Politics

After PM announced the end of austerity, poll shows even Conservative voters think it’s time to give public sector workers a pay rise The British public overwhelmingly support measures to end austerity in next week’s Budget, exclusive polling by Survation for GMB reveals. The results also show a large majority of people (68%) backed a real terms pay rise for millions of public sector workers. Those polled also wanted the Chancellor to announce the following measures: Increased public investment in...

More people are worse off under Universal Credit, according to a report published by a cross-party committee of MPs. Following evidence given by organisations including Mind and anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust, the Public Accounts Committee has published their latest report which adds to the growing concern surrounding Universal Credit. Responding to the report, Director of External Relations at Mind, Sophie Corlett said:“Today’s hard-hitting report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) adds to mounting concerns about Universal Credit. The damning...

Guy Verhofstadt today significantly revised down Theresa May’s claim that Brexit is 95 per cent, saying the withdrawal deal is “zero per cent” finished. The European Parliament’s Brexit co-coordinator spoke out after the Prime Minister looked to appease fellow ministers with assurances that we are well on our way to completing a deal with Brussels. In a speech to MEPs he said unless the Irish border row is resolved the deal is “zero per cent” finished as he mocked May’s...

Labour MP David Lammy has likened Brexit to declaring war on ourselves after it was revealed plans are been drawn up to charter ships to bring in emergency food and medicines in the event of a “no-deal”. The Department of Transport has put in place contingency plans to own or lease roll-on roll-off lorry ferries to make sure vital supplies of goods, food and medicines continue to reach these shores if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Politicians...

A cohort of UKIP MEPs made a rare appearance in Strasbourg yesterday to discuss members entitlements after Brexit. With 16 remaining members it seemed the lion's share of the party's politicians showed up at the European Parliament, despite absenteeism plaguing the party in the past. According to researchers at VoteWatch Ukip MEPs turn up to fewer voters in the European Parliament than any other party in Europe. Representatives only participated in 62.3 per cent of votes in the run-up to the Brexit...

Prominent Brexiter Sir James Dyson has chosen to build the firm’s first electric car in Singapore in a blow to UK manufacturing. The UK-based company has committed £2 billion to the project that will take roots in one of the most expensive territories in the world where space for manufacturing is at a premium. Dyson said the decision was based on the availability of engineering talent, regional supply chains and proximity to some key target markets, and had “nothing to...

The combined wealth of the richest 1,000 people in the UK has increased by 183 per cent over the past 10 years. As austerity continues to bite low-income households shocking figures show the wealthiest in society now rake in almost three times what they did in 2009. Ten years ago the wealthiest 1,000 people in Britain had a combined wealth of £256 billion, but the same cohort now sit on some £724 billion. The figures show that the pace of...

Tory Brexiters out to derail Theresa May’s Chequers plan proposals say they are closer than ever to ousting the beleaguered PM. Robert Peston reported today that an operation is underway to persuade backbenchers to write to Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 backbench committee, calling for a vote of no confidence in May as leader of their party. One said: “I’m campaigning myself. We need 60-70 letters, not 48...I know people who are putting letters in today. I think we are...

Leave Means Leave has attempted to trump today’s People’s Vote march with a press release declaring they have had over a million people in support at their rallies. The heavily doctored figures appear to include views of content posted on their social media channels as well as views of content posted by Nigel Farage, which may not have all been from people sympathetic to their cause. Some 700,000 people are thought to have turned out at today’s People’s Vote march...