Author: Fatimah Idera

Tesla has privately warned the UK government that weakening electric vehicle (EV) rules could reduce battery car sales and put the country’s carbon targets at risk, according to documents obtained by the Fast Charge newsletter. The US automaker, led by Elon Musk, submitted evidence to a government consultation earlier this year, also calling for “support for the used-car market.” The warning came after Labour introduced changes to the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires automakers to increase EV sales each year. Loopholes in the updated rules allow more petrol and diesel cars to be sold, potentially undermining EV uptake. Tesla…

The UK Government has postponed its decision on China’s proposed new super-embassy in London until January. The delay comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares for a possible visit to Beijing around the same time. Ministers are expected to approve the project, as both the Home Office and Foreign Office have raised no security objections. Security services have also indicated they can manage any risks linked to the new embassy, which would become China’s largest diplomatic mission anywhere in the world. Officials say combining China’s seven existing London sites into one location would offer security advantages. China plans to build the…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to face MPs today in the first Prime Minister’s Questions since last week’s Budget, with the session expected to focus on controversies surrounding the government’s fiscal plans. PMQs begins while Starmer departed Downing Street moments ago for Parliament, where festive decorations now line the entrance. Starmer is likely to defend Chancellor Rachel Reeves following sustained Conservative accusations that she misled the public about the true state of the nation’s finances. The opposition claims Reeves painted an unnecessarily bleak picture as a smokescreen to justify tax rises in the Budget, which included scrapping the two-child…

Epping council loses supreme court bid over hotel housing

Justice Secretary David Lammy has revealed that 12 prisoners have been mistakenly released in the last three weeks, with two of them still unaccounted for. The latest figures come on top of the 91 erroneous releases recorded between April and October across England and Wales. Lammy admitted that “human error” was inevitable while prisons continued to rely on a paper-based system, but insisted the situation would improve once a fully digital process is in place. He acknowledged there had been a spike in mistaken releases but said the problem was now on a downward trajectory. In a media interview, Lammy…

The UK Government is preparing to announce major changes to the criminal justice system that would significantly scale back the right to jury trials in England and Wales, as ministers scramble to address record-breaking court delays. Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, David Lammy, is expected to outline the proposals in Parliament today. Although he has repeatedly stressed that juries will remain a “fundamental part of the criminal justice system,” it remains unclear whether the full package has been signed off by the cabinet, after details were leaked last week. According to leaked documents seen by the BBC and other…

Keir Starmer says Labour’s economic strategy will take several years to fully deliver, as he moves to regain control of the political narrative following criticism of last week’s budget. Recent report revealed the prime minister backed Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s decision to introduce £26bn in tax rises, arguing that the government must be judged at the end of the parliament, not after a single budget. He said Labour is focused on long-term reforms rather than quick fixes, insisting this is the only way to rebuild Britain’s economy and public services. Starmer criticised both left- and right-wing opponents, saying their ideas would…

The number of refugees allowed to settle in the UK through UN-backed resettlement schemes has fallen sharply, dropping 26% in one year, according to new Home Office data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, only 7,271 people were granted protection, compared with 9,872 the previous year. About half of those resettled were Afghans whose lives were put at risk after a UK defence official accidentally leaked the personal details of nearly 19,000 applicants. Of the total, 3,686 arrived under the Afghanistan Response Route, while others came through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. Meanwhile,…

The Prince of Wales, William, has visited several severely ill children from Gaza who are currently receiving specialist treatment under an NHS-led humanitarian programme, Kensington Palace has confirmed. The UK began admitting critically ill Gazan children in September as part of a government medical evacuation initiative. As of 21 November, 50 children are being treated in NHS facilities, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. A Palace spokesperson said Prince William was “moved by the courage shown by the children and their families” during his visit. The identities of the evacuees have not been disclosed, but officials say…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will endorse Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget in a speech on Monday, insisting it will ease cost-of-living pressures, stabilise the economy, and strengthen growth. Starmer is expected to argue that although the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has downgraded growth forecasts from next year, the UK’s current economic performance is beating forecasts, and the government must now go “further and faster” on pro-growth reforms. His remarks come as the Treasury faces scrutiny over whether it presented an overly bleak picture of the economy ahead of the Budget. The Conservatives have accused Reeves of misleading the public…