News

The Queen is set to deliver her most futuristic speech ever this afternoon. Setting out the government’s programme for the next session of parliament, the Queen is to unveil the Right to High-Speed Broadband for every household and a Modern Transport Bill for new spaceports, driverless cars and drones. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to deliver 'fast broadband' to all UK homes and businesses by 2020, introducing a  "universal service obligation" for broadband, giving the public a legal right to...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor It is widely accepted there is a housing crisis across the country especially in the capital, with the chance for people to own their homes out of reach from even the professional class. So in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure on the housing market, a new programme is helping communities by assisting them to build their own homes. The scheme has been launched by Locality, using funding from the Nationwide Foundation. Locality...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The Labour Party is planning to take seats it has not managed to win in decades at the next general election, due to a “bold and ambitious” plan to form the next government. Corbyn will be buoyed by a recent poll that his party members still back him, but there are concerns that the wider population may not be so favourable. Labour chiefs know the task to win enough seats to form a Government will...

Brits are more loyal to their brand of ketchup than to their boss, according to new research. We put our favourite washing powder, cereal and skincare products before our manager or employer, ranking them in lowly 40th place in a list of our top 50 loyalties. The study shows the average British adult is loyal to where they shop, the brands they use and the products they buy. Folk tend to stick to the same type of tea or coffee,...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A review by the Nuffield Trust has found that in certain parts of England other types staff are filling in for hospital doctors. Now NHS chiefs have said that paramedics, pharmacists and nurses should be trained to plug the gaps in junior doctor rotas. The review by the Nuffield Trust discovered numerous examples of nurses stepping in for hospital doctors and pharmacists replacing GPs. Senior union members told The Independent the changes must not be made at...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor One of the stranger claims made during the EU referendum debate came from the PM when he said that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State, is probably in favour of Britain leaving the EU. Cameron made these claims after Boris Johnson accused the PM of colluding with big business to ensure the UK remains in the European Union. The PM discussed the IS leaders hopes of a “Brexit,” as he said that allies...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor There were rumours of plots to oust the Labour leader, even after a decent enough showing in the recent local elections, but a new poll shows that he won’t be going anywhere any time soon. A YouGov survey for the Times, has discovered that almost two-thirds of party members would vote for Corbyn again if there was another leadership vote. The findings will blunt the knifes of any plotters in the party who can’t wait...

Well, that was a hoot, wasn’t it? SATs are all over bar the awkward meetings where they make up a suitably puzzling grade boundary, and teachers across the land are now able to focus on the more important things in life…or, at least, which set of assessments or report-writing is up next. We laid on snacks for the kids before the tests started, as we know many don’t have a proper breakfast – note to certain parents, sending them off...

Brits are clueless when it comes to personal finances, new research reveals. A study of 2,000 adults 58 per cent aren’t sure about their hourly rate of pay and 70 per cent can’t say exactly how much they pay in income tax. While most people think they have a grip on their personal finances, in reality most can only guess roughly what they earn, what they pay in bills and what they what owe on credit cards. Two thirds of people can’t...