Politics

The global trade in wild birds has plunged by about 90 percent since the EU banned imports 12 years ago after a parrot died in Britain - from bird flu. The illegal trade has been implicated as one of the main culprits in the spread of the killer disease and has brought several species to the brink of extinction. The number traded annually has now fallen from about 1.3 million to 130,000, according to new research. They are trapped and...

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has described today's Budget as "a ‘nothing has changed’ Budget from an out-of-touch Government". The scathing critique follows Jeremy Corbyn's response in parliament that Philip Hammond's speech was acknowledgement of a "record failure" on behalf of the Conservative government, with economic growth revised down, productivity growth revised down, business investment revised down and people’s incomes revised down. McDonnell says Hammond has "completely failed" to recognise the scale of the emergency in our public services, adding that the Budget has...

Philip Hammond put aside more money for Brexit than the NHS in the 2017 Budget in a reversal of the promises outlined during the referendum campaign. The Chancellor said £3 billion would be spent on Brexit planning, while just £2.8 billion will go to the NHS. In a deeply ironic twist the NHS now has just £350 million to see it through the winter, rather than the £350 million a week it was promised by the Leave campaign. Earlier this month NHS...

The 2017 Budget proves Philip Hammond can't really balance the books, according to industry experts. The Chancellor was forced to revise down much of his growth forecasts for the country in what has been described as a budget that "concentrates more on the political shape of the Conservative party rather than the economic shape of the UK economy." Jeremy Corbyn slammed the Conservatives on the Budget announcement saying "it's a record of failure" with economic growth revised down, productivity growth...

Few politicians would proclaim to have magical powers, but today Philip Hammond seemed to develop the ability to make currencies drop on every word he says. Delivering a crucial Budget to parliament the pound plummeted as he rifled through a raft of shaky economic indicators. He acknowledged that the economic outlook for the country is deteriorating, setting growth forecasts under 2 per cent for the next five years. He then announced that he will put aside an extra £3 billion...

Watch PMQs carefully and see if you can spot what has been dubbed Theresa May’s “kill team” or “K-team.” The Sunday Telegraph recently exposed a "precision bombing exercise" choreographed by new Chief Whip Julian Smith to "shout Corbyn down and put him off his stride". Due to worries about Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party’s going confidence at Prime Minister’s Questions as they land more punches on the Prime Minister, and concerns about Theresa May’s ability to defend the government’s...

The Conservative party narrowly voted against Labour's bid to retain EU human rights measures in UK law post-Brexit last night by 311 votes to 301. Just one Conservative MP, Ken Clarke, defied the Government whip and voted for the motion to retain the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, put forward by Jeremy Corbyn. Civic organisations warned over the weekend that individual rights to privacy, equality, freedom of expression, fair working conditions, a fair trial, access to a lawyer and the protection of...

A new study has revealed a fascinating inter-generational divide over trust on the economy. Despite both parties being neck-and-neck overall, the Sky Data poll found huge splits between young and old. Of 18 to 34-year-olds, 62 per cent want Labour in charge of the nation's finances, versus 28 per cent for the Tories. Jeremy Corbyn's party also scrapes a narrow win among 35 to 54-year-olds, who favour it 41 per cent to the Conservatives' 39 per cent. But among those...

Debbie Abrahams explains unemployment and making work pay in scathing letter to Chancellor Following the Chancellor's Exchequer bizarre gaffe on the weekend when he claimed that there are no unemployed people, the shadow secretary for work and pensions has written to him on the eve of his autumn budget pleading with him to acknowledge how squeezed many in the country are and offering to take him to visit one of the many foodbanks that have opened around the country under...