Staffordshire MP urges Reeves to back upgrades to the A50 and A500
Transport organisation Midlands Connect said that upgrades would enhance the current transport links and connectivity. Improvements could create around £12bn in economic growth over the next 60 years, according to its report with Fifty500 Midlands Growth Corridor Commission."The potential here is vast: 39,000 new jobs, 67,000 homes, and a thriving hub for green transport technology," Collier said.He added that the A50 and A500 must become a "true catalyst" for economic growth.
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The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
British racing to go on strike for first time in its history in protest at betting tax rise with ALL meetings cancelled
BRITISH racing is set to go on strike for the first time EVER next month. September 10 events at Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Kempton and Lingfield Park are all set to be scrapped. 1 The Treasury have proposed to up taxes paid by bookies on racig profits from 15 to 21 per cent. According to The Times, the British Horseracing Authority have organised the strike in opposition to the proposal. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
Times
15 hours ago
- Times
British horse racing to go on strike over betting tax rise
British racing will take the unprecedented step of going on strike next month, cancelling all meets for a day in protest at the proposed rise to betting tax. Four events due to be staged on September 10 at Carlisle, Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, and Kempton and Lingfield Park in Surrey are to be scrapped. The first voluntary racing blackout in the sport's modern history is expected to cost the industry about £700,000. The chosen day is just before the start of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster, which prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria attended last year. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is campaigning against the Treasury's proposal to raise the 15 per cent tax paid by bookmakers on profits from racing and other sports bets placed in the UK to 21 per cent — the same level due on online slot and casino games. The sport is heavily dependent on the separate horseracing betting levy of 10 per cent paid by bookmakers on annual gross profits on racing wagers, which amounted to £108 million paid back into the industry in 2024-25. Industry bosses have warned that the government reforms could have catastrophic consequences. Jim Mullen, the chief executive of the Jockey Club, which owns the Kempton and Carlisle racecourses, warned the tax rise would cause 'irreparable damage that threatens a sport the nation is, and should be, proud of'. Industry experts say bookmakers are likely to seek to offset the impact of a tax hike by increasing prices, cutting bonuses and reducing advertising and marketing budgets while further promoting online gaming, which has lower overheads and fixed margins. Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA estimated the proposed 21 per cent tax rate would cause a £330 million loss in revenue to the industry in its first five years and put 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone. The nation's second-largest spectator sport is worth £4.1 billion to the UK economy, supports 85,000 jobs, and is attended by almost five million people a year. • Plan for betting tax will kill racing, warn sport's chiefs Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, has backed a separate plan proposed by the Institute for Public Policy Research to raise some betting taxes, including the duty on online casinos, from 21 per cent to 50 per cent. He said the moves would raise £3.2 billion a year, which could be used to lift welfare restrictions such as the two-child benefits cap. The collective decision to stop racing on September 10 is recognition of what the sport's differing factions regard as an existential threat. Race meetings in Britain usually take place on 363 days a year, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the exceptions. Although meetings have regularly been rescheduled due to adverse weather, and crises such as the equine virus outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic have caused racing to be suspended in the past, this will be the first time in history the sport has decided to strike. The races will be rescheduled but the action, forecast to cost £500,000 in media rights and £200,000 in levy income, is designed to underline to the government the importance of betting revenue to the sport's health. Owners, trainers and jockeys will instead join racing leaders and MPs for a campaign event in Westminster. Mullen said: 'Our sport has come together today, and by cancelling racing fixtures, we hope the government will take a moment to reflect on the harm this tax will cause to a sport in which our country leads in so many ways.' Martin Cruddace, chief executive of Arena Racing Company, which owns Lingfield and Uttoxeter racecourses, described the threat of the tax as 'existential' to the sport. 'Unlike online casino games, British horseracing makes an enormous contribution to society and employment, has vastly different rates of gambling-related harm and is not available every ten seconds, 24 hours a day,' he said. 'We have always been taxed and regulated differently, and it is imperative for our future that we continue to be so. If the government wants Britain to be a world leader in online [casinos] and a world pauper in a sport at the heart of its culture, then tax harmonisation will achieve that aim.' • My audience with Frankel — king of racehorses Brant Dunshea, chief executive of the BHA, said: 'British racing is already in a precarious financial position and research has shown that a tax rise on racing could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs that rely on it in towns and communities across the country. 'We haven't taken this decision lightly but in doing so we are urging the government to rethink this tax proposal to protect the future of our sport which is a cherished part of Britain's heritage and culture. 'Our message to government is clear: axe the racing tax and back British racing.' The Treasury argued in a consultation paper in April that a single duty would 'provide tax certainty and increase simplification for remote gambling'.
Auto Blog
16 hours ago
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2026 Toyota Camry Trim Matchup: Base LE Vs. Flagship XSE
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We've already compared the lower two trims, but how different is the entry-level LE to the top-spec XSE, and is the latter worth its $6,200 price premium? Let's find out. Camry LE Vs. XSE Pricing We'll start by looking at the pricing of the 2026 Toyota Camry. It starts at $29,000 for the base LE and goes all the way up to $36,725 for the XSE AWD. Between these trims, there is the SE ($31,300), Nightshade Edition ($32,300), XLE ($34,000), and XSE ($35,200). All these trims are available with AWD. Even after its 2026 price increase, the base Camry LE is tremendous value, but the range-topping XSE adds a number of desirable amenities, aesthetic upgrades, and tech features. Surprisingly, the driving experience is also markedly improved. Design: Rental Car Vibes Vs. Near-Premium Appeal Toyota Camry LE Toyota Camry XSE Sitting on rather small 16-inch wheels and with white paint (other colors are available), the base Camry LE does look a little plain. The XSE immediately makes a better first impression with its 19-inch wheels, a color-keyed sport mesh front grille, gloss-black air curtains, a black rear spoiler, and a color-keyed rear sport lower diffuser. Bi-LED projector headlights are standard on the LE, while the range-topping XSE gets dual LED headlights, premium LED taillights, and a sportier exhaust with dual chrome tips. Although not visible to the naked eye, acoustic noise-reducing front side glass helps to keep noise levels lower in the XSE. Toyota Camry XSE — Source: Toyota The LE is available with a few more interesting colors than the white pictured above, but only the XSE gets access to a color palette with a black contrast roof. These changes don't necessarily make the XSE a better car, but it looks a lot better than the basic LE. Interior: It's Easy To See Where The Extra Cash Goes Toyota Camry LE Toyota Camry XSE All new Camrys get a smartly designed and practical cabin, but there are substantial differences between the base LE and the range-topping XSE. The LE is the only Camry trim with fabric-trimmed seats and manual adjustment for the driver's seat, whereas the XSE gets genuine leather upholstery, eight-way powered front seats, and standard heated seats. Touchpoints like the steering wheel and shift knob have a leather covering in the XSE. In the XSE, you also get the option of a Cockpit Red interior, a much more expressive look than the LE's black or grey interior colors. Toyota Camry XSE — Source: Toyota Other features you get as standard on the XSE but which are not available for the LE include the following: Aluminum sport pedals Paddle shifters White LED ambient interior lighting 12.3-inch touchscreen 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster The LE has a smaller eight-inch touchscreen and seven-inch digital gauge cluster. On the options list, the LE can't be equipped with features like ventilated front seats, a head-up display, a panoramic glass roof, or the upgraded nine-speaker JBL sound system, all of which are available on the XSE. It's inside where one can most tell the difference between the base Camry and the top-of-the-range model. Safety Equipment Source: Toyota The LE matches the XSE in terms of the standard specification. Both trims come standard with eight airbags, blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian detection, radar-based cruise control, lane departure alert, road sign assist, and more. The main difference exists on the options list. Here, you can upgrade the XSE with advanced features such as traffic jam assist, a surround-view monitor, lane change assist, front/rear parking assistance, and front cross-traffic alert. None of these are available on the XSE. Performance: Same Performance, But LE Is More Efficient Than XSE Both the Camry LE and Camry XSE are equipped with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. It produces 225 horsepower with front-wheel drive or 232 hp with all-wheel drive, so straight-line performance is comparable regardless of whether you go for the base model or the top one. All models have an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. In our review, we found the Camry to be an excellent drive. The powertrain is quiet and the gas engine kicks in more smoothly than before. There is more of a difference between the LE and XSE when the road begins to twist, though, as only the latter gets sport-tuned shocks and springs. 2026 Toyota Camry — Source: Toyota Whereas the LE prioritizes comfort, the XSE remains tolerable on rough roads but exhibits much tauter steering. Turn-in is more responsive and its body stays flatter through corners, so the XSE is the easy pick for more enthusiastic drivers. Due to its lower weight and smaller wheels, the LE is more efficient, though. With FWD, the base trim gets 53/50/51 mpg city/highway/combined, a superb effort for a spacious sedan. AWD drops that to 51/49/50 mpg. In the sportier XSE, expect 48/47/47 mpg with FWD and 44/43/44 mpg with AWD. When both are equipped with FWD, the LE will get an extra 52 miles per tank, which isn't insignificant. Final Thoughts Toyota Camry XSE — Source: Toyota You can easily make a case for the base Camry or its fully loaded sibling. The LE is incredibly efficient, yet has the same outputs as the pricier XSE. Toyota has also done a good job of equipping the LE with all the essential tech features, whereas the nice-to-haves are reserved for the XSE. The range-topping Camry looks and feels like a much more premium product, and even though it has the same power, we were surprised at how much more engaging it was to drive than the LE. Many top-spec trims come across as superfluous, but that's not the case with the Camry XSE. If you can afford the price bump, it's still a bargain when compared to base midsize sedans from luxury brands. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
