China told to pay £2m for security at proposed mega-embassy
Beijing has been told that plans for its new UK base at Royal Mint Court, a stone's throw from the Tower of London, would also have to include funding for net-zero projects and to train locals in new skills.
Tower Hamlets council, which covers the area in which the proposed embassy would be built, has put the total cost at £1,975,600.
This would include £336,000 towards a council-led review of CCTV to tackle potential increases in crime and £75,000 towards installing gym equipment in a neighbouring park to discourage protesters from gathering in an empty green.
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BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hostage: 'Playing the Prime Minister 'changes your perception' of politics' says Suranne Jones
Actress Suranne Jones has taken on the role of many women under immense pressure. In Doctor Foster she suspects her husband of having an affair, in Vigil she investigates a death on board a submarine, and in Gentleman Jack she develops a dangerous lesbian romance. But none of the roles are quite as pressured as her latest - playing a British prime minister whose husband is kidnapped. Hostage, Netflix's new political thriller, sees Jones' character, Abigail Dalton, build an uneasy alliance with French President Vivienne Toussaint - played by Julie Delpy - who is being blackmailed during a London two leaders work together in order to rescue the PM's husband, unmask the kidnapper and blackmailer, and bring those responsible to justice. 'Political with a small p' Given its themes of immigration, the funding of the NHS and public trust, audiences may be tempted to connect Hostage to today's headlines. But, both stars insist the show is less about mirroring today's politics and more about creating a thrilling story set in the political world. "We're entertaining and we're in the political world, but it's in no way a reflection of the world we live in," Jones tells the BBC."It's political with a small p - there's enough that roots us in the real world but the world is too complicated to link it directly and I think it would be inappropriate." Delpy agrees and says: "Things change every day. It's impossible to be in the political moment because tomorrow is something else."The show's writer, Matt Charman, explains that there are some connections to the real world as it's "impossible to write a show that exists in the climate we live in that doesn't end up feeling that it's in dialogue with it". "If you wrote a show that isn't connected to our world it would feel weird," he says, "but I hope the show does have the ability to exist in its own oxygen." It is rare to see two female world leaders sharing the spotlight in a political thriller, but, for Charman, making sure Dalton and Toussaint were women was integral to the way the series was conceived and it was both a creative and political choice. "What was exciting was the idea of women in power and how we explore that," he says, explaining that he tried to explore how each situation the characters face would be different for a woman. "There's a double standard for women, so giving full dramatic freedom to that was very important." Charman and Jones have shared an agent for the past 10 years and Hostage came about because Charman really wanted to work with Jones and the pair settled on creating a political thriller. Jones says she particularly enjoyed exploring "how these two women have to dance around each other"."A female politician is used to dealing with men so it's interesting to see how it plays out when it's two women." While viewers quickly learn about Jones' character - a loving wife and mother who is idealistic about bettering the country - Delpy's character is more drawn out and our opinion of her changes throughout the show."We made sure not to play into the female politician stereotypes," Delpy say. "What I like is that these women actually have some things in common like they both want change and came into office hopeful." The Guardian describe Hostage as "quite unusual" in that it doesn't remind you of any other political thrillers. "It's a little biting but it's not House of Cards cynical, it has a breakneck pace but it's not 24, the dialogue is sharp but never played for laughs," Zoe Williams writes. 'Cost of being in power' To play Dalton convincingly, Jones, who also served as an executive producer on the show, says she really immersed herself in the reality of political life. She visited the House of Commons, spoke to the Speaker of the House and devoured books, podcasts and documentaries. "I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to research," she admits. "I was fascinated by not emulating anyone but by understanding a life I knew nothing about. And it's the cost of being in a powerful position in that way that really struck me."Charman also talks about the extraordinary amount of research that went into creating the show. I ask him whether Dalton or Toussaint were inspired by any real life politicians and he confesses that they are, but he won't say who. "We interviewed a lot of people and Suranne had incredible access to people who had been prime minister who talked about their time in office and the pressure on their family. But it was all agreed that they would speak about this as long as it could remain confidential," he says. Jones won't say which politicians inspired her character but says all of her previous characters are a part of her and she has "a boardroom of personalities" which feed into who she plays. She says all the research into what it's like to be a politician "changes your perception for sure" and makes you realise "the cost of being in a powerful position". One question the show raises is whether or not it's possible for a politician today to stick to their ideals once they come into office and while Jones is unsure, Charman is an optimist. "I wanted to explore how there can be decent people in politics who are fundamentally good but get pushed around," he says. He adds that it's not "inevitable" that people give up their ideals once in office, but "it's definitely tough to keep your morals". Above the thrills and drama of Hostage, Charman says the show explores "what it takes to be a good person in a system that doesn't always reward good people."Delpy is slightly more pessimistic and explains that given "politicians have to be heard, if you're too reasonable you won't be listened to as there's so much noise of both extremes"."If you have a moderate view you get lost in the noise as people are only listening to the loudest."
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Raising her glass to a war on the middle classes? 'Woman of the people' Angela Rayner is snapped sipping rosé on the beach in £165 Dryrobe
may be planning to soak the middle classes with her new council tax reforms, but judging from these exclusive photos, she clearly intends to stay warm and dry herself. The Deputy PM's plan to hit Middle England with a hefty hike in council tax has already met a wave of opposition, but she seemed unconcerned as she sipped a glass of rosé on the beach, snuggled up in a £165 Dryrobe. The scene might not have fitted with the Deputy Prime Minister's 'woman of the people' image, but she was clearly enjoying herself with a small group of friends on Hove beachfront on Monday evening. The impromptu party came just before news broke of Ms Rayner's (appropriately named) 'Plan For Change' assault on middle class homeowners by reforming the council tax system and forcing householders in the countryside to subsidise residents of cities. The move was branded 'spiteful' by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. An onlooker said he wouldn't have even noticed the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government if it hadn't been for her companions constantly scanning the beach for cameras. 'I guess she must have been in for a dip, but I only noticed her when the wine came out when she was already in her Dryrobe, and her friends started looking furtively around the beach,' said the eyewitness. The image with glass of rose in one hand, wrapped in the garishly coloured robe, may not have met with the approval of Ms Rayner's aides, but it's not quite in the same league as John Prescott playing croquet. And it's not the first time fun-loving Angela has been photographed letting her hair down – last October she was snapped raving behind a DJ deck in Ibiza, belting out the lyrics to a remix of Gotye's hit Somebody That I Used to Know. At the time she said: 'I won't apologise for taking a day off'. Ms Rayner doesn't apologise for very much – it took her about a month to say sorry for famously calling Tories 'scum' in 2021. According to reports, the new planned Rayner tax raid will mean that middle-class families in rural areas will face an extra average £376 in council tax. The County Councils Network (CCN) has warned that leafy towns and villages will 'foot the bill' for a planned overhaul of local finances, hitting households in wealthier places such as the Home Counties. According to the CCN, which representing local authorities outside of big cities, a family in a band D countryside property will see their annual council tax bills rise to £2,756 by 2029, up from £2,380 at current rates. Ms Rayner, wants residents of middle class rural areas to pay more in council tax to help fund services in poorer neighbourhoods. The CCN forecast that local authorities in rural areas would have to increase council tax by the maximum rate of 5pc over the next three years. While money would flow to the cities, the CCN said this would lead to less money for local authorities in the country – despite their households facing higher council tax bills. As part of its research, it found that £1.6bn in council tax income from dozens of rural authorities would be effectively redistributed to other parts of the country, including major towns and cities in the North. Surrey County Council stands to be the biggest loser from the overhaul, according to the CCN. A spokesman for Ms Rayner's department said: 'We do not recognise this analysis. The current, outdated way in which local authorities are funded has left communities behind and damaged local services. 'This must change and is why we are taking decisive action as part of our Plan for Change to reform the funding system so we can improve public services, while maintaining the previous government's referendum threshold on council tax rises so taxpayers have the final say and are protected from excessive increases.'
FF News
24 minutes ago
- FF News
Pension Saving Strong in 2025, Yet Gender Inequality Remains Entrenched
Pension savers have maintained strong contribution levels in the first half of 2025, sustaining the record momentum seen in 2024, according to new analysis from leading online pension provider, PensionBee . However, the figures, based on 286,000 invested PensionBee customers as of 30 June 2025, reveal a persistent gender gap in pension savings, highlighting ongoing inequality in retirement outcomes and raising fresh questions about how to close the divide. Average quarterly contributions stood at £1,624 in the first half of 2025, compared to £1,677 during the same period in 2024, representing a 3% decline. The small drop may reflect a market settling down, following the exceptional high contributions spurred by the increased annual allowance in 2024. Despite this, savers are largely holding firm in their pension commitments amid ongoing economic uncertainty. Gender gap remains stubbornly wide The data shows a continued disparity between male and female savers. In the first half of 2025, men contributed an average of £1,845 per quarter, while women contributed £1,347 – a 27% gap that has shown little movement. This aligns with recent Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures, which reveal a 48% gender pensions gap among those approaching retirement. Male contributions fell 4% year-on-year (from £1,920), whereas female contributions remained largely unchanged (from £1,349). This suggests that women are sustaining their pension contributions, even as financial pressures persist, whereas male contributions may be more responsive to financial circumstances or market conditions. Self-employed narrow the gap Encouragingly, the gap between employed and self-employed savers has narrowed. In the first half of 2025, the self-employed contributed an average of £1,635 per quarter, compared to £1,679 among employed savers – a modest difference of just £44. Contribution levels declined slightly from a 2024 high over the same period, falling 4% (from £1,708) for self-employed savers and 1% (from £1,702) for employed. Lisa Picardo, Chief Business Officer UK at PensionBee, commented: 'We can't allow today's contribution gaps to become tomorrow's poverty in retirement. It's encouraging to see average contributions maintaining 2024's exceptional levels. But the persistent gender gap in contributions is concerning. 'The fact that male savers consistently contribute over 25% more than female savers reflects systemic inequalities that compound over decades. When women are earning less and taking career breaks for caring responsibilities, lower pension contributions naturally follow. 'The DWP's own figures show a significant 48% private wealth gap between men and women approaching retirement. The government must urgently address these structural barriers through policy reforms, while employers and the pensions industry need to do more to support women's retirement outcomes.' Companies In This Post PensionBee
