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Swinney accuses Reeves of ‘channelling Thatcher' with financial reforms

Swinney accuses Reeves of ‘channelling Thatcher' with financial reforms

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been accused of 'channelling' Margaret Thatcher with new financial reforms – with Scotland's First Minister saying her 'extraordinary' actions show the UK economy 'does not work for Scotland'.
John Swinney hit out in the wake of Ms Reeves's Mansion House speech which contained a package of reforms aimed at attracting more investment to the UK.
Ahead of Tuesday evening's keynote address, there had been speculation among observers that the Labour Chancellor would 'channel Margaret Thatcher' with a new era of deregulation.
Ms Reeves said she would be 'rolling back regulation that has gone too far' with plans to cut red tape in the City and reform banking rules, including the ring-fencing regime.Addressing the financial sector, the Chancellor insisted the changes are needed for the UK to stay competitive in a more uncertain global economy.
She said she had 'placed financial services at the heart of the Government's growth mission, recognising that Britain cannot succeed and meet its growth ambitions without a financial services sector that is fighting fit and thriving'.
However Mr Swinney said: 'The very idea that a Labour Chancellor thinks that channelling Margaret Thatcher is what our economy needs is extraordinary.
'It is the very last thing we need as we try to recover from Tory austerity.'
He added that people 'right across Scotland' had 'suffered terribly' during Conservative Mrs Thatcher's time as prime minister from 1979 to 1990, and that 'communities were decimated and countless livelihoods were thrown on the scrapheap'.
Going on to claim the country is 'still dealing' with the impact of Thatcherism, Mr Swinney said: 'The UK economy does not work for Scotland.
'Rather than come up with serious solutions to fix it, Labour are doubling down on the same agenda that has failed before.
'We do not need an effort to replicate Thatcher's agenda – we need bold action and investment to tackle the effects of Thatcher that are still with us.
'Labour could relax their fiscal rules or make the choice to ask higher earners to pay a little more to unlock investment, just as we have done in Scotland.'
But the First Minister said the UK Government 'clearly lack the political courage' to do this.
He added: 'Scotland was promised change by Labour – instead we have been given the same tired economic policies, and efforts to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.
'We have learned that you cannot trust a word Labour say before an election – and that if Scotland is to create an economy that works for everyone, the only way we can do so is as an independent country.'
A Labour spokesperson said: 'This Labour Government has delivered the biggest financial settlement for Scotland since devolution began.
'But as NHS waiting lists fall in England with Labour, one in six Scots are waiting for treatment and cancer waiting times are at their worst ever level under the SNP in Scotland.
'John Swinney is out of excuses for his party's failure over 18 years in office. Scotland can't risk a third decade of SNP mismanagement of public services.
'Labour is investing £8.3 billion in funding for GB Energy-Nuclear and GB Energy in Aberdeen, up to £750 million for a new supercomputer at Edinburgh University, £160 million over 10 years for investment zones in the north east of Scotland and in Glasgow City Region, and are investing £452 million over four years for City and Growth Deals across Scotland.
'While Swinney throws juvenile jibes, Labour is getting on with the job of delivering for Scots.'
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Netanyahu blasts Starmer over pledge UK will recognise Palestine unless war ends
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  • Rhyl Journal

Netanyahu blasts Starmer over pledge UK will recognise Palestine unless war ends

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Netanyahu blasts Starmer over pledge UK will recognise Palestine unless war ends
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North Wales Chronicle

timean hour ago

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Netanyahu blasts Starmer over pledge UK will recognise Palestine unless war ends

The Israeli prime minister issued a statement warning Sir Keir against the move, which the British PM said could take place in September. The UK would refrain from recognising a Palestinian state if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months. The Prime Minister recalled the Cabinet from their summer holidays to discuss steps to end what he called the 'appalling situation in Gaza', where a UN assessment has warned the population is facing a mounting famine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Starmer rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims. A jihadist state on Israel's border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen." — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 29, 2025 Sir Keir spoke with Mr Netanyahu ahead of making the announcement, when he also warned that a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East 'feels further away today than it has for many, many years'. Mr Netanyahu did not hold back in his criticism of Sir Keir's announcement, writing on social media site X: 'Starmer rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims.' He added: 'A jihadist state on Israel's border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. 'Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.' In his address, Sir Keir insisted that Hamas must immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and 'accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza'. The British Government plans to 'make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps', before it decides whether to recognise a state of Palestine, Sir Keir told reporters. Speaking from Downing Street's state dining room – sometimes used for press conferences – the Prime Minister said: 'I can confirm the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution. 'And this includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid and making clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank. 'Meanwhile, our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged but unequivocal: they must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.' Sir Keir said the Government's 'primary aim' was getting aid into Gaza and getting hostages released when asked why recognition was conditional. He added: 'This is intended to further that course, and it is done now because I am particularly concerned that the very idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many, many years and, therefore, it should be seen in both of those contexts.' While Sir Keir signalled the UK could back away from recognising a Palestinian state if his conditions are met, No 10 is understood to believe that such a two-state solution would also proceed from negotiations towards a sustained peace. The UK and its allies need to see 'at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day' to deliver aid, the Prime Minister added, and are together 'mounting a major effort to get humanitarian supplies back in' by air and by land. The Prime Minister discussed a UK-led international plan to alleviate the crisis in Gaza with Donald Trump on Monday, when the US president acknowledged there was 'real starvation' in the territory. Sir Keir has likened the plan he is working on with France and Germany to the coalition of the willing, the international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace. However, on Tuesday, Mr Trump suggested they had not directly discussed the prospect of recognising Palestine. Sir Keir made a flurry of diplomatic phone calls throughout Tuesday, alongside his one with Mr Netanyahu. These included to his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney; the president of the Palestinian authority, Mahmoud Abbas; and King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose nation is leading efforts to airdrop aid into Gaza. About 20 tonnes of aid have been dropped by the UK and Jordan in recent days, according to Foreign Secretary David Lammy. However, speaking at the UN in New York, he insisted aid must flow in unrestricted via a land route, adding: 'We have to have those trucks get in.' Opposition parties, including the Lib Dems, the Greens and Plaid Cymru, have hit out at Sir Keir for using Palestinian statehood as a 'bargaining chip'. Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel, meanwhile, said recognising Palestine 'will not secure lasting peace'.

Lowering voting age could deepen class divide in schools due to lack of political literacy among teenagers
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The Independent

timean hour ago

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Lowering voting age could deepen class divide in schools due to lack of political literacy among teenagers

The decision to lower the voting age to 16 could widen the inequality divide among teenagers in the UK due to the lack of political education in school. Academics have warned that the move to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds risks only benefitting those from wealthier backgrounds, unless all students are given equal access to citizenship education. Recent research from the University of Roehampton found specific classes on politics and democracy have been provided unevenly across the country, with more affluent schools likely to receive dedicated lessons. It also found that pupils with university-educated parents are more likely to discuss politics at home, and feel more confident engaging in political debates. This results in teenagers from low income households often being at a disadvantage in terms of understanding parties and voting systems, which the research concluded 'compounded class-based disparities'. 'Votes at 16 is an important milestone, but without proper political education in every school, we risk widening the democratic gap between privileged and disadvantaged teenagers', said Dr Bryony Hoskins, Professor of Political Comparative Social Science at the University of Roehampton. 'The students most likely to benefit are those already surrounded by political knowledge and encouragement, leaving disadvantaged young people behind again. 'The result is a political system that feels unrepresentative and irrelevant to many young people. If we ignore this, votes at 16 could actually entrench inequality.' Labour's manifesto committed the party to lowering the voting age to 16 in line with Scottish and Welsh elections. Sir Keir Starmer said it was 'important' to lower the voting age, as 16-year-olds were old enough to work and 'pay in' through tax, so should 'have the opportunity' to say how they wanted their money spent. But a poll of 500 16 and 17-year-olds conducted for ITV News by Merlin Strategy found only half said they thought they should be allowed to vote, and only 18 per cent would definitely vote. Labour stood to gain the most, with 33 per cent saying they would back the party, while 20 per cent said they would choose Reform UK and 18 per cent the Greens. A EU and UK Research and Innovation project was trialled on 900 pupils earlier this ear, and found that a five-lesson political literacy programme improved students' belief in their own ability to engage with politics. 'We now have clear evidence that short, structured lessons that use inclusive education methods can make a real difference,' said Professor Hoskins. 'This should be part of every young person's education and not a postcode lottery.' Ahead of the next general election, researchers are calling on the Department of Education to ensure political literacy becomes a compulsory part of the national curriculum.

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