Tory welfare crackdown would ban benefit spending on alcohol and cigarettes Politics Scores of benefit claimants would receive their welfare payments on a ‘Back To Work’ card that bans spending on alcohol, cigarettes or betting under plans announced by the Conservatives. Under a new crackdown on the welfare system, unemployed people on benefits will see their payments fall by 30 per cent. Those who are on Universal [...]
Businesses welcome Tory pledge to restore tax-free shopping Business Top UK business leaders have welcomed Tory plans to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas visitors if they reenter government in a bid to end the tourism shopping slump. The Conservatives said it would restore VAT refunds for eligible visitors from outside the EU after the tax-break was stripped away in 2021 under former chancellor [...]
Sir James Cleverly: London needs its mojo back London Council takeovers in Westminster and Wandsworth have offered the Tories a new confidence boost in London. Sir James Cleverly, once close to becoming party leader, speaks to Maurício Alencar about his ambition to lead the Conservatives into the next London mayoral election in 2028. Unprompted, Sir James Cleverly insists it’s “nonsense” that London is a [...]
Labour takes narrow lead over Reform as donation row wounds Farage September 8, 2026 Labour has taken a narrow polling lead over Reform UK for the first time in a year and a half as voters warmed to Andy Burnham in September. The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll has shown that Labour now enjoys 26 per cent of the voter share, ahead of Reform UK, which is on 25 [...]
Kemi Badenoch’s reshuffle has refreshed the Conservative Party September 1, 2026 Sacking Mel Stride and promoting new faces like Katie Lam – along with appointing a shadow Chancellor who believes in private enterprise, is a signal of intent, says Oliver Dean For roughly two years, Kemi Badenoch had kept the same old team in place. Mel Stride as shadow Chancellor; Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary. [...]
Badenoch bets on experience as Griffith and Tugendhat claim shadow cabinet top spots August 31, 2026 Andrew Griffith has been announced as the new shadow chancellor, replacing Sir Mel Stride in a Conservative Party reshuffle carried out before parliament returns on Tuesday. Griffith, who was the shadow business secretary, will now lead on economic policy for the Tories heading up a new Conservative Economics Unit. Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack Stride [...]
John Caudwell and Stuart Rose blast ‘tax creep’ August 24, 2026 Billionaire political donor John Caudwell and retail bigwig Lord Stuart Rose have hit out at the “creep of taxes” hitting businesses across the country. The influential business veterans have joined a campaign led by entrepreneur group Helm calling on the government to “stop the creep of taxes on wealth creators”. A letter, which has been [...]
Tories say households could save £540 a year by scrapping net zero August 18, 2026 The Conservatives have said that households could save about £540 a year after 2030 if net zero regulations are scrapped with a commitment to make energy as cheap as possible. A report published by centre-right think tank Onward and backed by the Tories said the cost of net zero came to an extra £540 per [...]
Tory and Labour councillors spar over £300m Hammersmith Bridge plans August 14, 2026 Tensions are mounting between Labour and Tory councillors in nearby authorities over restoration plans for Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to motorists for seven years. Arch rivals in Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth councils have sparred over an application to a £1bn government fund for infrastructure. The lack of progress over the bridge’s repair [...]
Government to inject millions into electric vehicle firms despite mandate backlash August 10, 2026 The government will invest £65m into firms producing zero-emission vehicles, despite backlash from the automotive industry over its controversial electric vehicle mandate. The funding includes £50m for car firms and research partners to help produce electric vehicles at a larger scale. The Department of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade said the funding would support 1,800 [...]