Starmer blasted for relying on 'two BBC blokes with a cup of tea and calculator' to support farmers' tax raid
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Sir Keir Starmer relied on "two blokes with a cup of tea and a calculator" at BBC Verify to support his figures over Rachel Reeves' inheritance tax raid on farmers, the Country Land & Business Association's boss has claimed.
Speaking at the CLA’s annual conference on Thursday, Victoria Vyvyan, said a “stupid row” over the number of farmers was a distraction.
She added: “The Prime Minister is reduced to claiming that his numbers are backed up by BBC Verify, two blokes with a cup of tea and a calculator.
“This Prime Minister has got a Treasury to rely on. He doesn’t need BBC Verify to back him up.
“That is not a Treasury in which I have the greatest confidence, frankly, if it needs that support.”
Starmer, who pointed to the BBC's coverage of the row, claimed just 550 farms a year will be impacted by the Government ending death duty exemptions.
However, the CLA said that the 20 per cent tax on estates worth more than £1 million would affect 70,000 farms.
Vyvyan's dig at BBC Verify comes shortly after the fact-checking service quoted Labour activist Dan Neidle as an "independent tax expert".
Labour have been warned of fresh "rural revolt" over their inheritance tax raid on farmers following their mass protest in London this week.
Members of the National Farmers' Union and FairFuel UK have sent more than 30,000 emails to the Government, urging them to make a U-turn on the policy.
However, Environment Secretary Steve Reed has refused to apologise for the anxiety caused to farmers over Labour's inheritance tax plans, stating it is "hard to be sorry for trying to make this country's economy work and our public services work again".
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has revealed that Nigel Farage is positioning himself as Boris Johnson's political successor, following a recent meeting with the Reform UK leader.
The revelation comes as Dorries releases her new book "Downfall", which details her theories about the Conservative Party's current state and Boris Johnson's departure from politics.
Speaking to GB News, Dorries recounted how Farage told her "I'm Boris now," a comment which "caused them both to giggle."
Reform UK has surged to a comfortable second place among Welsh voters, a new poll has found.
In fresh data from pollsters at Survation, Nigel Farage's party has overtaken the Conservatives to second place in Wales, with 21 per cent of those surveyed saying they would vote for Reform.
The populist party has seen its prospective vote share increase by four points, while Labour's has sunk by the same margin - though the latter still tops the polls at 33 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Welsh Conservatives - who just days ago took aim at Reform UK for "betraying Welsh voters" - have seen no change to their potential vote share, with 18 per cent of would-be voters turning to the Tories.
'To equate Hamas terrorism with Israeli defensive measures is a disgrace,' Braverman wrote
PASuella Braverman has labelled the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu a "disgrace".
The former Home Secretary, reacting to the news that Netanyahu and ex-defence minister Yoav Gallant have been charged by The Hague, warned the move could only bring the court into "disrepute".
Writing on social media, Braverman said: "This is a political decision dressed up as a legal one.
"It can only bring the ICC into disrepute. Israel is fighting for survival against Hamas terrorists following the October 7 attacks.
"To equate Hamas terrorism with Israeli defensive measures is a disgrace."
Sir Tony Blair has recalled the moment Lord John Prescott punched a heckler in the Welsh town of Rhyl.
The former Prime Minister said: “There were no rules that he really abided by.
“I feel a huge sense of loss, because it wasn’t just a political relationship – I had a profound affection for him.”
GB News host Steven Dixon fumed it's "ridiculous" that Nigel Farage was excluded from giving a speech at the farmers protest earlier this week.
Thousands gathered outside Downing Street on Tuesday to protest Labour's inheritance tax changes.
While representatives of all major parties were initially invited to speak, organisers left the Reform UK leader off the list.
The protest featured speeches from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson.
Speaking about the exclusion, Steven said: "Nigel Farage was left out of the lineup of political leaders who spoke at the farmers protest, which seems, frankly ridiculous."
Tory adviser Charlie Rowley responded: "Nigel's been known to don a flat cap and some wellies before. He's got a Barbour jacket and he's a very rural man, he's much of the country.
No10 has claimed it would be "grave and reckless" for Russia to use intercontinental ballistic missiles against Ukraine.
An official spokesman said: "If true, clearly this would be another example of grave, reckless, and escalatory behaviour from Russia."
Defence Secretary John Healey has been grilled after announcing £500million worth of defence cuts.
Healey, who long decried Tories for "hollowing" away the British military, is appearing in front of the Defence Select Committee just hours after axing HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark, HMS Northumberland, RFA Wave Knight, RFA Wave Ruler, Watchkeeper, a set of Chinooks and Puma.
Criticising Labour over the decision, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge told GB News: “I think what everyone watching this will be doing, scratching their heads, it is ‘hold on a minute’.
“We are talking about a war in Europe, the very aggressive situation we face from Russia, and by the way the Middle East, our own ships have been in action in the Red Sea because of the action of the Houthis.
“In a situation like that, how extraordinary to be launching huge cuts to our defence capability. I do feel that it is terrible timing.”
During his appearance at the Defence Select Committee, Healey refused to confirm whether the UK lifted restrictions on Ukraine using Storm Shadow missiles in Russian territory.
Defence Secretary John Healey has issued a major warning as he faces a grilling from MPs.
Speaking at the Defence Select Committee, Healey said: “Our task now is to plot a path that means that we, as I started to do yesterday, can get a grip of MOD budgets, we can make the decisions that are long overdue to decommission outdated equipment because our forces deserve better equipment to do their job better.
“And because as I said to begin with, the rapidly changing nature of warfare that Ukraine tells us and amplified by the accelerating development of technology means that the sort of capabilities in large part that we have are just not good enough for the future and when we work with allies we have to make sure that our UK contribution isn’t just a major contribution to the collective deterrence and strength of our alliances but is also part of the leading edge that sees us setting the pace of some of the necessary transformations.”
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has borrowed a staggering £17.4billion in October 2024 in yet another blow for Sir Keir Starmer.
The Office for National Statistics confirmed the surge in borrowing was £1.6billion more than compared to October 2023, making it the second highest October borrowing since monthly records began in January 1993.
City chiefs were expecting a far smaller borrowing figure, around £12.3billion, after Reeves requested £16billion in September.
However, the announcement comes after Labour came under fire for axing Winter Fuel Payments and ending death duty exemptions for farmers.
Jessica Barnaby, deputy director for public sector finances at the ONS, said: "This month’s borrowing was the second highest October figure since monthly records began in January 1993.
"Despite the cut in the main rates of National Insurance earlier in 2024, total receipts rose on last year.
"However, with spending on public services, benefits and debt interest costs all up on last year, expenditure rose faster than revenue overall.”
The UK also spent a staggering £9.1billion on debt servicing costs.
Defending Labour's position, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones claimed the Government
He said: "We inherited a £22billion black hole in our public finances from the previous Government.
"At the Budget we addressed this, fixing the foundations and putting public finances on a sustainable footing to rebuild the country.
“This Government will never play fast and loose with the public finances.
"Our new robust fiscal rules will deliver stability by getting debt down while prioritising investment to deliver growth.”
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has called for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants who "roam freely" around British towns.
Lowe said: "Why shouldn't we securely detain illegal migrants? Why are they free to roam British towns as they please with no restrictions?
"They ditched their passports, they entered the country illegally - they are not welcome in our communities. Detention, followed by deportation."
Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has died aged 86 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease, his family has announced.
The Labour peer passed away peacefully at his care home, surrounded by his loved ones.
Lord Prescott, who served as Britain's longest-serving deputy prime minister under Tony Blair, died with his family by his side while listening to the jazz music of Marian Montgomery.
His wife Pauline and sons Johnathan and David confirmed his death in a statement, saying he had dedicated his life to improving the lives of others and fighting for social justice.
In their statement, the family said: "We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 86."
The BBC has received backlash after it used a Labour activist to support Rachel Reeves on the Goverment’s claims on the farmers’ death duty.
The BBC Verify article - which was written by "independent tax expert" Dan Neidle - was criticised for its "biased" behaviour after it deleted the article which backed Labour.
Neidle's article - called "How many farms will be affected by Budget tax rises?" - said that the Government’s figures about the number of farms which are likely to be affected by the tax raid was "likely" to be correct.
After the Prime Minister shared the broadcaster’s findings, a political row broke out over the BBC’s independence and impartiality.
Elon Musk has taken a swipe at Sir Keir Starmer as the Tesla chief appeared to predict Reform UK would make major gains at the next General Election.
Responding to JL Partners poll claiming Musk is more liked in Britain than the Prime Minister, the South African born businessman replied: "Low bar, to be honest."
Musk also suggested lenient sentences for British criminals will only fuel the fire of populist parties.
He said: "The Establishment political parties are going to get utterly crushed in the next UK election."
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