Could an Iranian-born refugee be first female Archbishop of Canterbury?
An Iranian-born bishop whose family fled to Britain after the country's Islamic Revolution has emerged as an early favourite to be the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the first odds offered by bookmakers, the Right Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, has been named as favourite by both Ladbrokes and Star Sports, who this week placed her at evens and 2/1 respectively to succeed Justin Welby.
If chosen, she would become the 106th holder of the role and the first woman in the job's 1,428-year history.
Francis-Dehqani, 58, criticised Sir Keir Starmer this week over his comment that Britain was 'becoming an island of strangers', saying: 'In the churches and different communities I am a part of, we are not an 'island of
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The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Huge boost for railways as Rachel Reeves' spending review reveals more funding for NEW train lines across UK
RACHEL Reeves has promised to provide a major boost for the UK's train network - with a fresh vow to pump in billions more pounds into new lines and upgrades on key routes. The Chancellor delivered the first Spending Review in nearly four years this afternoon - vowing to splurge a mega £300 billion into the likes of the NHS, defence and travel. 3 3 3 However, she has not provided a clear plan for how Labour will pay for it. In a clear tack to the Left, she used her Spending Review to defend higher taxes and borrowing to fund the cash shower. Referring to travel expansions, she said it was the Government's intention to "undo a generation of underfunding and neglect" under the Tories, 12 months on from Labour's General Election victory. Speaking in the Commons today after the weekly PMQs, Ms Reeves said the trains boost aims to "unlock the potential of all parts of Britain". "We are going further: investing in major rail projects to connect our towns and cities." The Spending Review includes: She referred back to the Autumn Budget in October last year when she announced funding for the Transpennine Route Upgrade. "The backbone of rail travel in the North... linking York, Leeds and Manchester... with a quarter of the route expected to be electrified by this summer," the Chancellor continued. "I know the commitment of the HFs, the Members for Huddersfield, York Outer, and Colne Valley to this issue …and today, I can announce a further £3.5bn of investment for that Route. "But my ambition and the ambition of people across the North is greater still …and so in the coming weeks I will set out this government's plans to take forward our ambitions on Northern Powerhouse Rail." Ms Reeves went on to say: "I have also heard the representations of my HFs, the Members for Milton Keynes North, Milton Keynes Central, and Buckingham and Bletchley. "And I can tell the House today to connect Oxford and Cambridge... and to back Milton Keynes' leading tech sector... I am providing a further £2.5bn for the continued delivery of East-West rail." She added: "On a matter I know is of great importance to HF Members for Lichfield, Birmingham Northfield, and Birmingham Erdington I can announce today that I am providing funding for the Midlands Rail Hub… the region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme for generations..." This will strengthen connections to Birmingham, across the West Midlands and into Wales. The Chancellor then told the Speaker: "For 14 years, the Conservatives failed the people of Wales. Those days are over. "Following representations from my RHF the Welsh Secretary, the First Minister of Wales and Welsh Labour MPs... I am pleased to announce £445m for railways in Wales over 10 years, including funding for Padeswood Sidings and Cardiff West Junction. "That, Mr Speaker, is the difference made by two Labour governments... working together to undo a generation of underfunding and neglect." It comes as Ms Reeves also promised to provide hundreds of millions to tackle illegal migration. pledged to end the use of expensive asylum hotels - that are costing taxpayers £4million a day - before the next election. But it risks infuriating voters who want to see action to stop using them now rather than in four years time. And critics have warned Ms Reeves mega spending blizzard will drive Britain even further into debt and raise the prospect of more tax hikes. Laying out her package in the Commons, Ms Reeves said: 'My choices are different. My choices are Labour choices." The Chancellor was heckled by Tory MPs as she claimed to have turned around the economy 'after 14 years of mismanagement and decline'. Earlier Kemi Badenoch tore chunks out of Labour's record of raising taxes on business that have led to job losses. Despite widespread fury from bosses, Ms Reeves defended her National Insurance raid as the reason she can splash the cash today. She is using increased taxes to splurge £190billion more than the Tories on day-to-day departmental spending. The Chancellor confirmed departmental budgets will rise by 2.3 per cent a year, slamming past Tory austerity as 'a destructive choice for our society and our economy.' She also doubled down on her decision last year to loosen her fiscal rules to hike borrowing by an extra £113billion to pay for shiny infrastructure projects. Tory Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride blasted Ms Reeves spending review as a 'spend now, tax later' fantasy. He said Labour had 'completely lost control' and warned a 'cruel summer' of tax hikes speculation was coming. Her short Chancellorship has been blighted by the winter fuel debacle, fury over tax hikes, angry farmers and rows over welfare spending. A YouGov survey yesterday found just 12 per cent of voters think she is doing a good job.
Belfast Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Government committed to finding ‘best outcome' for Spirit AeroSystems workers in NI, says PM
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the government is committed to finding 'the best outcome' for the workers at Spirit AeroSystems in Northern Ireland amid uncertainty over the business operation here. In a response to a question asked at Prime Minister's Questions by North Down MP Alex Easton, Sir Keir Starmer said Spirit was an 'important case'. Trade Unions have previously voiced concerns for the future of thousands of jobs of workers at Spirit AeroSystems, after Airbus confirmed it was going to purchase only certain parts of the current business. News Catch Up - Wednesday 11th June 2025 While this would maintain the jobs of 1,400 people in east Belfast, there are 2,000 staff at other parts of the company in NI who are unsure as to which company will ultimately own the firm. Trade unions have called on Westminster to insist on one buyer taking on all parts of the business in any potential deal. They argue this would better serve the current staff, and better protect their jobs going forward. Speaking in the Commons, Alex Easton said: "Prime Minister, there are significant concerns around potential job losses at Spirit AeroSystems stemming from the deal with Airbus. "Would the Prime Minister agree with me and intervene to bring all the main players including the unions, the business secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland around the table to ensure these jobs are protected, especially considering the scale of the issue is akin to the challenge faced by British Steel?" "There is an issue where Northern Ireland businesses, with the outworking of the Northern Ireland protocol and the Windsor Framework, can the Prime Minister give me reassurances that he's working to resolve all those issues?' In response to the MP's question, the Mr Starmer said: "I'm grateful to him for raising this important case of Spirit AeroSystems in Northern Ireland. "I know how how important it is for the workforce. I've visited them myself on more than one occasion. "Airbus' decision to expand UK operations is good news for the sector and testament to world class manufacturing expertise, and I want to see those high-skilled jobs protected. "The Northern Ireland Secretary has met Airbus, the trade unions and Assembly representatives to discuss the best outcome. "The minister of industry is continuing engagement with stakeholders. "We will do everything we can in relation to situation, and I'm grateful to him for raising it."
South Wales Guardian
24 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Reeves sets out spending review as Labour government ‘moves to new phase'
The Chancellor said total departmental budgets would grow by 2.3% a year in real terms and promised a 'record cash investment' in the NHS, amounting to an extra £29 billion a year. Setting out the spending review in the House of Commons, Ms Reeves said the tax hikes and looser borrowing rules allowed her to spend £190 billion more on the day-to-day running of public services and £113 billion on investment. The review marks a watershed moment for the Government, almost a year after Labour's election landslide. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told the Cabinet that the spending review 'marks the end of the first phase of this Government, as we move to a new phase that delivers on the promise of change for working people all around the country and invests in Britain's renewal'. In a sign of the difficulties which face Sir Keir and the Chancellor, migrants continued to cross the English Channel in small boats on Wednesday. Ms Reeves promised funding of up to £280 million more per year by the end of the spending review period in 2028/29 for the new Border Security Command and committed to end spending on hotels for asylum seekers by the next election. In an attack on the Conservative legacy, she said: 'The party opposite left behind a broken system: billions of pounds of taxpayers' money spent on housing asylum seekers in hotels, leaving people in limbo and shunting the cost of failure onto local communities. 'We won't let that stand.' She said 'we will be ending the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers, in this Parliament' with funding to cut the asylum backlog, hear more appeal cases and return those with no right to be in the UK. The plan would save taxpayers' £1 billion a year, Ms Reeves said. The Chancellor said her 'driving purpose' was 'to make working people, in all parts of our country, better off' as she promised cash to rebuild schools and hospitals, confirmed funding for nuclear power schemes and major transport projects across the country. She said the Government would set out plans for 'Northern Powerhouse Rail' in the coming weeks and an additional £3.5 billion to upgrade the TransPennine route. 'We are renewing Britain,' she said. 'But I know that too many people in too many parts of our country are yet to feel it.' As well as changing Treasury rules to support investment in England's regions, Ms Reeves said the spending review period would provide £52 billion for Scotland, £20 billion for Northern Ireland and £23 billion for Wales. She said research and development funding would rise to more than £22 billion a year and promised £2 billion for the artificial intelligence action plan 'because home-grown AI has the potential to solve diverse and daunting challenges as well as the opportunity for good jobs and investment in Britain'. The Chancellor promised a cash increase of £4.5 billion a year for the core schools budget by the end of the spending review period, but also pledged up to £2.3 billion a year to repair 'crumbling classrooms' and £2.4 billion for a programme to rebuild schools. Police 'spending power' – implying extra cash raised from council tax – will rise by 2.3% a year in real terms over the review period, providing more than £2 billion for forces.
