Author: Fatimah Idera

Reeves had repeatedly warned that the UK’s productivity forecast had been downgraded, suggesting there was less money available.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that pensioners whose only source of income is the state pension will not be required to pay income tax until at least 2030. The assurance comes as the value of the state pension is expected to rise above the frozen income tax threshold in April 2027, which would ordinarily result in some pensioners becoming taxable. Next year, those receiving the post-2016 flat-rate state pension will get £12,547.60 just below the current £12,570 tax threshold. With thresholds frozen and state pension payments continuing to grow, the pension is likely to exceed the tax limit within two…

The UK Government has announced that asylum seekers will no longer be allowed to use taxis for medical appointments starting in February, following concerns over excessive transport costs. The decision comes after reports revealed that some asylum seekers were being taken on long-distance taxi journeys costing hundreds of pounds, with the Home Office spending an average of £15.8m a year on transport. Earlier, asylum seekers were given one weekly bus pass, while taxis were used for additional medical travel. Drivers told the media that some firms exploited the system by inflating mileage or dispatching cars from distant towns for short…

Prostate

Home office

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has defended Labour’s decision to scale back its original plan to give workers protection from unfair dismissal from their first day in a job. The government now plans to reduce the qualifying period from two years to six months instead. Phillipson said the change was a pragmatic compromise that would help Labour pass its wider employment rights bill, which includes new day-one rights to sick pay and paternity leave. She argued that without the adjustment, the entire bill risked being blocked in Parliament. Labour had previously promised in its election manifesto to introduce unfair dismissal protection…

Former Brexit Party and UKIP politician, David Coburn has denied receiving any money connected to a pro-Russian influence operation in the European Parliament. Coburn’s name appears in WhatsApp messages exchanged between disgraced former MEP Nathan Gill who was jailed last week for taking bribes to deliver pro-Russia speeches and Oleg Voloshyn, a former Ukrainian MP aligned with the Kremlin. Gill admitted receiving thousands of dollars from figures linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a powerful Ukrainian oligarch and close ally of Vladimir Putin. According to documents submitted at Gill’s sentencing, Voloshyn referred to a $6,500 payment allegedly intended for another MEP identified…

Shell UK has been fined £560,000 for failing to maintain ageing pipework on its Brent Charlie offshore platform. The oversight which had led to a major leak and posed as a potentially catastrophic fire and explosion risk. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that the corroded pipework, which had been installed for short-term use and scheduled for removal in 2010, remained in place for seven additional years without proper maintenance. In May 2017, the deterioration caused a significant uncontrolled release involving 200kg of gas and 1,550kg of crude oil, creating a highly flammable and explosive mixture. More than 170 workers on the…

UK ministers have rejected claims that plans to absorb the cost of supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) into wider education spending will reduce funding for schools. The Department for Education (DfE) said Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projections were incorrect and failed to consider reforms due early next year. Under the plans, all Send spending will be moved away from local authorities by 2028, shifting around £6bn of forecasted costs onto government departments. Councils have welcomed the change, saying rising demand has made Send costs unsustainable, but teaching unions backed OBR warnings that school budgets could…

The  National Union of Students (NUS) has warned that a three-year freeze on the salary threshold for student loan repayments could leave new graduates struggling to cover essential living costs. In Wednesday’s Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that from April 2027 the repayment threshold for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen at £29,385. Plan 2 applies to students who began courses in England and Wales between September 2012 and July 2023. The current threshold is £28,470. Alex Stanley, NUS vice-president for higher education, said the freeze could push graduates into repayment while earning salaries dangerously close to the minimum…