‘Enemies of Labour' to benefit from Corbyn-led party, says peer
Kinnock mockingly suggested the new party be called the "Farage assistance group", arguing that division on the left would benefit right-wing parties such as the Conservatives and Reform UK.
Ms Sultana announced her resignation from Labour and her intention to co-lead a new party with Mr Corbyn last week, saying they aim to tackle poverty and inequality, and oppose war.
Mr Corbyn appeared to be surprised by Sultana's announcement, issuing a non-committal statement, and his team reportedly urged her to retract it.
Polling data indicates a hypothetical Corbyn-led left-leaning party could attract 10 per cent of voters, primarily drawing support from Labour, the Greens, Lib Dems, and the SNP.
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The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Inquiry launched into government handling of Harry Dunn's death, Lammy announces
David Lammy has launched an independent inquiry into the way the Foreign Office officials handled the death of Harry Dunn in an accident involving a member of the US intelligence community. The 19-year-old was killed when a car driven by Anne Sacoolas hit his motorcycle near the exit to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in 2019. Ms Sacoolas, who was the wife of a CIA operative working near the airbase, was allowed to leave the country with claims that she was covered by diplomatic immunity. Requests for extradition were initially rejected by the first Donald Trump administration, although the president met Dunn's parents. Sacoolas would later provide videolink evidence but did not return to the UK for trial because it was unlikely to result in a prison sentence. There was criticism over the way the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) handled the case, and whether more could have been done to ensure Sacoolas returned to the UK. The review will be led by Dame Anne Owers DBE, who will examine actions taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in support of the family of Harry Dunn in the period between 27 August and the end of December 2019. Having promised to undertake a review while sitting as an opposition MP, Mr Lammy has met twice with family members since becoming foreign secretary and committed the government to learning lessons from the tragedy. He said: 'I have the deepest respect for the resolve Harry's family have shown since his tragic death and in launching this independent review, we are honouring the commitments we have made to them. 'I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family's concerns and to ensure lessons are learned. 'Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don't believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.' The mother of Harry Dunn, Charlotte Charles, said: 'We welcome today's formal announcement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that a full review into the handling of Harry's case will now take place. 'We now look forward to working with Dame Anne Owers and doing all we can to support her in this important task. It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry's loss was not in vain and that the World is a better and safer place.'
Telegraph
15 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Labour opens door to wealth tax
Downing Street has opened the door to introducing a new wealth tax following pressure from Labour's union paymasters. No 10 repeatedly refused to rule out a new levy on wealthy taxpayers after Lord Kinnock, the former Labour leader, said the party was 'willing to explore' it. In a briefing with journalists on Monday, the Prime Minister's spokesman initially appeared to suggest a wealth tax was off the table, pointing back to past comments from the Chancellor ruling it out. However, he failed to explicitly repeat that commitment, instead saying repeatedly that Sir Keir Starmer stood by his position that 'those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest burden'. It will raise suspicions that Rachel Reeves is considering a new raid on the rich to plug the hole in Britain's finances left by the Government's dramatic reversal on welfare cuts. The Prime Minister is facing mounting pressure to consider the move. On Sunday, some of Labour's biggest union paymasters, including Angela Rayner's former employer Unison, backed calls for a wealth tax. One union source told The Telegraph they would raise the idea with the Prime Minister and lobby Labour MPs. Asked on Monday if Sir Keir would back a wealth tax, his spokesman said: 'We have repeatedly said that those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest burden, and the choices we've made reflect that… But as you know, I'm not going to write the next Budget for you right now.' He went on to point out that 'the Chancellor has said in the past that we're not going to be bringing in a wealth tax', but repeatedly failed to repeat that commitment. Asked if those words reflected the Government's current position, the spokesman said: 'The existing position is what I've just said a couple of times, which is that we have repeatedly said, as the Prime Minister has said, that those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest burden, and the choices we've made reflect that.' He added: 'The Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in society pay their fair share of tax. And that's why the Chancellor announced a series of reforms in the last Budget to help fix the public finances in as fair a way as possible.' In an interview with The Telegraph earlier this year, Ms Reeves said there would be no increases to wealth taxes in her Autumn Budget. 'We're not interested in a wealth tax,' she said. 'Our priority is to grow the economy and that's the way that you make working people better off and secure better public finances. 'But there was lots of speculation ahead of the Spring Statement, including in your paper, about all the taxes I was going to raise. What taxes did I raise in the Spring Statement? None.' Asked on Monday if the position had now changed, the spokesman said: 'The position is as it's always been, and as I say, the Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share of tax, but I'm just not going to write future Budgets here, as is our long-standing position.' Economists have warned that a new wealth tax would trigger a fresh exodus of the rich from Britain. However, the Prime Minister's spokesman insisted that finance leaders still see the UK as the 'best place in the world to invest in'. It comes after Cabinet ministers were warned taxes would have to rise following Sir Keir's capitulation on benefits. The gutting of the welfare cuts package last week has required the Treasury to find an extra £4.6 billion a year but has emboldened hard-Left Labour backbenchers to push for more policy changes. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Lord Kinnock, who led the Labour Party between 1983 and 1992, said of Sir Keir's Government: 'The appearance has been given that they are bogged down by their own imposed limitations. 'There are ways around that, ways out of it, pathways that I think people are willing to explore and actually would commend themselves to the great majority of the general public. 'They include, for instance, asset taxes in a period in which for the last 20-odd years in the United Kingdom, like quite a lot of other Western economies, earned incomes have stagnated in real terms while asset values have zoomed. They've just gone through the roof and they've been barely touched. 'Now, you wouldn't have to touch assets of under £6 million or £7 million, so people's houses would be secure. But even by going for an imposition of 2 per cent on asset values above £10 million, say, which is a very big fortune, the Government would be in a position to collect £10 billion or £11 billion a year.' Five trade unions have told The Telegraph that they will pressure the Prime Minister to pursue wealth taxes, while Labour rebels threw their weight behind the demands.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Miner Ferrexpo sees iron ore output plummet after Ukraine suspends VAT refunds
Ferrexpo has reported a massive slump in iron ore production following the Ukrainian Government's decision to suspend tax refunds for the firm. The mining company delivered 1.3 million tonnes of iron ore during the quarter ending March, compared to 2.1 million in the previous quarter, which was the highest amount since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Meanwhile, the Swiss-headquartered group's pellet output plunged by 39 per cent from more than 1.3 million tonnes to 821,882 tonnes. Ferrexpo has been forced to downsize its operations to one pelletising line and to reduce the production of high-grade concentrate due to the halting of VAT refunds and their negative impact on liquidity levels. The suspension follows sanctions imposed by President Volodomyr Zelensky on the oligarch Kostiantyn Zhevago, who controls a 49.5 per cent stake in Ferrexpo and was once dubbed 'Europe's youngest self-made billionaire'. Zhevago has been accused of embezzling funds from Finance & Credit Bank, which collapsed in 2015. He has denied all allegations. Ukraine's government attempted, but failed, to seize his stake in Ferrexpo's Poltava mine through the courts in 2023. In March, the Daily Mail reported that Ferrexpo would initiate international arbitration proceedings if Ukraine part-nationalised the site, which is Ferrexpo's largest iron ore mine. 'All efforts and representations are underway with the respective authorities and government bodies in Ukraine and internationally to try to resolve the VAT refund suspension,' said Lucio Genovese, interim executive chair of Ferrexpo. Ferrexpo noted on Monday that demand for its high-grade low-alumina concentrate from customers in China continued to be strong. The group's annual production volumes remain far below pre-2022 volumes due to the conflict in Ukraine disrupting export operations and many employees serving in the country's armed forces. Mark Crouch, market analyst for eToro, said: 'Ferrexpo has long been navigating treacherous terrain, but the war in Ukraine has brought unprecedented disruption.' However, he added: 'It's worth remembering that Ferrexpo has weathered severe downturns before. 'The company's shares have traded at significantly lower levels during prior crises, such as the 2008 financial meltdown and the 2015 commodities rout. 'For long-term investors with a high-risk appetite, this may be seen not as a crisis, but as yet another turbulent chapter in Ferrexpo's volatile history.' Ferrexpo shares were 0.7 per cent higher at 49.1p on late Monday afternoon, taking their losses to around 55 per cent since the year began.
