Day: 20 March 2025

This week News Briefing editorial looks at The real cost of political priorities. How can a modern economy cut welfare like 3rd world economy.

Uk welfare cuts in the UK are increasingly out of touch with the needs of the public, especially against the backdrop of rising foreign aid to Ukraine and increased NATO spending. This has left many Brits asking: why is our health and well-being not being prioritised?

The answer may be simpler—and more strategic—than it seems. When people are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, they have less time to question the actions of those in power.

By keeping the public in a state of financial insecurity, politicians maintain control while diverting spending towards areas that benefit their financial backers. But where is all our tax money actually going, and why are we always told to tighten our belts while government spending skyrockets?

An independent review into the official UK data recording of people’s biological sex and their gender identity has spun several stories as the media reacts to the data. 

The review was led by Alice Sullivan, a professor of sociology and research specialist at University College London, who said the guidance should be updated to make sure both sets of data were recorded in a clear and distinct way.

Nicholas Prosper, 19, has been sentenced to 49 years behind bars. The teen was sentenced for the triple murder of his own family members. He had attempted to carry out a school massacre plot in a bid to become an infamous school shooter. Prosper idolised American gunman Adam Lanza was planning to kill 34 people – one more than Lanza’s deadliest shooting. 

Police were able to stop Prosper from reaching the school after a neighbour called the police that morning due to the noisy attack. Cops arrived at the family flat at 05:50 am where they found his little sister, brother and his mother slain. Police arrested him after he escaped to a wooded area, stopping him from carrying out his school massacre plot. 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will unveil her Spring Statement next week just a week after massive backlash to the government’s plans to overhaul the welfare system. 

The papers have been given a preview of the Spring Statement and they report there will be no more tax rises but austerity cuts on the way – the heavy cuts to public spending and benefits are to close the budget deficit.