13 Labor MPs rebel against Brexit stance as EU customs union vote passes

Bank of England policymakers said they expect Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget to reduce inflation by 0.5 percentage points by next spring.

Forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility also indicated that budget policies including the cap on rail fares would reduce inflation by 0.4 percentage points over the next year.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has warned against further increases to the minimum wage because “a lot of businesses can’t pay for it”.

He said jobs were being lost and promised the Tories would ease the burden on companies.

Mrs Badenoch told the BBC: “It’s not government ministers who create jobs, it’s businesses that create jobs.

“We need to make sure we set the minimum wage at a good level, but we also need to make sure their other burdens, their business rates, their corporation taxes, all the things they do – endless regulation, the Employment Bill of Rights: they’re tired of having a lot of that. Let’s lighten that burden.”

In April the national living wage for over-21s will rise by 4.1% to £12.71 and for 18 to 20-year-olds the rate will rise by 8.5% to £10.85.

“Stop government interference. Mandating increase in minimum wages by the government is not creating jobs,” he said.

“Jobs are disappearing.”

Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “Family finances are still reeling from the Tories’ economic failure, which saw exorbitant interest rates, rising energy costs and higher prices.”

MI5’s initial failure to disclose what it knew about the army’s top spy provisional ira An independent report on Stakeknife’s activities stated that this was a significant failure during the Troubles.

final report of Operation Kenova said so MI5 There was much more knowledge about Stakeknife than he had previously revealed.

The UK Government has been urged to name Stakeknife, and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable John Boucher said the refusal to do so was “bordering on farce”.

The suspension follows two independent investigations launched following a newspaper sting operation, which concluded Lord Dannat and Lord Evans of Watford had both breached the Lords Code of Conduct.

In an extraordinary interview, the US President highlighted London The mayor called him a “disaster” and suggested he had done a “terrible job”.

Whitehall editor of The Independent kate devlin This story is below:

Baroness Anne Longfield has vowed she will “not shy away” from hard truths as she was appointed chair of the national inquiry into grooming gangs after months of delay.

Of her appointment, Baroness Longfield said: “The inquiry has a responsibility to serve victims, survivors and the wider public by identifying the truth, addressing past failures and ensuring that today’s children and young people are protected in a way that others were not.

“The investigation will be based on evidence and wherever we find difficult or inconvenient truths, we will not shy away from them.”

Baroness Longfield and the inquiry panel wrote an open letter to survivors upon her role being confirmed, saying: “We know that trust must be earned.”

The Japanese tech firm behind the Post Office scandal has lost the contract to run Britain’s post-Brexit border systems, reports say.

according to politicalFujitsu lost the contract last month after mounting pressure from the public to take away the work.

The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

A total of 13 Labor MPs have opposed Keir Starmer for supporting calls for a customs union with the EU, increasing pressure on their leader and his Brexit stance.

Of the 100 MPs who voted in favor – 65 were Lib Dems, 13 were Labour, 8 were SNP, 4 were independents, 4 were plaid Cymru, 3 were Greens, 2 were SDLP and 1 was Alliance. Of the 100 MPs who voted in opposition – 89 were Conservative, 4 were Reform UK, 3 were Labour, 2 were independents, and one each from Northern Irish parties. TUV and UUP.

Last week Sir Keir reiterated that Labor does not plan to rejoin the EU customs union, with the Deputy Prime Minister saying countries included in such unions see a boost to their economies.

Labor has revealed the branding behind ‘Great British Railways’ amid ongoing nationalization efforts.

State-owned Great British Railways (GBR) has unveiled its new branding, confirming it will be rolled out on trains, websites and stations from next spring.

Described by the Department for Transport as having an “eye-catching and memorable design”, the livery was developed internally to maximize value for money.

In a post on Twitter, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander wrote: “Great British Railways – there’s a train coming to you soon.

“The GBR brand will soon be rolled out on trains, websites, stations and other locations. You’ll see it on the new app, a one-stop-shop where you can check train timings and book tickets without fees.”