Latest news with #Liz Kendall
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Anger as role at sharia court advertised on site for Government jobs
Outraged MPs demanded action last night as it emerged that a Government jobs site is advertising a role in a sharia court. They insisted that the British state should not be promoting the separate justice system based on Islamic law. And they urged the Department for Work and Pensions to remove the online posting for the £23,500-a-year administrative role. It comes after an investigation found Britain has become the western capital for sharia courts – with up to 85 operating here, offering religious rulings on marriage and divorce even though they are not legally recognised. Independent MP Rupert Lowe wrote in a letter to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall: 'I am writing to express my absolute alarm and disgust that the Department for Work and Pensions "Find a Job" platform is currently advertising for a "Sharia Law Administrator". 'The requirements include a degree in sharia law and experience in sharia courts in Muslim countries. 'The DWP is promoting and facilitating the embedding of a parallel legal system in the United Kingdom. 'Sharia law has no place operating as a recognised legal framework within our country. It is fundamentally incompatible with British law, and our very way of life.' Mr Lowe demanded to know who approved the job posting and urged the department to immediately remove it. Reform's Zia Yusuf also wrote on social media: 'There is only one legal system in the UK. Any attempt to upend or replace it should be illegal.' While party leader Nigel Farage claimed: 'Our country and its values are being destroyed.' And Tory MP Peter Bedford said: 'I would be aghast if a politician signed off allowing recruitment for this type of role. 'I suspect, once again, this is the out-of-control civil service creating and implementing policy contrary to democratic authority. This must stop.' The advert posted on the DWP's Find A Job website on Thursday was for a 'Sharia Law Administrator' at Manchester Community Centre based in Didsbury. It requested an individual to 'provide all admin and secretarial work for Manchester Sharia Council' including to 'plan, manage, organise and oversee all MSC social and sharia services and activities on a day to day basis'. Candidates needed a degree in sharia law along with 'previous working experience in sharia law-related fields and/or sharia courts in Muslim countries'. 'Boundary-setting' was an essential skill, with the ad stating: 'The nature of the work means it is easy to get emotionally involved in certain cases. 'Setting boundaries ensures professional lines are not crossed...' A DWP spokesman said: 'This is a position being advertised on the Find A Job portal by an independent registered charity and is not within DWP. 'Find A Job is a free platform to help jobseekers find vacancies with employers from various sectors.'
Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Times
How DIY investing helped me go from council flat to coastal cottage
When a cabinet minister (in this case Liz Kendall) predicts that 'tomorrow's pensioners will be poorer than today's', it is time to paddle away from what she called the 'tsunami of pensioner poverty' and become a do-it-yourself investor. Relying on the kindness of strangers is a recipe for disappointment, whether they are paternalistic employers or kindly politicians recycling other people's money. So this DIY investor is jolly glad that I began buying shares more than 30 years ago, when, in the 1980s, millions of ordinary people enjoyed making money out of the stock market. Privatisations were priced to go — do you remember, Sid? — and the flotation of financial institutions such as Abbey National and TSB delivered windfall profits that helped to turn small savers into serious shareholders. Since then, shrinking returns from many British businesses and burdensome taxes on investors have crushed dreams of a share-owning democracy. But the SOS message from the work and pensions secretary last week may serve as a wake-up call for millions who are sleepwalking toward a miserable old age. • Will you pay the price for the chancellor's pension shake-up? Let me explain how and why I began investing. Better still, for anyone lucky enough to be in their twenties, as I was when I started on Fleet Street in 1986, I can flag up some pitfalls of the stock market that I learnt the hard way. The first thing this cub financial reporter from Kilburn in northwest London noticed was that the Square Mile is full of ordinary folk receiving extraordinary remuneration. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that: give me overpaid over underpaid any day. But every penny of those City slickers' pay and bonuses has to come out of the pockets of the punters or, more formally, policyholders with life assurance-linked contracts and other old-fashioned investment funds. That's why I decided to start buying shares for myself, gaining a stake in businesses that I liked and shunning rackets that I loathe, such as tobacco. Professionals love to make their work seem complex because it helps to reduce competition and protect high pay. But anyone can see and hear where consumers are spending their money and which companies or countries might be on the way up. • Here's how to get your portfolio ready for battle That's how I stumbled on what turned into my very first ten-bagger — a share whose price went up ten times after I invested. A couple of business trips to the Far East prompted the idea of gaining a stake in Asia's ruthless work ethic, memorably summed up by the line: 'He who does not work shall not eat.' Knowing nothing about the individual businesses, I bought shares in London-listed investment trusts that were focused on China and India. Like other forms of pooled funds — such as unit trusts and exchange traded funds (ETFs) — these enable everyone to diminish the risk inherent in stock markets by diversification, which spreads our money over different companies. Long story short, shares in what was then called Fleming Indian and is now JP Morgan Indian, in which I invested a low four-figure sum at 63p in June 1996 cost £10.70 at close of trade on Friday. Newish fund managers say they intend to begin paying dividend income equal to at least 4 per cent of net asset value (NAV) later this year, which is good news after it has performed relatively poorly in recent years. Less happily, I was an enthusiastic participant in the demutualisation mania of the 1990s, when several building societies floated on the stock market. Not one of those newly formed banks remains an independent institution now and none of the shares issued by Alliance & Leicester, Bradford & Bingley, Halifax or Northern Rock is worth anything today. No wonder they say windfalls don't keep. More positively, that painful experience taught me that there is nothing theoretical about the warning that share prices can fall to zero. It also demonstrated the danger that if you follow the herd, you might end up at the abattoir. As a general rule, if everyone is investing in something, public confidence and share prices are likely to be near their peak, so there probably isn't much money left to be made. That's one reason I intend to continue avoiding cryptocurrencies, the investment craze of today. Another reason is that I prefer to own shares in businesses providing those goods and services where I can see customers paying real money, funding rising capital values and dividend income for investors. For example, watching my wife and her girlfriends enjoying the early days of the gin and tonic trend led me to the life-changing investment that is Fever-Tree Drinks. I paid £2.11 in March 2015 for shares I sold for £36.52 in October 2018, as reported here at those times, to help to buy the coastal cottage on the Isle of Wight where I am sitting now. But the rump of Fever-Tree shares I still own have gone somewhat flat since then. This reminds investors that paper profits are all very well but we haven't really made a penny until we sell. Of course, this DIY investor could have stuck it all in a tracker fund after Richard Branson — as he was then — paid me to write about investing in funds that follow stock market indices 30 years ago. But I don't think aiming to be average would have taken this poor boy from a council flat when Kilburn was still a slum, to where I am today. Times change but the truth about pension planning and stock market investment remains much the same. Buying when confidence and prices are low is more likely to lead to wealth creation than waiting for perfection, and the sooner we start the better. But before you invest anything, consider carefully how you will feel when markets fall. That should reduce the risk of doing something silly, like selling after prices plunge. Investing little and often is safer than a lump sum because regular savings diminish the danger of bad timing or buying heavily before a fall. AJ Bell, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Investor — Britain's biggest online platforms — all accept as little as £25 per month, without any commitment to continue. • Full disclosure: Ian Cowie's shareholdings Tax wrappers, such as Isas and pensions, allow us to place some of our savings beyond the grasp of HM Revenue & Customs. Make the most of both while you can because any imminent tax raids are unlikely to be retrospective. Pension perks or fiscal advantages have certainly become much less generous during the decades I have been benefiting from them. Which reminds me that, long ago at another newspaper, a senior colleague used to smirk about how boring he thought pensions were. To which I replied that they were not nearly as boring as poverty in old age was likely to be. Young investors have one big advantage over wrinkly rivals — time. None of us can opt out of growing older, short of doing something drastic, and the state safety net seems to be sagging lower as more folk fall into it. Sad to say, it might be even worse tomorrow.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
RMT union threatens strikes if Labour raises state pension age
A rail union boss has threatened to launch national strikes if Labour raises the state pension age. Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), warned the Government he would 'lead our movement onto the streets and will not hesitate to protest nationally and take coordinated direct action'. His threat came after Labour opened the door for the statutory retirement age to be raised by announcing a new pensions review on Monday. The move, unveiled by Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, raises the prospect that six million Britons could be forced to delay their retirements. On Thursday, Mr Dempsey warned: 'If this Government makes any move to drastically increase the retirement age, we intend to lead our movement onto the streets and will not hesitate to protest nationally and take coordinated direct action. 'The UK state pension is already one of the worst in the entire developed world which is a direct result of decades of governments transferring both our national and personal wealth to the super rich. 'Any decision to squeeze more out of working people by forcing us to work even longer would be a national disgrace.' Instead of raising the state pension age, Mr Dempsey said the Government should impose a wealth tax on assets of over £2 million. Although the RMT is not formally affiliated to Labour, the union commands a largely public sector membership numbering around 83,000 people. Under current plans, the state pension age is on course to rise to 67 by 2028 and to 68 by 2046. However, raising the retirement age sooner than planned is politically controversial, with previous plans to do so abandoned by Jeremy Hunt, the former Chancellor, amid concerns he would struggle to justify the change. The RMT strike threat comes after Nigel Farage also backed Labour's suggestions that the state pension age must rise. The Reform UK leader said on Tuesday: 'I don't think we can really afford to [wait to the 2040s], to be frank. If there is a sudden economic miracle, then it might change that. But it does not look to be happening any time soon.' Ms Kendall said this week she was 'under no illusions' about the scale of the challenges facing both workers and the public purse as the country ages. 'Many workers are more concerned about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads than saving for a retirement that seems a long way away, and many businesses face huge challenges in keeping profitable and flexible in an increasingly uncertain world,' she said.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Two million pensioners in the UK are currently in poverty
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has warned of a potential 'tsunami of pensioner poverty' without major reform and indicated a possible increase in the state retirement age. The Commons Work and Pensions Committee has urged the government to establish a national strategy to combat pensioner poverty, including setting a minimum income for a dignified retirement. Age UK reports that two million pensioners are currently in poverty, a figure expected to rise, with the committee's report noting a significant increase in pensioner poverty since 2010. MPs are calling for improved take-up of pension credits, as an estimated 700,000 eligible households are missing out on up to £4,000 annually and other vital benefits. The report highlights long-term concerns such as people renting into later life and the strain poverty places on health and social care systems, while the government maintains support for pensioners is a priority.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Minimum level of retirement income needed to prevent surge in pensioner poverty, MPs warn
Ministers should ensure a retired people have a minimum level of income to prevent a surge in pensioner poverty, MPs have warned. It comes after the work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said Britain faced a 'tsunami of pensioner poverty' without major reform to the system as she opened the door to an increase in the state pension age. Age UK has found that two million pensioners are already in poverty, with the number expected to rise. Now MPs on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee say a new national strategy to tackle the problem among older people is needed. They have urged the government to set and deliver a minimum level of retirement income, enough for a "dignified, socially acceptable standard of living" in later life. The report also warns that, as people age, the health and social care systems risk becoming unsustainable if ministers fail to tackle the effect poverty has on ill-health. Among the worrying long-term trends that "threaten to undermine pension adequacy", are people renting into later life, the report adds. It also calls for ministers to ensure those entitled to pensions credits of up to £4,000 a year receive them. Current take up is under 70 per cent, with an estimated 700,000 households missing out. Receiving pension credit can also help older people access other benefits such as housing benefit, council tax support, the warm homes discount, a free TV licence, and help with their dental treatment. The report warns: "After a decline in pensioner poverty in the 2000s, the number of pensioners in relative low income started to rise again from 2010. This has been exacerbated by increases in the cost of living since 2021." It continued: "In practice, this means cutting back on essentials, like food, energy use and seeing friends, in an attempt to manage costs. Health experts explained the implications for health. Financial hardship can accelerate the ageing process, making it more likely that an older person will enter hospital or need care." Debbie Abrahams, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said: "To boost incomes, the government needs to come up with a strategy to increase pension credit take-up. It's a scandal that so many have missed out for so many years, often through an aversion to claiming benefits altogether, or lack of support.' She added: "Ultimately, the government should decide what it thinks is enough for a dignified retirement, and then work to ensure that all pensioners are on at least that level. "Faced with a combination of high energy costs, ill-health and ever higher rates of pensioners in more costly privately rented accommodation, tackling pensioner poverty is not simply a DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) issue. So, we're calling for a nationwide, cross-government strategy for an ageing society that should be rooted in equity and wellbeing." On Tuesday, chancellor Rachel Reeves said that a review into raising the state pension age is needed to ensure the system was "sustainable and affordable". The state pension age is currently 66, but will rise to 67 by 2028. A government spokesperson said: "Supporting pensioners is a top priority, and thanks to our commitment to the triple lock, millions will see their yearly state pension rise by up to £1,900 by the end of this parliament. "We have also run the biggest-ever campaign to boost pension credit take-up, with nearly 60,000 extra pensioner households being awarded the benefit, worth on average around £4,300 a year. "But we know there is a real risk that tomorrow's pensioners will be poorer than today's, which is why we are reviving the Pension Commission, to tackle the barriers that stop too many people from saving." Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "We warmly welcome this thoughtful and wide-ranging select committee report, which comes closer to providing a thorough and progressive strategic overview of the issues facing older people on low incomes and proposing workable solutions than anything successive governments have produced in recent years.'
