Backlash for Starmer after Hamas praises move to recognise Palestine
Labour MPs, families of hostages and campaigners against antisemitism have called on the prime minister to delay recognition until Hamas has released the remaining hostages.
Starmer announced last week that Britain would only refrain from recognising a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly next month if Israel allowed more aid into Gaza, stopped annexing land in the West Bank, agreed to a ceasefire and signed up to a long-term peace process over the next two months.
He has not made the release of the remaining hostages a condition of Palestinian statehood. Israel says 49 hostages are still in Gaza, 27 of them believed to be dead.
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Government asks body to consult on axing ‘discriminatory' minimum wage age bands
The Government has said it is pushing forward with plans to look at removing 'discriminatory' age bands for the national minimum wage as it extended the remit of the Low Pay Commission (LPC). It said the advisory body will consult with employers, trade unions and workers on narrowing the gap between the minimum wage rate for 18 to 20-year-olds, and the so-called national living wage – the UK minimum wage for workers 21 years and older. The LPC will also be required to put forward 'recommendations on achieving a single adult rate in the years ahead'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'To ensure the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, business affordability and the wider economy, the LPC is being asked to consult on several issues before recommending the new rates.' Last year, Labour committed to removing these age bands to create a 'genuine' national living wage, as part of efforts to bolster employment rights. Currently, the national living wage for workers aged 21 and older is £12.21. Meanwhile, the minimum wage for workers aged between 18 and 20 is £10. There is also a minimum wage for those aged under 18, and apprentices, of £7.55. The Government said the change to the LPC remit will also ensure it actively considers the cost of living in its recommendations for changes to the minimum wage which are next applied from April 2026. The LPC, which was founded in 1997, provides recommendations to the Government each October regarding how it believes the minimum wage should be changed. The Government ultimately sets minimum wage rates for the following April after this advice. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Low pay drags down living standards for our workers and in turn hurts our high streets and local businesses. 'This Government's plan for change will put money back in people's pockets, with this new remit marking the next step in considering how we ensure a fair deal for our lowest-paid workers while maintaining a competitive economy that boosts businesses and their employees alike.' Baroness Philippa Stroud, chairwoman of the LPC, said: 'We are pleased to receive our remit from the Government. 'Already, since the beginning of the year, we have spent significant time speaking with workers and employers to understand the pressures in the economy and the effects of the most recent increases in the minimum wage. 'We have held a successful call for evidence and received detailed submissions from all sides.'
Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Without real deterrence, any plan to tackle illegal migration will fail
SIR – Once again, Labour is looking at the problem of small-boat Channel crossings from the wrong end of the telescope. Instead of allocating an extra £100 million to the National Crime Agency to target people smugglers ( August 4), there has to be a concerted effort to address the reasons why so many want to come to Britain in the first place. Deterrence must be the starting point. This should include: a reduction in the benefits payable, and immediate cessation if an asylum claim is rejected; strategic and operational action to prevent illegal working; changes in the law to prevent endless appeals against asylum refusal; immediate deportation of failed claimants (as well as visa overstayers); safe but basic housing as an alternative to hotels; and tougher criteria to determine asylum eligibility. Until such action is taken, I confidently predict that the additional funds won't make an iota of difference. Peter Higgins West Wickham, Kent SIR – The Government has pledged more money to help with the 'one in, one out' scheme agreed with France last month, which is still only at the pilot stage. After a year in office, it continues to make things up as it goes along. Sir Keir Starmer's promise to 'smash the gangs' rings as hollow as ever. Charles Penfold Ulverston, Cumbria SIR – I am increasingly alarmed by the Government's handling of mass migration. Britain is absorbing large numbers of people without adequate checks, long-term planning or public consent. British taxpayers are funding accommodation, welfare and legal aid for individuals who, in some cases, have criminal records. Meanwhile, the needs of law-abiding citizens are being sidelined. There is a growing perception that we, the British public, are being unfairly treated for raising concerns. We are scrutinised, silenced and stretched thin, while individuals arriving illegally are afforded leniency and protection. Many no longer feel safe in their own communities, and public services are at breaking point. This is not sustainable – morally, socially or economically. The Government must urgently reassert control of our borders, enforce meaningful vetting and put the rights and safety of British citizens first. Leila Edwards Thame, Oxfordshire SIR – The RNLI has responded to claims that it has been acting as a 'taxi service' for migrants ('RNLI makes no apology for saving Channel migrants in distress', report, July 30). Anyone who has watched the television series Saving Lives at Sea will be aware of the selfless bravery and expertise of RNLI volunteers. In the case of a sinking dinghy, do the charity's critics expect a lifeboat crew just to take one look and turn around? Marilyn Parrott Altrincham, Cheshire
Times
42 minutes ago
- Times
Parents beat Labour's VAT on fees raid by paying £500m up front
Parents of children at Britain's leading private schools may have avoided Labour's tax raid by offering up fees in advance. Hundreds of millions of pounds in fees were paid upfront last year to avoid the 20 per cent VAT, which came into effect on January 1, analysis by the Daily Telegraph shows. Britain's top 50 independent schools received £515 million in advance fees last year, up from £121 million in 2023, according to research of the latest annual accounts at Companies House and the Charity Commission. • More than fifty UK private schools shut since Labour put VAT on fees By handing over school fees before Labour's deadline, wealthy parents may have avoided up to £103 million in VAT, with that sum expected to be even higher when taking into account all of the UK's 2,600 private schools. Parents at some schools tried paying up to five years' fees before the January deadline to dodge Labour's tax, the analysis shows. The large scale of advance payments could impact Labour's plan to raise revenue, tax experts have warned. However, the Treasury says that the Office for Budget Responsibility considered the use of prepayment schemes when making its forecasts for how much money would be raised by the VAT raid. Fees gathered from prepayment schemes, which are used to pay for one or more years of a pupil's education in advance, have risen across the UK's most expensive schools, including Brighton College, which recorded £50.1 million in total prepaid fees last year — an increase of £4.1 million from 2023. Only 86 of its pupils were covered by the school's prepayment scheme last year. That figure jumped to 819 last year as parents scrambled to beat the VAT deadline. Eton College collected £52.7 million in advance fee payments last year, up £16.6 million from 2023. At Winchester College, fees collected in advance rose from £4.4 million in 2023 to £19 million in 2024. Labour maintains that its tax raid is aimed at targeting Britain's wealthiest families and will raise more than £1.8 billion a year for state schools in ten years. However, with wealthy parents forking out large sums to Britain's most prestigious schools, it is the smaller private schools that are likely to be affected the most. The government predicts that 100 schools could shut over the next three years, with more than 50 independent schools already announcing their closures as a result of the policy, the Telegraph reports.
