Rachel needed a hug. Instead Starmer did the opposite – sucking her dry to shore up his own position like the political vampire he is: SARAH VINE
I thought that years ago, when Margaret Thatcher 's eyes welled up as she left No 10 for good. It wasn't the first time we had seen her cry – back in 1982 she had lost her composure after her son, Mark, went missing in the desert.
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BBC News
38 minutes ago
- BBC News
The first year of a United Ireland could cost €3bn
The first year of a united Ireland could cost €3bn (£2.6bn) according to a report which describes it as "well within what could be afforded".The research, from Dublin City University and Ulster University, has calculated the cost of unity over the first 10 suggests the cost has been exaggerated partly because of how much the UK government subsidises Northern Ireland being "misinterpreted and misunderstood."It also suggests if Northern Ireland was back in the EU the potential growth has not received enough attention. How is the cost worked out? The subsidy from the UK government is the difference between how much tax is raised in Northern Ireland, and Northern Ireland's share of the overall UK report estimates that number will be €1.7bn (£1.5bn).This is after breaking down pensions, debt, defence, UK central costs, and taxation, and is much lower than other estimates of €11.5bn (£10bn) to €16.1bn (£14bn).The report arrived at the €3bn (£2.6bn) first year total cost by taking that €1.7bn (£1.5bn) into account, plus an additional €1bn (£0.86bn) in public spending for "necessary investment", as well as the added costs of wage and pension recommends public spending in Northern Ireland should increase by €1bn (£0.86bn) a year to deal with necessary investment in health, welfare, education, and says this additional spending should be maintained, as a minimum, for 10 years. There would also be the added cost of equalising public sector sector wages in the Republic are on average 48% higher than those in Northern Ireland – impacting 29% of the entire NI labour report suggests it would cost an extra €152m (£131m) each year over 15 addition, it suggests the transfer of public sector and state pensions would cost an additional €115m (£99m) a year over 40 said: "This is well within what could be afforded, and allows scope for additional investment, as the economy grows, beyond the €1bn (£0.86bn) a year of additional spending built into this model."Depending on economic growth, it suggests Northern Ireland would end its need for a subsidy in five to nine growth in the Republic averaged 3.2% a year from 2000 to 2024, whereas growth in Northern Ireland averaged just 1.3% over the same with the south would therefore be likely to see a significant increase in economic growth. Report author Professor John Doyle, Vice President for Research in Dublin City University said:"With the same set of policies on education, infrastructure, tax and Foreign Direct Investment, there is no obvious reason why Northern Ireland would remain so much poorer and so much less economically productive that, for example Munster.""Convergence with the more productive and wealthier Southern economy will take time, but the deficit will close much more quickly," he University Economic Policy Centre's Dr Eoin Magennis said: "This paper sets out the ambitious level of growth needed to close gaps in public finances but also the time that will be needed to produce such a necessary convergence.""How to do that – through improving educational outcomes in NI or adopting different infrastructural choices – will mean a fresh set of choices needing to be made," he added. 'Not convincing' However Dr Esmond Birnie suggests Professor Doyle is minimising the assumed financial costs of a "United Ireland"He said: "Prof Doyle, as in his 2021 ARINs article, rather optimistically assumes that the UK government would both meet all public sector pension obligations and release NI from its pro rata share of UK public debt."He describes the report's funding requirements under different future growth scenarios as "not all that convincing.""It would be desirable if NI moved on to a higher growth path but chronic under-performance in the NI economy suggests some of these things are not easily changed.""Major constitutional change is neither a necessary or sufficient condition of improving economic performance and this report does not provide evidence that a United Ireland per se would spur performance," he added.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Angela Rayner slashes right-to-buy discounts in ‘attack on aspiration'
Discounts for council tenants seeking to buy their homes are to be drastically cut by Angela Rayner. As a result of the move, which will impose stringent restrictions on the right-to-buy scheme, the Deputy Prime Minister was accused of an 'attack on aspiration'. Under the new scheme, the discount will be cut to between five and 15 per cent, depending on how long the tenant has lived there, down from 35 per cent at present. Ms Rayner also announced that tenants must have lived in a council house for 10 years – up from the current three – to be able to qualify. People who have previously benefitted from the scheme will be barred from trying again, and newly built council houses will be exempt from the right to buy for 35 years. Kevin Hollinrake, shadow housing secretary, called Ms Rayner a 'hypocrite' as she had benefitted from right to buy herself. In 2007, Ms Rayner bought her former council house in Stockport, Greater Manchester, for £79,000 after claiming a 25 per cent discount. She later sold the property for £48,500 more than she paid for it. 'Today, Labour has chosen to quietly bury bad news, slipping out a policy that slashes right-to-buy eligibility and discounts,' Mr Hollinrake said. 'This is nothing short of an attack on aspiration. Labour is turning its back on the very families who work hard and want a stake in their future.' He added: 'For decades, right to buy has helped millions take their first step onto the housing ladder. Now, this Government is making it harder than ever to own a home. It is increasingly clear that the only guaranteed route to housing in this country is to arrive on a small boat. 'And the hypocrisy is staggering, Angela Rayner has personally benefitted from right to buy. Yet under her party's watch, that opportunity is being stripped away from others. Labour's message to aspiring homeowners is clear.' Right to Buy was the totemic policy of Margaret Thatcher in 1979, helping to propel her to her first general election victory. Sir Keir Starmer promised wholesale reform to restrict access, saying it had too dramatically refused the number of social houses available to people who needed them. Ms Rayner's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government department announced the changes on Wednesday night, saying it would bring forward legislation to increase the eligibility requirement from three to 10 years. The department said this would allow councils to rebuild their stock and to better ensure that only tenants who have paid rent on their homes for many years are able to benefit from the scheme. The changes will prevent existing property owners, or those who have previously benefitted from the scheme, from exercising the right to buy unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as being the victim of domestic abuse. Newly built social and affordable housing will be exempt from the right to buy for 35 years, making it more financially viable for the council to build new homes. This is much higher than the 10 or 20 years envisioned in a recent consultation document. Labour promised at the last election to build 1.5 million more homes over the course of the Parliament. It says many of these will be social and affordable homes.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
What's really going on with Rachel Reeves?
👉Listen to Politics At Sam And Anne's on your podcast app👈 Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. After Chancellor Rachel Reeves was seen visibly sobbing at PMQs, the prime minister last night confirmed she would be chancellor for a long time to come - but will that be enough to calm fears in the markets? And what do we think is really going on with the chancellor? Sam and Anne discuss. And what about Keir Starmer's fate - are some in his own party questioning his longevity? Also, the NHS 10-year plan includes the creation of 200 new neighbourhood health centres as well as improvements to the NHS app - but does it improve the fundamentals?
