Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has announced a sweeping review of the UK’s parental leave system, with proposals that could see paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become legal rights from the first day of employment. The 18-month review, led by the Department for Business and Trade, will assess the current framework, which entitles mothers to up to 39 weeks of leave on reduced pay, while fathers are limited to…

In a latest UK immigration development, an Albanian man with nearly 50 criminal convictions has been granted permission to remain in the UK after a judge ruled that his offences were not “serious enough” to justify deportation. However, the Home Office has labelled the man a serious threat to the country. Zenel Beshi, described the man as a serious and prolific offender, previously served a six-year prison sentence in Italy…

A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of raping and murdering a 75-year-old woman in 1967, in what is believed to be the UK’s oldest cold case ever brought to trial. Ryland Headley was convicted at Bristol Crown Court for the rape and killing of Louisa Dunne, a mother of two, at her home in the Easton area of Bristol on 28 June 1967. Dunne, born in 1892, was found…

One of Britain’s last remaining oil refineries is at serious risk of closure following the financial collapse of its parent company, State Oil. The company, which also owns the Prax Group and operates about 200 petrol stations across the UK, has entered administration after suffering escalating losses at its Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire. The refinery, one of just five major facilities still operating in Britain, accounts for around 10%…

The NHS is set to deploy artificial intelligence in a pioneering effort to prevent tragedies like the Lucy Letby and Harold Shipman scandals by identifying warning signs of unsafe care before harm occurs. As part of a new 10-Year Health Plan, an advanced early warning system powered by AI will analyse healthcare data in real time, flagging alarming trends that could indicate abuse, preventable deaths, or serious clinical failures. Once…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…