15 h. ago Scottish Water boss handed £50k pay boost as bills soar for customers

The corporation's annual report showed that chief executive Alex Plant had his salary increased to £295,000 between 2024 and 2025.

Economics

56 h. ago A&E waits fuel 4,000 attacks on NHS staff a year: One worker is attacked every two hours in 'tinder box' hospitals as nurses face violence and gun threats

Middle-class patients and their families are among those driven to rage by long waits and dehumanising care in corridors, the Royal College of Nursing said.

Events

3 d. ago Environment groups are too white and middle class, says green boss

Asad Rehman (pictured), who became the first person of colour to lead Friends of the Earth this week, said more needed to be done as he pledged to develop a diverse movement.

Events

3 d. ago £35bn! Chagos surrender deal 'will cost Britain ten times more than what the Prime Minister claimed'

Official documents are said to show the UK will pay some £35billion to hand the islands over to Mauritius - compared to the £3.4billion previously stated by Sir Keir Starmer.

Economics

5 d. ago Warning Labour ‘won’t be trusted on renters’ rights’ as landlord MPs rake in £830k in a year

The register of interests reveals that 83 MPs are also landlords, declaring at least £10,000 in rental income in the past year, while the Labour government pushes through its Renters’ Rights Bill

Events

6 d. ago Thousands living near new pylons to save £250 on energy bills as government gives update

Eligible households will benefit from up to £2,500 in savings over the course of the scheme

Economics

8 d. ago Families of dead musicians including Ozzy Osbourne hit out at Sir Rod Stewart clip

Sir Rod Stewart has faced criticism for his 'tacky' AI video used while performing, featuring clips of the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Amy Winehouse, Tina Turner, George Michael and Prince

Events

8 d. ago UK aid cuts will cause untold damage, wildlife charities warn – as they fear for future of key programmes

Nick Ferris talks to groups around Britain and Africa about the cost-cutting that is already taking place, and the difficult few years ahead

Events

9 d. ago School's out forever! Labour's VAT raid sees more than 50 private schools announce closures so far this year

The new 20 per cent tax on fees has hit school budgets partly due to families being priced out and leaving the sector.

Politics

9 d. ago Now Rachel Reeves is urged to slap VAT on private healthcare as ex

Lord Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader, has called on the Chancellor to remove the VAT exemption on private healthcare at her autumn Budget .

Politics

1 week ago The Confessions of Samuel Pepys by Guy de la Bédoyère review – sex and the city

Newly decoded extracts from his diaries expose the celebrated 17th-century diarist and naval administrator as a rapacious sexual predatorSamuel Pepys’s diary, which covers 1660 to 1669, is regarded as one of the great classic texts in the English language. Words spill out of Pepys – 1.25m of them – as he bustles around London, building a successful career as a naval administrator while navigating the double trauma of the plague and the Great Fire of London. Historians have long gone to the diary for details of middle-class life during the mid‑17th century: the seamy streets, the watermen, the taverns and, as Pepys moves up the greasy pole, the court and the king. Best of all is his eye for the picturesque detail: the way, for instance, on the morning of 4 September 1666, as fire licks around his house, Pepys buries a choice parmesan cheese in the garden with the intention of keeping it safe.Not all of the diary is in English, though. Quite a lot of it is in French (or rather Frangla...

Politics

1 week ago The Confessions of Samuel Pepys by Guy de la Bédoyère review – journal of a predator

Newly decoded extracts expose the celebrated 17th-century diarist and naval administrator as a rapacious abuserSamuel Pepys’s diary, which covers 1660 to 1669, is regarded as one of the great classic texts in the English language. Words spill out of Pepys – 1.25m of them – as he bustles around London, building a successful career as a naval administrator while navigating the double trauma of the plague and the Great Fire of London. Historians have long gone to the diary for details of middle-class life during the mid‑17th century: the seamy streets, the watermen, the taverns and, as Pepys moves up the greasy pole, the court and the king. Best of all is his eye for the picturesque detail: the way, for instance, on the morning of 4 September 1666, as fire licks around his house, Pepys buries a choice parmesan cheese in the garden with the intention of keeping it safe.Not all of the diary is in English, though. Quite a lot of it is in French (or rather Franglais), Latin, Spanish and a ...

Politics

1 week ago Voices: I’m a bouncer – policing what people say in pubs is a step too far

A clause in Labour’s Employment Rights Bill aims to protect workers from ‘third-party harassment’. With pubs and clubs closing at an alarming rate, door supervisor George Bass asks: Where will they find the money for extra staff?

Events

3 w. ago Major review calls for Ofwat to be scrapped as water bills set to soar 30% in next five years

Sir Jon Cunliffe’s review recommended scrapping Ofwat

Politics

3 w. ago Middle class families could be hit with soaring water bills under Labour's new plan to subside the costs for Britain's poorest households

The proposed national social tariff is due to be presented to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a review of the water industry on Monday.

Society

3 w. ago What's the story in Balamory? Twenty years after hit children's TV show ended, familiar faces gather for reboot

The BBC has revealed that many of the original cast of Scottish hit Balamory will revive their roles when the show returns to screens next year.

Society

3 w. ago Crypto donations could entirely corrupt British politics. Labour must act quickly | Liam Byrne

We need to know who is funding our parties, but this new frontier is custom-built for hostile actors. The elections bill is a good start – but only thatLiam Byrne is the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge HillOur party finance rules are riddled with loopholes. Shell companies. Unincorporated associations. Anonymous donations routed through digital campaigns between elections. All legal. All ripe for abuse. And now, a new gateway has opened: cryptocurrency.When someone buys a cryptocurrency their identity is anonymous, but the transaction itself is recorded on the blockchain and is publicly visible. So far we know that this anonymity has allowed cryptocurrencies to be used to fund everything from sanctions evasion to election interference. A recent report from the Centre for Information Resilience revealed that A7A5, a new “digital rouble”, has already been linked to sanctions evasions by Russians. The report also found that Ilan Shor, a fugitive oligarch who has been accused of being in...

Politics

3 w. ago Water shortages and soaring bills as MPs issue 'monumental' warning

MPs on the public accounts committee said the system of regulating water companies needs 'a complete overhaul' to rebuild trust and ensure its poor performance improves

Events

4 w. ago Families hit with 'unspoken' £1,076 charge per child this summer

Families could be facing a worrying time as schools close for six weeks over the summer

Society

4 w. ago PIP applicants issued key advice by former DWP assessor after cut 'delays'

Keir Starmer was forced to delete the entire PIP section from the welfare bill due to a Labour rebellion as claimants have been left unclear and 'confused' about the future of the scheme

Politics