Government borrowing surged by more than expected in July in a blow to Rachel Reeves as she prepares to deliver her first budget. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector net borrowing stood at £3.1bn last month, £1.8bn more than a year ago and the highest July borrowingContinue Reading
Labour will not use its first budget to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s government has said. Torsten Bell, parliamentary private secretary to the influential Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, predicted the measure would not be repealed in the October 30 statement. The former chiefContinue Reading
The UN special rapporteur on torture has intervened to urge Sir Keir Starmer to review the cases of thousands of people trapped in prison indefinitely under long-discredited IPP sentences “without further delay”. Lambasting the scandal which has left thousands of people to “languish without hope” in prison as “a terribleContinue Reading
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has suggested the UK could rejoin the EU in “the medium to long term”, in a departure from Labour’s stance on Brexit. Last month, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said he wants to “reset” relations with European allies. But he also noted negotiations on tradeContinue Reading
Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has admitted he previously used the Ozempic weight-loss jab but “didn’t particularly enjoy it”. The former immigration minister confirmed he took the medication for around six weeks last autumn to shed some pounds. Mr Jenrick was addressing rumours about his sudden weight loss over theContinue Reading
Staff who are consistently contacted by bosses outside of normal working hours could be in line for thousands of pounds of compensation under Labour plans. The government’s plans to introduce a right to switch off, establishing a barrier between workers’ professional and home lives, could see staff securing bumper payoutsContinue Reading
Campaigners are preparing to launch a fresh pilot for a four-day working week in the hope the new Labour government will be more open-minded to the scheme. And we want to know if our readers also think chopping a day off the average Monday to Friday is a good idea.Continue Reading
Primary school pupils should be given ice lollies in science lessons to ensure learning is grounded in engaging real-life experiences, a coalition of scientific associations has said. A new primary science curriculum should be introduced which offers a series of “essential experiences” in class so all children have opportunities toContinue Reading
Far-right riots have pushed Britain’s prisons to breaking point as the government triggers emergency measures to ease overcrowding. Experts fear hard-won capacity gained by releasing prisoners early has “rapidly evaporated” after at least 677 suspected rioters were charged following widespread disorder. In Merseyside – where clashes first erupted following theContinue Reading
Half of the public believes Nigel Farage is “personally responsible” for the recent riots that erupted across the UK, a new poll has revealed. The survey, conducted by Savanta between 9 and 11 August among 2,237 participants, found 51 per cent of British voters hold the Reform UK leader accountableContinue Reading
