AI watchdog slams government over facial recognition rollout May 29, 2025 An artificial intelligence (AI) search body has criticised the UK government for accelerating the deployment of facial recognition technology without first establishing a comprehensive legal framework. The Ada Lovelace Institute has warned the increasing use of live facial recognition (LFR) by police and retailers across the UK is happening in a “legislative void”, raising urgent [...]
50,000 civil service jobs could be cut in Labour spending review May 29, 2025 Civil servants are facing another round of job cuts, with as many as 50,000 civil service jobs on the line in the government’s upcoming spending review. According to reports, ten per cent of civil servants, who number 500,000 in total, will be culled. The civil service swelled after Brexit and the pandemic, with 130,000 added [...]
Transport vigilante Jenrick takes on TfL fare dodgers May 29, 2025 Tory MP Rob Jenrick is amping up his public presence amid growing expectations he could displace an unpopular Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservatives. Jenrick has launched a transport vigilante campaign where he questions TfL fare dodgers on the London underground. London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office did not respond to Jenrick’s diatribe. Ex-Reform MP [...]
Reeves’ tax raids crush business confidence – but worst is yet to come May 29, 2025 Business confidence plummeted in the three months to May as Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes took hold and firms have warned more pain is to come. Consumer services’ optimism marked its eight consecutive month of decline at -42 per cent, whilst levels of business value plunged to -56 per cent. This was down from -44 per [...]
Keir Starmer hits back at Reform’s ‘fantasy’ economic policies May 29, 2025 Keir Starmer has hit back at Nigel Farage’s “fantasy economics,” after the Reform leader laid out a suite of fresh policies aimed at attracting voters away from Labour. In a speech to workers in the North West later today Starmer plans make the case against Farage’s economic credibility, likening the proposals to the Liz Truss [...]
Victims of forced prepayment meter installation to receive £18.6m May 28, 2025 Tens of thousands of Brits are set to receive compensation after being forced to install prepayment devices in their homes. Eight energy suppliers will be writing off debts or providing compensation – valued at a total of £18.6m – to at least 40,000 consumers. This follows a review by Ofgem, the national energy regulator, which [...]
Government slashes red tape to tackle housing crisis May 28, 2025 The government will slash red tape to get more construction by smaller building firms off the ground, and to “get working people on the housing ladder,” Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said as Labour looks to promote its pro-business credentials. A relaxation of environmental protections is expected, including Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements which [...]
HMRC review signals potential pension tax changes in Autumn May 28, 2025 Rachel Reeves could target pension savers in fresh tax grab as the Chancellor looks for additional ways to fund the government’s ballooning spending. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published research as part of an official review of workplace retirement schemes, exploring cuts to the tax benefits of salary sacrifice pension schemes. The schemes, [...]
Sadiq Khan backs calls to decriminalise cannabis possession May 28, 2025 A report commissioned by Sadiq Khan has called for decriminalising the possession of cannabis in small quantities, in a major policy pivot for City Hall. The London Drugs Commission, which was set up by the Mayor of London two years ago, argues that while the production and supply of cannabis should continue to “be policed [...]
Reform UK has overthrown Tories as main opposition party, Farage says May 27, 2025 Reform UK has unseated the Conservatives as the main threat to the government, Nigel Farage has said, as he seeks to cement Reform’s poll lead over Britain’s oldest political party. The Brexit campaigner said the Conservative party have “ceased to be a national party, they are now an irrelevance in Scotland … in Wales … [...]