Several papers lead on the estimate by the Institute for Fiscal Studies that taxes will need to rise by up to £25bn in the budget if Labour is to meet its pledge to protect public spending.
A number of papers note the prime minister's refusal in the Commons on Wednesday to rule out putting up employers' national insurance. The Financial Times says Sir Keir Starmer has “opened the door” to a multi-billion pound rise, which could involve levying national insurance on employer pension contributions.
The Guardian reports that Treasury officials are examining the move, which could raise up to £17bn annually, while a pensions specialist at the consultants PWC tells the FT there could be implications for employee salary sacrifice schemes.
The Federation of Small Businesses is quoted warning that new protections from unfair dismissal will deter bosses from taking on new recruits, in case they end up facing a tribunal when someone simply isn't suited to the role. Writing in the Daily Mirror, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner says the reforms are “personal” for her - and show the government is delivering for working people.
In other news, the Daily Telegraph proposes five possible explanations for the shock elimination of James Cleverly from the Conservative leadership contest. By far the most complex of these involves supporters of Robert Jenrick backing Cleverly in previous rounds, lulling his team into a false sense of security, the paper explains. The Telegraph's leader column says the Conservatives “never cease to surprise” when it comes to selecting a leader. The paper points out that neither Robert Jenrick nor Kemi Badenoch have the backing of the majority of Tory MPs, something it says “may yet prove problematic”.
The Daily Star leads on a study that claims office tea-makers are in effect accruing an extra eight days' holiday a year, through repeated trips to put the kettle on. Smokers gained six days while habitual latecomers built up three. The Tea Advisory Panel, which promotes the benefits of tea, insists to the Star that having a brew at work raises morale, and allows for reflection.
Blake Lively went braless in a Tamara Ralph metallic diamond-embellished cut-out chainmail mini dress and XL orange cape for the 2024 LACMA Art + Film Gala.
Donald Trump ended his 2024 campaign rallies with a bang early on Tuesday morning in Grand Rapids, Michigan, describing his not-so-subtle feelings about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The former president was speaking after a consecutive day of rallies on Monday; his appearance in Michigan—he spoke after midnight—was his last stop before voters take to the ballot box. “She‘s a crooked person, she‘s a bad person. Evil! she’s an evil, sick, crazy...” the former president said, then breathed th
The Kremlin has reportedly developed two alternative plans for resolving the military conflict with Ukraine — one in the event that Trump wins and another for if Harris becomes president
Rihanna really wishes she could “protect p---ies and fire p---ies” with her vote in this election, in a new video posted to Instagram. The “Diamonds” singer looks out the window from the back of a moving car while wearing a pair of black shades as she jokes in the caption, “me trying to sneak into the polls with my son’s passport” with the hashtag #votecauseicant. Rihanna has made her feelings about Donald Trump known since he emerged as a political figure, including her support for Democrats.
“I’m curious, how do you explain your behavior and your words to your children?” former RNC Chair Michael Steele hit back at Donald Trump's running mate.
A Republican Trump voter stunned Fox & Friends Tuesday morning when he told the conservative morning chat show that he believes Kamala Harris is going to win North Carolina in the presidential election. The show sent the co-host of its weekend edition, Will Cain, out to a diner in Concord, North Carolina that was packed with MAGA diehards optimistic about the prospects of former president Donald Trump. When Cain asked everyone present to raise their hand if they thought the Republican nominee wa
The chief adviser on senate matters has made a big call on Lidia Thorpe’s eligibility, after the bombshell revelation she’d pledged allegiance to the Queen’s “hairs”.
Donald Trump, who said in Pennsylvania on Sunday that he regrets leaving the White House in 2021, is ending the 2024 campaign the way he began it – dishing out a stew of violent, disparaging rhetoric and repeated warnings that he will not accept defeat if it comes.
Herschel Walker, the retired NFL running back and failed GOP Senate candidate, stumbled over his words in his first political appearance of the 2024 election cycle, asking voters to cast their ballots for Donald Trump Jr. before quickly realizing his error and urging voters to vote for Trump Jr.’s father instead. “Let us not let Donald Trump down, because he’s not going to let us down,” Walker implored supporters in in Macon, Georgia–his home state–in a brief speech that lasted just under six mi