UK politics

UK politics

We are now at a level where we can't tax anybody any more, but we can't borrow any more, so we are really at the mercy of those people we've borrowed from, so if they lose confidence in us, we have serious issues.

Edward Garnier KC, a former solicitor general under the Conservative government, has proposed the formation of a specialist panel to review the cases of each prisoner still serving an abolished Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail term. He told The Independent too many IPP prisoners are now victims of state action or lack of it as he urged the government to fix this broken system.

Tony Blair believed his Labour government had defeated the threat of a breakup of the UK by delivering devolution to Wales and Scotland, newly released documents reveal. Rejecting calls in 2004 for the then-Welsh Assembly to have full law-making powers, he said voters in Wales and Scotland had "no appetite" for more powers and that his government had "lanced the boil of separatism". The then-prime minister made the comments during a significant government cabinet discussion on further devolution for Wales - the minutes of which have just been released.

The furry creatures, best described as a cross between a horse and a sheep, have become an increasingly regular feature of the UK landscape despite their South American origins. There are an estimated 45,000 alpacas and another 4,000 llamas in the UK, according to the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra). Now, the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act gives the animals the same protections as goats, sheep, cattle and poultry, with an unlimited fine for irresponsible dog walkers.

But now well into his 64th year in the upper house, he is very much the longest serving. And in the next few months, it will all end. The 2nd Baron Trefgarne, to use his formal title, is one of the few hereditary peers still helping to make UK law, the tail end of a legislative chain dating back to the 13th century and Magna Carta.

A senior aide wrote to the prime minster in July 2005 to tell him that the attorney general had met army prosecutors that afternoon to discuss the case against soldiers alleged to have beaten Baha Mousa to death. It was likely the case would proceed to a court martial, wrote Antony Phillipson, the then prime minister's private secretary for foreign affairs, adding: Although if the AG felt that the case were better dealt with in a civil court he could direct accordingly. It must not!

We have a history of looking after senior party members on both sides but I fully support this latest initiative. I feel the lives of Labour MPs should be hindered and diminished like they are doing to ours. I don't think they are all evil. Most are just naive and ideologically stupid. If the entire country refuses to do business with them perhaps they will get the message.

In the column, OFI stated that it - alongside SNP national equalities convener Sadie Matthews - moved a resolution at the SNP's policy-making body, the National Council, earlier this month rejecting the Equality and Human Rights Commission's controversial proposals on access single-sex spaces made following the UK Supreme Court ruling in April, which decided the definition of 'sex' for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act refers to "biological sex" only.

A £5 billion tax raid on salary sacrifice pension schemes announced in Rachel Reeves's Budget has emerged as the single most damaging policy for business confidence, according to new research from the Confederation of British Industry. Almost three-quarters (73%) of companies surveyed by the CBI said the move to levy national insurance contributions on pension salary sacrifice above a new cap was the most harmful measure in the Budget, warning it risks deterring workers from saving for retirement and disproportionately hitting middle earners.

Khan said during his 2021 mayoral election campaign that he would order Transport for London (TfL) to extend a ban on junk food ads to cover online casinos and bookmakers as well, citing the devastating impact of addiction. Yet the mayor's office has yet to make good on the manifesto promise, blaming a lack of guidance from central government on the links between gambling adverts and harm. In the meantime, the number of gambling ads has increased, including a campaign for the online casino 888 that had to be withdrawn amid an outcry about its flippant tone.

Thousands of taxpayers chose to spend part of their Christmas break tackling their tax affairs, with more than 4,600 people filing their Self Assessment returns on Christmas Day alone, new figures show. Data released by HM Revenue and Customs reveals that 37,435 people submitted their returns between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, suggesting that for a growing number of taxpayers, festive filing is becoming a seasonal habit.

Elba, known for his roles in The Wire and Luther, was knighted for services to young people in recognition of his charity work at the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development. He said: I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence.

A west London council is poised to hit second-home owners with a major tax hike as it looks for new ways to plug growing budget gaps. This will effectively double the bill for owners who keep properties empty. For Band D homes, owners must pay 1,952.38 a year in council tax. Around 750 second homes are registered in Hillingdon and are likely to be affected by the changes unless they have a valid exemption.

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and other groups representing the secretive organisation in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have pushed back against plans, announced earlier this month, to make Freemasonry membership a declarable association. It will mean officers and staff are required to declare membership past or present of any organisation that is hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other.

[It's] sad and pointless. That's just riding on the current wave of leftism, where you don't have to think anymore. You just react with the herd. Moo!

For starters Alex I was pretty nervous, and I had a hellish journey fighting my way through Black Friday weekend crowds. But we got on straight away, and professionally we had a lot of crossover. Mike I found him remarkably thoughtful, grounded and likable. Alex We shared tortilla chips with guacamole to start, then I had soft-shell crab tacos with five different types of salsas. It was really delicious.

I think it [the war] was a waste of time, because the benefits we got from it, the wartime camaraderie and everyone, almost everybody, mucked in [with] whatever they could do. Whatever [way] they could help somebody else they did. That wasn't just in the army. You don't get that now, no.

People are dying in unsafe accommodation and communities are being irreversibly damaged due to delays to a new law to clamp down on unregulated supported housing in England. It has been more than two years since the Supported Housing Act, a private member's bill brought by the Conservative MP Bob Blackman, that applies to England and Wales, was given royal assent but it has yet to be implemented due to delays in creating the regulations.