Tax rules which exempt the self-employed from paying national insurance are to be scrapped by The Treasury. The targets are a growing number of people who operate as private companies when accepting work. So-called ‘off payroll’ contractors now comprise a third of those claiming to be self-employed, the Treasury estimates. If it continues, the practice […]
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Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has drawn widespread criticism from across the political divide for accusing the EU of ‘acting like the Soviet Union’ over Brexit. Mr Hunt’s remarks, in a speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham this week, were described as ‘ignorant and insulting’ by EU leader and diplomats. With the Brexit negotiations […]
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Wales could move towards independence from the UK if it crashes out of the EU without a deal, the new leader of nationalist party Plaid Cymru has warned. Adam Price, who replaced Leanne Wood, told The Guardian last week that no deal would spell economic disaster for the Welsh. He described a hard Brexit as […]
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One of Scotland’s most important historic sites has become a battleground again – this time over plans to build new homes on it. Culloden was where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite rebels were defeated by the Duke of Cumberland in April, 1746. More than 1500 soldiers from both sides still lie there and it is a […]
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The Conservative Party conference started in Birmingham this week with deep divisions over Brexit threatening to dominate the annual event. Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit strategy came under fire on the opening day with former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson launching an attack on her in a Sunday newspaper. Backbench MP and leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg […]
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The Government spent £40,000 of taxpayer cash on a two-year fight to cover up how little its Northern Powerhouse minister visited the north of England. Its attempt to hide embarrassing details of James Wharton’s infrequent trips out of London came to light after a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by The Guardian. Mr Wharton had […]
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A new minister has been appointed to ensure that UK food supplies are protected in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Conservative MP David Rutley has been given the brief at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He is a former food industry executive who ran home shopping and e-commerce businesses for Asda […]
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Refuse collections for 11,000 homes in a Welsh county have been cut to once a month. The initiative has been met with protests by residents and local councillors, who say it has attracted more vermin. But Conwy Council says it has addressed the objections raised and that the switch will save them almost £400,000. It […]
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The UK’s summer heatwave has been blamed for a travel operator’s profits warning that sent shares tumbling by up to 25 per cent. Thomas Cook said warm domestic weather had led to many customers opting for a UK ‘staycation’ this year. This has forced Thomas Cook to offer higher discounts than usual, cutting the full-year […]
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Campaigners calling for a second referendum on Britain’s departure from the EU have set out six scenarios under which Parliament could legislate for it. Pressure is growing for a ‘People’s Vote’ as the prospect of a hard Brexit grows after the EU27 rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s ‘Chequers plan’ in Salzburg this week. Mrs May […]
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