Author: News Desk

Boris Johnson claims he considered raid into Holland to recover ‘kidnapped’ Covid vaccines – UK politics live Boris Johnson has claimed he considered sending the British Army on a daring raid to snatch Covid-19 vaccines from an EU warehouse, although he rejected the idea, saying: “The whole thing was nuts.” The former prime minister demanded of senior military leaders whether he could launch a mission to a warehouse where the EU had stowed five million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with global supplies dwindling in the height of lockdown. Mr Johnson Johnson’s book, Unleashed, is being serialised in the Daily…

Actress Dame Maggie Smith, known for the Harry Potter films and Downton Abbey, has died at the age of 89, her family has said. She won two Oscars and eight Baftas. She was a legend of the British stage and screen. A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. “She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. “An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren…

The topic The Facts The UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared at the Labour Party conference earlier in the week in and gave a speech arguably more important than that of the prime ministers. Headline-worthy comments such as no return to austerity – a word now closely linked with the 14-year Conservative rule, made a splash … but what was really uncovered in the chancellor’s speech? Below we have three centre-left business newspapers that offer up their assessment of the chancellor’s upcoming Budget. Below that – you can compare the left and right-wing newspaper headlines in their coverage of the upcoming  Labour Budget.  What…

“In the standard textbook model that Reeves would have learned at Oxford and the London School of Economics in the late 1990s, business investment is a reward for governments that behave nicely. Investors want low tax rates, flexible markets and, above all, stability. Any hint of an increase in borrowing and they will spook, worrying that government debt will spiral out of control. In this kind of model, even austerity can be expansionary, as it demonstrates to the business community that the fiscal authorities are really committed, even at the expense of electoral pain.”

“Labour will never have a better chance to make big, ambitious changes. Rather than playing up the gloom, the government could be telling a positive story about the benefits a pro-growth agenda will bring – as they have with planning reforms. Just as building more houses spreads ownership, jobs and opportunities, boosting public sector productivity would result in a leaner, more effective state that better serves British interests. Instead, we are getting a warm-up for a much more predictable second act: Tax rises are coming, look behind you!”

“While Reeves may have been shocked by the detail of the public finances, and her outrage at Tory mismanagement wholly justified, her performance was largely planned in advance. The broad fiscal picture was known before the election. This was all part of a political strategy to temper public expectations, affix blame to the Conservatives and instil patience in her own MPs. It is also likely that the tax rises she implied were unnecessary during the election, but will announce in October, have long been known to her.”

Premier League latest: Guardiola confirms Rodri out for the season with ACL injury Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that midfielder Rodri will miss the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL). “Surgery this morning, ACL and next season he will be here. This season is over. Unfortunately, we got the worst but these things happen. We will be there to support him in his recovery step-by-step. “What he gives us, we don’t have a similar player. But the others can all together replace what Rodri has given since his arrival to us. We will have to…

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UK Daily Trending stories Trending – What’s the Chancellor got planned for the October Budget? There are a few trending stories across the UK news landscape today – both in print and online. One of the most popular is the ongoing speculation around Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s upcoming Budget – her first Budget is set to be released on 30 October. In a recent speech at the 2024 Labour Party conference, the new Chancellor promised that the fiscal event would be a ‘Budget for investment’. Basic facts The reaction The newspapers speculate on whether the chancellor will ‘soften’ her stance on…

Rachel Reeves Eyes Fiscal Rule Shuffle To Bring £50bn Investment Boost in Next Budget Rachel Reeves is looking to unlock over £50 billion for UK investments in next month’s budget by revising how the government measures debt within its fiscal framework. According to senior government sources cited by The Times, Reeves has requested that officials explore options to allow the government to offset certain assets against national debt. This would enable a more substantial investment in the economy. Potential assets could include the £236 billion in student loans and the government’s stake in banks like NatWest. At a recent fringe…