UK politics

UK politics

Lord Ian Duncan of Springbank admitted to breaking House of Lords rules by facilitating a meeting between Terrestrial Energy's chief executive and an energy minister. He was found to breach the regulations that prohibit peers from profiting from their parliamentary roles.

Thanet District Council has approved a Public Spaces Protection Order aimed at combating anti-social behaviour, specifically allowing for fines related to foul language in public spaces when requested by authorities.

India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, is visiting London to sign a landmark free trade agreement between his country and the UK, expected to cut tariffs and increase market access.

"Despite significant pushback from the industry, pensions will now form part of inheritance tax calculations," he said. "This places yet another burden on grieving families."

This year, the maximum guaranteed price for offshore wind will be 113 per megawatt-hour, up from 102 in 2024. Floating offshore wind is more expensive at 271/MWh.

"The Welsh government can't justify continuing to hold offices open if people don't turn up to work in them," warned First Minister Eluned Morgan.

Andrew Bailey emphasized the importance of retaining banking regulations, stating that unwinding safeguards like bank ringfencing could destabilize the UK’s financial system and create risks akin to the 2008 financial crisis.

The recently published Finance Bill 2025-26 contains a number of proposals to target tax evasion. But in practice, these measures may prove to be ineffective.

The social care sector faces 130,000 vacancies, requiring 540,000 new care workers by 2040 due to an ageing population and chronic undervaluation of workers.

The financial action is aimed at tackling illegal immigration to the UK and is central to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's plan to disrupt the English Channel crossings by "smashing the gangs" that are organising them.

Public borrowing jumped to £20.7 billion last month, making it the second highest figure for any June on record, aside from the Covid-hit year of 2020.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated, 'For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK. We will not accept this status quo.'

Sullivan described the penalty as "devastating" and warned it could spell the end for his small business, highlighting concerns about the impact of such fines on smaller enterprises.

Sadiq Khan stated that tourists "don't mind" paying a small tax as it is common in many European cities, believing it could enhance the public realm.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) is investigating allegations that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and MI5 unlawfully spied on the phone communications of Chris Moore, a former reporter with the BBC's Spotlight programme, who has reported about police collusion with terrorist organisations.

Flanagan Group, which is run by friends of Mr McCluskey, overcharged Unite by at least 30m for the Birmingham hotel and conference centre project, the Unite report says.

The instruction regarding the prohibition of green or orange attire at the Battle of the Boyne visitor centre reflects sensitivity towards Unionist and Nationalist visitors, aiming to maintain harmony.

David Kennedy expressed deep concerns regarding breaches of workforce agreements, highlighting some officers were scheduled to work over 12-hour shifts and up to 10 consecutive days.

The government is making substantial changes to the compensation scheme for victims of the infected blood scandal, following a critical report about the payment scheme.