Sir Keir Starmer denies waging ‘war against middle Britain’ with budget

Published

2 weeks ago

October 26, 2024

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Sir Keir Starmer has denied misleading the public in the general election after hinting at tax rises for those who own shares and assets.

Labour’s election-winning manifesto promised it would not “increase taxes on working people” – but it was not made clear who exactly who is considered a “working person”.

Asked by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby last week whether he would classify a working person as someone whose income derived from assets such as shares or property, the prime minister said: “Well, they wouldn’t come within my definition.”

It has led some critics to accuse the prime minister of targeting the middle class ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget next week through potential hikes to capital gains tax, national insurance raised for employers, or inheritance tax.

Quizzed by Rigby at a news conference in Samoa for the Commonwealth summit on Saturday, Sir Keir denied “plotting a war against middle Britain”.

“What we’re doing is two things in the budget,” he said.

“The first is fixing the foundations, which is dealing with the inheritance that we’ve got, including the £22bn black hole.”

The prime minister was referencing Ms Reeves’ repeated claim that the Conservatives left the new government with a £22bn shortfall, requiring them to make “tough decisions”.

“In the past, the last 14 years, leaders have walked past those problems, created fictions and I’m not prepared to do that,” he added.

“And having fixed the foundations, we’re going to rebuild our country.”

He said doing so entailed “a very clear plan” to ensure people across the UK “are better off”, that their “living standards go up” and to ensure people have the public services they are “entitled to and deserve”.

He said part of the last pledge was to “make sure that our NHS is not just back on its feet, but fit for the future”.

Asked if he had misled the public during his campaign by not revealing there would be significant tax rises in Labour’s first budget, Sir Keir said: “No – we were very clear about the tax rises that we would necessarily have to make up.

“We were really clear in the manifesto and in the campaign that we wouldn’t be increasing taxes on working people and spelt out what we meant by that in terms of income tax, in terms of NICs [national insurance contributions] and in terms of VAT, and we intend to keep the promises that we made in our manifesto.”

Sir Keir and Ms Reeves have both regularly warned the public that Labour’s first budget in 14 years will be “painful” and include “tough decisions” – rhetoric the prime minister repeated on Saturday.

Rigby has predicted taxes will be going up beyond what the prime minister said in the Labour manifesto.

But after interviewing him this week, a Number 10 spokesperson clarified that those with a small amount of savings in stocks, shares or an ISA are still considered by the prime minister to be a “working person”.

Rather, Sir Keir was talking about people who “primarily get their income from assets,” they said.

Rigby said: “What does it all mean? Well, I think that it could be that raises in capital gains tax are on the cards now.”

The budget is set to take place at 12.30pm on Wednesday 30 October.

UK

Lindsay Rimer: Sisters of murdered teenage girl still fighting for justice 30 years on

Published

32 mins ago

November 7, 2024

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Lindsay Rimer: Sisters of murdered teenage girl still fighting for justice 30 years on

Police have made a direct appeal to those involved in the murder of a teenager to finally bring her family closure, exactly 30 years after she disappeared.

Lindsay Rimer, 13, went out to buy a box of Corn Flakes late in the evening on 7 November 1994 and never returned home. Her body was found in a canal close to her home six months later.

Lindsay’s family have also marked this year’s anniversary with a renewed appeal for information from the public, particularly in the town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire where Lindsay lived and died.

“This person should be in prison, not us because that’s where we feel we’ve been for the last 30 years,” her sister Kate Rimer told Sky News.

Juliet Rimer was just one when her sister was killed but has recently been reading letters and diaries to gain a better understanding of a life cut short.

“It’s just, it’s a bit of a horror film that we have to do this,” she said. “The fact that I had a sister that I never knew who was murdered, I just can’t wrap my head around that. It’s had a massive impact on me.”

Kate, who played the part of her sister in a police reconstruction a year after her disappearance, says the family believes someone has information that could lead to her killer’s arrest.

“It’s usually been my mum who does this but the emotional toll it’s taken on my parents means that they just can’t do this anymore.

“It’s incredibly emotional, it opens everything up, and it reflects back over 30 years ago and everything that we lived through then. And just the horror of a loved family member, a child being murdered, is a really bizarre situation. You live your normal life around that and then we’re opening up again to bring murder and death back into our family.”

In the years since Lindsay’s disappearance, police have spoken to more than 5,000 people and examined 1,200 vehicles. Two men were arrested and later released.

A new sighting of Lindsay after she left the convenience shop on the night she disappeared has been confirmed and police believe those in the community have vital information.

Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle of West Yorkshire Police made a direct appeal to those who were involved in killing and disposing of her body.

“Has this been on your conscience for thirty years?” he said.

“It’s perfectly possible there’s more than one person involved, its perfectly possible there’s a vehicle involved. Maybe you didn’t murder Lindsay but you know exactly who did because you were there and that’s sat on your conscience for 30 years.

“Now is the time to come and talk to us, now is the time to draw a line under this and bring that closure for Lindsay’s family.”

New posters featuring Lindsay’s picture have gone up around Hebden Bridge as part of the appeal for information and an increased police presence will be in the town.

Juliet said: “It has been 30 years but Lindsey didn’t deserve this and we owe it to her as her family to keep doing this.”

UK

Lucy Letby offered ‘tips’ on how to get away with murder, inquiry told

Published

4 hours ago

November 7, 2024

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Lucy Letby offered 'tips' on how to get away with murder, inquiry told

Lucy Letby suggested she could give “tips” to a colleague on how to get away with murder, a public inquiry has heard.

The child serial killer exchanged WhatsApp messages in 2017 with union rep Hayley Griffiths about the US legal drama How To Get Away With Murder.

The discussion took place a year after the neonatal nurse was moved to clerical duties at the Countess of Chester Hospital following concerns she may have been deliberately harming babies.

In a message to Letby, Ms Griffiths wrote: “I’m currently watching a programme called how to get away with murder. I’m learning some good tips.”

Letby replied: “I could have given you some tips x”

Ms Griffiths said: “I need someone to practice on to see if I can get away with it.”

Letby wrote: “I can think of two people you could practice on and will help you cover it up x”

Ms Griffiths replied: “Deal. I will get thinking of a plan. Get the cruise booked as our getaway.”

The pair were working in the hospital’s risk and patient safety department a year before Letby was arrested on suspicion of multiple murders by Cheshire Police.

Ms Griffiths said she was aware of the concerns of foul play and the connection to Letby by September 2016.

Shahram Sharghy, representing some of the families of Letby’s victims, asked: “Given the severity of the allegations that were made, and would you agree they are possibly the most serious allegations that anybody could make against a healthcare professional, were you making light of those allegations when you were referring to potentially committing a crime?”

Ms Griffiths answered: “No.”

Mr Sharghy asked: “Can you even begin to imagine and put yourself in the position of the families of the babies who were harmed when they see those messages?”

Ms Griffiths said: “I know… I am so remorseful. As soon as I saw them myself I was upset and I can’t begin to imagine… I can only apologise and say I have learned. I can’t go back in time but I have reflected absolutely on it.”

Earlier, Ms Griffiths told counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC: “It was nothing more than a conversation. However, I truly and deeply regret having started that conservation… this is completely unprofessional, poor judgement on my behalf and completely insensitive. And for that, I can only apologise from the bottom of my heart.”

Letby, 34, from Hereford, is currently serving 15 whole-life orders.

She was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others between June 2015 and June 2016.

The Thirlwall Inquiry into the events surrounding her crimes is expected to sit until early 2015. The findings are expected by late autumn that year.

UK

Newcastle: Three men arrested in connection with deadly house explosion and on suspicion of cannabis production

Published

13 hours ago

November 6, 2024

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Newcastle: Three men arrested in connection with deadly house explosion and on suspicion of cannabis production

Three men have been arrested in connection with a deadly house explosion in Newcastle.

Seven-year-old Archie York and Jason Laws, who was in his 30s, were killed following the blast in Violet Close, in the Benwell and Elswick area of the city in October.

Police said at the time that six others were taken to hospital “with varying injuries” after the blast and subsequent fire.

Three men – two in their 30s and one in his 50s – have been arrested on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter, and the production of a Class B drug, namely cannabis, Northumbria Police said.

They all remain in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Katie Smith said: “This has been a truly tragic incident which resulted in the loss of two lives.

“As a result of our ongoing enquiries, three men have today been arrested in connection with the explosion.

“Our investigation will remain ongoing as we seek to provide answers to what has happened.

“We would continue to ask people to avoid speculation surrounding this incident both online and in the community.”

The blast tore through a row of six properties divided into two flats each.

Drone footage showed how six flats in the middle of the building appeared to have been completely destroyed by the explosion and fire, while piles of debris could be seen in the street outside.

Superintendent Darren Adams, from Northumbria Police, said on the day of the fire: “As a result of the incident in the early hours of this morning, a seven-year-old boy has sadly passed away.

“Despite the efforts of the emergency services, he tragically died at the scene.

“This is a truly devastating outcome.”