Record View says this is a welcome step by the UK Government, particularly for those rural communities that will have to live with these massive infrastructure projects for years to come.

The river’s water quality and wildlife has drastically declined after years of pollution from sewage discharges and industrial chicken farming.

Legislation to introduce a Independent Football Regulator is in front of the House of Lords and a law could be passed by the summer as Rick Parry hits out at Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as US markets slide after Beijing imposes tariffs on imports of agricultural goods from AmericaAnalysts at investment bank Jefferies remain optimistic about the prospects for the US economy in the second half of 2025 – while also fearing that it may slow more than expected in the first half of the year.In an updated US Economic Outlook, Jefferies tell clients:Broadly, these changes are modest relative to what we were looking for at the beginning of the year. We started out 2025 expecting growth to slow in the first half due to exactly the sort of tensions and uncertainty about policy that we are currently seeing. It now appears that the slowdown will be a bit more pronounced than we expected, but we remain optimistic about the second half of the year and beyond.We expect that the labor market will continue to cool gradually in the months ahead, with downside risks due to government spending uncertainty. We continue to expec...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as US markets slide after Beijing imposes tariffs on imports of agricultural goods from AmericaAnalysts at investment bank Jefferies remain optimistic about the prospects for the US economy in the second half of 2025 – while also fearing that it may slow more than expected in the first half of the year.In an updated US Economic Outlook, Jefferies tell clients:Broadly, these changes are modest relative to what we were looking for at the beginning of the year. We started out 2025 expecting growth to slow in the first half due to exactly the sort of tensions and uncertainty about policy that we are currently seeing. It now appears that the slowdown will be a bit more pronounced than we expected, but we remain optimistic about the second half of the year and beyond.We expect that the labor market will continue to cool gradually in the months ahead, with downside risks due to government spending uncertainty. We continue to expec...

Middle East nations among those to have paid 27 members of Lords for work such as consultancy and legal advicePhilip Hammond has made millions from 30 roles while member of Lords Members of the House of Lords have been paid more than £3m in the last two years by foreign governments including repressive Middle Eastern regimes.Many of the states paying peers have human rights records that have been widely criticised, such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Continue reading...

Government can fine people up to £10,000 under the UK’s clandestine entrant civil penalty scheme

The Government has set out plans for households to get a £2,500 reduction on their bills over 10 years

Ministers plan to shake up planning rules and hope it will be enough to win over locals ⚡

The help comes from the Household Support Fund - which is a government-funded scheme run by the DWP - that has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area.

The changes were announced in last year's autumn Budget, with the Government committing to keeping the discount scheme for the next financial year but cutting the level of relief

Ministers are also looking to slash the number of official bodies that get a say in planning decisions in a drive to cut red tape.

Commission for Healthier Working Lives warns against cutting benefits and calls for proactive route for 8m affectedProviding more support for people in ill health to stay in work could save the UK government more than £1bn, according to a report warning ministers against cutting benefits.As the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, looks for savings before the 26 March spring statement, the cross-sector Commission for Healthier Working Lives has called for a new approach to supporting the 8 million people in Britain with a work-limiting health condition. Continue reading...

The party will this week table amendments to the Government's Border Security Bill which form its most significant policy announcement on the issue to date.

Brent Council has the second-highest concentration of gambling premises in London , with council leader writing to Government calling for tighter laws

'Big' John Fisher has amassed a huge internet following thanks to his mammoth weekly Chinese orders, but how many could Craig Gibson have bough after swindling £100k from the government?

MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry explains how the changing Help to Save eligibility could net you up to £1,200 free from the Government

President Donald Trump's flurry of tariffs, government layoffs and spending freezes may be doing more to harm the U.S. economy than to fix it

Some £5billion of the savings will come from making it harder for people to qualify for Personal Independence Payments - a benefit designed to help with the extra costs caused by disabilities.

Once cruelly branded the 'Costa del Dole', this UK seaside town is turning things round with a hefty investment from the government

The Music Export Growth Scheme supports small to medium-sized music companies looking to grow their artists’ profiles internationally.

The system has been introduced by the French government as a way to reduce harmful vehicle emissions in areas where air quality is poorest

Michael Stoney, has spoken about the £1bn replacement of the notorious Glasgow prison.

Downing Street said there has been an ‘unsustainable rise in welfare spending’ and reforms will be set out in ‘the coming weeks’.

A new government scheme is set to see over 23 million toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste handed out for free to some of Britain's most disadvantaged children.

In an open letter, the group of parliamentarians demanded a 'rethink' of environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks for investing.

The impact of a potential trade war with the United States and massive increases in European defense spending and government borrowing are looming over Thursday’s policy meeting at the European Central Bank

An open letter called for financial institutions to ‘rethink’ environment, social and governance requirements that often exclude defence investment.

Selling off assets to foreign owners, deregulating markets, and liberalising financial services only leads to inequality and instabilityIn 1994, I joined a march protesting against how the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund – backed by the US – were forcing governments in the global south to follow what was called the “Washington consensus”.We argued that privatising state assets, deregulating markets, and liberalising financial services to attract external investment was leaving countries more unstable, more unequal and more dependent on foreign actors. Decades on, I am horrified that an approach that wreaked havoc in the global south is still being pursued in the UK.Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah is the chief executive of the New Economics Foundation and author of Power to the People. He is a former chief executive of Oxfam GB and secretary general of Civicus, a global alliance of civil society organisations Continue reading...

Stuart Ramsey to leave next month for role in triathlonChair has also quit and chief executive is under pressureThe Rugby Football Union’s commercial director has resigned in another setback for the beleaguered ­governing body. ­Stuart Ramsey, who was ­instrumental in securing a £100m naming rights deal for Twickenham with Allianz last year and recently agreed a partnership for England teams with Apple, will leave the RFU next month for a new role in triathlon.Ramsey’s impending departure follows the resignation of the RFU chair, Tom Ilube, last December over an executive pay row with the news coming a few weeks before a special general meeting of the RFU, which will determine the fate of the chief executive, Bill Sweeney. Continue reading...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to slash billions of pounds from the welfare bill and other government budgets as she battles to balance the books

The warning comes as the Liberal Democrats urge the government to exempt the health and social care sector from the April hike to National Insurance contributions, which will cost the sector £3 billion in the next financial year

Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to ‘reform’ the plan inherited from the Tories - but lack of new funding means London still won’t benefit from it

Berlin’s ‘big bazooka’ proposal sends industrial stocks surging but fiscal sea change also hikes borrowing costsBusiness live – German debt ‘bazooka’ rallies stocks and euroEuropean financial markets have rallied sharply and German borrowing costs have soared after the country’s prospective leaders announced a historic deal to loosen its “debt brake” rule to boost spending on defence.The yield – in effect the interest rate – on 30-year German government bonds rose by about 25 basis points to 3.08% in its biggest daily increase since October 1998. Continue reading...

The UK Government has confirmed the levy on oil megaprofits will end in 2030.

Labour MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion also said a ‘scandalously large amount of ODA’ had been spent ‘on domestic refugee costs’.

Andrew Bailey plays down the risks of a self-reinforcing acceleration in price growth

The outgoing permanent secretary of the Scottish Government has blamed a lack of financial sustainability on economic “shocks” he branded “unprecedented”.

Berlin’s ‘big bazooka’ move sends industrial stocks surging but fiscal sea change also hikes borrowing costsBusiness live – German debt ‘bazooka’ rallies stocks and euroEuropean financial markets have rallied sharply and German borrowing costs have soared after the country’s prospective leaders announced a historic deal to loosen its “debt brake” rule to boost spending on defence.The yield – in effect the interest rate – on 30-year German government bonds rose by 16 basis points, after having earlier jumped by as much as 25 basis points to 3.07% in its biggest increase since October 1998. Continue reading...

An online survey will collect responses alongside focus groups.

The money will support the Port of Cromarty Firth to become the first in the UK to make floating offshore wind infrastructure on site and at scale.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to present the Treasury watchdog with draft proposals for trimming the government's outlay - said to include up to £5billion from welfare.

Guardian analysis finds fossil-fuel and mining firms have won $92bn of public money from states, with a growing number of cases backed by financial speculatorsRead more: Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11bnFinancial speculators are investing in a growing number of lawsuits against governments over environmental laws and other regulations that affect profits, often generating lucrative awards, the Guardian has found.For a long time, litigation finance thrived primarily in the realm of car crashes and employment claims. “Had an accident that wasn’t your fault?” was the industry’s billboard catchphrase, offering to finance lawsuits in exchange for a cut of any payout. Continue reading...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to present the Treasury watchdog with draft proposals for trimming the government's outlay - said to include up to £5billion from welfare.

The government is reportedly considering slashing the annual tax-free savings limit from £20,000 to just £4,000 - a move that has sparked widespread alarm among savers

The government has been accused of giving in to yet more trade union demands after additional concessions were added to Labour's flagship Employment Rights Bill.

Labour has been urged to use an increase in defence spending to boost UK industry - as governments across Europe face up to the need to rearm.

Conservative alliance and Social Democrats to propose exempting spending of more than 1% of GDP on defenceThe prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending.They said they will also seek to set up a huge €500bn ($533bn ) fund to finance spending on Germany’s infrastructure over the next 10 years. Continue reading...

The prospective partners in Germany’s next government say they will seek to loosen the nation’s rules on running up debt to allow for higher defense spending

The SNP government cut a total of £7.8 billion from core council budgets between 2013-14 and 2025-26, according to a new analysis by Scottish Labour

Country’s government says deal with TSMC needs assessment as opposition claims it will reduce defencesBusiness live – latest updatesTaiwan’s government has promised its most advance semiconductor technology will not be moved to the US under a new $100bn (£79bn) deal signed between the chip maker TSMC and Donald Trump, amid accusations that it is allowing the island’s national security to be undermined.The government said the deal must still go through government assessments, which would take into account the interests of the country as well as investors. Continue reading...

Richie Nicoll says the UK Government's announcement of a Plan for Neighbourhoods has taken him by surprise.

'If Government wants to keep inflation at bay, enable retailers to focus on growth and help households, it must mitigate the swathe of costs facing the industry'

New analysis has suggested SNP ministers have cut Scottish councils’ core funding by almost £8 billion.

A total of 75 areas will each receive up to £20million in funding over the next decade to help revive high streets, youth clubs, parks and libraries, the government said

Attendees will march from Whitehall at around midday towards Parliament, with the demonstration due to end at 3pm.

Shares in leading defence companies across Europe have soared in anticipation of a new spending spree by governments, as the continent prepares for a big financial stand against Vladimir Putin

There are around five million leaseholders in England and Wales, and the system has come under increased criticism in recent years.

A landmark NHS deal on paying private healthcare firms to provide care is in the balance as profit-making companies threaten to pull out if caps are placed on their ability to get paid

The help is from the government's Household Support Fund scheme which gives local councils pots of cash, which they then use to provide support to those struggling with the cost of living

German stock market records biggest gains after Starmer announces ‘coalition of the willing,’ as investors expect big splurge in defence spending Eurozone inflation has dipped, moving closer to the European Central Bank’s 2% target, ahead of a widely expected drop in interest rates at the central bank’s meeting on Thursday.Headline inflation fell from 2.5% to 2.4% in January, while core inflation, which strips out volatile energy and food costs, dropped from 2.7 to 2.6%, Eurostat said this morning.After quite a strong January reading, February eurozone inflation came in soft. Core inflation ticked down after having been stable at 2.7% since September.The weak economic environment seems to trump an increase in reported input costs for the moment. For the European Central Bank, this is a dovish sign as the governing council mulls over how low it should bring rates. Continue reading...

Years of cuts to budgets have left many Scots councils struggling to deliver essential services.

Today, the government has unveiled plans to make commonhold - where flat owners fully own their homes - the default form of ownership in the UK in a bid to end the "feudal" leasehold system

The UK Government rejected recommendations for a redress scheme for women affected by State Pension age changes in December.

They can be used to attack enemy vehicles, boats, and drones.

The country is visited by more than 57million people each year but now the government are trying to encourage people to stay longer than just a couple of weeks.

Plans to give staff the right to ignore bosses' messages outside of working hours will be dropped by the government this week.

St Hilda's Prep School for Girls said it was 'consulting' on a potential closure this summer following the government's bombshell plans to introduce a 20 per cent VAT rate on fees.

The chancellor tonight signed a £2.26 billion UK-Ukraine bilateral loan agreement, marking the first time money from frozen Russian assets will be used for military purposes.

Backing of Glencore angers campaigners who have highlighted firm’s environmental breaches in South AfricaOne of the world’s biggest banks, JP Morgan, has promoted ­environmental and “sustainable” funds to customers which have invested more than £200m in the mining giant Glencore, it can be revealed.Ethical investing has become big business for JP Morgan and other financial giants, with worldwide “sustainable” investing expected to surpass $40tn by 2030. But the industry now faces scrutiny over the rules around investments focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Continue reading...

The Tory leader met members of the Jackson family as she visited the Fairview dairy farm near Bangor in Co Down.

The Greater Manchester mayor has issued a warning to the government as it prepares its spending plans

The American economy grew at a solid 2.3% annual rate the last three months of 2024, supported by a burst of year-end consumer spending, the government said, leaving unchanged its initial estimate of fourth-quarter growth.

The Government will ‘only ever sign’ agreements that align with the UK’s interests, Downing Street has said.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary for State for Scotland Kirsty McNeill MP visited Emergency One's Cumnock base after the firm won a contract with the Iraqi Government.

The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Government agreed the deal at a meeting on Thursday

Senegal’s government has signed an agreement with separatist rebels to bring peace in its southern region, where an armed rebellion has been raging for over 40 years over calls for independence

GPs in England have accepted new contract amendments which will 'bring back the family doctor' and end the '8am scramble' for appointments, the Government has said.

Attorney general indicated justice department would release files related to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019The US justice department has released additional files related to the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The justice department gave a statement on Thursday evening, saying the release largely contains documents that have been “previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the US government”. Continue reading...

The US president suggested he could ignore Republican and Tory fury at the government's plan to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago, as he met with Sir Keir Starmer in the White House.

Visas issued for health and care workers and their families have tumbled by 68%.

New funding and rule changes will make it cheaper for drivers and businesses to upgrade to electric fleets

Some Universal Credit claimantss are currently able to ask the DWP to review a previous hardship payments and could be entitled to money back from the government

The Trump Administration may soon do away with a major scientific finding that has been the basis for hundreds of billions in government spending on climate change.

Almost three million extra households will be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount next winter after the Government announced changes to the criteria of the scheme

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today confirmed the 'framework' of a deal with Donald Trump's government has been agreed - the full document shows Ukraine has pledged 50% of mineral revenues to a shared fund

The Net Zero drive will cost Britons more on heat pumps and flights but they will save on energy bills and fuel costs, the Government's climate advisers claim.

Bill would lead to large increase in government deficit, say independent analysts

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has unveiled a nearly $58.1 billion budget, the final spending plan of his two terms in office

PM confirms rise in military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – three years earlier than plannedUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has announced drastic cuts to Britain’s international aid budget to help pay for a major increase in defence spending, amid fears over Donald Trump’s commitment to European security.The prime minister said the UK government would increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – three years earlier than planned – as he prepared for what is likely to be a diplomatically fraught visit to Washington DC this week. Continue reading...

The government has announced changes to Vehicle Excise Duty which will require electric vehicle owners to start paying car tax from April 1, but a loophole states you can avoid the tax by acting now

Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said the Government’s response to Ofgem’s rise in the energy cap is ‘a sticking plaster approach’.

Around 2.7 million extra households would be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount next winter under Government proposals announced on Tuesday.

Ocean Infinity was reportedly offered a £55million fee by the Malaysian government to locate the aircraft, which vanished in March 2014 with 239 people on board.

Around three million more families would qualify for energy bill discounts under new proposals from the UK Government.

A government consultation on weakening copyright law is due to conclude on Tuesday

The Government is consulting on offering more support to UK consumers in a bid to deal with an ‘unpredictable international energy market’.

MSPs will vote on the final stage of Holyrood's spending plans for the year ahead with the NHS set to be handed record funding.

Claims circulated online that the spending was solely made by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as euro rallies and DAX and MDAX indices rise in early tradingGerman election live: Merz says priority is to make Europe independent from US on defence as coalition talks to beginShares in some European weapons makers are rising in early trading too.German tank maker Rheinmetall jumped 3% at the start of trading, while in London BAE Systems are up 1.7%.‘’A dose of more certainty has been injected into European politics, with the Germany’s Conservatives winning the elections. It comes at a crucial time for the continent. Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, high stakes deal making between the US and Russia continues, Ukraine is out in the cold and the outcome will have huge implications for security in Europe.There is a dawning realisation that European nations will have to pull together and present a more united deterrent force, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is reading from that script. He has pledged to relax...