3 d. ago QUENTIN LETTS: At every New Zero slight, Ed fumbled furtively with his lower lip... then left

Westminster Bills normally need months of scrutiny but this one whizzed through in roughly the time it takes to chill a Cotes de Gascogne. By the end of a captious day we certainly all needed a gargle.

Politics

4 d. ago Easter bank holiday payment dates for DWP benefits including Universal Credit and PIP

The DWP and HMRC do not pay benefit payments on bank holidays - so you may end up being paid earlier than expected this Easter

Economics

8 d. ago QUENTIN LETTS: The public seats were full, but soon visitors were slack

With the world in Trumpian turmoil, an economy self-combusting and rats as big as centaurs cantering through Birmingham, the Commons liaison committee had 90 minutes to interrogate the PM.

Politics

8 d. ago QUENTIN LETTS: The poohbahs were like aristocratic ladies confronted by the pong of fish

Bumpy sort of day for our political class. Stock markets were diving like guillemots and Net Zero sprang a leak - Labour was doing a reverse-ferret on electric car rules.

Events

1 week ago QUENTIN LETTS: After Trump's tariffs, this was no time to dust down the gramophone and play Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans

We took a wallop from the USS Donald Trump; but as MPs emerged from shelters and the Speaker's secretary dispensed tin mugs of sugared tea, there was a consolation: the EU copped it worse.

Politics

2 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: Reeves pranced in, her orbit tinkling with laughter. But on camera, she started sounding like a duck

With the economy smoking like a wonky Moskvitch, how was Rachel Reeves faring?Was she feeling under the cosh from Donald Trump's tariffs and the pratfall of her Budget?

Politics

2 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: How those lawyerly, cocksure sentences rolled forth... was Lord Hermer's first word as a toddler 'heretofore'?

With the economy smoking like a wonky Moskvitch, how was Rachel Reeves faring?Was she feeling under the cosh from Donald Trump's tariffs and the pratfall of her Budget?

Politics

2 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: Once Robert Jenrick locks on to you, it's like seeing a Sidewinder missile chaser a Tiger Moth

QUENTIN LETTS: Shabana Mahmood's Tory shadow, Robert Jenrick, has had her in all sorts of difficulties over the Sentencing Council's 'two-tier justice' gambit.

Events

2 w. ago Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves dodge pain of energy and water hikes thanks to 'cap' on bills at Downing Street flats... as they enjoy Westminster's low council tax

Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves only pay a taxable benefit on running costs at the grace-and-favour apartments in Downing Street .

Economics

2 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: With all these summits, Sir Keir is becoming Westminster's answer to Sherpa Tenzing

QUENTIN LETTS: Summits were once rare events at which the leaders of the USSR and USA frostily shook hands.

Politics

2 w. ago With all these summits, Sir Keir is becoming Westminster's answer to Sherpa Tenzing

QUENTIN LETTS: Summits were once rare events at which the leaders of the USSR and USA frostily shook hands.

Politics

2 w. ago 'I used my DWP benefits to pay for trip to Japan and you can too'

Joshua Bishop used Universal Credit to fund a trip to Japan and is planning on going to Portugal next

Politics

2 w. ago Full list of benefits to rise in April including Universal Credit, PIP and State Pension

DWP have confirmed a full list of benefits set to increase in April. Here, we take a look at the full list of pay rises for benefit claimants - including PIP, Universal Credit and State Pension

Politics

2 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS from Westminster: At last, she speaks! So that's what gnomic Whitehall operative Sue Gray sounds like

QUENTIN LETTS: Lady Gray of Tottenham (Lab) is better known as Sue Gray, the gnomic Whitehall operative who torpedoed Boris Johnson with her report on his lockdown birthday cake.

Events

2 w. ago Asda: UK groceries shopping retailer to give staff generous pay rise and invest £80m to increase wages, jobs

The firm is bringing pay boosts and family-friendly benefits for thousands of staff 💼

Economics

3 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: Wrists trembling, Reeves sounded shrivelled as she tried to blame 'the party opposite'...but everyone knows she has brought disaster on herself

The speech lasted 33 minutes, half the time of a real Budget. For all Labour's groans when Tories talked of 'an emergency Budget', this nonetheless felt like a big event.

Events

3 w. ago Major change to DWP benefits next month including Universal Credit and PIP

If you're due a benefit payment on one of the Easter bank holidays, you'll likely be the previous working day, as the DWP and HMRC don't pay benefit payments on bank holidays

Politics

3 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS from Westminster: One great oddity of the Assisted Dying Bill is that the MP with an undertaker's manner is pro

QUENTIN LETTS: Yesterday saw the Bill's last committee stages, that part of the legislative process when a small group of MPs chews over details of a proposed law.

Events

3 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS from Westminster: In a different life, Heidi could have dreamed of call

QUENTIN LETTS: Despite jokes about the Chancellor being 'Rachel from customer complaints', the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, is a stronger candidate for that role.

Politics

3 w. ago Idleness is rotting Britain. The welfare budget is heading for £100BILLION. That's why it's our moral duty to slash benefits: QUENTIN LETTS

We could have done with Norman Tebbit in the Commons this week, if only for dramatic variety. MPs were discussing welfare cuts that turned out to be soggier than trailed.

Economics