12 h. ago UC and PIP concessions will force the Government to lose £3 billion on welfare reform

In a bid to protect disabled people and win over Labour rebels, the government is forfeiting £3billion of the planned £5.5billion savings in the welfare reform

Economics

29 h. ago Free bus pass for over 60s in England huge update after major breakthrough

A campaign for free bus passes for all people over the age of 60 in England has hit a key milestone today (March 31) - with MPs set for a parliamentary clash over the plan

Politics

30 h. ago MPs to debate over 60s getting free bus pass in England after major breakthrough

Currently, people over the age of 60 in England are not eligible for a free bus pass unless they live in London

Politics

39 h. ago Huge update on free bus passes for over 60s in England as MPs to debate change

A petition launched by Karen Hickman says: "We call on the Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London"

Politics

61 h. ago Manzanar teaches about Japanese American incarceration in the US. That’s in jeopardy under Trump

As visitors to the national historic site are urged to inform on anything ‘negative’, advocates warn of the same playbook that led to concentration campsAt the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, more than 200 miles (320km) outside Los Angeles, in what feels like the middle of nowhere, is Manzanar national historic site. It marks the place where more than 10,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during the second world war, crowded into barracks, surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers with searchlights, and patrolled by military police.Since then, Manzanar, which now has a museum and reconstructed barracks that visitors can walk through, has been transformed into a popular pilgrimage destination for Japanese Americans to remember and teach others about this history. (Manzanar was one of 10 concentration camps where the US government forcibly relocated and held more than 110,000 people of Japanese descent during the second world war.) Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Starmer dismisses welfare cuts revolt as ‘noises off’ and defends his leadership – as it happened

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that No 10 will pull the entire welfare bill before the en...

Politics

3 d. ago Starmer dismisses welfare cuts revolt as ‘noises off’ and defends his leadership – UK politics live

PM ‘committed to reforming system’ as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that No 10 will...

Politics

3 d. ago Starmer suggests welfare bill revolt just ‘noises off’ as he denies being bad at politics – UK politics live

PM ‘committed to reforming system’ as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that No 10 will...

Politics

3 d. ago Starmer suggests welfare bill revolt just ‘noises off’ as he rejects claim row shows he is bad at politics – UK politics live

PM ‘committed to reforming system’ as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that No 10 will...

Politics

3 d. ago Angela Rayner says vote on welfare bill will go ahead on Tuesday despite growing rebellion – UK politics live

Deputy prime minister says ‘we will go ahead’ as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that...

Politics

3 d. ago Angela Rayner says vote on welfare bill will go ahead on Tuesday as she faces Mel Stride at PMQs – UK politics live

Deputy prime minister says ‘we will go ahead’ as more Labour MPs join opposition to plan to cut universal credit and PipKemi Badenoch has said it would be “pathetic” for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer must not pull this bill. We’ve offered to support him in the national interest if our reasonable conditions are met.If he pulls the bill, it proves Labour isn’t serious about fiscal responsibility. If Labour backbenchers are too scared to deliver welfare changes that make only limited savings, how can they solve bigger problems like the national debt?There is a view forming among ministers and PPS’ that the government will have to pull the welfare bill.However, the message from the centre is very clear it will go ahead regardless of the opposition from MPs because the issue has to be forced.There is widespread speculation in Government that...

Politics

5 d. ago DAN HODGES: In a moment of crisis, spineless Keir Starmer is cowering. He is happy to keep his hands clean while his allies do the dirty work of keeping Iran in check... what an embarrassment

Yesterday morning armed forces minister Luke Pollard appeared on LBC radio to present the Government's view on the US strikes on Iran.

Events

6 d. ago Sir Mark Rowley ‘shocked’ at planned protest in support of Palestine Action

The Home Secretary will update Parliament on the Government’s plan to ban Palestine Action following its vandalism of two planes at an RAF base.

Events

7 d. ago Ancient trees are shipped to the UK, then burned – using billions in ‘green’ subsidies. Stop this madness now | Dale Vince

The evidence against the Drax power station is damning, yet the government wants to continue its massive public fundingHow green is this? We pay billions of pounds to cut down ancient forests in the US and Canada, ship the wood across the Atlantic in diesel tankers, then burn it in a Yorkshire-based power station.Welcome to the scandal of Drax, where Britain’s biggest polluter gets to play climate hero. The reality is that billions in public subsidies has enabled Drax to generate electricity by burning 300m trees. Now the government is trying to force through an extension that would grant Drax an estimated £1.8bn in public subsidies on top of the £11bn it has already pocketed, keeping this circus going until at least 2031.Dale Vince is a green energy industrialist and campaigner Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Government could be forced to debate free bus pass for over 60s in England

A campaign to try to press the government to bring in free bus passes for the over 60s in England has passed a key threshold, as other UK countries already enjoy them

Politics

1 week ago Employers could be forced to tell workers what their colleagues earn under a new government pay transparency plan

Ministers are consulting on how to end pay discrimination by looking at measures that would make salaries clearer even before the recruitment process has started.

Politics

1 week ago Spain warning for Brits as new holiday rule comes into force from July 1

New rules governing short-term rentals in Spain come into force on July 1, potentially removing large numbers of holiday homes from the legal system and causing chaos for holidaymakers

Events

1 week ago London council forced to spend £8.5m to 'plug the gap' from Government's disability cuts

The leader of Tower Hamlets has called for the Government to reverse ‘the entirely avoidable suffering’

Economics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Russian drone factory attacked, 1,000km away in Tatarstan

Factory making Iranian-designed Shahed drones is hit, far from Russia-Ukraine border; Russian strikes damage energy and other civilian facilities in Poltava oblast. What we know on day 1,209See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine’s military said on Sunday it had attacked a Russian drone factory in the city of Yelabuga in Russia’s Tatarstan region. The target is around 1,000km from Ukraine. The Ukrainian military general staff said the factory produced, tested, and launched drones at Ukraine, in particular against energy and civil infrastructure. Videos on social media showed an explosion said to be at the factory in Yelabuga, also known as Alabuga, which builds Iranian-designed Shahed drones. The Russian local governor confirmed the attack.Russian forces hit the Kremenchuk oil refinery in Ukraine’s Poltava region with missiles and drones, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denounced the attack on the central Poltava region as a vile s...

Events

1 week ago Native American tribe steps up to protect Florida lands for wildlife

Miccosukee Tribe partners with Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation to safeguard lands as part of ‘moral obligation’Almost two centuries ago, Native American tribe members sought the protection of Florida’s Everglades during the Seminole wars as they hid from government forces seeking to banish them to Indian territories that later became Oklahoma.Now, as the Trump administration continues its wholesale slashing of federal funding from conservation projects, the Miccosukee Tribe is stepping up to fulfill what it sees as a “moral obligation” to return the favor. Continue reading...

Politics