Prince Andrew is set to receive a £558k payment over Royal Lodge, but Buckingham Palace says extensive remedial works after damp and mould were found—estimated at about £1m—could affect or outweigh the sum.
King Charles has begun a formal process to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s prince title and remaining honours, to protect the institution after his links to a convicted abuser. He is to leave Royal Lodge and relocate to Sandringham; Sarah Ferguson will not get a new residence.
The PM is preparing to lift the basic rate of income tax to plug a £30bn gap and avoid austerity. A 1p rise could raise £8.2bn. He has not ruled out extending fiscal drag. Critics, led by Kemi Badenoch, say this breaks pledges not to raise taxes on working people.
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 with 185mph winds, has made landfall in the Caribbean. Authorities warn of severe winds and flooding. It is the strongest storm to strike Jamaica since records began in 1851. Residents are moving to higher ground and designated shelters.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves signalled the Budget will rebuild fiscal headroom, meaning higher taxes and deeper spending cuts. She wants larger reserves to keep within borrowing rules and steady the economy, after last year’s £9.9bn buffer is thought to have been wiped out.
No 10 is seeking to pare back proposed day‑one employment protections, considering probation exceptions and dismissals for conduct or competence, amid warnings the Employment Rights Bill could curb growth. Unions indicate room for compromise as Budget decisions near.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering a 1p rise in the basic rate of income tax to plug a £30bn shortfall, with changes to higher bands also explored. The move risks breaching Labour’s pledge not to raise taxes on working people, amid pressure from higher borrowing costs and recent policy reversals.
Senior Labour figures urge the Chancellor to raise income tax to plug the fiscal gap, potentially netting about £22bn and breaking a manifesto pledge. No10 says its promise on taxes for “working people” stands. Alternatives like freezing thresholds are branded weak as Budget decisions near.
Working-age benefits will rise about 4% next year, tied to September inflation and likely below the state pension uplift. The Treasury faces a squeeze from high borrowing costs and uprating pressures, as the Bank of England warns of a possible credit crunch. Reeves says Brexit is hurting growth more than forecast.
Patients with severe vision loss regained sight after receiving a 2mm bionic eye chip. A world-first trial of 38 people with geographic atrophy showed restored reading ability. Scientists call it a paradigm shift, with hopes the technology will reach the NHS.