Quitting net zero tsar Skidmore is wrong on North Sea oil and gas, says Hunt January 6, 2024 The Chancellor has hit back at the former net zero tsar after he quit the Conservatives over the Government’s decision to increase domestic oil and gas drilling. Jeremy Hunt said he “profoundly” disagrees with Chris Skidmore’s reasons for resigning as an MP, with the former energy minister’s exit due to trigger another challenging by-election for [...]
Police investigate ‘potential fraud offences’ during Horizon IT scandal January 6, 2024 Metropolitan Police detectives are looking at “potential fraud offences” committed during the Horizon IT scandal.
National insurance cut by 2 per cent January 6, 2024 The main rate of national insurance was today cut by two percentage points, from 12 per cent to 10 per cent. The move, announced in last year’s autumn statement, was hailed by the Conservatives but Labour called it a “raw deal” and economists said many households are still facing the burden of high taxes. Chancellor [...]
Chancellor unsure if Government can afford to announce new tax cuts January 6, 2024 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said he does not know if he can afford to cut taxes for British households as a national insurance reduction came into force on Saturday. Hunt said he wanted to further ease a tax burden which is expected to rise to the highest since the Second World War before the end [...]
US jobs grow more than expected as wages keep rising, casting doubt on rate cuts January 5, 2024 U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in December while raising wages at a solid clip, casting some doubt on financial market expectations that the Federal Reserve would start cutting interest rates in March. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 216,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday. [...]
Rachel Reeves: Sir Howard Davies house price remarks ‘out of touch with reality’ January 5, 2024 Rachel Reeves has slammed Natwest chair Sir Howard Davies' comments on the property ladder, saying the City grandee is "out of touch" with the reality of millions of Brits.
Construction sector continues decline in December, but pace slows January 5, 2024 Construction companies reported a recent slump in housebuilding continued last month, but the firms started hiring a little more, hopeful that 2024 might bring better conditions.
European inflation up after months of decline casting doubt on ECB interest rate cuts January 5, 2024 Inflation plaguing Europe increased to 2.9 per cent in December, after seven straight monthly declines, figures show. The rise in price levels cast doubt on predictions for swift interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank (ECB). The figure released on Friday was up from the 2.4 per cent annual inflation recorded in November – [...]
London party boat sinks on the Thames after heavy rainfall battered capital January 5, 2024 An HM Coastguard spokesman said: “A restaurant vessel sank at Temple Pier in London on January 4. “The alarm was raised at about 12.30pm and everyone is accounted for.”
Israel spells out vision for next steps in Gaza: ‘Scaled down’ war – but it isn’t ending January 5, 2024 r Gallant also outlined a proposal for how Gaza would be run once Hamas is defeated, with Israel keeping security control while an undefined, Israeli-guided Palestinian body runs day-to-day administration.
