Author: Miles Donavan

“Why are we taxing working people more than billionaires? Tax wealth, not work” Former City trader and left-wing economist Gary Stevenson took down GB News host Camilla Tominey on BBC Question Time last night. Asked what the solutions to plugging the UK’s economic deficit are, Stevenson said that the tax system needs to be “shifted”, to focus on taxing wealth, instead of making working people pay. Stevenson said: “We have ordinary working people paying 30, 40, 50, 60% [tax], while people like the Duke of Westminster can inherit £10 billion and pay nothing.” He said that the current system is…

Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement is a watershed moment in British politics. A Labour government traditionally associated with the working class has unveiled welfare cuts of £4.8bn, mainly targeting the poor and disabled. It is protecting corporate profits and wealth of the ultra-rich by cutting support for the poor. More than 3m families will lose an average of around £1,720 a year in real terms in this…

Constituents in Ashfield, which is represented by Reform UK’s Lee Anderson were left shocked after learning about the party’s plans to make people pay to use the NHS. In a video released by the Trades Union Congress, people are asked whether they thought wealthy people should get better healthcare or if people should pay to use a doctor. They expressed shock and horror at Reform’s plans. People were asked: “Do you think people should pay to see a doctor?”, to which they replied: “No, definitely not.” One constituent added: “If you ain’t got no money what do you do?” Another…

The party is seeking funding from UK organisations, “plus US donors from MAGA, Tech, Religious conservatives” In yet more proof that Reform UK is seeking to import Trump-style politics to the UK, it has been revealed that senior Reform figures want to launch a think tank similar to the ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) ones that support Donald Trump in the US. As Reform looks to professionalise its structure, it is considering setting up a think tank modelled on American organisations that are independently funded but openly endorse a political party, according to the Financial Times.  Examples of such right-wing…

‘Nigel Farage seems to be stuck in the 1970s. He clearly has no idea about the sacrifices women make’ Nigel Farage has been slammed for being “stuck in the 1970s” after making comments suggesting women are less willing to make sacrifices to pursue careers than men.  During a lunch in Parliament, the Reform UK leader said that due to these “life choices”, there are fewer women in senior positions. When asked why there are more white men in top jobs, Farage said: “I think the truth of it is in many, many cases, women make very different life choices to…

Last week, the government announced that GB Energy’s first investment will be in solar panels – predominantly for schools and hospitals in England. This investment will cut the bills of key public sector institutions that have been hit hard by the rising cost of energy. But greater progress is needed on increasing rooftop solar capacity. If the government wants Britain to become a clean energy superpower and triple solar power by 2030, they will have to go further. Installing solar panels on the rooftops of our homes and commercial buildings is crucial to producing clean and cheap energy. However, only…

Only 8% of young workers would choose a zero-hours contract Young workers are bearing the brunt of exploitative zero-hours contracts, which the TUC warns are “holding young people back at a key stage in their working lives”. New analysis by the union body reveals 18-24 year-olds are more than twice as likely to be employed on ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts than other workers, with one in 10 affected. The research reveals that more than half of young workers aged 18-24 are at risk of unfair dismissal, due to having been with their employer for less than two years. In addition, around…

Only 8% of young workers would choose a zero-hours contract Young workers are bearing the brunt of exploitative zero-hours contracts, which the TUC warns are “holding young people back at a key stage in their working lives”. New analysis by the union body reveals 18-24 year-olds are more than twice as likely to be employed on ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts than other workers, with one in 10 affected. The research reveals that more than half of young workers aged 18-24 are at risk of unfair dismissal, due to having been with their employer for less than two years. In addition, around…

“This has to be the final nail in the coffin for Ofwat, a regulator that has time and again proven it is completely inadequate to protect customers and our beautiful environment.” Water companies dumped raw sewage in rivers and seas in England for almost 3.61 million hours in 2024, more than ever before.  Environment agency data published today revealed that the duration of spills was up slightly (0.2%) from 3.6 million hours in 2023. The Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “These figures are disgraceful and are a stark reminder of how years of underinvestment have led to water companies discharging…

Sarah Pochin has a history of switching political allegiances Earlier in the week, Reform UK announced former Cheshire East councillor Sarah Pochin as their candidate in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, which is expected to take place on 1 May. Pochin has switched her political allegiances more than once, having been expelled from the Conservative and Independent groups during her time as a councillor, before joining Reform UK last year. Pochin was a borough councillor on Cheshire East Council between 2015 and 2023. In 2020, she was expelled from the Conservative Party Group over a spat over the selection of the…