46 h. ago Rich people are KINDER than the poor, study of 2.3 million people concludes

From Bob Cratchit to Charlie Bucket and the Weasley family in the Harry Potter films, poor people are often seen as the kindest. But a study suggests there's not much truth to the stereotype.

Politics

3 d. ago The rise of end times fascism | Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor

The governing ideology of the far right has become a monstrous, supremacist survivalism. Our task is to build a movement strong enough to stop themThe movement for corporate city states cannot believe its good luck. For years, it has been pushing the extreme notion that wealthy, tax-averse people should up and start their own high-tech fiefdoms, whether new countries on artificial islands in international waters (“seasteading”) or pro-business “freedom cities” such as Próspera, a glorified gated community combined with a wild west med spa on a Honduran island.Yet despite backing from the heavy-hitter venture capitalists Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen, their extreme libertarian dreams kept bogging down: it turns out most self-respecting rich people don’t actually want to live on floating oil rigs, even if it means lower taxes, and while Próspera might be nice for a holiday and some body “upgrades”, its extra-national status is currently being challenged in court. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Finished The White Lotus and want more rich people behaving badly on holiday? Read these books next

It's been less than a week and we're already looking for something to fill The White Lotus -shaped hole in our lives.

Events

7 d. ago Millionaires move out of London: Capital drops down the wealth list after losing higher proportion of super rich than anywhere but Moscow

An annual report on global wealth shows London is only two cities in the top 50 that has fewer rich people than ten years ago.

Economics

8 d. ago I’ve walked 10,000 steps a day for three years – these five surprising benefits are why I started

The common 10,000 steps per day fitness goal has ‘no scientific basis’, a 2023 study concluded – but I've found it works for me

Politics

9 d. ago Has The White Lotus really forgotten that rich people are the problem? | Zoe Williams

When the show began in 2021, creator Mike White was happy to remind everyone that greed is the root of all evil. This is no time for him to get bored and move onWhen the first season of The White Lotus arrived, it took a while to notice how dazzlingly political it was. The director, Mike White, has since congratulated himself about that little hook at the start: before we know anything, we know that someone is going to die. He has said that he wishes he had started all his shows that way. It is so simple yet so effective. You meander into it thinking it is a whodunnit, with a side order of who-did-it-get-done-to? Then there are some beautiful beaches, and there is some astronomical wealth. By necessity, there are some characters who are not wealthy, since who else is going to fetch the drinks?It is not until around the seventh minute that it becomes obvious how catastrophically unhappy all the characters are, how horrible they are to one another, how disappointing and thin their exi...

Politics

9 d. ago Abigail Disney: ‘Every billionaire who can’t live on $999m is kind of a sociopath’

She is one of the heirs to the Walt Disney fortune – and has long argued for rich people like her to pay more tax. Now she is working out how best to meet the challenge of Trump, Musk and the politics of chaosMy conversation with Abigail Disney opens with the kind of bog-standard line that starts most chats. But because she is a left-leaning American, with a record of righteous criticism of the man now once again in charge of her country, I suspect it might invite a very long answer indeed.Still, out it comes: “How are you?” Continue reading...

Society

1 week ago Your Friends & Neighbors to Black Mirror: the seven best shows to stream this week

Jon Hamm stars as a gentlemen thief in a very entertaining midlife-crisis satire. Plus: Charlie Brooker’s hit series is back with another sensational castManifesting his signature blend of unshakeable self-confidence and understated self-loathing, Jon Hamm stars in this midlife-crisis satire. Coop (Hamm) is a hedge fund manager who, after years gazing down at the world from an ivory tower, finds his life falling apart. His wife has gone, his kids are expensive, his sister’s mental health problems are getting worse and he’s lost his job. “Your biggest mistake,” his boss tells him, “was thinking any of this was ever yours.” At a barbecue hosted by friends, he has an idea: the people around him are awful and undeservedly rich – so why not rob them? Soon, everything is spiralling out of control in very entertaining fashion. Apple TV+, from Friday 11 April Continue reading...

Culture

3 w. ago 250,000 more people will face relative poverty after Rachel Reeves’ benefits cuts, DWP says – spring statement live

Department for work and pensions says thousands, including children, will be hit by chancellor’s reforms, as OBR forecasts UK growth to halve in 2025Spring statement 2025: key points at a glanceRachel Reeves will not be raising taxes in the spring statement today, even though there are many people on the left who would prefer taxes to rise as an alternative to public spending being cut. Reeves came into office promising only one budget-type event a year, and that is one reason why she is not hiking taxes today. But mainly it’s because she thinks Britons are relatively highly taxed already, because Labour was elected on a manifesto ruling out most of the obvious possible tax rises and because she’s not convinced a sweeping wealth tax would work.But that has not stopped campaigners calling for a wealth tax, and yesterday about 300 people attended a ‘Tax the Super-Rich’ rally outside the Treasury. It was organised by charities and social justice campaign groups, but one of the speakers...

Politics

3 w. ago Reeves announces welfare changes, increased defence spending and new growth forecasts – spring statement live

Chancellor OBR forecasts for UK growth halved in 2025 but up in the remaining years of this parliamentSpring statement 2025: key points at a glanceRachel Reeves will not be raising taxes in the spring statement today, even though there are many people on the left who would prefer taxes to rise as an alternative to public spending being cut. Reeves came into office promising only one budget-type event a year, and that is one reason why she is not hiking taxes today. But mainly it’s because she thinks Britons are relatively highly taxed already, because Labour was elected on a manifesto ruling out most of the obvious possible tax rises and because she’s not convinced a sweeping wealth tax would work.But that has not stopped campaigners calling for a wealth tax, and yesterday about 300 people attended a ‘Tax the Super-Rich’ rally outside the Treasury. It was organised by charities and social justice campaign groups, but one of the speakers was Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green party...

Economics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer faces PMQs before Rachel Reeves delivers spring statement – UK politics live

Chancellor is expected to announce further welfare cuts when she outlines departmental spending plansRachel Reeves will not be raising taxes in the spring statement today, even though there are many people on the left who would prefer taxes to rise as an alternative to public spending being cut. Reeves came into office promising only one budget-type event a year, and that is one reason why she is not hiking taxes today. But mainly it’s because she thinks Britons are relatively highly taxed already, because Labour was elected on a manifesto ruling out most of the obvious possible tax rises and because she’s not convinced a sweeping wealth tax would work.But that has not stopped campaigners calling for a wealth tax, and yesterday about 300 people attended a ‘Tax the Super-Rich’ rally outside the Treasury. It was organised by charities and social justice campaign groups, but one of the speakers was Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green party, which is in favour of a wealth tax.Across th...

Politics

3 w. ago 'I thought it only sold expensive M&S food for rich people, I was wrong'

It sells hundreds of its own brand products as well as big brands like Heinz, Birds Eye, and McCain

Politics