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It is too early to talk about redundancies in the public sector, the Scottish Tory leader has said, despite his calls to reduce the size of the state. In his first major set piece speech since becoming leader, which he denied was a signal of a populist shift, Russell Findlay called on the Scottish Government to cut taxes – including scrapping the 21p rate – and merge some public bodies, […]

Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag after the club’s disappointing start to the campaign. United slipped to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday at West Ham and sit in the bottom half of the table. They have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions. A club statement read: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team […]

Tommy Robinson has been jailed for 18 months after admitting contempt of court by repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, in breach of an injunction. The political activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, admitted 10 breaches of a High Court order made in 2021 at the start of a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday. Lawyers for the Solicitor General claimed the 41-year-old had been “thumbing his […]

The total fertility rate across England and Wales dropped to a new record low last year, while the number of live births fell to the lowest in nearly five decades. While fertility rates across the two nations have been in overall decline since 2010, the rate in 2023 fell to 1.44 children per woman, which the Office for National Statistics said is the lowest value since records began in 1938. […]

The £2 bus fare cap will be replaced by a new £3 cap until the end of 2025 at this week’s Budget, the Prime Minister has confirmed. In a speech in Birmingham, Sir Keir Starmer said he knows “how much this matters”, particularly to people who live in rural communities. The increase will be announced at Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first Budget on Wednesday, as the Government tries to bridge what […]

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has asked his followers on social media to be alert for “lorryloads of posh cheese” being sold “for cheap” after a London-based manufacturer had more than 22 tonnes of cheddar stolen by scammers. Neal’s Yard Dairy said it delivered more than 950 wheels of cheddar to the alleged fraudster posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer before realising what had happened. In a […]

The Budget will embrace the “harsh light of fiscal reality” but “better days are ahead”, Sir Keir Starmer will say in a speech ahead of one of the most significant financial statements in recent history. The Prime Minister will warn of “unprecedented” economic challenges and invite the public to judge him on his ability to rise to them as he sets the tone for Wednesday’s announcement. He is expected to […]

Rachel Reeves will not announce any new freeports in the Budget, despite a Downing Street press release on Friday saying five more would unveiled, it is understood. The Chancellor will instead confirm funding for “next steps” for five of the existing sites, which will receive official clearance to have customs facilities within their boundaries. Ms Reeves will also approve plans for a separate “investment zone” in the East Midlands that […]

A 21-year-old hoping to become the first woman to row from mainland Europe to mainland South America solo has begun her record attempt. Zara Lachlan, 21, from Cambridge, set off from Lagos on the Portuguese Algarve on Sunday morning, aiming to row 3,600 nautical miles to French Guiana in a journey which it is estimated will take around 90 days. Ms Lachlan, who will join the Army in September as […]