Chancellor also warns of severe cuts to services as he prepares for his biggest test in his new role
Everyone will be paying “a bit more tax” after the autumn budget, the chancellor has said, as he asked everyone to make sacrifices.
Warning of severe cuts to public services, Jeremy Hunt said there would be “very difficult decisions” made but claimed his plan would show the way through “difficult times”.
Continue reading...The succession of PMs have all spoken out on who or what has caused the state of UK finances. They’re all partly right, but conveniently miss out one or two other key reasons
Covid-19 ripped a £400bn hole in the government’s finances. The money was used largely to support the economy and it succeeded in allowing industries and workers to bounce back once restrictions were lifted.
Continue reading...Revolt over ‘levelling up’ label on Arts Council cash for established institutions, while projects for disadvantaged children are cut
A Tory revolt has emerged over “patronising” claims that funding for established cultural institutions contributes to the government’s levelling up pledge, amid concerns from ministers and MPs that “real levelling up” projects for the underprivileged have been slashed.
Rishi Sunak is expected to be confronted this week over the issue during prime minister’s questions.
Continue reading...Former party leader’s Islington North constituency riven by tensions over whether to support incumbent or find new candidate
It is hard to find a more Labour-dominated part of the country than the London seat of Islington North. Yet should you ask Labour members which candidate they will be backing at the next election, there is nervousness, hesitation and hushed tones.
Jeremy Corbyn, the local MP in the seat for the last 39 years, is currently an independent MP having been stripped of the Labour party whip. He retains significant local support, but should he decide to run as an independent candidate at the next election, every Labour member in the seat will face a choice – campaign for the party’s candidate, or campaign for Corbyn and risk expulsion.
Continue reading...Town halls and finance firms say they support LGBT rights but send money to World Cup host where homosexuality is illegal
The rainbow flag flew above the Bourne Corn Exchange as South Kesteven council embraced LGBT history month.
A year after voting against such a gesture the Lincolnshire local authority declared itself pleased “to celebrate and recognise the […] rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people”, hoisting the flag outside its headquarters in 2019.
Continue reading...Labour said Jack McKenna was leaving of his own accord and with ‘clean record’
A former senior aide to Angela Rayner is believed to have been given a significant payout by Labour after the party acknowledged there had been “misleading and unauthorised leaks” about him to the media.
Labour said Jack McKenna, the former communications chief to the party’s deputy leader, was leaving of his own accord and with a “clean record” and that Keir Starmer wishes him well for the future.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Some civil servants may have still been traumatised by his previous stint there, sources say
Senior civil servants at the Ministry of Justice were offered “respite or a route out” of the department when Dominic Raab was reappointed last month, amid concerns that some were still traumatised by his behaviour during a previous stint there.
Several sources told the Guardian that about 15 members of staff from the justice secretary’s private office were taken into a room where departmental officials acknowledged they may be anxious about his behaviour and gave them the option of moving roles.
Continue reading...One backer of ex-PM says ‘that wasn’t what was going on’, as Jeremy Hunt also appears to dispute version of events
Kwasi Kwarteng’s claims that he tried to get Liz Truss to slow down her financial plans have been challenged by her allies.
In his first interview since he was sacked as chancellor by Truss, Kwarteng said he had told the then prime minister to be more cautious with their £45bn programme of tax cuts.
Continue reading...Authority lent total of £655m over four years to owner of 53 solar parks across Britain
One of the country’s largest solar farm owners has entered administration amid the fallout from a scandal that forced an Essex council leader to resign.
Administrators at Interpath Advisory have been appointed to Toucan Energy Holdings, which owns a portfolio of 53 solar parks with a combined capacity of 513 megawatts across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Continue reading...Latest updates: chancellor says ‘we’ve learned that you can’t fund spending or borrowing without showing how you are going to pay for it’
Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, has released polling suggesting that half of Londoners are either “financially struggling” (18%) or “just about managing” financially (32%).
According to the polling, 49% of Londoners are also using less water, energy or fuel.
This shocking new polling highlights the realities of the worst cost of living crisis in generations.
With spiralling inflation and soaring interest rates meaning many Londoners are struggling to make ends meet – a situation made worse by the government’s failed mini-budget – the chancellor has a duty to take decisive action on Thursday to support vulnerable Londoners.
In total, the NHS paid more than £3bn to agencies who provide doctors and nurses on short notice. The figure represents a 20% rise on last year, when the health service spent £2.4bn. Trusts spent a further £6bn on bank staff, when NHS staff are paid to do temporary shifts, taking the total spent on additional staff to around £9.2bn.
One in three NHS trusts paid an agency more than £1,000 for a single shift last year, while one in every six trusts paid more than £2,000, results from freedom of information requests reveal.
Taxpayers are picking up the bill for the Conservatives’ failure to train enough doctors and nurses over the past 12 years. This is infuriating amounts of money paid to agencies, when patients are waiting longer than ever for treatment.
Labour will tackle this problem at its root. We will train the doctors and nurses the NHS needs, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status.
Continue reading...Wiltshire council criticised for unveiling plaque littered with mistakes
Swindon borough council has been criticised for botching a tribute to key workers during the Covid pandemic with a plaque littered with mistakes.
Images of the plaque have been widely shared on social media, showing random capitalisation, punctuation errors and spelling mistakes.
Continue reading...Around 100,000 civil servants, working in multiple government agencies, have voted to strike in a dispute over pay, pensions and jobs.
According to Pat Leahy, political editor of the Irish Times, the Irish government is doubtful about the prospect of a breakthrough in the coming weeks in the talks on the Northern Ireland protocol.
In his Sky News interview Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, also suggested that large number of politicians in parliament are voting for Matt Hancock to perform “grim” tasks on I’m A Celebrity. My colleague Aubrey Allegretti has the story here.
Continue reading...Shadow climate minister says Britain is losing the race to create green jobs
Labour has accused the government of being “highly irresponsible” in sidelining a crucial piece of energy legislation, arguing that Britain is “losing the race” to create green jobs.
The energy security bill was published in July with the aim of boosting domestic, low-carbon power supplies and bringing down energy costs.
Continue reading...Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, claims ‘quite a lot’ of politicians downloading TV show app
A large number of politicians in parliament are voting for Matt Hancock to perform “grim” tasks on I’m A Celebrity, a senior minister has suggested.
After the former Conservative health secretary was pelted with sludge and insects on his first night in the Australian jungle, a former cabinet colleague said even technophobic peers back home in Britain were downloading an app used to vote contestants into performing gruesome “bushtucker trials”.
Continue reading...Source claims PM was given ‘general description’ of alleged incident but gave Williamson a job anyway
Rishi Sunak is facing scrutiny over whether he knew about Gavin Williamson’s alleged bullying of a senior civil servant whom he told to “cut your throat” before reappointing him to government.
Two sources claimed the prime minister had been alerted to Williamson’s “credible and substantiated bad behaviour” while defence secretary when he drew up his cabinet.
Continue reading...Former health secretary crawls through dark tunnels in Beastly Burrows first trial
In the run-up to Matt Hancock’s appearance on I’m a Celebrity, it was widely speculated that he would be subjected to all the most gruesome challenges. In that respect, his first episode did not fail to deliver.
The hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – and probably much of the nation – could barely contain their delight as the former health secretary was forced to crawl through tiny, dark tunnels where he was showered with bugs and sludge.
I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! continues on Thursday at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
Continue reading...With No 10 seemingly one step behind events, prime minister cultivated his reputation for poor political judgment
On the steps of Downing Street just two weeks ago, Rishi Sunak sought to draw a line under both of his recent predecessors’ chaotic administrations, vowing that his would be one of “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”.
But on Tuesday the prime minister’s promises – already shaken by his appointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary six days after she was sacked by Liz Truss, and his failure to fill the long-vacant ethics adviser role – took yet another battering as Gavin Williamson, the twice-sacked Cabinet Office minister, left the government under a dark cloud.
Continue reading...Former deputy chief whip Anne Milton tells Channel 4 Williamson used ‘leverage’ and threats against MPs
Sima Kotecha, Newsnight’s UK editor, has spoken to Tory MPs who are not surprised about the allegations about Sir Gavin Williamson being a bully.
Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary, has said that if Alistair Jack, the Scottish secretary, was confident about defending his record at an election, he would not be getting ready to accept a peerage. Referring to today’s Times story (see 10.55am), Murray said:
We cannot comment on speculation about peerages. Alister Jack is absolutely committed to representing his constituents and working with the prime minister to continue to deliver for people in Scotland.
Continue reading...Some of the worst moments of the Conservative politician who has been sacked from cabinet after allegations over his conduct
Gavin Williamson has resigned as a minister after a string of allegations, including that he told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat”.
It is not the first time he has lost a government job, however. Since taking up his first ministerial role in 2017, Williamson has been dogged by scandals and controversies. Here is a reminder of his worst moments:
Continue reading...Former defence and education secretary had been brought back to government last month by Rishi Sunak
Gavin Williamson has resigned as a minister after messages emerged in which he berated the former Conservative chief whip for not ensuring he was invited to the Queen’s funeral.
Williamson, who was sacked as defence secretary by Theresa May for leaking confidential information, and by Boris Johnson after a disastrous two-year stint as education secretary, was brought back to government last month by Rishi Sunak as a Cabinet Office minister.
Continue reading...