Seven top Costa Rican ministers to step down
Vice President Stephen Brunner and Finance Minister Nogui Acosta are among those who chose to step down, Chaves said.
Major resignations were broadly expected as politicians prepare to pursue candidacies for the Central American nation's next general election, slated for February next year.
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Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Train passengers face ‘outrageous' fare hike
A potential 5.5 per cent rise in England's train fares next year has been described by public transport groups as 'outrageous'. July's Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation – which is often used to determine increases in the cost of train travel – will be announced on Wednesday. The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap in regulated fare rises for 2026, but this year's 4.6 per cent hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024. Banking group Investec has forecast this year's July RPI figure will be 4.5 per cent, which means fares could jump by 5.5 per cent. Bruce Williamson, spokesman for pressure group Railfuture, said 'it would be outrageous' if fares rose by that much. He added: 'What would be the justification for jacking up fares above inflation? There isn't any. 'It's ripping off the customer, driving people off the trains and onto our congested road network, which is in no-one's interest.' Mr Williamson said he would support the Government marking its nationalisation of train operators by freezing fares. He continued: 'One would hope that there would be some efficiency savings and economies of scale that you get from having a more integrated railway. 'But of course, I strongly suspect that if there are any savings to be had, they'd be swallowed up by the Treasury and not passed back to the passengers, which I think is wrong.' Ben Plowden, chief executive of lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Rising fares are not just burdening passengers, they are putting people off rail travel. 'Our survey found that 71 per cent of people would be more likely to take the train if fares were cheaper. 'Public support for nationalisation plummets if fares continue to rise, so as the Government progresses plans for Great British Railways (GBR), it must take the opportunity to reform fares and make rail travel more affordable.' GBR is an upcoming public sector body that will oversee Britain's rail infrastructure and train operation. About 45 per cent of fares on Britain's railways are regulated by the Westminster, Scottish and Welsh Governments. They include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes, and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. The Department for Transport (DfT) said there will be an update on changes to regulated fares later this year. Operators set rises in unregulated fares, although these are likely to be very close to regulated ticket increases because their decisions are heavily influenced by governments. A DfT spokesperson said: 'The Transport Secretary has made clear her number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them. 'The Government is putting passengers at the heart of its plans for public ownership and Great British Railways, delivering the services they deserve and driving growth. 'No decisions have been made on next year's rail fares but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.'
Press and Journal
2 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Alex Salmond's Strichen widow suing Scottish Government over sexual harassment probe
Former first minister Alex Salmond's Strichen widow is suing the Scottish Government over its botched handling of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations levelled against him. Moira Salmond, 88, has appointed a team of lawyers to restart Mr Salmond's case against the government he once led. Mr Salmond had been in the process of suing the government over its handling of an investigation into sexual harassment complaints against him. The Alba Party founder died of a heart attack in North Macedonia in October last year, aged 69. He previously lodged a claim in the Court of Session alleging misfeasance – the wrongful exercise of lawful authority – by civil servants. 'With this court action, that evasion of responsibility ends,' Mr Salmond said at the time. Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond. Image: PA. Moira Salmond's determination to proceed is said to be driven by the publication of ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon's memoir, Frankly. Alex Salmond was acquitted of 13 charges in 2020, including an accusation attempted rape. It came after a successful legal case against the Scottish Government when a judge ruled its initial probe into Mr Salmond's conduct had ben 'tainted by apparent bias'. Ms Sturgeon's book includes several references to her former mentor. Central to these is her denial of a 'conspiracy' to destroy the former first minister – an accusation repeatedly levelled by Mr Salmond prior to his death. Alex Salmond's widow Moira Salmond (centre) at the public memorial service for the former first minister. Image: PA 'He impugned the integrity of the institutions at the heart of Scottish democracy – government, police, Crown Office. 'He was prepared to traumatise, time and again, the women at the centre of it all,' Ms Sturgeon wrote. Alex Salmond's widow 'distressed' by Nicola Sturgeon memoir Moira Salmond said the comments had caused her distress. She said: 'Attacks by the living on the dead will seem to many as deeply unfair. My wish, and sincere hope, is that these attacks will now stop.' A family friend told the Sunday Mail: 'Moira is upset and angered by the continued attempts to smear Alex in the book – much of which is ridiculous and inaccurate. 'It has only strengthened her resolve to make sure that the full truth comes out and that Alex's name is cleared.' They added: 'Her case against the Scottish Government is now live, the legal team is in place, the finance in place and this will be going ahead, no question of that. 'Alex may not be here to defend himself but his family are determined to stand up to those who continue to attack him. Moira Salmond is said to be 'determined' to defend the former first minister. Image: PA 'There is an adjustment period ongoing until September where updates can be made by either side to their paperwork, it takes time but the ball is rolling. Anyone who thinks this is just going to go away is wrong.' Friends of the former SNP leader say the stress of the case was a factor in his death. The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
How Scotland's affordable homes budget is bankrolled by buyers
David J Alexander says LBTT figures show the private sector is effectively funding a huge chunk of Scottish housing policy Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Homebuyers, landlords, property investors, and second homeowners should give themselves a round of applause. The latest figures show that these are the people paying property taxes which are now equivalent to the entire affordable housing budget allocated by the Scottish Government. These people – from the first-time buyer to the million-pound property owner – have supplied £714.2m through land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT) over the latest year from August 2024 to July 2025. This total is £110m higher than the previous 12-month period, when £604.2m was raised. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Whether revenue from LBTT is directly transferred to affordable housing is unknown but private buyers are now effectively funding a huge chunk of Scottish housing policy. The land and buildings transaction tax has raised £714.2m over the last 12 months (Picture: John Devlin) Last month recorded the highest ever figure for LBTT of £80.3m: the highest ever monthly charge from the additional dwelling supplement (ADS) paid by landlords, property investors and second home buyers at £28m; as well as the highest ever contribution from ordinary homebuyers with £52.3m. Almost all the residential taxes raised came from properties sold for more than £325,001. The 19,560 transactions above this threshold collected £388.8m, which is 78.9 per cent of the total £493m raised in LBTT (this is the figure for residential sales with the ADS figures removed). This means that the average tax levied per transaction was £19,877. Does anyone really believe that someone buying a property worth £325,001 is 'rich' and able to subsidise the rest of the Scottish economy? Are these really the people in Scotland with the broadest shoulders? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, landlords and property investors, while often vilified by politicians and others as the cause of the current housing emergency, paid £221.3m, which was almost a third of the LBTT total for the last year. This is a clear indication of just how crucial this group is in providing homes and substantial tax funding. David J Alexander is CEO of DJ Alexander Scotland Ltd (Picture: Laurence Winram) But it is questionable whether this is a sustainable, or even sensible, means of raising revenue. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) specifically criticised the policy this year stating that: 'Scotland's increase in the surcharge in land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT) on the purchase of second and rental homes, from 6 per cent to 8 per cent… continued a trend of increases in this 'additional dwelling supplement'', and 'the move makes an already highly economically damaging tax even worse'. It continued: 'It is not yet clear what the Scottish Government's vision for tax policy is – but increases to LBTT are not consistent with any economically sensible strategy.' The IFS, and many private investors, understands that the current LBTT policy is simply political posturing which makes little or no economic sense but plays up to the idea that punishing 'the rich' is the way forward. While these figures indicate just how resilient and lively the Scottish property market remains there needs to be a level playing field with our UK counterparts. We need – as the IFS and others point out – a proper tax strategy in which there is a reasonable explanation of why these taxes are so high and what benefits accrue from them. Regardless of the current market buoyancy there is little doubt that continued higher property and income taxes will start to deter individuals and companies from future investments in Scotland if this situation is not addressed.
