Former Reform MP to shut down firm after allegations dismissed September 1, 2025 A former Reform UK MP is shutting down one of the companies he was alleged to have not declared a financial interest in. James McMurdock, who now sits as the independent MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex, has applied to Companies House to have Gym Live Health & Fitness Limited struck off. The move [...]
Keir Starmer puts Treasury manpower in No 10 at expense of Reeves September 1, 2025 Keir Starmer has made a series of new appointments that point to his drive to bolster No10’s focus on the UK economy at the expense of the Treasury. Starmer has given Darren Jones the newly-created position of chief secretary to the prime minister after he previously served as the chief secretary to the Treasury. In [...]
Rachel Reeves tells creditors to resolve Thames Water crisis September 1, 2025 Rachel Reeves has called for a “market-based solution” to be found at Thames Water before the company is put into special administration. The Chancellor reportedly sent a letter to creditors of Thames Water to state that any solution must result in a “successful turnaround”. Her letter came after environment secretary Steve Reed said the government [...]
Voters oppose higher taxes and want Rachel Reeves sacked September 1, 2025 The majority of UK voters would be opposed to higher taxes despite pressures on public finances, a new poll has found. Analysis by economists has suggested that Rachel Reeves will have to raise taxes by as much as £50bn in the Autumn Budget, with property owners and pension pots reportedly set to be targeted by [...]
Ministers brace for fresh protests and legal battles after asylum hotel ruling August 30, 2025 Keir Starmer has been warned by a Labour grandee that voters will continue to shift to Reform UK unless decisive action is taken to address the migrants crisis. The government won a Court of Appeal challenge against an an injunction which would have seen asylum seekers moved out of the Bell Hotel, Epping, but ministers [...]
Conservatives call for ethics probe into Angela Rayner’s tax affairs August 30, 2025 Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner should face an ethics inquiry over her tax affairs, the Conservatives have said. The Telegraph newspaper claimed that Rayner, who is also the Housing Secretary, saved £40,000 in stamp duty on a second home she bought in Hove for £800,000. This was because she removed her name from the deed [...]
Home Office wins appeal to keep asylum seekers in Epping hotel August 29, 2025 Asylum seekers will be allowed to stay at a hotel in Epping, after the Court of Appeal overturned a previous ruling from the High Court. The decision from the second highest court in the UK means that the 138 men currently housed at The Bell Hotel in the Essex town can stay put. Earlier in [...]
Government under fire as data breach review finally goes public August 29, 2025 The government has released a long-delayed review of its own data handling practices, following pressure from MPs, which raises questions about the ability of Whitehall to safeguard sensitive information. This review comes at a time when digital transformation is intended to reshape public services. The Information Security Review, carried out in 2023 but withheld from [...]
Tribunal filing shows UK pushed for wider back-door access to Apple data August 29, 2025 A new court document reveals that the UK government sought broader “back-door” access to Apple’s private customer data amid ongoing controversy over the impact of the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act. According to the Financial Times, a new legal document has been filed with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that reviews complaints against [...]
Torsten Bell: Who is the mastermind behind the 2025 Autumn Budget? August 28, 2025 When parliamentary candidates were revealed ahead of last year’s elections, Torsten Bell was one of the better-known names on Labour’s list. With his glaringly wonkish CV and swaggering way of talking up esoteric economic policies, he seemed primed to one day leave his mark on a Budget. According to the New Statesman, his opportunity to [...]