Government ought to elevate help investing to 2.5% of GDP, state Lib Dems
Hello and welcome to our rolling insurance coverage protection of UK nationwide politics.
The Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey has claimed the federal authorities must promptly enhance help investing to 2.5% of gdp (GDP).
He knowledgeable BBC Radio 4’s Today program he claimed:
I’ve really by no means ever acknowledged a time akin to this, it’s presumably amongst one of the vital disconcerting occasions for Britain’s help and security and safety contemplating that the 2nd globe battle, with our closest ally altering their setting. So we have to talk about it, it’s mosting prone to be difficult.
I don’t consider there’s an easy treatment, but we have now really positioned some ideas on the desk. One idea we have now really positioned is to boost the digital options tax obligations, a tax obligation on relating to 20 worldwide corporations with flip overs of over ₤ 500m and we’d definitely enhance it from the present 2% to 10%.
That will surely enhance the substantial mass of what you will surely require to relocate promptly to the two.5% of nationwide income investing on our help and our nation’s help.
Davey likewise claimed he supposed to see Russian properties, iced over all through Europe contemplating that the battle began, utilized to maintain Ukraine and develop Britain helps.
In numerous different data:
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Foreign assistant David Lammy stays in South Africa for the 2nd day of the G20 worldwide preachers’ convention.
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Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar has really promised to do “whatever it takes” to take care of the “waiting times emergency” within the NHS.
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The Scottish Labour celebration seminar runs untilSunday Today’s audio audio system include Scottish assistant Ian Murray and Labour celebration chief Anas Sarwar
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McEleny mentioned:
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Alex Salmond and I had a imaginative and prescient for a brand new Scottish city and we might consider no higher title than Independence.
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Scotland has an abundance of renewable power potential. At the second the Westminster plan is to cable most of that power south with no profit to Scotland.
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What we needs to be doing is utilizing that power to draw the industries of as we speak and tomorrow to Scotland by utilizing the motivation of cheaper power wherever else in Europe.
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He added it was now time to see the plan come to fruition:
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A brand new Scottish city has not been designated since not lengthy after the Second World War, now’s the suitable time to start a dialogue to make a city referred to as Independence a actuality.
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Alba is at the moment selecting a brand new chief following the demise of Salmond final October, PA Media stories.
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McEleny is Alba’s normal secretary, although he was suspended earlier this month over claims of “gross misconduct”.
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campaigner Nour Norris (centre) and Jess Phillips (proper) go to the West Midlands police management room in Birmingham. 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Domestic abuse specialists embedded in management rooms receiving 999 emergency calls will assist “create force-wide cultural change”, mentioned Jess Phillips as the primary part of “Raneem’s law” was rolled out throughout England.
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The new law is known as in reminiscence of Raneem Oudeh, who was killed alongside her mom, Khaola Saleem, in Solihull by Oudeh’s ex-husband, whom she had reported to the police not less than seven occasions, in addition to making 4 999 calls on the night time she was murdered.
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An inquest discovered police failings “materially contributed” to their deaths.
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The new coverage, which can contain home abuse specialists working in 999 management rooms to offer suggestions on responses to emergency calls, is being piloted in 5 police forces, and may very well be rolled out throughout the entire of England and Wales by the top of the yr.
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You can learn the total report right here:
“,”elementId”:”0832fa0f-e9a3-47e4-a7d9-fcd9ad4ab11a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”textual content”:”Pilot of home abuse specialists serving to in 999 name rooms begins in England”,”elementId”:”841cd77f-5c14-4057-aa90-9cee6fee66f4″,”position”:”thumbnail”,”url”:” of home abuse specialists serving to in 999 name rooms begins in England”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Jessica Murray”,”imageUrl”:” 21 Feb 2025 07.42 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Fri 21 Feb 2025 06.20 EST”},{“id”:”67b8656c8f083538110196c1″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
A record 30 English local authorities have been granted effective “bailouts” enabling them to borrow money to avoid bankruptcy, as ministers advised them against selling off prized local assets such as historic buildings, parks and allotments.
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The councils, all of whom were experiencing “unmanageable” financial pressures, were given the green light by ministers to collectively borrow £1.5bn to plug significant budget gaps caused by underfunding and soaring demand for social care and other services.
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Three councils – Birmingham, Bradford, and Windsor and Maidenhead – will each be allowed to borrow more than £100m this year to stay afloat, while also being allowed to issue cap-busting council tax bill increases of up to 10%.
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Six councils who are in special measures after declaring effective bankruptcy in recent years – Birmingham, Croydon, Nottingham, Slough, Thurrock and Woking – have again been granted special financial help.
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The exceptional financial support (EFS) packages enable councils to take out capital loans to fund revenue spending, on the basis they will pay down the debt in future by disposing of assets and cutting back on frontline services.
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Read the full report here:
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Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of UK politics.
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The Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has said the government must swiftly ramp up defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
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He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said:
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I’ve never known a time like this, it is probably one of the most alarming times for Britain’s defence and security since the second world war, with our closest ally changing their position. So we have to debate it, it is going to be difficult.
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I don’t think there’s an easy solution, but we have put some ideas on the table. One idea we have put is to increase the digital services taxes, a tax on about 20 multinational companies with turnovers of over £500m and we would raise it from the current 2% to 10%.
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That would raise the vast bulk of what you’d need to move quickly to the 2.5% of national income spending on our defence and our country’s defence.
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Davey also said he wanted to see Russian assets, frozen across Europe since the war began, used to support Ukraine and build up Britain defences.
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In other news:
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Foreign secretary David Lammy is in South Africa for the second day of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.
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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has pledged to do “whatever it takes” to tackle the “waiting times emergency” in the NHS.
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The Scottish Labour party conference runs until Sunday. Today’s speakers include Scottish secretary Ian Murray and Labour party leader Anas Sarwar
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Key events
Alex Salmond ready brand-new Scottish group
Chris McEleny, a prospect for the Alba celebration’s substitute administration has really claimed he and former very first priest Alex Salmond ready a brand-new Scottish group referred to as Independence.
McEleny claimed:
Alex Salmond and I dreamt for a brand-new Scottish group and we would take into account no significantly better title than Independence.
Scotland has a wealth of renewable useful resource capability. At the minute the Westminster technique is to cable tv plenty of that energy southern with none benefit to Scotland.
What we must be doing is using that energy to usher in the sectors today and tomorrow to Scotland by using the reward of inexpensive energy wherever else in Europe.
He included it was at the moment time to see the technique pertained to achievement:
A brand-new Scottish group has really not been marked contemplating that not lengthy after the Second World War, at the moment is the proper time to begin a dialog to make a group referred to as Independence a reality.
Alba is presently deciding on a brand-new chief complying with the fatality of Salmond final October, Media information.
McEleny is Alba’s primary assistant, although he was placed on maintain beforehand this month over instances of “gross misconduct”.
We are at the moment relocating at the moment to the Scottish Labour Party seminar in Glasgow.
Paul Blomfield, that labored as a Labour MP for Sheffield Central, and is chairman of mission group Dignity in Dying talked about precisely how his dad, that had incurable lung most cancers cells, took his very personal life alone.
Speaking at an edge event organized by Dignity in Dying, Blomfield claimed it “hadn’t crossed my mind” he will surely end his life.
The absence of assisted passing away laws, he claimed, indicated his dad“died alone and he died earlier than he would have done” Dignity in Dying, backs altering the regulation round.
He included:
He had a lot much less life since assisted passing away had not been available. I’m persuaded he acted whereas he had the power to take action, versus be afraid if he shed that skill.
He claimed his dad “was at a fairly early stage of the disease”, nonetheless he claimed he had really seen “too many of his friends die badly”, Media information.
Bills meaning to legalise assisted passing away are presently being considered at each Westminster and Holyrood, superior by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur particularly.
Referring to McArthur and Leadbeater Blomfield claimed:
Both Liam and Kim are trying to maintain that hassle that we encounter as a tradition. My dad had not been alone, higher than 600 people a yr take their very personal lives with an incurable medical prognosis.
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In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans might be gotten in contact with on 116 123, or e-mail jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the dilemma help answer Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other worldwide helplines might be found at befrienders.org.
Pilot of residential misuse specialists helping in 999 cellphone name areas begins in England
Jessica Murray
Domestic misuse professionals put in in management areas acquiring 999 emergency scenario phone calls will definitely help “create force-wide cultural change”, claimed Jess Phillips because the very first stage of “Raneem’s law” was turned out all through England.
The brand-new regulation known as in reminiscence of Raneem Oudeh, that was eradicated collectively along with her mother, Khaola Saleem, in Solihull by Oudeh’s ex-husband, whom she had really reported to the cops on the very least 7 occasions, together with making 4 999 get in contact with the night she was killed.
An inquest found cops failings “materially contributed” to their fatalities.
The brand-new plan, which will definitely embody residential misuse professionals working in 999 management areas to supply feedback on reactions to emergency scenario phone calls, is being piloted in 5 regulation enforcement company, and is likely to be turned out all through the whole of England and Wales by the top of the yr.
You can assessment the whole document beneath:
Thirty English councils given extraordinary monetary backing bundles
Patrick Butler
A doc 30 English local authorities have really been given dependable “bailouts” permitting them to acquire money to remain clear of private chapter, as preachers inspired them versus liquidating treasured neighborhood properties akin to historic buildings, parks and slices.
The councils, each one among whom had been experiencing “unmanageable” financial stress, had been okayed by preachers to collectively acquire ₤ 1.5 bn to attach appreciable funds plan voids triggered by underfunding and skyrocketing want for social therapy and numerous different options.
Three councils– Birmingham, Bradford, and Windsor and Maidenhead– will definitely every be enabled to acquire higher than ₤ 100m this yr to outlive, whereas likewise being enabled to launch cap-busting council tax obligation prices boosts of roughly 10%.
Six councils that stay in distinctive steps after proclaiming dependable private chapter in the previous couple of years– Birmingham, Croydon, Nottingham, Slough, Thurrock and Woking– have really as soon as once more been given distinctive financial help.
The extraordinary monetary backing (EFS) bundles permit councils to get funding lendings to cash earnings investing, on the premise they’ll definitely pay for the monetary debt in future by coping with properties and decreasing on frontline options.
Read the whole document beneath:
We have further from Ed Davey’s assembly on the Today program.
He claimed the pinnacle of state will surely not be mirroring the sights of the British people if he didn’t speak honestly with Donald Trump all through an upcoming a flick through to Washington.
He examined Keir Starmer to face the United States President on the United States’s sharp change in diplomacy on Ukraine, and his present statements relating to the battle, Media information.
He claimed:
It is a extremely difficult flick through there’s no query relating to that, but I do consider you have to speak to your buddies honestly and actually.
The threat that Donald Trump postures to our financial scenario and security and safety is as extreme as I can ever earlier than remember.
Whether it’s the chance of concern to our nation, surely to our buddies within the Commonwealth and Europe, or whether or not it’s what he’s claiming with head of state Putin and Russia and Ukraine, I consider we’re all astonished and deeply involved, and if the British head of state doesn’t mirror that, he’s not mirroring the sights of the British people.
Government ought to elevate help investing to 2.5% of GDP, state Lib Dems
Hello and welcome to our rolling insurance coverage protection of UK nationwide politics.
The Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey has claimed the federal authorities must promptly enhance help investing to 2.5% of gdp (GDP).
He knowledgeable BBC Radio 4’s Today program he claimed:
I’ve really by no means ever acknowledged a time akin to this, it’s presumably amongst one of the vital disconcerting occasions for Britain’s help and security and safety contemplating that the 2nd globe battle, with our closest ally altering their setting. So we have to talk about it, it’s mosting prone to be difficult.
I don’t consider there’s an easy treatment, but we have now really positioned some ideas on the desk. One idea we have now really positioned is to boost the digital options tax obligations, a tax obligation on relating to 20 worldwide corporations with flip overs of over ₤ 500m and we’d definitely enhance it from the present 2% to 10%.
That will surely enhance the substantial mass of what you will surely require to relocate promptly to the two.5% of nationwide income investing on our help and our nation’s help.
Davey likewise claimed he supposed to see Russian properties, iced over all through Europe contemplating that the battle began, utilized to maintain Ukraine and develop Britain helps.
In numerous different data:
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Foreign assistant David Lammy stays in South Africa for the 2nd day of the G20 worldwide preachers’ convention.
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Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar has really promised to do “whatever it takes” to take care of the “waiting times emergency” within the NHS.
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The Scottish Labour celebration seminar runs untilSunday Today’s audio audio system include Scottish assistant Ian Murray and Labour celebration chief Anas Sarwar
