The Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has arrived in New York for its deployment to the United States to host an Anglo-American military conference. The ship dropped anchor within sight of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour yesterday. It set sail for the US from Portsmouth on 7 September in place of … Read more
A town hall leader bidding to become an MP has accepted close to £10,000 worth of free Premier League tickets from a Los Angeles movie company after his council approved plans for its new film studios. Darren Rodwell, the Labour leader of the London borough of Barking and Dagenham, has been entertained 19 times by … Read more
Kwasi Kwarteng’s de facto first Budget has prompted a serious split among Conservatives MPs, between rightwingers in favour of a radical agenda and those alarmed that the chancellor has moved too far, too fast. Allies of Liz Truss, the UK prime minister for less than two weeks, say the biggest round of tax cuts since … Read more
Reeves says Kwarteng made sterling’s plight worse at weekend when he ‘fanned the flames’ with unfunded tax cuts hints Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, is now being interviewed on the Today programme by Martha Kearney. Reeves starts by talking about the fall in the value of the pound, which she says is incredibly concerning. She … Read more
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng says mini-budget will favour people ‘across the income scale’ The pound plunged by nearly five per cent to an all-time low as investors ran for the exits after the new government’s fiscal plan threatened to stretch Britain’s finances to breaking point. The currency tumbled to an unprecedented $1.0327, extending a 3.61 per … Read more
The use of pre-recorded evidence of victims and witnesses to crimes has been introduced at crown courts in England and Wales. The Ministry of Justice said that from Monday the technology would be available at a final 20 crown courts in Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia, Essex, London and the south-east, marking the end of a … Read more
Introduction: Sterling hits record low after Kwasi Kwarteng pledged more tax cuts Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the world economy and the financial markets. International confidence in the UK has been badly hammered by the mini-budget, and the Truss government’s tax-cutting policies, and the pound is paying the price. Sterling … Read more
One resident reported witnessing a ‘huge explosion’ as the flames took hold (Picture: Twitter/LondonFire/sarahtizzard) A massive fire has engulfed several industrial units in Dagenham. Around 80 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the ‘significant’ blaze with reports of a ‘huge explosion’. Flames have spread to nearby cars as well as within the units. Residents close … Read more
The Post Office is preparing for a “last-moment” rush of customers depositing paper £20 and £50 banknotes this week, before they can no longer be used in shops or to pay businesses. This Friday, 30 September, is the last day the Bank of England’s paper £20 and £50 banknotes will have legal tender status, having … Read more
The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar amid a fresh investor rush towards the US currency globally. Sterling slipped by nearly 5% early on Monday to $1.0327 – building on fresh 1985 lows seen on Friday after UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled the biggest programme of tax cuts for 50 years. … Read more