MPs should not 'talk down' Surrey's SEND service, says council leader
In a speech at a full council meeting on Tuesday, Oliver said Surrey County Council had more than 16,000 children with education health and care plans (EHCPs), one of the highest numbers in the country."I urge all our MPs to use your position to speak up for Surrey in Parliament, not to talk down a service that needs urgent national reform and support this council and government to implement reforms that work for our children, their families, and for all councils across the country," he said.Curran told BBC Radio Surrey she understood the frustration that families have with SEND services and why they would want to speak to their MPs."I am purely asking those MPs to ensure that their constituents are aware of the correct channels of appeal," she said.Franklin said she was "frankly stunned" to receive the email and that she'd had "no advance communications" indicating the council was concerned."I, for one, have 50 cases relating to SEND, so we are trying to support parents and families," she added.She said people approaching her had already been through the proper procedure and that MPs were a "last resort" most of the time.At the meeting, Woking's MP Will Forster, who is also a county councillor, said he had about 40 active SEND cases. Eber Kington, from the Residents' Association and Independents group, said it was important that councillors and MPs did not have "communication barriers put in place by children's services."
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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The mansions that could hit the market in Britain's billionaire exodus: From lavish country estates to luxury London townhouses, the UK properties owned by the super-rich as they flee Labour's tax raids
From a sprawling Georgian manor house with 220 acres of land to a £60million 'palace' dubbed ' London 's Taj Mahal' - these are some of the mansions owned by Britain's 'fleeing' billionaires. Several of the UK's richest residents have already left or announced plans to leave in the wake of Labour's tax raids, including the axing of the non-dom regime. Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen recently put his £250million, 300-year-old Chelsea pile on sale after declaring that 'Britain has gone to hell'. But he is far from the only tycoon to be packing their bags, with research by New World Wealth suggesting the UK has lost 18 dollar billionaires over the last two years - more than any other country in the world. Brothers Ian and Richard Livingstone, who oversee a £9billion property empire in the UK and abroad, an online casino and plush Monte Carlo hotel, have quit Britain for Monaco. They are also the owners of Dropmore House, a grade I-listed manor in Buckinghamshire that was built in the 1790s for Lord William Grenville, who as Prime Minister pushed through the abolition of slavery. The stately pile, which was considered uninhabitable before a massive restoration in 2006-2008, includes 220 acres of beautiful grounds. The Livingstone brothers bought the house and the land in 2012, but there is no sign they are selling despite moving their tax residency. Another jewel in the crown of their £5.4million property portfolio is nearby Cliveden, the country house turned luxury hotel made famous by the 1960s Profumo scandal. Mr Mittal owns a superyacht called the Alaiya. It is more than 100 metres long Labour donor Laskhmi Mittal, who's been reported as telling friends that he would 'probably' leave the UK, owns a vast property portfolio that includes a Kensington mansion dubbed 'London's Taj Mahal'. Overlooking Kensington Palace, 8-19 Kensington Palace Gardens features 12 bedrooms and a swimming pool, and was considered the world's most expensive home shortly before Mr Mittal bought it for £60million in 2008. Featuring marble from the same quarry as that used for the Taj Mahal, the house used to be owned by the Rothschilds and F1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone, who reportedly sold up because his ex wife, Slavica, decided she didn't like it. But Mr Mittal clearly did, with the Indian-born billionaire going on to buy two more houses on the street, including number 9A for £117 and a second for £70million. He gave these to his son and daughter respectively. If he ever did ever sell up, it would be one of the biggest property deals seen in London. Another billionaire developer, Malawi-born Asif Aziz - owner of the former London Trocadero on Piccadilly Circus - moved his tax residency to Abu Dhabi at the end of last year. His vast property empire spans much of London's West End and includes Haymarket House in Soho and the Criterion Building, which houses the Criterion Theatre. Rachel Reeves ' October budget has been blamed for driving the exodus by abolishing the non-dom tax regime and imposing inheritance tax on the worldwide assets of foreigners who have lived in Britain for more than 10 years. And one leading tax advisor has warned that the flood of billionaires out of Britain could increase even further if Labour decides to impose a wealth tax - a move Sir Keir Starmer has notably refused to rule out. David Lesperance, the founder of tax and immigration advisory Lesperance and Partners, said 50 per cent of his 'ultra-high net worth' clients had already departed the UK since Labour came to power and predicted half that number again would flee the imposition of a wealth tax. 'A large group moved because of the inheritance tax changes, but some decided they would be able to mitigate the hit because they were young, could get insurance to cover it, or could take advantage of some of the tax solutions available,' he told MailOnline. 'But if you bring in a wealth tax, that mitigation is neutralised, so it's another force that will drive those who haven't already left to leave. 'The general public might not mind the idea of wealthy people leaving, but the reality is that in a progressive tax system you are extremely dependent on a tiny number of taxpayers, so if they leave it will have a huge impact on tax revenue. 'And at the same time these golden geese feel they're being driven out of the UK, other countries are promising to offer them a better tax deal. 'If a wealth tax comes in, ultra-high net worth people will say ''London is nice, but not that nice'' and head to all the countries who are actively welcoming them.' Mr Lesperance pointed out that wealth taxes - which are levied on the total value of an individuals' assets - are 'very difficult to administer', with many nations who have brought in the levies subsequently repealing them. Given this, he believes Ms Reeves is more likely to introduce an exit tax - which takes the form of a one-off fee on people moving their tax residency to another country. 'When you have a wealth tax, people will give the lowest figure possible for the value of their assets, and if HMRC wants to challenge it, that will take time and money,' he said. 'I don't see a wealth tax because it won't be good for the goal of maximising revenue. 'I would say it's more likely the Autumn Statement could include an exit tax. But if that happens, advisors will be telling their clients to leave before it comes in.' Several billionaires have been open about their reasons for leaving, with Aston Villa's Egyptian co-owner Nassef Sawiris blaming Labour's inheritance tax clampdown and a 'decade of incompetence' under the Tories. Britain's ninth richest billionaire, John Fredriksen, declared last month that Britain had 'gone to hell' as he explained his reasons for moving his shipping firm from London to the United Arab Emirates. The Norwegian had previously run his private firm, Seatankers Management, from an office in Sloane Square. But he told newspaper E24 that the UK had become a worse place to do business. 'It's starting to remind me more and more of Norway,' he said. 'Britain has gone to hell, like Norway. 'People should get up and work even more, and go to the office instead of having a home office.' Mr Fredriksen, 81, is currently in the process of selling his London home, the Old Rectory in Chelsea, reports The Times. Nestled on Chelsea's oldest street in west London, the property boasts 30,000-square-feet of space, including 10 bedrooms and a ballroom, alongside a two-acre garden. Experts believe that a listing of the prestigious home is unlikely to appear on popular property listing sites but instead will be sold in an 'off-market' private deal delivered by specialist agents. A spokesman for Fredriksen declined to comment on whether the Old Rectory was on sale or claims that domestic staff had already been let go. In May, The Sunday Times Rich List estimated that the UK had 156 billionaires, down from 165 the year before and the largest annual drop since the list began in 1989. Putting an exact figure on the number of billionaires leaving the country is complicated by the difficulty of calculating an individuals' wealth and working out their tax residency if they do not make this information public. It comes as new figures showed the number of non-dom taxpayers in the UK dipped last year prior to the Government clamping down on the tax status, official figures show. There were about 73,700 people claiming non-domiciled tax status in the year ending in April last year, according to estimates from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). This was 400 fewer than the 2022-23 tax year, or a dip of about 0.5 per cent. The number of non-doms, according to self-assessment tax returns, stood 3,900 below that in the tax year ending 2020. It indicates a slowdown in the number of people claiming the tax status following a post-pandemic resurgence. Non-domiciled means UK residents whose permanent home, or their 'domicile' for tax purposes, is outside the UK. The regime meant that so-called non-doms paid tax in the UK only on income generated in the UK - meaning any income earned overseas was exempt from British taxation. However, the Labour Government abolished the non-dom tax status in April following backlash that wealthy residents could enjoy the benefits of living in the UK without paying as much tax. Previous chancellor Jeremy Hunt estimated that scrapping the regime would raise about £2.7billion for the Treasury by 2028-29. HMRC's data published on Thursday showed that some £9billion was raised from non-doms paying income tax, capital gains tax and national insurance last year. This was a £107million increase on the prior year, despite the dip in the number of individuals. Even so, campaigners insist HRMC will suffer in the long-term if some of Britain's biggest taxpayers are driven out. Leslie MacLeod-Miller runs Foreign Investors for Britain (FIFB), a lobby group set up after the July general election. He told MailOnline: 'Wealth is already shifting to countries like Italy, Dubai, and Switzerland. 'The government needs to show bold leadership and implement a bold policy change before Britain's 'golden geese' take their 'golden eggs' abroad to other countries that are actively courting them. 'The Office for Budget Responsibility warned this July that continued reliance on this small population of top taxpayers represents a growing fiscal risk. 'The government needs to act now, talk of a wealth tax will only increase the exodus of this high income – and high investing, employing and growth-creating group. Fiscal sense rather than ideology needs to prevail.'
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revenge of the Taliban continued: Warlords now arresting Afghans trying to check British government website at internet cafes to see if their details lost in UK's worst ever data breach
Afghans said to have applied for sanctuary in Britain are being arrested as they try to use the UK government 's website to check if their details were on the leaked dataset. At least five, including former members of the Triples Special Forces, have been held as the Taliban targets internet cafes. The Ministry of Defence sent out an email, to those whose data was suspected of being compromised, apologising. It was followed by a second email with a link for those who had risked their lives for the UK to confirm if they their details provided when they applied for the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) were included. Those whose details were breached received a message on a red background confirming they are a victim of the blunder, while those whose data was not part of the leak received a message on green. But Afghans – and campaigners in the UK – warn that they believe the Taliban is using this to arrest those who worked for Britain as they carry out the necessary checks. Many Afghans do not have Wi-Fi at home and are forced to use internet cafes which are in the major cities and towns. The Taliban hunting those who worked for UK are said to have stepped-up the monitoring of the cafes in recent days. The Mail knows the cities the arrests have taken place in but is not naming them. At least five men and two women are reported to have been arrested while checking their emails. British lawyers and campaigners have sent out warnings to their clients in hiding telling them to stay away from the cafes. Former frontline interpreter Wazir, 38, said: 'We are aware of the arrests. Unfortunately, those whose data may have been leaked want to check and have gone to the cafes. I am told they may have been arrested, with the proof that they worked beside the British in front of them (on the screens).' The details of Wazir, who worked for five years with UK forces, together with that of his family are on the list but he said he had been able to confirm that on the MOD website from his home. 'Many do not have Wi-Fi and this makes them vulnerable,' he said. 'The Taliban has the technology from China also to monitor and track our phones so we know how vulnerable that makes us. 'We are terrified our data entrusted to Britain will be used to hunt us down. Since news of the leak, I have moved my family's hiding place and will do so again next week.' In a rare official announcement yesterday, the Taliban did not confirm or deny it had the dataset but claimed it already had the details of those who had worked for the UK and US, including biometrics, as they were left behind during the chaotic pullout in August 2021. It was reported yesterday that up to ten former members of the Afghan forces had been killed by the Taliban near the border with Iran and Pakistan. The Mail's report revealing Taliban assassins had murdered at least ten, who may have helped the West, in the days after the data leak was revealed. Four are said to have been killed in one ambush. The MOD said: 'The independent Rimmer Review concluded that it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its super injunction last week. The review also found that the Taliban already had access to a wealth of data. 'The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement last week announcing an amnesty for individuals named as part of the data breach, declaring those named it would not face persecution. 'We continue to urge the Taliban to honour their public amnesty towards members of the former Government and special forces.' After the Daily Mail was the first newspaper in the world to discover the data breach, in August 2023, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) mounted a cover-up and successfully hushed up our exclusive. They obtained a superinjunction and ever since then, cloaked by the unprecedented news blackout, ministers have been clandestinely running one of the biggest peacetime evacuation missions in modern British history to rescue people the UK had imperilled: smuggling thousands out of Afghanistan and flying them to Britain at vast cost, with taxpayers being neither asked nor informed. Meanwhile secret hearings in the High Court have heard how Parliament has been deliberately kept oblivious – or even 'misled', as a judge was told. So far 18,500 Afghans whose data was lost have been flown to Britain or are on their way in taxpayer-funded jets. A total of 23,900 are earmarked for arrival. They are living in MOD homes or hotels until permanent homes are found. More than 70,000 others will be left behind in Afghanistan and will have to fend for themselves against vengeful Taliban warlords. Incredibly, hundreds of the Afghans rescued by the Government are now poised to sue the UK for leaking their data in the first place – potentially adding a further £1billion compensation bonanza to the colossal costs of the rescue and rehousing mission.
The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump bans Wall Street Journal from Scotland trip press pool over Epstein report
A Wall Street Journal reporter was kicked out of Donald Trump's press pool for his upcoming weekend trip to Scotland. The removal marked increased retaliation after the newspaper published an article alleging the US president sent Jeffrey Epstein a 50th birthday letter that included a drawing of a naked woman. The US president promptly sued the paper for $10bn. 'Due to the Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board,' said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement provided to Politico, making the motives behind the removal clear. 'Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible.' Tarini Parti, the reporter selected for removal, was not one of the writers of the Epstein piece. Trump is headed to Scotland to work on the UK-US trade deal, and to visit his golf courses in Scotland. The Guardian US also confirmed the reporter's removal. Prior to the second Trump administration, decisions regarding the White House press pool were in the hands of the White House Correspondents' Association. Seats in the press pool are highly coveted, and crucial for media that wish to stay on the cutting edge of politics coverage. The administration initially banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other exclusive access after the outlet declined to use Trump's new moniker for the Gulf of Mexico. The decision for the administration to control the press pool came shortly after. White House Correspondents Association president, Weijia Jiang, spoke strongly against the decision to remove Parti from the Scotland trip's press pool. She said the administration had yet to clarify whether the ban was temporary, or if it was permanently barring Wall Street Journal reporters from the press pool. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion 'This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment. Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media,' Jiang wrote in a statement to The Guardian US. Trump's fury over the Epstein article comes amidst increasing scrutiny over his relationship with the now deceased Epstein. One of Epstein's first public accusers said she urged the FBI to investigate Trump's relationship with Epstein decades ago. Trump is also named as a friend of Epstein in early 2000's write-ups from Vanity Fair and NYMag. In a rare crack in armor, Trump appears to have lost control over the Epstein narrative to some Maga-faithful, with the unreleased files opening huge rifts among some of Trump's most die-hard supporters. The Wall Street Journal has stood by the accuracy of its reporting, which the Guardian has not been able to verify. 'We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,' a Dow Jones spokesperson wrote in a statement.
