Author: Miles Donavan

A spokesperson for Women’s Aid told Sky News they were “appalled” by Mr Tice’s interview. Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice has been condemned after he appeared to question court records that detailed how another Reform MP assaulted a former partner. James McMurdock was jailed 18 years ago for repeatedly kicking his then girlfriend. The shocking revelations were made by the Times newspaper. McMurdock, who was previously an investment banker, joined Reform this year and agreed to be a paper candidate for the party in South Basildon and East Thurrock, a seat he ended up winning after defeating Tory candidate…

Exports to the EU have fallen by an average of 16% per year in the last three years Exports of British food to the EU have decreased by an average of £2.8 billion per year since the Brexit transition period ended in January 2021. New data from the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy (CITP) reveals that nearly one-fifth (16%) of the UK’s food and agricultural exports to the EU have been lost post-Brexit.  The trade think tank reports that new requirements for physical, documentary, and identity checks have complicated agri-food trade between the UK and the EU since Brexit. Food…

It comes after MPs narrowly voted in favour of reforming the voter system, in what was a symbolic vote, unlikely to become law, earlier this week. Britons favour a proportional representation voting system over the current First Past the Post system, a new poll has found. The poll, carried out by YouGov, found that 44% of respondents said they prefer proportional representation, where the number of MPs parties win will more closely match their share of the vote, while just 23% backed the current First Past the Post voting system. It comes after MPs narrowly voted in favour of reforming…

‘Mr Speaker I gently remind her that two of her predecessors had convictions for breaking Covid rules.’ Tory leader Kemi Badenoch endured a humiliating PMQs this afternoon, after her latest attacks on the Labour government backfired. Badenoch used the recent resignation of former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh to attack the Labour party. Haigh resigned as transport secretary after it emerged she pleaded guilty to a fraud offence a decade ago. Haigh has admitted telling police in 2013, while she was working for Aviva, that she had lost her work mobile phone in a mugging, but later found it had not…

The NAO has described the plan as “unrealistic and not prioritised”. The Tories’ plan to deliver 20,000 more prison places by the mid-2020s is expected to cost between £9.4 and £10.1 billion, at least £4.2 billion, or 80% more than planned three years ago.  In 2021, HM Prison and Probation Service was allocated an estimated £5.2 billion to deliver the 20,000 additional places. A report published today by the National Audit Office (NAO) reveals that only 6,518 of the 20,000 additional prison places promised by the Conservative government have been delivered. The NAO has referred to the Tories’ plan as…

“John Major’s decision to privatise British Rail in 1994 was foolish, ideologically-driven, and doomed to fail.” South Western Railway, C2C, and Greater Anglia will be the first rail operators to return to public ownership, the government has announced. ​​South Western Railways will be renationalised in May 2025, C2C in July 2025, and Greater Anglia in autumn 2025. This comes after the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 received royal assent on 29 November. The services will initially be operated by DfT Operator Limited, with Great British Railways (GBR) taking over control once it has been set up. “For too…

t comes after MPs from across the political divide came together last month to issue a cross-party call for Britain’s First Past the Post voting system to be scrapped. Supporters of proportional representation received a boost yesterday after MPs narrowly voted in favour of reforming the voter system, in what was a symbolic vote, unlikely to become law. The vote, on a Liberal Democrat 10-minute rule bill, calling for a PR system for UK parliamentary elections and for local elections in England was passed by 137 votes to 135. It is believed to be the first time the Westminster parliament…

“Justice will only truly be served when there are criminal prosecutions and those responsible pay the price.” In a debate on the final Grenfell Tower inquiry report, several MPs called for criminal charges to be brought against those responsible for the 2017 fire that resulted in 72 deaths. Following the release of the final inquiry report on 4 September, Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner stated that “there should be consequences” for the failings that led to the blaze. Speaking in the debate yesterday afternoon, Joe Powell, MP for Kensington and Bayswater, said that it is seven and…

The accusation that housing has suddenly turned into a financial commodity ignores history Christopher Worrall is a housing columnist for LFF. He is on the Executive Committee of the Labour Housing Group, Co-Host of the Priced Out Podcast, and Chair of the Local Government and Housing Member Policy Group of the Fabian Society.  The term “financialisation of housing” has entered the lexicon of housing policy debates as a convenient scapegoat for rising house prices and worsening affordability. Proponents of this narrative, such as UCL’s Josh Ryan-Collins, argue that speculative investment, mortgage liberalisation, and global flows of capital into housing markets have…

The exodus continues… After Elon Musk’s failure to combat misinformation and extremism on X, formerly Twitter, users are continuing to leave the social media platform in a mass exodus. The Financial Times reported that one week in November alone, ‘saw 60,000 people deactivate their accounts on average each day’, citing data from SimilarWeb. The paper reports: “Professions including teachers (#edutwitter) and doctors (#medicaltwitter) have used the site formerly known as Twitter to foster community and exchange ideas. It has provided illuminating commentary on office life and a way for freelancers to promote themselves and network. Now, many are abandoning a…