The Guardian · 6h ago
Parliamentary watchdog decides against inquiry into £80,000 loan to Reform’s deputy leader
Richard Tice had been referred to standards commissioner over undeclared sum from Farage aide George CottrellParliament’s standards watchdog has declined to investigate a complaint made against Richard Tice over an undeclared loan of nearly £80,000 from Nigel Farage’s aide George Cottrell.The Liberal Democrats had referred Reform’s deputy leader to the parliamentary standards commissioner, which was investigating Farage after the Guardian’s revelation that he received an undeclared £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Continue reading...
The Guardian · 6h ago
Battles loom over social care, but this fight must be won. At last, we have a PM who believes that | Polly Toynbee
Burnham seems ready to use his power and influence. He understands the depth of this crisis: the task is persuading all those still in denial“People pleaser!” That’s the insult Andy Burnham’s enemies sneer at him. And yes, he will need all his mightiest people-pleasing talents to win over voters to contribute to a new national care service. Choosing this forever failed policy (22 major reviews over three decades) as his first great challenge is a remarkable act of bravery. No mere people pleaser would dare step on this political live rail.It will use up vast amounts of political capital to get a national care service off the ground. He hardly needed Tuesday’s Mail front page (“Burnham’s £18bn ‘death tax’ nightmare”) to remind him. But he has already fought on the battleground that is social care reform. “I do have some of the scars,” he said. How good to also hear him take a firm swipe at media attackers, who will now redouble their efforts. “You can’t create scare stories when people are already scared by what they’re seeing anyway through their own eyes in their own homes or in care homes,” he said. This is no grasp at low-hanging fruit, no search for a quick win. It’s a cause of deep conviction.Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
The Guardian · 7h ago
UK politics: Burnham does not rule out tax rises for social care reform – as it happened
The prime minister says that current inefficiencies in the system will be tackled first, as he reveals final recommendations will be out by summer 2027Andy Burnham is speaking now.In a reference to how he started campaing for social care reform almost two decades ago, he says it is good to see faces in the room “who’ve been on this journey with me for a long, a long time”.When someone in your family is receiving care, you look at everything through new eyes, don’t you? You notice things that maybe you didn’t notice before because you watch it so closely and so carefully.And I’ve just been really overwhelmed by their care, the skill in what they do, the professionalism.Can I just remind everybody that nobody thought we could get everybody in off the streets?So we can do difficult in this country and we can do it well. Continue reading...
The Guardian · 7h ago
Revealed: George Cottrell transferred $2m to his mother days before her donations to Reform UK
Exclusive: Sources say Fiona Cottrell told bankers the transfers, received 24-72 hours before her donations to Reform, came from her sonThe convicted fraudster George Cottrell transferred a total of more than $2m to his mother, Fiona Cottrell, in the days before her 2024 donations to Reform UK, the Guardian understands.Financial industry sources told the Guardian that Fiona received one deposit of $1.4m and two tranches of more than $300,000 each – money she attributed to having come from her son, George, when bankers asked about the deposits. Continue reading...
BBC · 7h ago
Burnham doesn't rule out tax rises to fix social care
The prime minister holds cross-party talks as he speeds up review of social care in England.
The Guardian · 7h ago
We must fix social care before allowing assisted dying, says Burnham
Introducing the legislation would be ‘very challenging’ until care system improved, PM saysAndy Burnham has said the assisted dying debate needs to wait until palliative care and social care are fixed, as he set out his path to resolving one of the most intractable problems in British politics.The prime minister said he was not opposed to having the debate on assisted dying, but told reporters it would be “very challenging” to introduce the controversial legislation until the care system was in a better place. Continue reading...
BBC · 8h ago
Gangland hitman who threw acid at Scottish Conservative leader is freed
Russell Findlay has warned that organised crime groups may still have "unfinished business" with him after learning William Burns would be leaving prison.
BBC · 8h ago
Councillor charged over Nigerian population comment
Glenn Gibbins, from Sunderland, will appear at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court next month.
The Guardian · 10h ago
Andy Burnham wants to fix social care. It’s personal for him and for a lot of us too
Finally a grownup is in charge who speaks to voters as fellow adults. If he fixes this, he’ll achieve more than most other PMs UK politics live – latest updatesIt feels like the UK has a prime minister again. Not the Maybot paralysed with indecision. Not the clown-like Boris Johnson who crumbled under the weight of his own narcissism. Not the ridiculous Liz Truss. Not the steamrollered Rishi Sunak for whom everything was impossible. Not the automaton-like Keir Starmer who was never entirely sure what he wanted to do.But a prime minister who is emotionally intelligent. Who understands the country and can connect with it. Who is prepared to expend political capital to get the things done that other politicians were too weak to go near. You can almost feel the sense of relief in a UK that has become almost accepting of decline and failure. It’s the return of hope over grievance. Where once more we have an adult prime minister prepared to speak to voters as fellow adults. It could catch on. Continue reading...
BBC · 11h ago
Fix palliative care before assisted dying debate, says PM
Andy Burnham's comments suggest he will not personally back a fresh attempt to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.
NPR · 13h ago
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says he had a 'good meeting' with Trump in Washington
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a "good meeting" with President Donald Trump Tuesday, as the country seeks to make more weapons in its fight against Russia.
NPR · 13h ago
Did Zelenskyy get what he needed from his D.C. visit? Former ambassador weighs in
NPR's Leila Fadel asks former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor about what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy obtained from his visit to Washington.
