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Laura Anne Jones is Reform's new deputy Welsh leader

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Davey says far right in Britain now better funded and supported than in the past – UK politics live
Lib Dem leader tells party conference that ‘something big and dangerous is happening in our country’ If Andy Burnham wanted to inject some edge into his meeting with Donald Trump later (which he doesn’t), he could bring along a copy of today’s Financial Times. This front page headline speaks for itself. Mortgages ‘on the front line’ as Iran war deals £840 blow to homeowners British homeowners are paying an average of £840 a year more when they refinance their mortgages, as the rising borrowing costs triggered by the Iran war start to impact consumers’ spending power. Approximately 1m households have rolled off fixed-rate mortgage deals since February, according to Bank of England data. Continue reading...

UK borrows £18bn in August, putting pressure on Healey before budget
Some economists say it is now ‘inevitable’ that chancellor will need to raise taxes in the budget next month Business live – latest updates The UK government borrowed a higher-than-expected £18.3bn last month, increasing the pressure on John Healey as he attempts to calm jittery bond markets before next month’s budget. Some economists said it was “inevitable” that the chancellor would need to raise taxes on 28 October if he is to meet demands for extra spending on defence without further borrowing investors on international money markets. Continue reading...

Ed Davey promises £17bn income tax cut if Lib Dems are elected
Growth created by rejoining EU single market and customs union would fund change, Davey tells the party’s conference UK politics live – latest updates Ed Davey has unveiled a plan for a £17bn income tax cut in a speech aimed at shoring up the party’s support among former Conservative voters, but which risked disappointing some Liberal Democrat MPs who want a bolder vision for the party. Addressing the party’s annual conference in Brighton, the Lib Dem leader said the proposal, which would eventually increase the threshold for paying income tax to £15,000 and raise the level at which people pay the 40p higher rate by about £6,000, would be paid for entirely by increased growth. Continue reading...

British banks warned not to invest in planned Israeli settlement before UK trade ban begins
MPs send out letter as Israeli government seeks bids for construction of large E1 settlement in West Bank British banks and financial institutions are receiving written warnings from MPs that they should not invest in Israel’s E1 settlement project even though new UK laws banning trade with illegal settlements are unlikely to be in place for months. A letter was sent to banks on Tuesday by the all-party Britain-Palestine group of MPs saying the onus was now on banks to review their obligations not to cooperate with new settlements. Continue reading...

Lib Dems quietly commission review into religious inclusion amid case brought by dropped candidate
Richard Newby to chair inquiry commissioned in response to discrimination case brought by David Campanale, who is seeking £790,000 in damages The Liberal Democrats have quietly commissioned a review into the treatment of figures within their ranks who hold religious views, weeks after the Guardian revealed a religious discrimination claim against the party by the former candidate David Campanale. Campanale, a former BBC journalist, was selected in 2021 as the party’s candidate for Sutton and Cheam but was removed in August 2023. He has argued in a civil case against the party that discrimination against his Christianity cost him his political career. Continue reading...

New EU industry rules would damage UK, warns Burnham
The prime minister says he will raise his concerns when he meets the European Commission President later.