Budget 2024: What’s likely to be in it – and what isn’t?

Published

1 week ago

October 28, 2024

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Briefings and speculation are rife over what will be included in the chancellor’s budget on Wednesday, particularly the scale of tax rises.

The biggest expected revenue raiser, set to generate as much as £20bn for public services, is a hike in employers’ national insurance.

Government sources have given strong indications of the chancellor’s thinking, prompting questions about whether this breaks Labour’s manifesto commitment not to hike the three main taxes – income tax, national insurance and VAT for “working people”.

Hikes in capital gains tax and inheritance tax have been touted as ways the Labour government could find money to balance the books and fix public services.

The budget’s contents will be only be official when Rachel Reeves sets it out on Wednesday, but these are some measures Sky News expects – and doesn’t expect – to be included.

No rises to income tax, national insurance or VAT

Labour ruled out increasing income tax, national insurance and VAT in its manifesto before getting elected, promising to protect “working people” – though who they define as a “working person” has come into question of late.

The chancellor is also expected to prolong the freeze on income tax thresholds by two years to 2030 after the previous Conservative government froze them until 2028.

Employers’ national insurance hike expected

The amount employers pay in national insurance is set to rise by up to two percentage points, and the money will – in part – be used to help inject £10bn into cutting NHS waiting lists.

A government source told Sky News: “There is a universal consensus that the NHS needs more money.

“That means asking businesses to help out.

“The choice is investment versus decline. She [Rachel Reeves] is choosing not to ask working people to pay the price for their [Conservatives’] failures.”

Housing

The government has confirmed that a large boost in affordable housing will be in the upcoming budget.

It says there will be £500m in new funding to help build up to 5,000 social homes and bring total investment in housing supply to £5bn as part of the government’s Affordable Homes Programme.

£1.4bn for crumbling schools

The chancellor has promised her budget will include £1.4bn to rebuild crumbling schools.

She said children “should not suffer” due to the UK’s depleted public purse, while economists said the funding would generally ensure existing plans keep going, rather than pay for many new initiatives. Teachers said much more cash was needed.

The Treasury said the £1.4bn would “ensure the delivery” of the school rebuilding programme, which was announced in 2020 under then prime minister Boris Johnson.

Funding for nurseries, breakfast clubs and childcare

The Treasury has also confirmed £1.8bn would be allocated for the expansion of government-funded childcare, with a further £15m of capital funding for school-based nurseries.

The Treasury said the first stage of the plan would pay for 300 new or expanded nurseries across England.

Ms Reeves also said she would “triple” investment in free breakfast clubs to £30m in 2025-26, after she announced at Labour’s party conference in September a £7m trial across up to 750 schools starting in April.

VAT exemption for private schools to be scrapped

Labour have long made clear their plans to scrap the VAT exemption and business rates relief for private schools in a bid to fund 6,500 new teachers in state schools.

Details of the government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published when the budget comes out on 30 October.

This is only two months before the policy is due to come into effect on 1 January 2025, and will likely include details of whether schools will be forced to increase their fees.

It is now expected that military families, a number of whom send their children to private boarding schools because they could be posted abroad at short notice, will be exempt from paying increased fees.

Changes to the £2 bus fare cap

Bus fares have been capped at £2 on more than 4,600 routes in England since 1 January 2023.

Hundreds of operators outside of London have been part of the scheme, which has cost around £500m.

Introducing the scheme in 2023, former transport secretary Mark Harper said it was aimed at helping passengers afford bus travel for both their sakes and the sake of the environment.

But the scheme, which is currently meant to run until at least 31 December, is set to be changed as it is reportedly not generating economic benefit. It is unclear if the cap will be raised or removed entirely.

Billions to be allocated to NHS

The government will be putting aside up to £10bn for the NHS, largely to help it tackle ballooning waiting lists after COVID, currently at a record high of 7.6 million, and to deliver on their promise of another 40,000 hospital appointments per week.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting last week said he has agreed on a plan for NHS funding with the chancellor – but noted the funds won’t actually be available until six months’ time.

“Investment in the budget, that comes in the new fiscal year in April, so that’s spring,” he said.

Labour are facing “difficult and big choices”, Mr Streeting warned, as he said the government “can’t fix 14 years in one budget”.

Carer’s Allowance expansion

Ms Reeves is expected to raise the limit people can earn before being ineligible for the Carers Allowance from £151 a week to £181.

It would mean tens of thousands of carers who aren’t currently eligible would get an extra £81.90 a week under the scheme.

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

2 hours 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

5 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

14 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.”