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Richard Hermer says failure by Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly to describe China as a threat would have been seized on in trial Defence lawyers would have used Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly’s statements about China to dismiss a case against two men charged with spying for Beijing, the attorney general has argued. Richard Hermer … Read more
Hadush Kebatu claims he tried to hand himself in to police, but was ignored, after being released from prison in error A convicted child sex offender mistakenly released from prison after arriving in the UK in a small boat was given £500 of public money as he was deported back to Ethiopia. Hadush Kebatu was … Read more
Steve Reed writes to South Cambridgeshire council raising concerns over performance and value for money The local government secretary, Steve Reed, is seeking to clamp down on councils introducing four-day working weeks after writing to South Cambridgeshire warning that the policy had damaged performance. Reed told the council, which is the only local authority to … Read more
Sales benefited from warm summer, M&S online shutdown after cyber-attack and supply improvements Next has raised hopes that UK consumers are still willing to spend despite pressures on household budgets, as it revealed sales and profit growth “materially above” expectations. The clothing and homeware retailer said it benefited from a sunny summer, the online shutdown … Read more
Lender’s chief executive says redress proposals could affect jobs, supply chains and broader UK economy Santander UK has urged the government to intervene in the £11bn car finance compensation scheme, claiming that the current proposals could end up inflicting “significant” harm to consumers, jobs and the broader economy. The comments mark some of the strongest … Read more
Parents say they were treated as fraudsters because Home Office travel records failed to show their return to UK The UK tax authorities have announced they will no longer cut off parents’ child benefit payments after a new crackdown on overseas fraud backfired due to incomplete Home Office travel data. The flawed data led to … Read more
National Audit Office reports nearly two-thirds of independent hospices in deficit in 2023-24 as demand increases Hospices in England are cutting hundreds of beds and staff because of a funding crisis, despite a sharp rise in demand for palliative care, a damning report warns. People needing end of life care faced a postcode lottery because … Read more
Exclusive: Former PM gave consent while foreign secretary for Royal Mint Court complex, a project still in limbo seven years later Boris Johnson approved the China’s super-embassy proposal in 2018 and welcomed the fact it would represent “China’s largest overseas diplomatic investment” anywhere in the world, the Guardian can disclose. In a letter to Wang … Read more
Exclusive: Fiscal watchdog predicts productivity downgrade will leave chancellor with £20bn gap to fill in budget Rachel Reeves has said Britain can defy gloomy economic forecasts after the fiscal watchdog infuriated ministers by predicting a productivity downgrade would leave her with a £20bn gap to fill in her forthcoming budget. The chancellor said she was … Read more
This could be the second nominee in a month to fall victim to Republican opposition amid past comments perceived to be antisemitic. At least three Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will oppose President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Kuwait, Amer Ghalib, likely derailing his confirmation for the position. It would be the … Read more