Author: Sumon Admin

    As things stand there are at least 20 major changes planned for next year - affecting everything from the price of a flight to overdrafts, benefits and pensions. The new rules will see people pay less National Insurance, but more council tax. Benefits are rising, while tax breaks are taken from landlords - and while the state pension is up, free TV licences are being taken away. There are also new rights coming affecting bank accounts and broadband - as well as a new £20 note . Oh - and all that's before we even get to Brexit and its accompanying 50ps. Hargreaves Lansdown personal finance analyst Sarah Coles said: “2020 should finally see all sorts of things we’ve been waiting interminably for - from an increase in benefits, to a pause in state pension age rises....

    After reality TV star Georgia Toffolo was detained in the Maldives because of missing pages in her travel document, these are the key points to follow.   A passport is supposed to last 10 years. Surely they should make an allowance for fair wear and tear? Yes, but there are limits. The UK government says: When deciding whether a passport falls under wear and tear, examiners should look at the travel history of the document multiple visas and stamps would indicate heavy use. Wear and tear is therefore more likely. The International Civil Aviation Organization, which is the global body responsible for passport standards, warns of a range of fraudulent “attacks” on travel documents. These include construction of a fraudulent document, or parts thereof, using material...

    The editor of the flagship Today programme on Radio 4 has accused Boris Johnson of a “Trumpian” attempt to undermine the BBC after he banned ministers from appearing on the show. Sarah Sands said the move was designed to “delegitimise’ the broadcaster, likening it to the president’s notorious attacks on the US media to neutralise criticism and fire up supporters. The ban comes after the prime minister backed abolishing the BBC licence fee – and after the Conservative party declared war on Channel 4 over its general election coverage. “What's happened is that you can see the government won a big majority,” said Ms Sands, who has edited Today for nearly three years. “It sees Labour in disarray and it thinks it's a pretty good time to put the foot on the windpipe of ...

    David Lammy today sets out plans to foster a new civic nationalism based not on skin colour, religion or ethnicity but on shared values as he lays the ground for a possible pitch at the Labour leadership. The Tottenham MP would become the first BAME leader of the Labour party, were he to enter and win the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn that will begin in the new year. Writing in the Observer, Lammy suggests he will make a decision on whether to run over Christmas, having assessed who best can counter what he calls the populist, ethnic nationalism of Boris Johnson. The alternative to Boris Johnson’s ethnic nationalism that Labour should offer is a civic nationalism, Lammy says. “Rather than basing national pride on biological heritage, skin colour or religion, civic ...

    A new study has shown that over three-quarters of British citizens are worried the country is heading into decline. The study, titled “What Worries the World” and conducted by Ipsos, is a monthly online survey of adults aged under 65 in various countries around the world, including Britain. According to the results, number one factor that worries Brits the most is crime & violence. At 35 percent it is now the joint greatest concern for Britons despite a 6-point drop from the previous month, with Britain 8th of 28 countries most concerned in this area. The joint leading worry this month was healthcare, although it has fallen a marginal two points from the previous month. Poverty/social inequality follows as the third most mentioned anxiety by 30 percent of res...

    A London night shelter has this year hosted its oldest rough sleeper in 20 years and a woman who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant as it warned demand for its service is on the rise. Glass Door Homeless Charity runs a network of 34 shelters across west London, including seven that were added in 2019 to keep up with the high numbers of people who registered with them in 2018. Just days before Christmas and seven weeks into its winter season, the charity had 441 guests access their service and 901 people had requested to join the waiting list. Chief Operating Officer Lucy Abraham told the Standard that charity has seen an increasing number of people with mental health issues and disabilities access their service, as well four pregnant women so far this year. Refe...

    A former Tory MP who grabbed a female climate change protester around the neck has been found to have breached the ministerial code five months after Boris Johnson dropped an investigation. Mark Field was able to quietly leave the Commons at the general election after the incoming prime minister decided a full probe into his behaviour was no longer needed. Just weeks later, a Cabinet Office inquiry under the code has concluded his manhandling of the Greenpeace activist flouted the high standards of behaviour expected of ministers. Mr Field was caught on camera holding Janet Barker around the throat after she joined a protest that disrupted a black-tie dinner in the City of London. But Alun Cairns who was forced to quit as Welsh secretary as the campaign started, a...

    Boris Johnson appeared to set himself on a collision course with the European Union in trade talks after ruling out adhering to Brussels rules after Brexit. A huge majority of 124 votes for the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill at its second reading in the Commons on Friday means the UK is on its way to finalising its divorce from Brussels by the January 31 deadline. But opposing views on both sides of the Channel mean that the Prime Minister is set for a combative 11-months of trade talks when UK and EU teams sit down to negotiate from February. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar warned that Mr Johnson looked to be embarked on a harder Brexit than we anticipated and said he feared the UK wanted to “undercut” Europe on food, health and product safety after it exits. C...