Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have called on the entire country to help shape the government’s “10 Year Health Plan” with a “national conversation” on the future of the NHS.
Monday 21 October 2024 13:17, UK
Downing Street has dodged a question on whether people who earn more than £100,000 should expect to see tax rises in the budget.
Labour has repeatedly stated that “working people” in the UK will not face tax rises in the budget on 30 October.
The government has ruled out rises to income tax, national insurance and VAT.
But asked today if people who earn six figures are “working people” who won’t see a tax rise, Number 10 avoided the question.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said Labour had “committed in a manifesto pledge not to raise VAT, national insurance or higher/additional rates of income tax.”
Is a six-figure salaries person considered a “working person”?
The spokesman repeated: “We committed not to raise VAT, NI, higher or additional income tax.”
With the prime minister heading to Samoa for the annual meeting of Commonwealth heads of government this week, Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to open the door to reparatory justice.
Chogm, which begins today, will see leaders elect a new secretary general for the Commonwealth, replacing Patricia Scotland.
But another topic likely to be raised is pressure Sir Keir is facing to pay reparations to countries that were affected by slavery and colonialism.
A United Nations judge claimed last year that the UK owes around £18tn in reparations for its involvement in slavery in 14 countries.
But now, Sir Keir’s spokesman has insisted: “We do not give out reparations.”
And asked if the UK will offer an apology at the gathering, Downing Street said it “won’t be offering an apology at Chogm but will continue to work with partners on the issues and seek to tackle pressing challenges”.
Rumours emerged over the weekend that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could be planning to extend a freeze on income tax thresholds in next week’s budget.
It has been claimed that the chancellor could extend the freeze – introduced by the Conservatives – by two years, meaning it will end in 2030.
But what exactly would this mean?
In the UK, everyone has a “personal allowance” – the amount you can earn before you pay income tax.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is £12,750.
If your earnings are below that, you are not liable to pay.
But if your salary rises above this amount, there are different rates of tax depending on how much you earn, known as thresholds.
In short, these are:
Basic rate – earnings of £12,750 to £50,270 – 20% tax on any income above the personal allowance.
Higher rate – earnings of £50,271 to £125,140 – 40% tax.
Additional rate – earnings of more than £125,140 – 45% tax.
Once earnings hit £100,000, the personal allowance starts to shrink by £1 for every £2 earned between £100,000 and £125,140, and so you could end up with almost no personal allowance.
The personal allowance has been frozen since 2021/22, and so it has not increased in line with the cost of living.
Since it was frozen, inflation has risen considerably and incomes have, on the whole, increased with inflation.
Thus with incomes rising, and the thresholds frozen, more people are being pushed into higher rates of tax without real pay rises.
By June this year, 1.6 million more people were in the 40% tax bracket compared with before the freeze.
A housing minister has lost her building safety brief after Grenfell survivors complained about her attendance at a conference sponsored by a firm criticised by an inquiry into the deadly fire.
Rushanara Ali said she understands that “perception matters” and trusted relationships between the government and the Grenfell community are “essential”.
It came after Grenfell United, a group that represents survivors and bereaved families, allegedly demanded her removal, according to The Sunday Times.
The paper reported she had been a regular attendee of the Franco-British Colloque, an annual policy forum, which was co-chaired by the former chairman of Saint-Gobain, Pierre-Andre de Chalendar between 2012 and 2024.
The French manufacturing firm was until recently the majority owner of Celotex, the company which made most of the flammable insulation used behind the panels on the building.
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, has pleaded guilty to assault by beating after throwing a milkshake over Reform UK leader Nigel Farage outside a pub in Clacton-on-Sea during the general election campaign.
She also admitted criminal damage after causing £17.50 worth of damage to a jacket belonging to Mr Farage’s security officer James Woolfenden.
Mr Farage, who is now Clacton MP, was doused as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon pub in the Essex seaside town on 4 June.
He had earlier addressed supporters at a rally during the general election campaign and was left with the yellow liquid splattered across his dark blue suit.
Thomas Bowen had originally denied the charges and was due to go on trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday but changed her pleas to guilty before proceedings began.
Nigel Farage has appeared at the trial of a 25-year-old woman accused of assault by beating after the Reform UK leader was hit by a milkshake while campaigning in the general election.
Victoria Thomas Bowen, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London this morning. She is also accused of criminal damage as well as the assault charge.
Mr Farage, 60, was covered with a drink as he left a Wetherspoons pub in Clacton-on-Sea on 4 June.
Prosecutors allege that £30 worth of criminal damage was caused to a jacket belonging to a member of Mr Farage’s team.
Caroline Liggins, representing Ms Bowen, said: “My client strongly protests her innocence and looks forward to fighting these unjust charges in court.”
If you haven’t, let our deputy political editor Sam Coates fill you in.
With just over a week until Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers her first budget on 30 October, the financial statement was the hot topic of todays Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast.
He says: “This all emerged from in the bowels of Whitehall some irritation of how Rachel Reeves has been conducting this budget.
“Someone messaged me to say: ‘Did you know that over in the Treasury as they’ve been going over all these spending settlements, in one of the offices, its full of balloons.
“And every time an individual department finalises its settlements, one of the balloons is popped.'”
Sam says this is true, adding it is apparently a “long-running Treasury tradition”.
“The balloon popping is chiefly to recognise the work of junior members of staff.”
You can hear more about this odd tradition here:
We’re hearing from Sir Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting now, as Labour launches a public consultation on the future of the NHS.
The health secretary is calling on the country to help shape the government’s “10 Year Health Plan” with a “national conversation”.
Members of the public, NHS staff and experts are being invited to share their experiences, views and ideas on how the health service should move forward.
People can submit their ideas on change.nhs.uk or on the NHS app until the beginning of next year.
Speaking in east London, Mr Streeting said there “couldn’t be a more important time” for the UK to have its biggest conversation yet on the NHS.
He added: “Our NHS is broken, but it’s also not beaten.”
Mr Streeting said the London Ambulance Service is a “great example of what the NHS could be… if we deliver the three big shifts that we need”.
On Labour’s public consultation, the health secretary said he believes the “best ideas aren’t going to come from politicians in Whitehall, but from staff working right across the country”.
Next up is the prime minister, who said that “for all of us, the NHS is personal”.
“This runs through me,” he said, referring to his own connections to the medical field.
“This needs to be a once in a generation opportunity for you to put your fingerprint on the (health) service,” Sir Keir said.
Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard share their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes.
With just nine days to go until Rachel Reeves’s first budget, how much money is the chancellor planning to spend on public services? Which taxes will have to rise to pay for any spending increases? And how nervous are cabinet ministers feeling about it?
Plus, the government is asking the public for ideas about how to improve the NHS.
👉Tap here to follow Politics At Jack And Sam’s wherever you get your podcasts👈
You can send a WhatsApp to Jack and Sam on 07511 867 633 or email them: jackandsam@sky.uk
By Tim Baker, political reporter
One in five councillors in England and Wales have received death threats or threats of violence, according to a new survey.
The findings from the Local Government Association (LGA) come as the group calls for the UK government to take more action to protect councillors and other local political figures.
Almost three-quarters of those who answered the LGA survey – 73% – said they had felt intimidated or experienced abuse in the past 12 months.
And 49% said they felt abuse had become worse in the last year.
Of the 1,734 respondents – who make up 10% of all councillors in England and Wales – 22% said they had received a threat of violence during their time in the role.
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