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Reeves to meet some of Britain's hottest tech companies to bolster London listings

Rachel Reeves is set to meet with some of Britain's hottest tech companies later this week.

The Chancellor will be aiming to persuade them that the government's financial market reforms should tip the balance in favour of them floating in London.

According to Sky News, the meeting will take place on Thursday and will include tech "unicorns" valued at $1billion or more, such as Monzo, Revolut and Zilch.

The Treasury declined to comment on which companies will be attending.

Tulip Siddiq, the City Minister is expected to join Reeves in this meeting.

One insider told Sky News that the talks would be aimed at reinforcing the global competitiveness of London's capital markets.

Khan's rent-controlled homes meant for 'key workers' on 'ordinary incomes' will be available to solicitors and barristers

A new plan for rent-controlled homes in London will also be available to barristers and solicitors.

It comes as Sadiq Khan announced plans for at least 6,000 new rent–controlled properties, known as Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) homes, in the city by 2030.

The list of professionals that would be eligible includes vets, psychologists and the clergy, provided their household income is less than £67,000 a year - as well as solicitors, barristers and even actors.

The London Mayor, a former solicitor himself, said: "The housing crisis in our capital doesn’t just affect those on the lowest incomes, it impacts those on ordinary incomes who struggle to meet high housing costs in London. That includes the everyday heroes who are the backbone of our city – our nurses, teachers, bus drivers, shop workers, and cleaners."

Parliament would be required to pass laws to give the Mayor the necessary powers to regulate prices set by private landlords. However, a Government spokesman said in August that ministers have "no plans whatsoever to devolve rent control powers."

Rent control measures introduced by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland last April backfired and drove up rents instead.

Jo Galloway, of the Unison trade union, said that the plans "should help deliver more safe, secure and affordable homes for staff who keep the capital’s vital public services running. Unison has long campaigned for a fairer rental market and for essential workers’ voices to be heard and represented."

Kristian Niemietz, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, told The Telegraph that the proposals in London were "not much of a solution" adding that it was a "new type of public housing."

Lammy rules out sending British troops to Ukraine

David Lammy has said the UK will not send troops to fight or directly support military operations in Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary said "there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action", adding that London would continue to support Kyiv through aid and training.

It comes after French newspaper Le Monde reported on Monday that France and the UK are "not ruling out" sending troops and private defence companies to Ukraine.

Lammy told reporters: "We are very clear that we stand ready and continue to support the Ukrainians with training particularly, but there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action. That is certainly the UK position, and remains the UK position at this time."

MPs to vote on smoking ban and vape sales ‘deliberately targeted at children’

MPs are to vote on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will give children and young people the protection they need to "avoid a life imprisoned by addiction", the Health Secretary has said.

Wes Streeting said the number of children vaping is "growing at an alarming rate" and it is "unacceptable" that vapes are being deliberately targeted at children with flavours like "gummy bear and rainbow burst."

The Bill prevents anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought. It also restricts sweet vape flavours and will review the packaging of e-cigarettes to reduce their appeal to children and young people.

The legislation includes a total ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, including displays seen by children and young people such as on buses, in cinemas and in shop windows, bringing them in line with current tobacco restrictions.

'Gorging themselves!' Boris Johnson lashes out at Church of England as 'spiritual sustenance' fuels obesity crisis

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has slammed the Church of England for not supporting people during Britain’s obesity crisis.

Johnson said the Church's failure to provide people with the "spiritual sustenance" they need is leading people to "gorge themselves."

The former Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP said when he was younger it was “very rare for there to be a fatso in the class. Now they’re all fatsos, and I’d be shot for saying they’re fatsos, but it’s the truth", adding "the living bread is being provided by Tesco...And they’re gorging themselves on the real living bread."

Petition demanding a second General Election hits 2.5 million signatures

A petition calling for another General Election, just four months after Labour's landslide victory, has hit over 2.5million signatures.

The petition, set up by pub owner Michael Westwood, had been promoted by controversial billionaire CEO Elon Musk, who said: "The people of Britain have had enough of a tyrannical police state."

Westwood, 40, has three pubs in the West Midlands and supplies beers, wine and spirits to the drinks industry via his wholesale firm, The Jinja Beer Company. He voted Tory on July 4 but told The Telegraph he is not a self-avowed tribal voter.

Faith-based schools 'are not the preserve of the wealthy' warns Independent MP

An MP has said faith-based schools "are not the preserve of the wealthy" in a warning over Labour's controversial private school VAT plans.

Iqbal Mohamed, the independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, told the Commons: "It is not… the children of the wealthy who attend independent schools in constituencies like mine in Dewsbury and Batley, where faith schools are often the only option for families who can’t get their children into local state school due to demand or where state schools cannot meet their religious and spiritual needs.

"These families are overwhelmingly from low-income backgrounds, and the removal of business rates relief on charitable private schools will result in a further increase of their fees, in addition to the VAT that is also proposed.

"For wealthy families, this might not be a problem. For the families in my constituency, it is a major problem."

He later said: "In many communities, faith-based schools are not the preserve of the wealthy. They are a place overwhelmingly educating the children of ordinary working class families."

Starmer could hit back at Trump tariffs by taxing Harleys and Jack Daniel’s

The UK has retaliatory tariffs on iconic US goods including Harley Davidson motorbikes ready to be immediately deployed in case of a trade war with Donald Trump.

The British government has been wargaming how to respond to potential Trump tariffs on UK goods, with officials briefing ministers that they can repurpose former EU measures against the US without any need for further investigation.

The UK tariffs were still in place when Britain formally left the EU in February 2020, and included American products like Jack Daniel’s bourbon, Levi’s jeans and Harley Davidsons. They were suspended in 2022.

Politico reports that the UK can immediately place these tariffs back on the US if Trump delivers on his threat to hit all overseas imports with 10 to 20 per cent tariffs without triggering pushback from Britain's trade watchdog.