Latest news with #Lewisham
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Reeves hits back at spending review critics claiming ‘my choices are Labour choices'
Rachel Reeves has hit back against her critics in Labour in a passionate defence of her economic policy as she fends off a cabinet backlash over her spending review. Labour heavyweights, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have been holding out on agreeing spending settlements with the Treasury, accusing the chancellor of trying to impose 'austerity 2.0' and cuts to public services. Among the issues being fought over are funding for local government finances, social housing budgets, border control, and policing. But in an exclusive article for The Independent about the announcement on extending free school meals to 500,000 more of the poorest pupils, Ms Reeves underlined her record of trying to rebalance the economy in favour of the less well off. The chancellor has leaned on her own childhood experience growing up in Lewisham during the Margaret Thatcher years, where she recalls school lessons in prefab huts, which she said sparked a 'sense of injustice'. Ms Reeves has previously spoken of the "tough choices" she has been forced to make because of the inheritance she had from the Tories. But she emphasised in her piece how she has found money for free school meals and - at a time when she is under fire for making £5bn in disability benefit cuts - and had also found the cash for above-inflation increases to universal credit from 2026. She said: 'These are our choices. They are Labour's choices. And they are the right choices. It is about breaking down barriers to opportunity, driving better behaviour, attainment and wellbeing in our schools. It's about putting more money – nearly £500 a year – back into the pockets of working parents every year. And it is about helping those who need it the most, so every child has the best start in life.' The chancellor has often been accused of being cold and out of touch by her critics, with complaints over some of the choices she has made since coming to office. She is currently looking for the estimated £5bn needed to reverse her cuts to winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and end the two-child benefit cap. The toughest fight she is facing is with Ms Rayner's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) where the deputy prime minister is fiercely resisting the tightening of funds for councils and cuts to the housing budget. But Ms Reeves has looked to her own background as the daughter of primary school teachers in south east London to explain her own philosophy as she approaches her announcement next week. She said: 'Like most people, my politics were shaped by my upbringing. I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s under Margaret Thatcher and John Major's governments. I saw firsthand the impact of underinvestment in our country's state schools. 'My sixth form was housed in a couple of prefab huts in the playground. The library, meant to be a sanctuary of learning, was turned into a classroom simply because there were more students than space. 'I felt then, as I do now, that successive Conservative governments did not care about schools like mine, communities like mine, or the kids I grew up with. She went on: 'That sense of injustice is why I joined the Labour Party. I wanted to do something about it. I want to tackle some of the burning injustices within our society. I wanted to give every child, whatever their backgrounds, the same opportunities to thrive. 'It is the same motivation that drives me today as chancellor of the Exchequer.' She highlighted how she had brought in leftwing policies to close the gap between the wealthy and ordinary people in the UK. 'I ended the tax loophole which exempts private schools from VAT and business rates so we could put more money into our state schools,' she said. 'I put the money aside to begin rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school to put more pounds in parents' pockets and to give children the best start in life. And it is why we have announced today that from next year we are giving every child with a parent in receipt of Universal Credit free school meals.' She added: 'Britain's renewal is about people. It is about the next generation. By investing in our children, we are investing in the future of our country, making sure that every young person can fulfil their potential, and that Britain can thrive. This is the promise of change. This is the promise we are delivering.' The intervention comes as Ms Reeves and her team in the Treasury brace themselves for criticism over expected cuts in her spending review, which sets out government finances for the coming years, next week. Already, senior Labour figures have privately attacked her for sticking to her election manifesto pledges not to raise income tax, VAT or employee contributions to national insurance. One senior source said this would mean 'there will be a lot of cuts' and the party will be forced 'to ditch many of its manifesto spending pledges.' Several Labour MPs backed by trade unions are now openly pushing for so-called wealth taxes, with a leaked memo revealing that Ms Rayner had led the charge. The deputy prime minister called for eight wealth taxes in what is seen as 'a progressive alternative' to Ms Reeves' 'austerity'. This included increasing dividend tax rates for higher earners and targeting property traders who use corporate structures to avoid stamp duty.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
The rise and downfall of 90s glamour models after the lads' mag industry went bust – from Katie Price to Kelly Brook
THESE days, you can find and even chat to with hotties on Instagram and the notorious subscription site OnlyFans. However, long before social media had become such an integral part of our daily lives, you'd find heaps of admirers legging to their local corner shop - where they'd snap up a glossy lads' magazine. 20 From FHM to Loaded, to Nuts and Zoo, the options were practically endless, filled with after page of sexy and busty bombshells. Then arrived the 2000s. The global internet boon and changing views on glamour modelling hit the industry hard, leaving many faces - once plastered across bedroom walls all over the country - hunting for fresh gigs. From homelessness and post-natal depression to a 26-year age gap marriage, here's where the 90s glamour models are now, decades after their racy stints. Keeley Hazell 20 Hailing from Lewisham, in southeast London, and born to a dinner lady mum and window-fitter dad, Keeley was skyrocketed to fame when she won the Daily Star's Search for a Beach Babe contest aged just 17. The young beauty quickly won hearts with her playful attitude and comments, such as: "If I'm swimming in a pool and my bikini pops off, I'm not bothered – I'll just carry on.'' The Londoner soon became a fan favourite, landing gigs with Loaded, Nuts, Zoo, and FHM, which dubbed her Kentish melon farmer. At the peak of her career, Keeley was living out her wildest dreams, '' travelling all the time'' ''I was earning a lot of money. At the time you don't realise and I look back and think 'that was crazy','' said the former Page 3 girl who turned 38 last September. Keeley once topped the list as the glamour model with more racy snaps than anyone else - but she hung up her bikini in 2009 when her earnings plummeted from a whopping £30,000 a shoot to a measly £1,000 due to dipping magazine sales. Keeley then invested in acting lessons in Los Angeles, going on to appear in the acclaimed 2011's Like Crazy, British gangster flick St George's Da,y and the Hollywood hit Horrible Bosses 2. On the set of Horrible Bosses, Keeley met fellow actor Jason Sudeikis, who was dating actress and director Olivia Wilde at the time. Then, in 2020, she began starring in Ted Lasso, a sports comedy-drama, staying in the role until the show's finale three years later and even co-writing an episode. 20 20 20 Keeley was reunited with her Horrible Bosses co-star, Jason, 49, as he played Ted, and the two were briefly dating from 2021 to 2022. On Keeley's Instagram, her bio pokes fun at her previous career, reading: ''Livin' my breast life''. Her debut memoir, Everyone's Seen My T**s, will be released on August 26, 2025. Gail Porter Gail, from Edinburgh, Scotland, initially made a name for herself after she hosted Fully Booked and Top of the Pops. The Scottish TV personality soon expanded her career to become a favourite of the lads' mags in the late 1990s and even had her naked rear projected onto the Houses of Parliament to promote FHM magazine's 100 sexiest women poll in 1999. The glamour model tied the knot with Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave in 2001 and welcomed daughter Honey a year later. But life outside the glossy magazines was different - Gail was privately battling post-natal depression and after her marriage ended in 2005, she was also hit with alopecia and lost all her hair. "It was absolutely terrifying, I didn't know what was going on," she later bravely recounted. "We didn't have any therapy, we just sat there. People were crying and acting quite strangely, obviously. ''I was drugged up to my eyeballs and found it all very distressing." Then in 2017, Gail, who is now 54, faced the darkest time of her life when she declared bankruptcy and found herself homeless, resorting to sleeping on a park bench in Hampstead Heath. "Those were the scariest nights of my life. There were lots of terrifying noises. I had no idea what they were. ''I was freezing and I didn't know who was coming for me," she previously shared with The Sun. Back in 2017, the Scot exclusively told The Sun how she was left homeless for a year - and lived off Marmite on toast. She was declared "bankrupt" during that year and lived off £200 a month - and credited being left penniless to her alopecia battle. "Losing my hair was a big thing. I was OK with it and people around me would say it was fine but people stopped booking me for TV work," she explained. "The jobs that were coming so freely during the nineties weren't there for me any more. By then I was renting a place and my savings started to dribble away. In 2015, Gail agreed to appear on Celebrity Big Brother in an attempt to solve her cash woes. Yet she has now turned a corner and claimed she is "no longer ashamed" of her body following a life-changing breast reduction. Now back on track, in 2024 we reported how she "loved being blonde again" after donning a wig for the very first time. Abi Titmuss Abi Titmuss shot to fame in the noughties as John Leslie's girlfriend, appearing in a threesome sex tape with the disgraced ex-Blue Peter host, before going on to start a new life in the US. The ex-lads' mag favourite, now 49, first came to the public's attention when the then-nurse was pictured alongside Leslie as he attended court in 2003, when a sexual assault case against him collapsed. At a time when lads' mags were flying off the shelves, she famously ranked seventh by FHM in their 2005 list of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World. After causing headlines while leaving court with John, Abi went on to feature on the front page of various lads' magazines - including Nuts, Loaded and FHM. She told Femail back in 2012: ''I didn't think I deserved the attention, so the more money I earned, the worse I felt. ''I could make £30,000 for a shoot but I knew how third-rate I was. I could feel my lack of discernible talent as though I was wearing it.'' She later told the publication: ''Suddenly I was being offered a lot of money to do shoots. I thought I could handle it. But I couldn't. ''They created this caricature of a person that I didn't recognise. I was always the same Abigail inside. ''I studied Latin at school, I'm from a good family. But the image that was created was nonsense.'' Abi left her pin-up career behind in the mid-noughties to study the craft of acting at the renowned Central School of Speech and Drama, subsequently bagging a role on BBC's Casualty in 2012. Her next big leap took her stateside, landing the role of Nurse Jackie in hit soap Days of Our Lives, where she found love with Ari Welkom. In a January 2015 revelation on Loose Women, Abi declared she had rebranded herself as Abigail Evelyn, stepping away from her former glamour modelling past. Two years later, in May 2017, she tied the know with Ari while she was 21 weeks pregnant with their first child. "I met Ari when I was 38 and got pregnant naturally at 40," Abi told to the Loose Women panel. Kelly Brook 20 20 With envious curves, it's no wonder that Kelly Brook was once crowned FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World. Having burst onto the glamour scene in 1997, Kelly soon became adored by readers as a Page 3 icon, and graced FHM's Sexiest countdown with her presence annually until its closure in 2015. Now aged 45, Kelly had a tragic stint presenting the Big Breakfast in 1999 before quitting just a few months later, amid claims she stumbled over the pronunciation of bigger words. Kelly bounced back, hosting Celebrity Love Island in the early 2000s and getting engaged to 90s heartthrob Billy Zane. Their engagement came to an end and the pair eventually parted ways in 2008. 20 Unfortunately, Kelly faced more heartache when, in 2011, she experienced devastating loss – a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy with then-boyfriend, rugby ace Thom Evans, followed by yet another later that same year. Their relationship couldn't weather the storm, with the rugby legend relocating to Los Angeles for his modelling gig soon after. "When I brought up the subject of marriage and children, the colour drained from his face," Kelly revealed in her autobiography. She claimed: "He wanted to focus on his 'new life' in LA - a wife and children would slow him down. He didn't want to be in a relationship anymore. It was obvious." Nowadays, she lives in Kent alongside her model hubby Jeremy Parisi, 39 and hosted the drive time show on Heart London. Leilani Dowding Leilani Dowding didn't have just stunning looks - the brainy beauty studied economics at the University of London and claimed the title of Miss Great Britain before becoming a hit on lads' mags. However, she ditched it all for a life in Los Angeles in the mid-noughties, where she later married Raquel Welch's ex-husband, restaurant mogul Richie Palmer. Despite the love they shared, they struggled with the 26-year age gap - which ultimately led to divorce due to conflicting views on starting a family. Speaking out against accusations of being a gold digger on VH1's Tough Love Miami, Leilani hit back: "I was the one who wanted to get divorced from my ex. ''He just assumed I would want something from it and offered me a huge settlement. ''Because it was my choice, I didn't ask for anything." Tackling assumptions, she went on: "Because he is a lot older, people assume that yes, I was a gold digger. My ex husband was amazing and such a gentlemen. 20 "But he didn't want kids and I did. That is why we didn't work out. We are still friends and if he ever thought I was just out for money, he would probably never speak to me again." Leilani, now 45, joined The Real Housewives of Cheshire in series nine following the departure of original Housewife, Lauren Simon. But after just one series, Leilani confirmed she would be departing the popular show. Katie Price 20 Perhaps Katie Price wouldn't be the household name she is now if it hadn't been for her pal who suggested Katie to have professional snaps taken of her. The photos were then sent to a modelling agency in London and in 1996 we were introduced to Jordan, her pseudonym, on Page 3 - and the rest is history. As Jordan, Price was famed for her surgically enhanced breasts, after first increasing her natural 32B to a 32FF when she was just 20. Katie also regularly appeared in the Daily Star, FHM, the British edition of Playboy, Nuts, Maxim, Loaded, Vogue and Esquire and also more bizarrely, attempted to have a career in politics. When Katie ran as a candidate in Stretford and Urmston during the 2001 UK general election, the pin-up received a measly 713 votes - or a shocking 1.8% of the votes cast. Since then, Katie - who's had almost 20 boob jobs - has also appeared on TV screens in shows such as Footballers' Wives and I'm a Celebrity where she met Aussie pop star Peter Andre. 20 20 The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying the Mysterious Girl hitmaker in 2005, before they eventually divorced in 2009 after having two kids, Junior and Princess. Katie's love life has been just as exciting as her career - fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid that lasted almost two years. The Page 3 legend and former Loose Women panellist has also briefly dated model Danny Cipriani and got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They had two kids together, Jett and Bunny, before their break-up and divorce. Between 2018 ans 2019, Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. The pair split for good in 2019. Following a brief stunt with Charles Drury, car salesman Carl Woods took a shining to Katie in 2020. Their tremulous relationship was up and down for three years. They broke for a final time in 2023. As of now, the mum-of-five is in a relationship with Married At First Sight star, JJ Slater, 32. Katie Price's Surgery: A Timeline 1998 - Katie underwent her first breast augmentation taking her from a natural B cup to a C cup. She also had her first liposuction 1999 - Katie had two more boob jobs in the same year, one taking her from a C cup to a D cup, and then up to an F cup 2006 - Katie went under the knife to take her breasts up to a G cup 2007 - Katie had a rhinoplasty and veneers on her teeth 2008 - Katie stunned fans by reducing her breasts from an F cup to a C cup 2011 - Going back to an F cup, Katie also underwent body-contouring treatment and cheek and lip fillers 2014/5 - Following a nasty infection, Katie had her breast implants removed 2016 - Opting for bigger breasts yet again, Katie had another set of implants, along with implants, Botox and lip fillers 2017 - After a disastrous 'threading' facelift, Katie also had her veneers replaced. She also had her eighth boob job taking her to a GG cup 2018 - Katie went under the knife yet again for a facelift 2019 - After jetting to Turkey, Katie had a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift and a tummy tuck 2020 - Katie has her 12th boob job in Belgium to correct botched surgery and a new set of veneers 2021 - In a complete body overhaul, she opts for eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, fat injected into her bum and full body liposuction 2022 - Katie undergoes another brow and eye lift-and undergoes 'biggest ever' boob job in Belgium, her 16th in total 2023 - Opting for a second rhinoplasty, Katie also gets a lip lift at the same time as well as new lip filler throughout the year 2024 - Katie has her 17th boob job in Brussels after revealing she wanted to downsize. She performed at Dublin Pride just days later and surgeons warned the lack of recovery posed a risk of infection Back in March this year, Katie was discharged from her second bankruptcy - and has now vowed to claw back her lost £100million fortune. It brings to an end six years of financial hell for the 46-year-old model, and she has now been discharged from her second bankruptcy, relating to an unpaid tax bill of over £750,000. The star thanked fans for their support following a Zoom call with her lawyer, telling The Sun: "I'm so happy. "I can finally move on and put these bankruptcies behind me and now only focus on the positive. 'Thank you to everyone that has supported me through this process." Once reported to have made £20million from her books, Katie has now unveiled plans to make £500MILLION in the next three years, and turn her financial situation around. She declared: "New year's resolution, if that's the right word, is I want to make about 500 million in about three years."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
All those who support Bakerloo Line extension through Lewisham and Bromley
New independent research has shown overwhelming support for the Bakerloo Line upgrade and extension. The findings reveal that 76 per cent of residents and 89 per cent of businesses along Transport for London's (TfL) proposed route, from Harrow to Bromley, are in favour of the project. Only one per cent of residents and two per cent of businesses oppose the plans. The proposed upgrade and extension of the Bakerloo Line is an infrastructure project that aims to boost London's connectivity, unlocking homes, jobs, and economic growth. The research, conducted by Survation and Norstat, surveyed more than 2,000 residents and businesses from London boroughs along the proposed route. The findings show that 78 per cent of Southwark residents and 90 per cent of businesses, 79 per cent of Lewisham residents and 84 per cent of businesses, and 69 per cent of Bromley residents and 89 per cent of businesses support the proposals. The project aims to break down long-standing transport and economic barriers, as parts of Southwark and the entirety of Lewisham and Bromley are currently excluded from the London Underground network. The research shows that 57 per cent of residents believe the upgrade and extension would improve their ability to travel to work, and 45 per cent say it would unlock new employment opportunities. Mayor of Lewisham, Brenda Dacres, said: "For too long, parts of Lewisham have been cut off from the Tube network, but the Bakerloo Line Extension changes that. "This project has huge support from our community because it means better access to jobs, easier commutes, and real opportunities for local residents and businesses." Councillor Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark, added: "The Bakerloo Line Upgrade and Extension is vital to deliver the growth our country needs. "It would bring a £1.5bn per year boost to our national economy, supporting over 150,000 jobs across Britain." The project could also stimulate growth for businesses, with 63 per cent of businesses stating it could enable their business to grow, and more than half agreeing it could lead them to expand in the future. The project also has the potential to contribute to the UK's journey to net zero, with 45 per cent of residents saying they would consider leaving their car at home for more journeys as a result of the new and improved line. Professor Frances Corner, OBE, of Goldsmiths, University of London, said: "The proposed extension of the Bakerloo Line through Lewisham represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock jobs, growth and educational opportunity in our borough." James Glancey, founder and CEO of James Glancey Design in Southwark, added: "We are hugely in favour of the Bakerloo Line Extension. "We have a team of 60 full-time and a station close to Ilderton Road will connect us with other parts of London and make it easier for the team to get in and out of work. "I can't tell you how much it will improve the neighbourhood and make this part of London function in a vastly improved way."
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police searching for 17-year-old girl missing from Lewisham
Police are searching for a 17-year-old missing from Lewisham. Lewisham MPS announced that 17-year-old Dajana is missing. Dajana is described as five feet five, slim, with a nose piercing. Anybody who sees here is urged to call 101 or 99 and quote 01/7440518/25. #MISSING | 17 year old Dajana is missing from #Lewisham. Described as 5FT 5, Slim build, nose piercing. If you see her, please call 101 or 999 quoting 01/7440518/25 #missingperson — Lewisham MPS (@MPSLewisham) May 21, 2025 In their statement on X, Lewisham MPS posted: '#MISSING | 17 year old Dajana is missing from #Lewisham. 'Described as 5FT 5, Slim build, nose piercing. 'If you see her, please call 101 or 999 quoting 01/7440518/25 #missingperson.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
If you have one of these surnames you could inherit a fortune in Lewisham
You could inherit a fortune from an unclaimed estate in Lewisham. When someone dies without a will and no known next of kin, their estate is passed to the Crown. But if you're a relative - even a distant one - you may be eligible to claim it. There's usually a 12-year window to make a claim from the date the estate is taken over. Below, you'll find the names, birthplaces, marital status, and death locations of people from Lewisham whose estates remain unclaimed. You might be entitled to a share of their property. Type your name below to find out if you're connected to one of these estates. The government allows claims on unclaimed estates for up to 30 years after a person's death, even if the estate dates back to before 1997. However, if you claim more than 12 years after the estate was taken over by the Crown, no interest will be paid on the money. The list of unclaimed estates is updated daily on the Government's website. If someone dies without a valid will, their estate goes to their next of kin in a strict order of priority: Spouse or civil partner Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren Parents Full siblings, then their children (nieces and nephews) Half-siblings, then their children Grandparents Uncles and aunts, then their children (first cousins) Half-uncles and aunts, then their children If you're a first cousin, you can only inherit if there are no closer relatives, such as nieces or nephews. You could be next in line without even realising. Just check the list to see if you're connected to any of these estates.
