Reform UK gains first MSP as Tory defects to Nigel Farage’s party A Scottish Conservative MSP has defected to Reform UK, Nigel Farage has announced at a press conference in Scotland. Graham Simpson has become Reform’s first MSP with his defection, and he joined Mr Farage on stage in West Lothian. The former Tory frontbencher
Fertility rate for England and Wales falls to new record low The fertility rate for England and Wales has fallen for the third year in a row to reach a new record low, figures show. The total fertility rate across both nations, defined as the average number of live children women would expect to have
Richard Branson says ‘dyslexia is a superpower’ as new campaign launches Sir Richard Branson has said “thinking differently is something to be celebrated” as a nationwide awareness campaign celebrating dyslexic entrepreneurs is launched. Launched by Virgin StartUp, Made By Dyslexia and Virgin Unite, the campaign stretches across more than 40 towns and cities in the
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are ‘crazy about each other’ – NFL star’s father Taylor Swift and her fiance Travis Kelce are “crazy about each other”, the NFL star’s father has said. The US singer, 35, announced her engagement to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end in a shared Instagram post on Tuesday which showed
Thames Water to pay fifth of record £122.7m fines by end of September Troubled Thames Water has agreed to pay £24.5 million of its record £122.7 million in fines by the end of September under a payment plan agreed with regulator Ofwat. The industry watchdog, which handed Thames Water the penalties in May for failures
Using cannabis for pain, anxiety or depression ‘could increase paranoia risk’ People who start smoking cannabis to combat pain, anxiety or depression are at a greater risk of developing paranoia compared to those who start using it for “fun”, according to the largest study of its kind. Experts warned these users are also consuming more
JD Sports ‘cautious’ over consumer finances as UK sales slide JD Sports said it is “cautious” about trading over the rest of the year due to pressure on consumer finances and the risk of rising unemployment. The sportswear retailer however added that it has made “strong progress” in recent months and pointed to improvements in
Household energy bills to rise by 2% from October 1 The energy price cap will rise by 2% from October 1 for a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales, Ofgem has said. The increase will see bills increase by around £2.93 a month for the average household, leaving a home on a default tariff
Job seekers at risk amid surge in CV-writing scams Fraudulent CV-writing services are now the biggest scamming threat to online job hunters as the busy post-summer hiring season gets under way, LinkedIn has warned. The professional networking site revealed that over a third (37%) of job scams reported on the platform globally now involve offers
Government aims for permanent food and drink deal with EU as it attacks Farage The Government said it wants to get a permanent deal with the EU on food and drink agreed in the next 18 months, as it sets out its stall ahead of talks later this year. The current temporary agreement, which was