General Election petition to hit 2.5 MILLION signatures as Elon Musk backs online campaign slamming 'tyrannical police state'

Labour looking to bring BACK winter fuel payments in Scotland as Scottish party wrestles with Westminster

ScottishLabour is set to force a vote designed to bring back the Scottish Government's winter fuel payments in the face of them being cut by its British counterpart.

Rachel Reeves had sparked outrage by announcing the winter fuel payment would be means-tested, cutting spending and ultimately scuppering the Scottish Government's plan to offer its own universal allowance.

But last week, Scottish Labour said it would bring in re-designed payments, which would lower the bar for those who would receive them - if it won the 2026 Holyrood election.

Today, the party announced it would seek to bring the payments back by forcing a vote in Holyrood during stage three of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.

Amendments submitted by the party would require ministers to make regulations that would make all pensioners eligible for winter heating assistance, while also allowing for any payments made to be recovered if the recipient's household income exceeds an amount set by ministers.

Scottish Labour's social security spokesman Paul O'Kane said: "Scottish Labour has been clear that if wins the 2026 election, we will reinstate the winter fuel payment for thousands of pensioners - but people shouldn't have to wait that long.

"Next week will we have an opportunity to take a different approach in Scotland and ensure that every pensioner who needs a payment gets one.

"Across the UK, Labour is cleaning up the mess left behind by the Tories, but Scotland needs a change of direction too."

Chris Philp piles pressure on Labour in fresh swipe at Chancellor's LinkedIn 'deception' - 'No wonder she's working on her CV!'

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has laid into Labour's months-long reign with a cutting swipe at Rachel Reeves's CV claims.

Writing on social media - where he also shared the petition to call a fresh General Election - Philp said the fact the poll had reached 2.3 million signatures "says a lot about the start this Government has made".

He said: "Winter Fuel Payment gone for pensioners, farmers' tax, freebies for Starmer, tax rises all round... No wonder Rachel is working on her CV!"

Streeting and Phillips first Labour big beasts who could LOSE seats as election forecast map shows heavy losses

Jess Phillips and Wes Streeting would be the first Labour 'big beasts' to lose their seats if an election were held tomorrow, latest forecasting has revealed.

The Nowcast model, based on recent Great Britain-wide polling, is weighted for recency as well as historic pollster accuracy.

And it has found that Labour could lose its Parliamentary majority entirely if a fresh election were called...

GBN MEMBERS CAN READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Chopper: 'I've never seen such awkward silence as this'

Christopher Hope has issued a scathing verdict of the Chancellor's appearance at this year's CBI conference.

Reacting to Rachel Reeves's address to British businesses, GB News' Political Editor writes:

"I have been to a lot of speeches by senior politicians at CBI annual conferences over the past three decades... but few have ever been received in such awkward silence as this question and answer session with Rachel Reeves."

Reeves tells City bosses 'we'll never do a Budget like that again' - but STILL defends tax raids

Rachel Reeves has reassured British business leaders that Labour "will never do a Budget like that again" at the CBI conference today.

Addressing representatives from the UK's largest firms in London today, Reeves once again took a series of swipes at her "inheritance" from the Tory Government.

But despite her reassurances, the Chancellor still defended the Budget - which has seen both widespread condemnation and protests on the streets of Westminster.

She told attendees: "I've heard a lot of feedback. What I haven't heard are many alternatives."

GB News' Political Editor Christopher Hope, at the conference, says her comments have been met with silence.

'Barmy!' Labour will only assess assisted dying Bill's impact AFTER MPs have voted on it 

Downing Street has admitted that Labour will only formally assess the impact of the controversial assisted dying Bill after MPs have formally voted on whether it should go ahead.

Due to a "barmy" formality, the Bill - which has sparked serious concerns from politicians of all persuasions about a "slippery slope" - will only see a full impact assessment if it formally progresses, on account of it being a private members' bill.

"If this sounds barmy to you - it's because it is," GB News' Political Editor Christopher Hope jabbed.

Sadiq Khan unveils plans to cap rent for 6,000 London properties

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans to build 6,000 rent-controlled homes by 2030, aimed at providing affordable housing for the capital's key workers.

The scheme, announced today as City Hall launches a public consultation, could save essential workers up to £600 per month compared to private rental rates.

The initiative targets 'everyday heroes' including nurses, teachers and retail staff, offering them significantly reduced rents set at 40 per cent of average key worker household incomes.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Kemi Badenoch: Government must get out of the way for business to grow

Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed that Britain "needs growth" at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference.

Addressing the crowd, Badenoch stated: "It is not government that creates growth. It is business. Government often needs to get out of the way, but this is a very difficult argument to make.

"People want the government to fix everything. They want the government to solve everything. And if you ever sound hesitant, then they will make you out to be a cruel, unfeeling person, as I have discovered to my own personal cost."

CHECK OUT THE CLIP HERE

Conservatives would 'look again' at Labour's NIC changes

Kemi Badenoch would not say for certain whether a Conservative government would reverse Labour’s changes to employer national insurance contributions, but suggested they would “look again”.

Taking questions at the CBI annual conference in London, Badenoch said that “where we can see that a change that has been brought in in the Budget… will not raise any money, we will change that.”

However, she added: “What I’m not going to do is comment on every bit of micro-policy. There will be different budgets, there will be new things that occur, the system may change.

“What I am starting with is principles, we believe that employer’s National Insurance, while necessary to help us fund public services, is a tax on jobs.”

She added: “The fact that so many organisations – especially those that have people who are on the lowest wages – are saying that this is becoming unaffordable means that we should look again, and that’s one of the first things that we’re going to be doing when we start our policy platform.”

Kemi Badenoch: 'Labour are doubling down on mistakes we made in Government'

Kemi Badenoch has told business leaders that "we need to rewire the economy", stating that she is "worried" that Labour is doubling down on the mistakes made by the previous Conservative Government.

Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference, the former Business Secretary said that she wants to start by setting out principles, not policies.

She told attendees that “there is no point in me just complaining about Labour when it was obvious that we Conservatives lost the confidence of business.”

Badenoch says people "don't understand" productivity, and argues that we must "rewire our economy into one where the vast majority of jobs are productive, and that those that are not change".

She added that she is "worried" that Labour is "not just repeating many of the mistakes which we made in government - they are doubling down on them, and combining them with an unprecedented raid on business".

Badenoch said that she knew that the Conservatives were going to lose the General Election: “I was not surprised at how many people attended Labour’s prawn cocktail or smoked salmon offensive last year, I know it is because you thought that we didn’t understand what your needs and concerns were, and you knew we were going to lose.”

Badenoch said that the Conservatives “must be the party of business, not just big business, not just corporates, but small business too” and she is “concerned” about the “burden” on small businesses.

“The new Government believes that invisible businesses can absorb these costs, but it is everyday people who bear the brunt, either in higher prices or lower wages, sometimes both.

“We may see the jobs which are lost as a result, but no one ever sees the jobs that never get created.”

Starmer issued damning verdict as millions sign General Election petition: 'Not going down well with the public!'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that his Government is continuing to "not go down well with the public" as millions of Britons call for another General Election.

In an online petition, created by Michael Westwood, more than two million people have backed calls for another election, just months after Labour's landslide victory against the Tories.

Westwood's petition reads: "I would like there to be another General Election. I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Labour warned of 'worrying' business employment drop despite benefits reform: 'It's anti-growth!'

Labour's approach to British businesses despite their benefits reform has drawn sharp criticism from Tory MP Helen Whately, who accused the Government of taking an "anti-business" approach.

The proposed changes to the benefits system will be a continuation of reforms introduced by the last Conservative government, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary has claimed.

However, she warned that businesses are now reconsidering their hiring plans, making it "much harder for people to get into work if the jobs aren't there".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Contested tree planting targets for farms in Wales have been axed

Farmers in Wales will not be expected to have a minimum of 10 per cent tree cover on their land, after changes to a controversial subsidy scheme have been dropped by the Welsh Government.

Huw Irranca-Davies, the deputy first minister of Wales, confirmed a number of changes to the Welsh Government’s controversial sustainable farming scheme.

Furious farmers descended on Senedd earlier this year against the the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), after concerns were that the scheme could result in job losses and increased financial pressure on farms.

Under the updated plans, farmers will be able to decide whether to add more trees or hedges on their land and will get extra money for doing so.

Irranca-Davies said: "Following the consultation, it was clear changes were needed, we said we would listen and we’ve done just that.

“Farmers are at the heart of communities right across Wales, and they play a crucial role in our economy and food production.

“As stewards of our land, they also have a key role to play in protecting and restoring nature and tackling the climate emergency.”

Starmer on drink spiking: 'Number reported is way below number of cases'

Sir Keir Starmer has said that in relation to spiking, “the number of reported incidents is way below the number of cases”.

The Prime Minister has today pledged to make drink spiking a criminal offence as part of a crackdown on violence against women and girls.

He has said that bar staff will be trained to stop spiking, help victims, and collect evidence to support prosecutions by Spring 2025.

Speaking to ITV, the Prime Minister said: “Many people don’t want to come forward, they feel embarrassed.”

He said that perpetrators of spiking “might go on to commit sexual offences” and that “very many people don’t want to come forward to say what has happened to them”.

“That’s part of why we want to make it a specific offence, part of why we want to raise awareness about it and put the support mechanisms in place,” he added.

Reeves' Budget slammed by CBI chief: 'Firms were caught off guard'

Rachel Reeves' budget has been slammed by the head of one of the UK’s biggest business organisations, who said that firms were caught “off guard” by the hike in national insurance contributions (NICs).

Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry, said the measures announced last month have made it more difficult to “take a chance” on hiring new people.

“It’s CFOs (chief financial officers) asking, ‘can we afford to invest? Can we afford to expand? Can we afford to take a chance on new people?’

“Well after the Budget, the answer we’re hearing from so many firms is still ‘not yet’.

“The rise in national insurance, the stark lowering of the threshold, caught us all off guard.

“Along with the expansion and the rise of the national living wage – which everyone wants to accommodate – and the potential cost of the Employment Rights Bill, they put a heavy burden on business.”

She also criticised the changes to inheritance tax relief for farmers, saying it had left them “fearful” about their future.

The Chancellor is facing delegates at the event in London where she will defend her decision to hike business costs, claiming she had “no alternative”.

Announced last month in Labour's first Budget in 14 years, the Chancellor said there would be a £25billion increase in employer national insurance contributions (NICs). Employers have warned that this will force them to cut jobs and raise prices.

Labour accused of 'turning the farming sector against government' with inheritance tax raid: 'They've got this WRONG!'

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain has launched a scathing attack on Labour's inheritance tax changes for farmers, declaring the Government has "got this one wrong."

Speaking to GB News, Chamberlain highlighted growing opposition to what critics have dubbed the "family farm tax".

Chamberlain revealed that farmers from her own constituency of North East Fife had travelled to London to protest the changes.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Drink spiking to be made a criminal offence under Labour in bid to protect women and girls

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to make drink spiking a criminal offence as part of a crackdown on violence against women and girls.

The Prime Minister has said that bar staff will be trained to stop spiking, help victims, and collect evidence to support prosecutions by Spring 2025.

He is bringing chief constables, transport bosses and industry executives to Downing Street today to form a united response to “bring the vile perpetrators to justice”.

Labour pledged in its manifesto to make spiking an offence, and whilst it is unclear when the legislation would be introduced, ministers and officials are understood to be trying to bring it in swiftly.

The Prime Minister said: “I made a promise that, if elected, I would make spiking a new criminal offence. Today, I am proud to have come good on that pledge.”

He said the proposals are part of Labour’s plan to halve violence on females in the next decade.

Starmer told the meeting: “There are a number of measures that we are setting out this morning – we want to talk it through with you.

“The first is to make spiking a specific offence so that it counts, it’s reported.”

He said that such a measure would mean that it “enables everybody to have the confidence to come forward” and also “it allows perpetrators to know that it’s a specific offence”.

Detailing the training scheme, he went on: “We’re beginning the piloting of training for staff in venues.”

Russia planning to conduct cyber-attacks through AI against UK, Pat McFadden will warn

Russia and enemies of the UK are trying to use artificial intelligence to strengthen cyber-attacks against the nation’s infrastructure, Pat McFadden has warned.

The Cabinet Office minister will issue this warning at a Nato conference in London later today, declaring that artificial intelligence is “revolutionising many parts of life – including national security”.

He will announce the launch of the Laboratory for AI Security Research (Lasr), which will work to improve Britain’s cyber resilience.

McFadden said that AI “could be weaponised against us,” and warned that Moscow is preparing to launch a wave of attacks to try and cripple the UK's infrastructure.

He said an attack could “shut down the power grids” and batter the economy.

Home Office minister defends Justice Secretary's opposition to assisted dying bill

Home Office minister Jess Phillips has defended her colleague Shabana Mahmood’s criticism of the assisted dying Bill, despite being in favour of it herself.

Justice Secretary Ms Mahmood is one of several senior Cabinet figures who has announced that they would not be supporting the Bill.

She and other opponents have been criticised by Labour peer Lord Falconer as giving voters a “false impression” about the Government’s position.

The former Justice Secretary said that those who were against the Bill were “getting more coverage” as those in favour were instead “playing by the rules”.

Mahmood told a constituent she was “profoundly concerned” the Bill would initiate a “slippery slope towards death on demand” and that “the state should never offer death as a service”.

Asked by Times Radio if Mahmood was imposing her faith on others by announcing she would not support the Bill, Phillips said: “She will make the decision about how she votes on assisted dying on a matter of conscience, just exactly like I will.

“How she comes to that and what moral code she uses to come to that will be exactly the same as the moral code that I use to come to that decision as well.”

She added: “I think that Shabana is making a decision on what she thinks is best for her constituents, like every constituency MP.”

Phillips said she “fundamentally” believes in “a right to choose”.