Nigel Farage has described smokers as “heroes of the country in terms of the amount of tax they pay” in response to claims about a smoking ban outside pubs. The Reform UK leader lit up a Benson and Hedges cigarette outside the Westminster Arms, less than 400 metres from the Prime Minister’s official residence in… Read More »
Sir Keir Starmer will this week claim there is “rot at the heart of the UK”, warning things will get worse before they get better. The prime minister will claim he has “inherited not just an economic black hole but a social black hole”, in a move that will be seen as an attempt to… Read More »
Despite promising to stimulate economic growth, Sir Keir Starmer used his first King’s Speech to strengthen workers’ rights, strengthen unions and make it easier for tenants to stand up to landlords. The Prime Minister’s bill also confirmed that VAT would be applied to private school fees and retained Rishi Sunak’s phased ban on cigarettes. Changes… Read More »
To the unsuspecting observer, Sir Keir Starmer might appear to be running a pretty shrewd operation. Government announcements have been the main topic on the agenda this week, with the appointment of his cabinet and the inauguration of the Downing Street team. But just a week into the new regime, tensions are seething below the… Read More »
Sir Keir Starmer launched the planned “restart” of UK-EU relations this week with two charm offensives. The first targeted Europe, where Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with counterparts from Germany, Sweden and Poland. Arriving in Warsaw, Mr Lammy was ebullient, waving his arms as if he were about to threaten his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski… Read More »
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has vowed to let England’s mayors “take back control” after Sadiq Khan called for greater powers over London’s commuter rail services and a £2.2 billion boost to tackle the capital’s housing crisis. The Mayor of London argues that Transport for London should be overseen by Southeastern to Victoria, Charing Cross and… Read More »
There it was. It’s not a slip of the tongue, it’s not a miscommunication. A deliberate, deliberate statement. And I never thought I’d hear that in a debate between two men at the pinnacle of public life. It was like a blow, but the man on the other end didn’t seem to feel it. Sir… Read More »