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Joe Lycett has put his money where his mouth is, shredding £10,000 of his own cash after David Beckham failed to end his controversial multimillion-pound World Cup promotion deal with Qatar.

Wearing a rainbow-coloured ruffled top, and noise cancelling headphones to protect his ears, Lycett tossed in the cash in two goes, with the resulting shreds spewing out of the end of a wood-chipper.

Remaining expressionless throughout, the 34-year-old star then curtseyed to the camera, and exited left.

David Beckham attended the Doha Forum in March
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David Beckham attended the Doha Forum in March

The Brummie comedian, who is known for his high-profile stunts, had posted an ultimatum on social media last week, warning the former England star that along with the cash, Beckham‘s “status as a gay icon will be shredded”.

Lycett had directed the message to Beckham personally and had said he would donate the money to LGBTQ+ charities if the sports star ended the sponsorship deal ahead of the tournament.

However, Beckham did not publicly acknowledge or respond to the ultimatum.

While it is illegal in the UK to deface a banknote in any way (through the Currency and Banknotes Act of 1928), it is not illegal to destroy a banknote altogether, for example through burning.

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However, if Lycett had burned the equivalent number of dollars in the US, or destroyed £10,000 of coins, he could have faced prosecution for his actions, as burning or destroying money in America is illegal, as is destroying coins minted after 1969 in the UK (according to the Coinage Act of 1971).

Lycett, set up a dedicated website to livestream the shredding, which took place in a dingy, brick-walled building at midday on Sunday, just before the World Cup opening ceremony.

He later shared a video of the act on Twitter and wrote “A platform for progress”.

His original video issuing the ultimatum showed him sat at a desk with wads of cash, praising Beckham as a gay icon and joking that marrying a Spice Girl was “the gayest thing a human being can do”.

Going on to explain that Qatar was “voted as one of the worst places in the world to be gay”, he then appealed to Beckham to rethink his deal with the Middle East country.

It has been reported that Beckham signed a multi-million-pound deal with the FIFA World Cup hosts, which Lycett said was worth £10m – but other reports have put as high as £150m.

The comedian dressed flamboyantly as he picked up the cash. Pic: Joe Lycett
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Lycett dressed flamboyantly for the occasion. Pic: Joe Lycett

Qatar has faced an onslaught of criticism since being chosen as the host nation, with the country’s poor human rights record and ban on same-sex relationships proving particularly problematic.

In Qatar, participating in same-sex sexual activity can be punished with up to seven years in prison, or even the death penalty.

Read more: Being gay is ‘damage in the mind’ – Qatar World Cup ambassador

The safety of migrant workers and the logistics of holding a football tournament in desert heat has also attracted negative attention.

Three days before the shredding, Lycett shared a message he had sent to Beckham’s PR team asking: “Could you let me know if there’s any chance he might budge on his position, or am I to expect radio silence on this?”

Adding: “There’s still time for David and his team to do the right thing”. He also shared a picture of the £10k and the red woodchipper he would go on to use to shred it.

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There had been a mixed response to the comedian’s pledge to destroy the money, with some praising him for raising awareness of Qatar’s poor human rights record and criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people, while others urged him to donate the money to a food bank rather than shredding it at a time when the cost of living is soaring.

Ahead of the shredding, fellow comedian Harry Hill wished Lycett luck, saying he would be “voting with my feet” and not watching any of the World Cup, or buying any products endorsed by Beckham.

Beckham had recently impressed the public with his distinctly un-starry approach to viewing the Queen laying in state, queuing for 13 hours to pay his respects. The negative press around his association with Qatar may now be sullying some of the good-will he has built up.

Bill Drummond performing with KLF and Extreme Noise Terror in 1992. Pic: Richard Young/Shutterstock
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Bill Drummond performing with The KLF in 1992. Pic: Richard Young/Shutterstock

It’s not the first-time stars have hit the headlines for burning money.

In 1994, electronic band The KLF burned £1m as a work of performance art. Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty torched the cash – which represented the bulk of the money they had previously earned from their music – in the back of a disused boathouse on the Ardfin Estate on the Scottish island of Jura.

And just last month, art’s enfant terrible Damien Hirst set fire to millions of pounds of his famous spot paintings after offering buyers the choice to keep NFTs of his work or the real thing.

Sky News has contacted Beckham and Lycett’s representatives for comment.

World Cup kicks off – Qatar take on Ecuador as fans celebrate start of event

The World Cup kicks off today, with the opening ceremony at 2.40pm UK time, and the first match at 4pm UK time, with Qatar playing Ecuador.

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Budget 2025: Rachel Reeves vows to ‘take fair and necessary choices’ and ‘action on cost of living’

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Budget 2025: Rachel Reeves vows to 'take fair and necessary choices' and 'action on cost of living'

The chancellor is vowing to “take the fair and necessary choices” in today’s budget, as she seeks to grow the economy while keeping the public finances under control.

Rachel Reeves said she will not take Britain “back to austerity” – and promised to “take action to help families with the cost of living”.

She said she will “push ahead with the biggest drive for growth in a generation”, promising investment in infrastructure, housing, security, defence, education and skills.

But following a downgrade in the productivity growth forecast – combined with the U-turns on the winter fuel allowance and benefits cuts as well as “heightened global uncertainty” – the chancellor is expected to announce a series of tax rises as she tries to plug an estimated £30bn black hole in the public finances.

Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride has said Ms Reeves is “trying to pull the wool over your eyes”, having promised last year she would not need to raise taxes again. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper has accused her and the prime minister of “yet more betrayals”.

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10 times the government promised not to increase taxes

‘Smorgasbord’ of tax rises

A headline tax-raising measure tomorrow is expected to be an extension of the freeze on income tax thresholds for another two years beyond 2028, which should raise about £8bn.

This move will be seized upon by opposition parties, given that the chancellor said at last year’s budget that extending the freeze, first brought in by the Tories in April 2021 to raise revenue amid vast spending during the pandemic, “would hurt working people” and “take more money out of their payslips”.

Watch our special programme for Budget 2025 live on Sky News from 11am.
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Watch our special programme for Budget 2025 live on Sky News from 11am.

What is being described as a “smorgasbord” of tax rises is also expected to be announced, having backed away from a manifesto-breaching income tax rise.

Some of the measures already confirmed by the government include:

• Allowing local authorities to impose a levy on tourists staying in their areas

• Expanding the sugar tax levy to packaged milkshakes and lattes

• Imposing extra taxes on higher-value properties

It is being reported that the chancellor will also put a cap on the tax-free allowance for salary sacrifice schemes, raise taxes on gambling firms, and bring in a pay-per-mile scheme for electric vehicles.

What are the key timings for the budget?

11am – Sky News special programme starts.

Around 11.15am – Chancellor Rachel Reeves leaves Downing Street and holds up her red box.

12pm – Sir Keir Starmer faces PMQs.

12.30pm – The chancellor delivers the budget.

Around 1.30pm – Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch delivers the budget response.

2.30pm – The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) holds a news conference on the UK economy.

4.30pm – Sky News holds a Q&A on what the budget means for you.

7pm – The Politics Hub special programme on the budget.

What could her key spending announcements be?

As well as filling the black hole in the public finances, these measures could allow the chancellor to spend money on a key demand of Labour MPs – partially or fully lifting the two-child benefits cap, which they say will have an immediate impact on reducing child poverty.

Benefits more broadly will be uprated in line with inflation, at a cost of £6bn, The Times reports.

In an attempt to help households with the cost of the living, the paper also reports that the chancellor will seek to cut energy bills by removing some green levies, which could see funding for some energy efficiency measures reduced.

Other measures The Times says she will announce include retaining the 5p cut in fuel duty, and extending the Electric Car Grant by an extra year, which gives consumers a £3,750 discount at purchase.

The government has already confirmed a number of key announcements, including:

• An above-inflation £550 a year increase in the state pension for 13 million eligible pensioners

• A freeze in prescription prices and rail fares

• £5m to refresh libraries in secondary schools

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What the budget will mean for you

Extra funding for the NHS will also be announced in a bid to slash waiting lists, including the expansion of the “Neighbourhood Health Service” across the country to bring together GP, nursing, dentistry and pharmacy services – as well as £300m of investment into upgrading technology in the health service.

And although the cost of this is borne by businesses, the chancellor will confirm a 4.1% rise to the national living wage – taking it to £12.71 an hour for eligible workers aged 21 and over.

For a full-time worker over the age of 21, that means a pay increase of £900 a year.

Read more from Sky News:
Reeves issues ‘pick ‘n’ mix’ warning ahead of budget
Are we set for another astoundingly complex budget?

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Sky News goes inside the room where the budget happens

Britons facing ‘cost of living permacrisis’

However, the Tories have hit out at the chancellor for the impending tax rises, with shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride saying in a statement: “Having already raised taxes by £40bn, Reeves said she had wiped the slate clean, she wouldn’t be coming back for more and it was now on her. A year later and she is set to break that promise.”

He described her choices as “political weakness” = choosing “higher welfare and higher taxes”, and “hardworking families are being handed the bill”.

The Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper is also not impressed, and warned last night: “The economy is at a standstill. Despite years of promises from the Conservatives and now Labour to kickstart growth and clamp down on crushing household bills, the British people are facing a cost-of-living permacrisis and yet more betrayals from those in charge.”

She called on the government to negotiate a new customs union with the EU, which she argues would “grow our economy and bring in tens of billions for the Exchequer”.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has demanded “bold policies and bold choices that make a real difference to ordinary people”.

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Tourist tax to be introduced across England

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Tourist tax to be introduced across England

Mayors will be able to introduce tourist taxes across England, the government has announced.

A day before the budget, communities secretary Steve Reed said mayors will be given the power to impose a “modest” charge on visitors staying overnight in hotels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses and holiday lets.

Politics latest: Milkshakes and lattes to be taxed in the budget

The money raised is intended to be invested in local transport, infrastructure and the visitor economy to potentially attract more tourists.

Regional Labour leaders such as London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham have been calling for the measure.

However, the hospitality industry condemned the move as “damaging”.

The visitor levy will bring England in line with Scotland and Wales, which are already introducing tourist taxes.

More on Budget 2025

Officials said it would bring English cities into line with other tourist destinations around the world, including New York, Paris and Milan, which already charge a tourist tax.

They said research showed “reasonable” fees had a “minimal” impact on visitor numbers.

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The budget vs your wallet: How the chancellor could raise billions

Sir Sadiq said it is “great news for London” and said the tax will “directly support London’s economy and help cement our reputation as a global tourism and business destination”.

The Greater London Authority previously estimated a £1 a day levy could raise £91m, and a 5% levy could raise £240m.

Mr Burnham said the tax will allow Greater Manchester to “invest in the infrastructure these visitors need, like keeping our streets clean and enhancing our public transport system through later running buses and trams, making sure every experience is a positive and memorable one”.

Read more:
What tax rises could Rachel Reeves announce?

Reeves issues ‘pick ‘n’ mix’ warning ahead of looming budget

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Sky News goes inside the room where the budget happens

However, Lord Houchen, the Conservative Tees Valley mayor, said he will not introduce a tourist tax, adding: “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Conservative shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly branded it “yet another Labour tax on British holidays, pushing up costs for hard-pressed families, and yet another kick to British hospitality”.

Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, warned the “damaging holiday tax” could cost the public up to £518 million, adding: “Make no mistake – this cost will be passed directly on to consumers, drive inflation and undermine the government’s aim to reduce the cost of living.”

The plans will be subject to a consultation running until 18 February, which will include considering whether there should be a cap on the amount.

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Man arrested in connection with massive illegal waste dump in Kidlington, Oxfordshire

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Man arrested in connection with massive illegal waste dump in Kidlington, Oxfordshire

A man has been arrested in connection with the large-scale illegal tipping of waste in Oxfordshire, police have said.

The 39-year-old, from the Guildford area, was arrested on Tuesday following co-operation between the Environment Agency (EA) and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Last week, the EA declared the 40ft-high mountain of waste near Kidlington a “critical incident”.

The illegal site is on the edge of Kidlington in Oxfordshire
Image:
The illegal site is on the edge of Kidlington in Oxfordshire

Anna Burns, the Environment Agency’s area director for the Thames, said that the “appalling illegal waste dump… has rightly provoked outrage over the potential consequences for the community and environment”.

“We have been working round the clock with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit to bring the perpetrators to justice and make them pay for this offence,” she added.

“Our investigative efforts have secured an arrest today, which will be the first step in delivering justice for residents and punishing those responsible.”

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Phil Davies, head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, added that the EA “is working closely with other law enforcement partners to identify and hold those responsible for the horrendous illegal dumping of waste”.

More on Environment

He then said: “A number of active lines of investigation are being pursued by specialist officers.”

Sky News drone footage captured the sheer scale of the rubbish pile, which is thought to weigh hundreds of tonnes and comprise multiple lorry loads of waste.

Read more from Sky News:
Woman wakes up in coffin at crematorium
‘Milkshake tax’ to be introduced in budget

The EA said that officers attended the site on 2 July after the first report of waste tipping, and that a cease-and-desist letter was issued to prevent illegal activity.

After continued activity, the agency added that a court order was granted on 23 October. No further tipping has taken place at the site since.

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