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Sir Keir Starmer has paid again greater than £6,000 value of items and hospitality he acquired for the reason that election, after the row over ministerial donations, it’s been revealed.
The prime minister is overlaying the price of six Taylor Swift tickets, 4 tickets to the races and a clothes rental settlement with a high-end designer favoured by his spouse, Girl Victoria Starmer.
The donations row adopted him to Brussels, the place he met Ursula von der Leyen as a part of his bid to “reset” Britain’s relations with the European Union.
Throughout a press convention, Sir Keir defined that it was “proper” for him to repay the price of some items.
The PM additionally acquired £6,134 in “clothes and private assist” for wis spouse from Lord Waheed Alli.
The Labour peer and style mogul is below investigation by the Lords’ commissioner over alleged non-registration of pursuits that would result in a doable breach of the members’ code of conduct.
Because the battle for the Tory crown continues, the 4 management hopefuls had their final probabilities to persuade social gathering members they are often the brand new face of the opposition.
On the final day of the Conservative Get together convention, James Cleverly apologised for the social gathering’s brutal election defeat in July, urging the social gathering to keep away from complacency and warning in opposition to “wallowing in self-pity”.
Key Factors
Present newest replace
Axing two-child restrict ‘most cost-effective transfer however no silver bullet on poverty’
Scrapping the two-child restrict would elevate greater than half 1,000,000 out of absolute poverty at an eventual value to the federal government of £2.5 billion a 12 months, however would “do nothing” for the poorest households caught by the remaining profit cap, a suppose tank has mentioned.
Taking out the two-child restrict can be the one most cost-effective means of decreasing baby poverty, in response to the Institute for Fiscal Research (IFS), but it surely mentioned that such a coverage change is “not a silver bullet”.
Scrapping each the two-child restrict and the profit cap would elevate 620,000 kids out of absolute poverty however would value greater than £3 billion yearly, the organisation mentioned.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been below strain, since he got here to energy in July, to take away the two-child coverage, and a few of Labour’s personal MPs have been suspended after backing one other social gathering’s movement to take action.
The federal government has cited spending controls as a cause for not with the ability to instantly ditch the coverage, indicating there can be no change to it with out financial development.
The 2-child restrict was first introduced in 2015 by the Conservatives and got here into impact in 2017. It restricts baby tax credit score and common credit score to the primary two kids in most households.
In a brand new report setting out estimates for the prices and results of scrapping completely different insurance policies, somewhat than suggestions, the IFS mentioned reversing the two-child restrict would elevate 540,000 kids out of absolute poverty.
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 07:00
Watch: Tobias Ellwood guidelines out Britain attacking Iran after missiles fired
Former defence secretary guidelines out Britain attacking Iran after missiles fired
Britain will play no half in attacking Iran, a former defence minister has mentioned after Tehran launched round 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, 1 October. When requested if he expects the US or UK to be a part of any Israeli response, Tobias Ellwood – who misplaced his seat on the 2024 normal election – mentioned he was agency about his perception. “The transfer to truly assault Iran strikes us into a really harmful place certainly,” he mentioned. British forces “performed their half in makes an attempt to forestall additional escalation within the Center East” on Tuesday, defence secretary John Healey mentioned. It got here as Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran will “pay a worth” after it fired missiles at Israel following an Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 06:30
Two in 5 mother and father ‘educate disabled kids at house on account of lack of provision’
Practically two in 5 mother and father have been compelled to teach their disabled baby at house due to an absence of appropriate provision or funding, a survey has discovered.
A 3rd (33 per cent) of oldsters of disabled kids have needed to go to tribunal to have their native authority comply with fund their baby’s training, in response to the ballot for incapacity charity Sense.
Mother and father have been compelled to surrender their careers as a result of their kids’s wants usually are not being met, whereas others have needed to spend their kids’s financial savings to combat for assist, the charity mentioned.
The survey, of 1,001 mother and father and guardians of disabled kids below the age of 18 within the UK, discovered 46 per cent struggled to get an training, well being and care (EHC) plan in place for his or her baby, and an analogous proportion (45 per cent) mentioned they’d confronted difficulties in getting the plan delivered.
The charity has estimated that round 200,000 disabled kids in England are having issues getting the suitable assist by way of an EHC plan.
An EHC plan is for kids and younger folks aged as much as 25 who want extra assist than is out there by way of particular instructional wants assist.
These plans determine instructional, well being and social wants and set out the extra assist to fulfill these wants.
The ballot, which was carried out by Censuswide in September, discovered that 39% of oldsters mentioned they’ve needed to educate their disabled baby at house as there may be not the funding or the suitable training provision obtainable to them.
The charity is looking on the federal government to set out an enchancment plan for kids with particular instructional wants and disabilities (Ship) in its upcoming Kids’s Wellbeing Invoice.
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 06:00
Cleverly refuses to disown Truss tax chaos 3 times
Tory management contender James Cleverly refused 3 times to disown the financial chaos which happened below Liz Truss’ management after his plan to scrap stamp responsibility on home gross sales was likened to insurance policies launched by the previous prime minister.
The pledge, which he mentioned would value £10 billion, was in contrast in a radio interview to the disastrous tax cuts launched by Ms Truss’ authorities.
Mishal Hussain, host of BBC Radio 4 In the present day claimed the transfer was “the form of factor” the previous prime minister – who resigned simply 49 days after taking workplace – had achieved.
You’ll be able to learn the complete story beneath:
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 05:30
Councils warn Chancellor of widespread bankruptcies with out funding enhance
Councils say they’re “staring down the barrel” financially, as new evaluation suggests they are going to be restricted to being “little greater than care companies” by the top of this Parliament with no enhance to assets.
In one other dire warning of the perilous state of native authorities funds, the examine discovered that with out further funding, ministers must “radically rethink” councils’ statutory obligations, to forestall doubtlessly six in ten county and unitary authorities in rural areas declaring chapter by 2028.
Ministers have repeatedly warned of inauspicious selections due to a £22 billion black gap they are saying officers have found within the public funds, resulting in considerations that Chancellor Rachel Reeves may stick to spending plans which would supply restricted aid for under-pressure councils when she delivers her Price range on 30 October.
In its submission to the Price range and Spending Assessment, the County Councils Community (CCN) cited evaluation exhibiting all native authorities in England mixed would expertise a cumulative £54 billion funding shortfall over the five-year interval of this Parliament, based mostly on present projections.
For the 37 CCN councils, which serve almost half of the inhabitants, the funding hole amounted to £20.3 billion.
The massive shortfall was recognized as being largely pushed by rising demand and prices in simply three service areas: grownup social care, kids’s companies and home-to-school transport for kids with particular training wants and disabilities (Ship).
Collectively these companies have been discovered to account for 83 per cent of the entire enhance in projected prices by 2030.
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 05:00
Some savers charged at the least £11,000 to withdraw money from Lifetime Isas
The federal government is being urged to scrap Lifetime Isa penalties for first-time patrons within the autumn Price range because it emerged some savers are being charged at the least £11,000 to withdraw their money.
Lifetime Isas (Lisas) assist folks to save lots of for his or her first house – if the property prices £450,000 or much less – or their retirement.
Withdrawing money for some other cause, except somebody is terminally unwell, can set off a penalty. Savers face a cost of 25% for making an unauthorised withdrawal.
Knowledge obtained from HM Income & Customs (HMRC) and revealed by cash app Plum confirmed that within the tax 12 months 2022-23 the common of the highest 25 penalties paid for unauthorised withdrawals was £11,000.
The typical of the highest 25 withdrawals made was £44,000. Figures have been rounded to the closest £1,000.
Knowledge launched to Plum by HMRC below Freedom of Info (FOI) guidelines confirmed that in 2022-23 15,977 savers needed to hand again £1,000 or extra in penalties.
Some 6,139 savers have been hit with penalties of £2,000-plus, whereas 851 have been hit with penalties of £5,000-plus.
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 04:30
Half Tory members need social gathering to merge with Reform, ballot for Liz Truss’s thinktank reveals
A brand new survey commissioned by a rightwing thinktank has advised that 53 per cent of Conservative Get together members would assist a merger with Reform UK.
An enormous 70 per cent mentioned they might need a nearer relationship with Nigel Farage’s social gathering, the survey confirmed.
The ballot, which was carried out between September 23 and 27, spoke to 470 Tory members by the rightwing Widespread Conservatism (PopCon) organisation, which based by disgraced former prime minister Liz Truss.
Learn the complete article right here:
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 03:30
Watch: Robert Jenrick admits his daughter’s center title is ‘Thatcher’
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 03:00
Unique: Rishi Sunak attracts inspiration from Blair as he plans to remain concerned in UK politics along with his personal workforce
Learn the complete report from our political editor David Maddox:
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 02:30
Starmer says he desires ‘to make Brexit work’ with ‘constructive’ UK-EU relationship
Sir Keir Starmer promised a “pragmatic, smart” method to the UK-EU relationship in an effort to “make Brexit work” as he held talks in Brussels.
The Prime Minister met European Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen, saying he was decided to place the connection with Brussels on a “secure, constructive footing”.
Sir Keir is pushing for a greater buying and selling relationship and larger co-operation on defence and safety measures as a part of a drive to “reset” UK-EU ties.
He mentioned: “I firmly imagine that the British public wish to return to pragmatic, smart management in the case of coping with our closest neighbours, to make Brexit work and to ship of their pursuits, to seek out methods to spice up financial development, strengthen our safety and deal with shared challenges like irregular migration and local weather change.”
He added that “in harmful instances we’ve got an obligation to work collectively to protect stability and safety”, referring to the disaster within the Center East and the struggle in Ukraine.
Sir Keir mentioned: “We’re decided to place this relationship again on a secure, constructive footing that I feel all of us wish to see.”
Ms von der Leyen mentioned the assorted preparations put in place for the reason that Brexit vote, together with the Commerce and Co-operation Settlement (TCA) wanted to be absolutely applied.
She mentioned: “Now we have a set of strong agreements in place. We must always discover the scope for extra co-operation, whereas we concentrate on the complete and devoted implementation of the Withdrawal Settlement, the Windsor Framework and the TCA.”
Salma Ouaguira3 October 2024 02:00