Politics LIVE: Jonathan Reynolds issues half-hearted 'apology over CV lie' after Nigel Farage vows private prosecution

Atkins confirms Tories will AXE 'terrible tractor tax' - 'Labour's ripped the rug out from farmers!' 

The Tories will "reverse" the "terrible" tractor tax if it wins the next election, Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins said.

Speaking to GB News, Atkins said: "This Labour Government have ripped the rug out from farmers and family businesses feet by imposing this family farm tax, this death tax on family businesses, which means that in a meeting that I called yesterday with the three main farming organisations, they were telling me very clearly that it is having a huge impact on their members plans for the future, people are stopping investing in agricultural machinery and buildings and so on."

She added: "We as Conservatives have promised that when we're back in Government, we will reverse this terrible, terrible tax because we understand and we care about the terrible impact it's having on our countryside and on our family businesses."

'Another promise broken!' Top Tory slams Labour as quarterly energy price cap surges

Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins has slamed Labour after the quarterly energy price cap was put at £1,849

The six per cent surge was announced by Ofgem earlier today, leaving Atkins to warn about the "blow" facing British families.

Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Environment Secretary said: "This is the third consecutive price rise that we will see under this Labour Government.

"Let's not forget, during the General Election campaign, they promised to cut our bills by up to £300 over the course of this Parliament.

"That is yet another promise that they have broken."

Reform UK tipped to become 'by-election comeback kids' as Farage sets sights on Amesbury's seat: 'If he had a spine, he would resign!'

Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry has predicted that Reform UK could secure victory in the upcoming Runcorn by-election, following MP Mike Amesbury's imprisonment.

Speaking to GB News, Berry hit out at the Labour MP and claimed that if he "had a spine", he would "resign".

Berry said: "It's right that he's been sent to prison because members of parliament, just like police officers, should be held to a higher standard in terms of their behaviour in public life.

"If this man had any spine or believed in the people of Runcorn and Helsby, he would resign tonight."

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Farmers descend on Westminster as 'tractor tax wipes hope'

Tractors have once again been spotted in Westminster today as farmers prepare to protest against Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax raid yet again.

National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw will tell the group's annual conference that farmers will not back down from the fight.

He is expected to say: “We will fight the family farm tax until ministers do the right thing. New ministers had hardly found their way to their offices when they broke their first promise.

“And it’s one which overshadows all else, wiping out our ability to plan, to invest and, often, to hope. It hangs over our farms, our families, our futures: the family farm tax.”

Energy price cap rises for third time in a row as Britons face increase higher than experts expected

Ofgem has confirmed that the energy price cap will rise by 6.4 per cent on April 1, from £1,738 to £1,849 for the average household in England, Wales and Scotland.

This comes as a cost of living blow to millions of families as analysts had previously estimated the price cap to increase by around five per cent with energy bills now expected to be more expensive.

Last week, Cornwall Insights projected the typical annual household energy bill will rise by about £85 to £1,823 but Ofgem's announcement came in noticeably higher.

This hike is primarily due to an increase in gas prices across Europe, resulting from a dropin the amount of gas that is held in storage across the continent.

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Farage viewed as the most favourable political leader as Reform UK leader sees five-point boost in new poll

Nigel Farage is favourably viewed by more people than any other political leader in Britain, according to a new poll.

The Reform UK leader now sees his favourability sit at 31 per cent - higher than any of his party leader counterparts, including Sir Keir Starmer, who has slid in the polls to the point where just 21 per cent of Britons see him in a positive light.

The new data by pollsters at Ipsos also reveals that his party has experienced the biggest positive swing since last month of 4 per cent, and sits ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives.

But it is not all positive reading for Reform - the party still sits at third place on the "net favourability" rankings at -14 per cent, behind both the Greens and Lib Dems on -5 and -12 respectively.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Disgraced 'sucker-punch' MP Mike Amesbury to receive FULL SALARY behind bars

The suspended Labour MP who was jailed for 10 weeks after being convicted of "sucker-punching" a constituent will continue to receive full pay while in prison.

Mike Amesbury, 55, who represents voters in Runcorn & Helsby, will pocket his £91,346 taxpayer-funded salary despite his criminal conviction as he is technically still a serving MP.

However, voters will have the opportunity to end Amesbury's stint as the local MP if 10 per cent of constituents sign an imminent recall petition.