only is the UK the cradle of modern steel industry, it was in danger of becoming the only major economy in the world that could no longer produce high-quality steel on its own soil. It explains the urgency of the emergency session of parliament, which is very rarely called back from recess. All parties voted in favour of the emergency bill. The debate on nationalisation of the steel industry gained new momentum in the UK when Donald Trump entered the White House in January. He started a trade war, introduced import tariffs on steel and made it clear that America is washing its hands of Europe's security. Translated from: https://nos.nl/artikel/2563343-britten-koersen-aan-op-nationalisatie-staalindustrie

[Jimbuna]

'Do as I say, not as I do.'

Ed Miliband has carbon footprint 12 times the size of average Briton's

To listen to Ed Miliband you might well come to the conclusion that he wasn't terribly keen on air travel, considering it a threat to the Earth's climate and indeed the entire human race.

'Any aviation expansion will only be able to go ahead if it is consistent with our carbon budgets,' he said earlier this year when the Government revisited the idea of constructing a third runway at Heathrow.

In February, when the Government's Climate Change Committee proposed that air travel be discouraged through a frequent-flyer tax, an increase in Air Passenger Duty and a reduction in the number of domestic flights, he declined to rule out any of these measures, saying: 'We owe it to future generations to tackle the existential climate crisis.'

But just like the celebrities who preach to the rest of us about climate change as they flit around the globe in their private jets, with Miliband it appears to be a case of, 'Do as I say, not as I do.'

In practice, Miliband is one of the country's most prolific air travellers, notching up at least 44,600 air miles since he became Energy and Climate Change Secretary in July. That is the equivalent of more than 12 return flights to Tenerife.

With astonishing hypocrisy, he began his aviation odyssey in August by flying to Brazil 'to signal Britain's resurgent ambition for global leadership on international climate'.

This is how his trip was justified in a document published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

His trip took in the capital Brasilia and the northern cities of Fortaleza and Belem.

If he travelled business class he would have been responsible for 19.7 tons of carbon dioxide for this excursion alone, according to the carbon calculator on the website myclimate.org.

That is four times the average annual carbon emissions per capita for the UK population.

But that was a mere dip of the toe into Miliband's overall carbon footprint over the past nine months.

A month later he was airborne again, flying to the Big Apple with three officials to attend New York Climate Week. That was another 7,000 air miles or so and another 7.7 tons of carbon emissions.

If he took a scheduled flight, that is. In fact, records show that one of the legs was a 'non-scheduled flight' – for which read 'private jet', in which case his emissions could have been several times higher.

In October he was off to Washington to attend a meeting of G20 energy ministers, racking up a further 7,300 air miles and 8.4 tons of carbon.

November saw him fly to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for the COP29 summit. That was another 4,900 air miles and at least 5.4 tons of carbon. As his trip involved at least one 'non-scheduled flight', however, his true emissions total would have been much higher.

Official records show that Miliband flew with five officials from his department.

But, in all, more than 100 civil servants from the Energy Department were registered to attend the conference. Presumably they flew separately.

Then, in March, Miliband flew to Beijing, again to discuss climate change. This time he ran up 10,600 air miles, totting up another 12.5 tons of carbon emissions – and that's ignoring the CO2 created in the course of transporting the officials he took with him.

And these are just Miliband's international travels.

A Freedom of Information request published last week revealed that his department spent £43,644 on flights within the UK between July and December – the very sort of flights which the Climate Change Committee has suggested banning.

Although the figures don't break down how much of this was spent on getting Miliband himself about the country and how much was travel by his officials, we know he visited Aberdeen on October 17 last year and that the timings of his trip mean that he must have undertaken the journey by air.

That is a further 800 miles and 0.6 tons of carbon emissions.

By the way, the British Airways website is showing return flights from Heathrow to Aberdeen from about £200.

If the Energy Department spent more than £40,000 on domestic flights in a period of just six months, it suggests either that officials are routinely taking flights for journeys that could have been completed by train, or possibly that they are paying well above the odds, perhaps because they were hiring private jets.

Miliband's air travels alone mean he has been responsible for at least 54.2 tons of carbon emissions in the past nine months – more than 12 times the annual emissions of the average Briton.

How ridiculous for someone who in November told us that Britain was already suffering 'extreme impacts' of climate change.

Needless to say, it is the rest of us, not him, whom he expects to change lifestyles in order to save the planet.

He wants us to ditch our gas boilers and buy expensive heat pumps (Miliband does at least have one of these), and to ditch our petrol and diesel cars for pricey electric models and a lifetime of range anxiety.

The Energy Secretary's hypocrisy over air travel does not end with his own personal travel.

At the same time he was making energetic representations against a third runway at Heathrow, he was lobbying hard for the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which served his own constituency between 2005 and 2022 before closing after the now defunct airline Flybe withdrew its services.

His lobbying worked. In December the airport welcomed its first flight for two years thanks, in part, to an injection of £3 million of taxpayers' money from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

It seems that it is one rule for his own constituency and another for the rest of the country.

Nor did Miliband see fit to criticise the Prime Minister when he was grilled about why Sir Keir Starmer took a private jet to attend the Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany last year.

All Miliband did say was: 'He's the Prime Minister of the country. He needs to get about.'

That is no answer at all. And there is no reason whatsoever why a Prime Minister – accompanied by the appropriate level of security – should not travel on a scheduled flight. Many of Starmer's predecessors have happily travelled in this way over the years.

Of course, arguments can be made for ministers criss-crossing the world, and sometimes this can involve travelling to destinations not served by scheduled flights. But if Miliband is going to lecture the rest of the population about

the urgent need to tackle climate change by curtailing our lifestyles, you might think that he would at least make some effort to cut his own emissions.

To fail to do so invites ridicule and contempt.

How does Miliband expect us to spend, say, £13,000 on a heat pump – the average cost of such an appliance installed under the Government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme, before grants of £7,500 are taken into account – if he is not prepared to rein in his air travel?

A case might be made that he had to travel to Baku for COP29, but he certainly didn't have to fly to Brazil, New York and Washington for meetings in the weeks leading up to the conference. Has he not heard of Zoom?

Miliband has become the face of Government climate policy, zealously promoting measures that have given us the highest energy prices in the world and contributed to Britain's industrial decline.

Thanks to Miliband's mad dash to Net Zero, we are on the verge of losing the bulk of our steel industry and in danger of losing our chemicals industry as well.

Either he should practise what he preaches – or stop preaching.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/ed-miliband-has-carbon-footprint-12-times-the-size-of-average-briton-s/ar-AA1CO57n?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=c7ea18f8197649c3c87bd0b94191a731&ei=29

[Jimbuna]

Rachel Reeves torn apart on GB News with stinging six-word British Steel law swipe

Rachel Reeves was slammed on GB News after emergency proposals to save British Steel's S****horpe blast furnaces were approved by Parliament. Legislation giving the Government the power to instruct British Steel to keep the plant open passed both the Commons and Lords in a single day unopposed. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds accused British Steel's Chinese owners, Jingye, of failing to negotiate "in good faith" after it decided to stop buying enough raw materials to keep the blast furnaces at S****horpe going.

Addressing the new bill on GB News on Sunday (April 13), presenters Cameron Walker and Anne Diamond questioned how Rachel Reeves is going to fund it. Speaking to James Heale, Cameron asked the political correspondent on how much this legislation is going to cost taxpayers. James said it is believed to be in the "hundreds of millions". He explained: "The full cost is yet to be worked out. But I think Jingye lost about £650 million between 2020 and 2023. It's likely to be hundreds of millions but even a billion or so."

Anne declared that the Chancellor has been claiming there is no money, but agreed this bill must have been passed. James added: "There will be a lot of Labour MPs will be pleased they have done this even if a few conceived it's a bit belated, perhaps."

In a brutal swipe to the Chancellor, Cameron quipped: "It's amazing how much money Rachel Reeves can find down the back of the sofa, isn't it?"

Anne pointed out that the money can always be found from somewhere, but also took aim at the politician as she realised what this could mean for British taxpayers. She added: "Not necessarily good news for us."

On Saturday, the Tories accused Labour of "indefensible incompetence" for almost allowing British Steel to collapse. Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith accused the Government of behaving like "sulky teenagers".

But Labour MPs attempted to hit back as they claimed the crisis was caused by leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch, back when she was Business and Trade Secretary in the previous Conservative government.

Mr Griffth told a packed House of Commons: "This is a botched nationalisation plan revealing the Government has no plan."

He added: "It's indefensible incompetence. Despite years to prepare, it's clear they came into office with no plan," before insisting the Government "hasn't really thought this through".
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/rachel-reeves-torn-apart-on-gb-news-with-stinging-six-word-british-steel-law-swipe/ar-AA1CPbCq?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=4680cfbd26834f9bb751e61dc00521aa&ei=7

[Jimbuna]

Ed Miliband let China wreck British Steel and is serving them UK energy sector on a plate

Unless you're jet-setting Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. His reckless net zero crusade is stamped Made in China. And the nationalisation of British Steel shows just how dangerous outsourcing key industries to hostile powers really is.

Once a pillar of our industrial strength, British Steel is now a cautionary tale of decline. Successive governments let it slide, including Boris Johnson, who allowd Chinese firm Jingye to buy S****horpe's steelworks in 2020.

Now, Jingye has cancelled vital orders to keep the UK's last blast furnaces running. They're the only ones capable of producing virgin steel.

Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith says Miliband's green madness has left us with energy costs twice as high as Germany's.

Steel isn't just another industry. It's the backbone of tanks, turbines, trains - and ironically even wind farms. Yet as China floods global markets with cheap subsidised coal-fuelled steel, he let domestic supply go to the wall.

In Westminster, there are whispers that Jingye's real goal wasn't to revive S****horpe but to run it down. Workers recently blocked access to the site, fearing sabotage from within.

Meanwhile, Miliband vetoed a new Cumbrian mine that could have supplied homegrown coking coal. Instead, we now import it at twice the cost, under Royal Navy escort. Brilliant.

Last September, Labour nodded through Tata Steel's plan to shut Port Talbot's blast furnaces - losing 2,800 jobs. Miliband looked the other way.

The Tories are in no way blameless, and not just Boris. Theresa May hiked the target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 100%.

But Miliband's in charge now and his hostility to North Sea oil and gas takes economic self-harm to new heights.

Blocking new licences means we now import more from unfriendly regimes, while losing billions in tax revenue.

This isn't energy security. It's surrender.

Ed says solar panels and wind farms will set a global example. They already are - to Xi Jinping, as China cashes in on our green obsession.

Chinese firms are embedded in a third of UK offshore wind projects. This isn't a green revolution, it's a Chinese Communist Party export strategy.

The US gets it. They're banning Chinese tech from critical infrastructure and blacklisting firms linked to the Chinese military. We did it with Huawei, blocking its tech from our 5G networks and other critical infrastructure.

But Miliband? He's rolling out the red carpet. Chinese firm Mingyang is building turbines for Europe's largest wind farm.

Here. In our North Sea. Defence objections were overruled.

These state-linked companies can spy on our Navy, switch off power, or worse. And Chinese hackers have already targeted UK energy firms.

This isn't theory - it's happening.

Some of their tech is made with slave labour. How does that sit with Red Ed?

And for what? Net zero doesn't even work on its own terms.

We block coal mines here, then import dirtier fuel from abroad. We scrap gas licences, then pay despots for LNG. We shut steelworks, then import carbon-heavy Chinese steel.

That's not saving the planet. That's exporting pollution, jobs, and security.

Miliband has already been embarrassed over Heathrow's third runway, the electric car chaos, and now British Steel.

He's not just a political liability, he's an economic and national security threat.

Keir Starmer must reshuffle him out. Fast. Before even more damage is done.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/ed-miliband-let-china-wreck-british-steel-and-is-serving-them-uk-energy-sector-on-a-plate/ar-AA1CSjuN?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=2916f46bdb544162db44ce940bece570&ei=30

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J398GCgs4q8

[Jimbuna]

I've read small print of Trump's tariffs - and it spells utter disaster for Rachel Reeves

There was a flicker of optimism this morning, as US Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence in securing a "great" trade deal with the UK.

He pointed to President Trump's admiration for the British monarchy and his longstanding cultural and business ties with Britain.

The FTSE 100 nudged up 1.1% on the back of this charm offensive, but the bounce was short-lived.

Investors, like the rest of us, have started to realise that the devil is in the detail. And the small print of Trump's latest tariff plan is terrifying.

Tariffs of up to 25% UK steel and car experts are currently due to take effect after Trump's 90-day pause. Along with a flat 10% tariff on all other British exports.

Businesses hate uncertainty more than they hate tax. Thanks to Trump and Reeves, they have both in spades. Firms don't know how much their exports will attract in tariffs, when rates will change, or what Trump's next target will be.

This threatens to blow apart carefully structured supply chains and completely upend business planning.

It's a nightmare for Reeves too.

These tariffs could shave an eye-watering £24billion off GDP over the next two years.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has already warned that they could also obliterate what's left of the Chancellor's fiscal headroom.

This could force Reeves to either cut spending and hike taxes in her Autumn Budget, or most likely both.

Otherwise bond investors could lose faith in the UK's ability to balance the books, sending our borrowing costs through the roof.

As I've written before, Reeves has made mistake after mistake. The last thing she needed was Trump exposing just how vulnerable her missteps have left us.

Take pharmaceuticals. This is not some fringe sector. AstraZeneca is now the biggest company listed in the UK, valued at £160billion.

It's bigger than Shell, HSBC, Unilever and Rolls-Royce. Rival drugs maker Glaxo is also huge, with a total value of around £54billion.

Both are now in Trump's crosshairs.

Britain exported almost £5billion in pharmaceuticals to the US last year, supporting tens of thousands of jobs.

Traditionally, the sector has been spared from trade wars. Not anymore.

Trump has said he wants to slap tariffs on pharma to force companies to "come roaring back" to the US.

As he puts it: "All I have to do is impose a tariff. The higher I do it, the faster they come."

It gets worse.

Britain exported £3.65billion in electronics to the US last year. Trump is now reviewing the entire electronics supply chain as part of a "national security" probe.

He wants those jobs in America too.

Vance might be right. Trump may soften his stance and negotiate some of these tariffs away. But if he doesn't?

Rachel Reeves has already put herself in a difficult position. Thanks to Trump, it could soon become impossible.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/i-ve-read-small-print-of-trump-s-tariffs-and-it-spells-utter-disaster-for-rachel-reeves/ar-AA1CXFCM?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=762a047255db4a09a2160dfdaf8f691f&ei=46

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/k508wh65/11111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/f3vJRCv4)
https://i.postimg.cc/rm54HCxN/22222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Yet more hypocrisy and double standards.

Ed Miliband adviser who backed levy on frequent fliers racked up 40,000 air miles in a year

One of the Government's climate advisers has been accused of 'rank hypocrisy' after they racked up 40,000 air miles in a year by jetting to environmental conferences.

Nigel Topping is one of six members of the Climate Change Committee, which advises Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In February, the committee backed a 'frequent flier levy' to help reach Net Zero. This would see Britons who take the most flights, or fly the furthest distances, taxed more.

According to The Telegraph, Mr Topping attended conferences in Barbados, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Netherlands and the US in the last 12 months.

An analysis by the newspaper showed he accrued 11 times more air miles in the last year than the average Briton.

It also found that Mr Topping's carbon footprint from flights alone was about 40 per cent more than the average Briton produces in total in a year.

Mr Miliband himself was recently criticised after it was revealed he had notched up at least 44,600 air miles since he became Energy Secretary last July.

It meant he was responsible for at least 54.2 tons of carbon emissions in nine months – more than 12 times the annual emissions of the average Briton.

Mr Topping was revealed to have attended the International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference in December in Abu Dhabi.

This was held at the five-star Bab al-Qasr hotel, which boasts a private beach, infinity pool and chauffeur service.

The climate adviser was also said to have attended the UN's desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier the same month.

Mr Topping, who was the UK's high-level climate action champion for the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021, attended the Sustainable Energy For All Global Forum in Barbados last month.

Tory MP Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy secretary, said: 'This is rank hypocrisy.

'Once again we see those preaching this Mr Miliband-driven Net Zero zealotry are all too happy to impose significant burdens on others, but won't practise what they preach.

'It's one rule for them and another for everyone else. Kemi Badenoch and I have been clear that Net Zero by 2050 would involve significant cost to the country and to the consumer and it is simply not sustainable.

'It is a shame this Labour Government is still not prepared to do the same.'

The Climate Change Committee did not comment as Mr Topping's travel was not part of his work as a committee member.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/ed-miliband-adviser-who-backed-levy-on-frequent-fliers-racked-up-40-000-air-miles-in-a-year/ar-AA1DnStW?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=f0cada7300924281a5533eed1ca23adc&ei=28

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/T1g77N6c/11111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MfZmXDXc)
https://i.postimg.cc/xjz418zb/22222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

This mindless idiot will achieve nothing apart from splitting an already divided country.

Miliband poised to charge homes in South more for electricity

Ed Miliband is poised to approve changes that would mean households in the South pay more for electricity than those in Scotland and the North.

The Energy Secretary has been weighing up whether to push ahead with zonal pricing, which would split the country’s single national power market into different regions.

Supporters say the change will cut household electricity bills overall by reducing the need for grid upgrades, while opponents counter that it will create a “postcode lottery” and deter investment in wind and solar farms.

But in a blow to critics, The Telegraph has been told that government officials have advised Mr Miliband to press ahead with the policy.

Whitehall sources did not deny the claim, but stressed that no final decision had been made. One said Mr Miliband continued to debate the policy with his inner circle.

It could also still be blocked or watered down in later stages when other government departments are consulted. Ministers have promised to announce a decision by mid-2025.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/miliband-poised-to-charge-homes-in-south-more-for-electricity/ar-AA1DsDJM?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=3d98888753764db6b29882cd153c8bef&ei=144

[Jimbuna]

Huge boost to Nigel Farage after yet another Reform by-election win

The Reform Party has secured another council seat after a major win in a by-election, giving Nigel Farage a fresh boost. Britain Elects shared the results of the Arun District Council Marine ward by-election on X, confirming Reform UK gained the seat from an Independent.

Reform candidate Giuliano Pinnelli won 26% of the vote, just edging out Liberal Democrat Paul Wells, who polled 25.2 %. Labour's Alison Terry came third with 20.1%, followed by Conservative Diana Thas with 16.3 %, Green Party candidate John Erskine on 9.8 %, and Independent Phil Woodall on 2.6 %.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/huge-boost-to-nigel-farage-after-yet-another-reform-by-election-win/ar-AA1DBFNk?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=85f57966fe8a4f5d9685a75681290b30&ei=15

[Jimbuna]

Everybody is welcome, come on over, free housing and hotels are assured.

REVEALED: Keir Starmer's list of towns where taxpayers could pay rent for Channel crossing migrants - Is your area impacted?

The full list of towns and cities where taxpayers could end up paying the rent for Channel crossing migrants has been revealed.

According to the website of Serco, one of three private contractors working for the Home Office, the firm's full dispersal portfolio currently spans across 120 local authorities.

It comes just hours after Serco was revealed to be offering landlords five-year guaranteed full rent deals at the taxpayer's expense.

The list is split into three areas, the North West, the Midlands and the East of England, with Serco admitting: "We are continuing to work with new Local Authorities across our region to extend the Serco footprint." However, the company's website also stated: "All areas are currently closed for Procurement in the North West."

The towns listed in the East of England are:

・Babergh/Mid Suffolk

・Breckland

・Broadlands/South Norfolk

・Cambridge

・East Cambridgeshire

・East Suffolk

・Fenland

・Great Yarmouth

・Ipswich

・Kings Lynn & West Norfolk

・Mid Suffolk

・North Norfolk

・Norwich

・Peterborough

・South Cambridgeshire (Cambourne, Sawston)

・South Norfolk

・West Suffolk (Bury, Newmarket, Brandon, Haverhill, Mildenhall)

The towns and cities listed in the Midlands are:

・Amber Valley

・Ashfield

・Bassetlaw

・Birmingham

・Blaby

・Bolsover

・Boston

・Bromsgrove and Redditch

・Broxtowe

・Cannock Chase

・Charnwood

・Chesterfield

・Derby

・Derbyshire Dales

・Dudley

・East Lindsey

・East Staffordshire (Burton-upon-Trent and Uttoxeter)

・Erewash (Derbyshire)

・Gedling

・Harborough

・Herefordshire County

・High Peak

・Hinkley & Bosworth

・Huntingdonshire

・Leicester

・Lincoln

・Lichfield

・Malvern Hills

・Mansfield

・Melton

・Newark and Sherwood

・Newcastle-under-Lyme

・North East Derbyshire

・North Kesteven (Lincolnshire)

・North Northamptonshire (Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough)

・North Warwickshire

・North West Leicestershire (Coalville)

・Nottingham

・Nuneaton and Bedworth

・Oadby & Wigston

・Rugby

・Rushcliffe

・Rutland

・Sandwell

・Shropshire

・Solihull

・South Derbyshire (Swadlincote)

・South Holland

・South Kesteven (Lincolnshire)

・South Staffordshire

・Stafford

・Staffordshire Moorlands

・Stoke-on-Trent

・Stratford-on-Avon

・Tamworth

・Telford and Wrekin

・Walsall

・Warwick ( Leamington Spa, Kenilworth)

・West Lindsey

・West Northamptonshire (Northampton & Daventry)

・Wolverhampton

・Worcester

・Wychavon

・Wyre Forest

The towns and cities listed in the North West are:

・Allerdale

・Barrow-in-Furness

・Blackburn & Darwen

・Blackpool

・Bolton

・Burnley

・Bury

・Carlisle

・Cheshire East

・Cheshire West and Chester

・Chorley

・Copeland

・Eden (Penrith)

・Flyde

・Halton

・Hyndburn

・Knowsley

・Lancaster

・Liverpool

・Manchester

・Oldham

・Pendle

・Preston

・Ribble Valley

・Rochdale

・Rossendale

・Salford

・Sefton

・South Lakeland

・South Ribble

・Stockport

・St Helens

・Tameside

・Trafford

・Warrington

・West Lancashire

・Wigan

・Wirral

・Wyre

There are approximately 1.3 million people on the social housing waiting list as cheaper private rented accommodation is in high demand.

One council leader told LBC: "It’s Serco who are encouraging landlords to exploit taxpayers, then it’s blamed on councils because of the impact it has on local rents, services and social cohesion. I don’t think it’s good for the fabric of society or the individuals involved."

A Home Office spokesman said the department is "intensifying" collaboration with France and other countries over tackling gangs' business models, and introducing tougher enforcement powers under new legislation.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/fire-in-manaknagar-apartment-narrow-escape-for-25-residents/ar-AA1DG89X?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=a21241544b934a9ba16e58ee9f5a986a&ei=22

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/jSMLk8Yp/dfg.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

You'll be extremely lucky if you ever get an answer from this chancer.

Ed Miliband gets furious telling off for breaking promise on net zero plans

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been ordered to come clean about plans for net zero carbon emissions "without delay". He pledged in January to reveal plans for a dramatic cut in the pollution linked to global warming, which is likely to involve a huge increase in onshore windfarms and solar power stations - and could mean forcing people to eat less meat.

But he has now been reprimanded by the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, chaired by Labour MP Toby Perkins, which has written to Mr Miliband complaining that he failed to keep his promise. Mr Perkins said he had been forced to make his complaint public because of the long delay. Mr Miliband is working on a "carbon budget", which will be a legally-binding limit on the amount of carbon emissions the UK produces between 2037 and 2042. The goal is to achieve "net zero" emissions by 2050.

The Climate Change Committee, which advises Mr Miliband, said earlier this year that cutting emissions would involve a reduction in meat and dairy consumption. It said: "In our pathway, meat products will be mainly replaced by existing alternative protein products, some plant-based whole foods and, in the later years, novel alternative proteins."

It also said more taxes on flights were needed to curb the growth in aviation, and more homes would need heat pumps instead of boilers.

Mr Miliband told MPs in January that he would share his plans with them. But Mr Perkins said: "In January, we were encouraged to hear the Secretary of State's warm words about Parliament's role in scrutinising plans for the Seventh Carbon Budget.

"But those warm words have not yet translated to any form of detail. What, if anything, will Ministers offer for scrutiny before Parliament is invited to agree the next Carbon Budget?

"Our role must be more than a rubber stamp; we need to know exactly what the Government intends to do, to reduce emissions sufficiently by 2042. I therefore urge the Secretary of State to respond without delay."

He revealed that he wrote privately to Mr Miliband in February asking for the information. And he said he had now decided to make his concerns public.

In a new letter to the Energy Secretary, Mr Perkins said: "I am concerned to note that the Committee is yet to receive a response, some eight weeks after the date by which the information was requested to be provided." And he insisted: "Please arrange for a response to the letter to be sent without further delay."

Mr Miliband last week insisted there would be no u-turn over controversial plans for net zero, even though the Climate Change Committee warned it will cost the UK around £4 billion every year.

Last week he said: "The critics will not shut up, I'm sure. But the critics need to know, if they want to fight about this, this Government says bring it on. Let's bring on the fight.

"Let's have the argument and any day of the week, any hour of the day, any month of the year we will have the argument between cheap, clean renewables that give you energy security, lower bills, the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century, against their case to say no to all that, to stick simply with expensive, insecure fossil fuels which gave us the cost-of-living crisis, which ruined family finances, which ruined public finances, which ruined business finances, and they will say no to these huge job opportunities that are on offer.

"So whether it is political parties or other forces that want to take on net zero and the clean energy transition, they need to know that this Government is not for bending, this Government is not for buckling, this Government is standing firm.

"And, you know what, I think the British people are on our side on this."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/new-mot-test-changes-could-see-uk-launch-european-union-regulations-for-millions-of-cars/ar-AA1DL7dQ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=5fbb3a47b1e344c4beac094b2174443b&ei=14