Sky has announced that 2,000 jobs at its customer service centres are at risk, impacting 7% of its workforce, with the closure of three UK sites under consultation.
Author: WTX News Editor
Cliff Notes A 50-year-old man was killed after a confrontation between two drivers led to one of them striking the other with a vehicle in Oldham, Greater Manchester. A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody for questioning by police. Authorities are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward as the investigation continues. Man arrested on suspicion of murder after motorist struck…
Two teenagers aged 18 and 19 have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal crash in Edgware.
Rachel Reeves accused of balancing books on back of UK’s poorest The Guardian says her plans could cost three million households around £1,720 a year. The paper says Labour is braced for a backlash from its MPs over welfare cuts called ‘appalling’ by a food bank charity. The Atlantic magazine has published fresh messages from a group chat among senior US officials in which they discuss operational details of plans to bomb Yemen.
Spring Statement Row – Balancing the books on the backs of the poor Daily Mirror accuses the chancellor of “balancing the books on the backs of the poor.” The paper says her benefit cuts add up to £4.8 billion of the £14 billion in cuts – a union boss says she’s making the “wrong call” to cut sickness and disability assistance instead of taxing the rich.
Deluded: Rachel Reeves claimed to be delivering renewal. The reality? Our growth forecast for this year has been slashed in half – and she’s likely to be back for MORE tax rises in the autumn Daily Mail says the chancellor has been branded delusional for claiming to be restoring economic stability as growth forecast has been slashed in half and more tax rises are on the way. Prince Harry is pictured at the top of the…
A new era of austerity A new era of austerity as 50,000 children could be plunged into poverty and SNP calls for the government to stop punishing the poor and tax the wealthy. SO, Rachel Reeves is changing Britain for the better. A little pain now (though not for her) will see serious gains … soon. Does she think we were born yesterday?
Reeves squeezed by Trump The Times covers the full-blown trade war being triggered by Donald Trump. The paper reports on the OBR’s warning of the impact tariffs could have should Trump go through with the threat. Trump reportedly plans to introduce tariffs of up to 20% on UK exports to the US on Tuesday, a day which he has called “liberation day”. The Times notes the OBR said this level of tariff would wipe 0.6% off…
Five years of record taxes Britain is threatened with further tax rises within months, the Office for Budget Responsibility warned after Rachel Reeves left the economy on a knife edge. Europe is outgunned by the Houthis’ drones and missiles stockpiles, Donald Trump’s cabinet claimed in leaked messages. The top White House officials also insisted that the US was the only nation capable of defeating the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group.
Happy Thursday! Today’s newspaper front pages are, unsurprisingly, dominated by yesterday’s Spring Statement. It’s a tough read for the chancellor this morning as the newspapers round on her plans with accusations that her time will soon be up as chancellor, that she’s returning Britain to austerity and that the poor will be hit the hardest – when it should be the wealthy taxed.
Economic growth in doubt – Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement, several newspapers highlight the OBR’s warning that the Chancellor’s plans for economic growth could be wiped out by the global trade war as Donald Trump continues to issue further tariff threats.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has halved the 2025 economic growth forecast to 1%, down from 2%. Despite these austerity measures, the tax burden is projected to reach a record 37.7% of the GDP by 2027-28.
Recent welfare cuts are projected to push tens of thousands of children into poverty, disproportionately affecting low-income families and those with disabilities.
Spring Statement 2025 reaction – Thursday’s headlines are reacting to yesterday’s Spring Statement delivered by the chancellor.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced significant measures to address the UK’s economic challenges. Key points include a £14 billion plan involving cuts to welfare payments (£4.8 billion) and departmental spending (£3.6 billion) to fix public finances. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has halved the 2025 economic growth forecast to 1%, down from 2%. Despite these austerity measures, the tax burden is projected to reach a record 37.7% of the GDP by 2027-28. Additionally, a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund was introduced to drive efficiencies across government departments.
Following the chancellor’s update on the economy, Donald Trump announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts coming into America in a move that threatened to widen the global trade war.
Unprecedented anti-Hamas protests in northern Gaza saw hundreds of Palestinians demanding an end to the war, chanting slogans like “We don’t want war” and “Out Hamas.”
Forth Valley Royal Hospital experienced a 70-minute power outage due to backup generator failure during Storm Eowyn, raising concerns over patient safety and hospital preparedness.
President Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars, set to begin on 2 April, which he terms “liberation day.”
Climate change and overfishing are making it harder to catch the anchovies essential to the condiment that underlies so much of Vietnam and southeast Asia’s food.
Emmanuel Macron expressed concerns over Russia’s tendency to reinterpret ceasefire agreements, following a recent tentative deal involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia concerning strikes in the Black Sea region.
Network Rail will establish a new property company aimed at constructing 40,000 homes on its rail estate over the next decade to help meet the government’s housing targets.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has emerged as a prominent figure in the “Make America Great Again” movement, employing a crisis management strategy that involves attacking, discrediting, and distracting from controversies.
Cliff Notes The US military confirmed the location of an M88 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle in Lithuania, linked to four missing soldiers who were training near the Belarus border. A search and rescue operation is ongoing, described as “intensive” by the Lithuanian military. Confusion arose regarding the potential deaths of the soldiers, with a NATO spokesperson clarifying that no confirmation had been made. Vehicle found in hunt for American soldiers missing in Lithuania, US army…