Author: Fatimah Idera

Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to make further concessions to Labour rebels in a last-ditch effort to secure support for his controversial welfare reforms ahead of a crunch Commons vote on Tuesday. On Monday, the government will publish the terms of reference for its planned review into disability benefits, a move ministers hope will reassure sceptical MPs and shore up support for the Bill. The review, to be led by Welfare Minister Stephen Timms, will include representation from disability rights groups, and is being pitched as a key opportunity for those affected to shape future policy on Personal Independence Payments…

A Lib Dem-led council has scrapped plans to introduce £70 parking permits for residents following a wave of public backlash. The proposal by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council would have required householders in key seafront adjacent suburbs to pay for the right to park outside their own homes. The plan, designed to tackle wild west parking behaviour by summer tourists, sparked what one campaigner described as a tsunami of objections from locals. On hot days, visitors have been known to leave cars on double-yellow lines, pavements, driveways, verges, and even roundabouts due to a lack of available parking near…

Middle-class families are increasingly seeking to leave Britain for southern Europe, as concerns grow over Labour’s tax agenda under Chancellor Rachel Reeves. New data shows a surge in UK applications for so-called golden visa schemes in countries like Greece and Portugal, offering residency in exchange for property investment. The trend has accelerated since Labour’s election victory last summer, driven in part by fears of further tax hikes in the autumn as the government grapples with a £40 billion budget shortfall. Greece has seen a near 50% rise in golden visa applications from UK nationals since last summer. In the 12…

Sir Keir Starmer is under fresh pressure from within his party as Labour MPs prepare to rebel against plans to scale back inheritance tax relief for farmers measures critics warn could devastate family-run farms. More than 40 MPs are weighing up amendments to dilute the policy, which they say could leave farming families saddled with unaffordable tax bills. Their defiance follows a successful revolt this week that forced the Prime Minister to U-turn on proposed welfare cuts the government’s third major reversal in just two months. These repeated U-turns on disability benefits, the winter fuel allowance, and a promised grooming…

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to roll back parts of his Government’s welfare reform plans could cost the Treasury as much as £3 billion, according to the Resolution Foundation. In a major concession to Labour rebels, the Prime Minister announced that existing recipients of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will continue to receive their benefits, with tougher eligibility rules only applying to new applicants. The move followed a mounting rebellion from Labour MPs over proposed £5 billion a year welfare savings, set to be in place by 2030. Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, told the BBC that the…

The Conservative Party is developing plans for a new investment visa aimed at luring wealthy individuals back to the UK, in a bid to counter the exodus of high-net-worth individuals following Labour’s tax reforms. Shadow Business Secretary, Andrew Griffith announced the proposal during a speech at the Prosperity Institute, describing it as part of a “world-beating offer for wealth creators.” Griffith criticised Labour’s decision to abolish the non-domiciled tax regime and extend inheritance tax to global assets, arguing it has driven entrepreneurs, investors, and top talent away from the UK. “Instead of increasing wealth, Labour has attacked those who create…

Labour has turned down calls from one of its own MPs to offer council tax exemptions for families struggling to sell inherited retirement properties. Labour MP for Shipley, Anna Dixon had urged the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government led by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to extend the period during which grieving families are exempt from the second home council tax premium when trying to sell retirement homes. These homes, which can only be sold to people aged 55 and over, are notoriously difficult to sell and often sit on the market for extended periods. They are also…

British Gas is preparing to take a significant multibillion pound stake in Sizewell C, a nuclear power plant championed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. The deal, led by British Gas’s parent company Centrica, is expected to be announced within weeks and will see the company acquire a 15% stake in the project. Centrica’s investment will match the stake held by French state-owned energy giant EDF, giving a major boost to Sizewell C after extended delays and financing hurdles. The move comes shortly after the Government confirmed it would inject an additional £14 billion into the project by 2029 bringing the…

Cabinet ministers have insisted that the government’s welfare reform plans will improve mental health outcomes, arguing that supporting people into work is key to tackling rising rates of anxiety and depression. Health Secretary, Wes Streeting and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall made the case for the reforms, stating: “Good work is good for mental health.” Their intervention comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash within Labour ranks over the proposed tightening of eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The Prime Minister made a major concession on Thursday night to avoid a potential Commons defeat, agreeing that current…

Sir Keir Starmer’s own veterans commissioner for Northern Ireland has launched a fierce attack on Labour’s plans to repeal the Legacy Act, warning that scrapping protections for British soldiers who served during the Troubles would create an immoral and two-tier system of justice. David Johnstone, appointed by Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn in January, said that removing the current legal shield for veterans could drag dozens of elderly former soldiers into court for actions taken decades ago while fighting the IRA. He estimated that 50 to 70 former servicemen could be prosecuted, despite doing their jobs under government orders. The…