Latest news with #Yes
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle Accused Of Overestimating Prince Harry's Wealth
Many questions have been asked about 's life, but thinking she was marrying up into billions is a new one. The Duchess of Sussex's expectations reportedly fell short when she married into the royal family and discovered her husband, , is a humble millionaire. Meghan Markle's life has been under intense scrutiny since she left the United States to marry the future king's younger sibling in the United Kingdom. Tom Quinn, in his book "Yes, Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants," notes that Meghan was allegedly taken aback when she learned that Prince Harry, despite being the brother of a future king, was not as wealthy as she had anticipated. Despite leaving her flourishing acting career behind to move to the UK, the mother-of-two reportedly faced an unexpected reality. Quinn shared that Meghan had expected Prince Harry to be a billionaire but found out he was worth around £20 million. This revelation prompted her to reassess her assumptions about her new royal family. Furthermore, it was shocking for Meghan to discover that, unlike her ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, who married a multi-millionaire heiress, she would not be residing in grand royal locations like Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. Instead, the couple lived in the modest Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, with no live-in staff to cater to their needs. According to the Daily Mail, Quinn shared that Meghan's net worth was about $5 million when she married the prince. Quinn commented on Meghan's dissatisfaction when she and Harry were expected to live in the modest Nottingham Cottage, which she perceived as a slight against her husband, especially when compared to the accommodations of and . A member of Palace staff suggested that Meghan's troubles began with this small living situation, as she felt it signified how the Royal Family viewed Harry. Meghan's perspective also illuminated Harry's position as the "spare" to William, a realization that seemed to deepen after their marriage. According to an insider, she quickly recognized that Harry was not as central to royal matters as his brother, which sparked a sense of grievance. While Harry had not considered his role as a spare before, Meghan's sensitivity on his behalf led her to believe he was being treated as less important. Prince Harry's 40th birthday last year made him richer by millions when he received an $8.5 million inheritance, a gift arranged by his late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. As noted by the New York Post, this inheritance comes from a $90 million trust fund established for the family, which stipulated that Harry could access his share upon turning 40. Initially, there were concerns that he might need to pay taxes on this inheritance. However, investment experts from Stocklytics have clarified that this inheritance will not be subject to tax due to how the Queen Mother's estate was managed. The firm noted that inheritance tax applied only to trusts established within seven years of an individual's death. Since the Queen Mother's passing in 2002, the trust has remained exempt from inheritance tax. Had the trust been created within that seven-year window, it could have incurred a tax liability of up to $9.7 million for HM Revenue & Customs. As it stands, Harry's inheritance is not expected to be taxed, allowing him to receive the full amount. Following Harry's deafening loss at the court, the couple's finances became public knowledge, which included the debt left behind by the legal proceedings. According to The Mirror, Harry will now have to settle $2 million in legal expenses despite losing the case to reinstate his United Kingdom security detail. After moving to the United States with Meghan, they secured several lucrative contracts, including a $100 million deal with Netflix, which they signed as soon as they stepped back from their royal duties in 2020. Meghan and Harry also acquired a $20 million advance from Penguin Random House for a four-book deal, with one of the books being 'Spare.' The couple expanded their earnings with another $25 million deal with Spotify, which led to the creation of Meghan's Archetypes podcast. Despite their transition away from royal life and the financial obligations associated with their former residence, their net worth has impressively reached around $60 million, alongside their Montecito home, valued at $14 million. In May 2020, Harry and Meghan showed commitment to repaying the taxpayer money spent on refurbishing Frogmore Cottage. They planned to reimburse $3 million over the next decade, remitting approximately $24,000 per month. Harry losing his case came with personal consequences. As noted by The Blast, the younger royal mourned the possibility of his kids never setting foot in the U.K. since their security cannot be guaranteed by the Royal Family. The philanthropist noted that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, before the judgment that nailed the coffin, made the hasty decision of demoting him from a high-risk to a low-risk entity. The Prince's interpretation is that the committee downplayed his safety concerns, thereby making him and his family vulnerable to potential attacks. "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point," Prince Harry explained, adding that his family would miss everything about the country. Did Meghan Markle marry up, or did she give up a possible high Hollywood lifestyle?
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
The lesson for the SNP as new poll puts independence support at 54%
It's strikingly similar to a string of polls a few years ago which claimed there would be a big boost in independence support, in some cases taking the Yes vote into the high 50s, if Britain voted to leave the EU, or if Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, or if the UK government negotiated a hard Brexit rather than a soft Brexit. All of those three events came to pass, and yet the predicted instant effect on Yes support didn't materialise. The reason is that people are generally bad at answering hypothetical questions accurately, and sometimes think a possible future event will have more of an impact on their own political attitudes than actually proves to be the case. It's far more important, then, that the Norstat poll shows that real independence support in the here-and-now stands at a very handsome 54%, a gain of four percentage points since the previous poll in the series. That may well imply that the increasing danger of Farage grabbing the keys to 10 Downing Street has already shifted some voters into the Yes camp. And it's worth remembering that it's perfectly possible for hypothetical questions in polls to underestimate the impact of future events, as well as to overestimate them. It's unlikely that many people in early 1979 would have guessed the full extent of the transformative effect that Margaret Thatcher's premiership was about to have on support for both devolution and independence over the course of 11 years. If Nigel Farage takes office and starts acting in a way that is fundamentally at odds with Scottish values, as Mrs Thatcher did, or if he tries to abolish or neuter the Scottish Parliament, a sea-change in public opinion could be triggered that might take the Yes vote well beyond the predicted 58% mark. READ MORE: Nigel Farage visit to Aberdeen met by anti-racism protesters There's a much more immediate concern about the impact of Farage and Reform UK on Scottish politics, though. The word from the ground in the Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse by-election is that Reform are performing strongly, that they have a good chance of overtaking Labour to finish second, and that they may even have an outside chance of overtaking the SNP to win outright. Because of that consideration, the SNP leadership will have been far more interested in what the Norstat poll shows about party political voting intentions than in what it shows about independence. The large 15-point gap between the SNP and Reform in Holyrood constituency voting intentions will settle the nerves that had been left jangling by a small series of Scottish subsamples from Britain-wide polls, which misleadingly implied that Reform had more or less drawn level. Nevertheless, there's an ongoing frustration that the SNP hold their lead on only 33% of the vote, rather than something approaching the 54% vote for independence itself. It's well known that the biggest reason Labour were able to win a majority of Scottish seats at last year's Westminster General Election was that Yes support had become decoupled from SNP support, and that a great many people were voting Labour while still supporting independence. READ MORE: Scottish Labour councillor defects to Reform UK But Labour's support has collapsed since then, so if those "lost" independence supporters haven't returned to the SNP fold, where have they gone? The answer, according to the Norstat data tables, is that they are now dispersed between several different parties, mostly Unionist parties. Only 56% of those who would vote Yes in any independence referendum held now would also vote SNP on the Holyrood constituency ballot. Some 12% would vote Labour, 10% would vote Conservative, 9% would vote Green, 7% would vote Reform, and 5% would vote Liberal Democrat. It's hard to escape the conclusion that voters are no longer casting their votes with independence at the forefront of their minds, and that there is consequently an opportunity for the SNP to win many of those people back if they can devise a strategy that stresses the urgency of independence and convincingly ties a vote for the SNP to the prospect of Scotland actually becoming an independent country in the relatively near future.
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Alex Salmond: news and interviews on the former first minister
He first joined the party in 1973 and led the SNP into power when they won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007. Alex Salmond, who grew up in Linlithgow, died of a heart attack last year at age 69. Read on for all Alex Salmond news and interviews on the former first minister. Alex Salmond news As reported by The National, here is a selection of the latest Alex Salmond news stories. Alba will build on the strategy left by Alex Salmond Kenny MacAskill beats Ash Regan to be elected Alba leader Shock as Alex Salmond died without leaving a will Alex Salmond as first minister Salmond served as the first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. He helped lead the Yes movement in the 2014 independence referendum and resigned as first minister shortly after the result. His then-deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, succeeded him unopposed. Salmond later formed the pro-independence Alba Party in 2021 and was the party's leader. He has been credited for turning the SNP from the fringes into the mainstream as he led them into power when they won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007. The party subsequently won an unprecedented majority in the election four years later, which paved the way for the referendum on Scottish independence. Alex Salmond death A post-mortem examination confirmed that the former first minister died of a heart attack. Salmond collapsed during a lunch in a crowded room with fellow participants at an event in North Macedonia in October 2024. The day before, he had given a speech at the Cultural Diplomacy Forum in Ohrid and participated in meetings the morning before his death. In a statement, Salmond's family said he was 'a devoted and loving husband, a fiercely loyal brother, a proud and thoughtful uncle and a faithful and trusted friend'. The family's statement said: 'Alex was a formidable politician, an amazing orator, an outstanding intellect and admired throughout the world. 'He loved meeting people and hearing their stories and showed incredible kindness to those who needed it. 'He dedicated his adult life to the cause he believed in – independence for Scotland.' Alex Salmond wife Salmond was married to Moira McGlashan for four decades. The couple did not have any children. Recent reports suggest that he did not leave behind a will. A source close to the family told The Times there is concern about the impact on the late SNP leader's widow, adding: 'There was shock among the family when it became clear that Alex hadn't left a will." Alex Salmond sister Alex Salmond's sister is Gail Hendry, convener of Alba Borders. Gail and her daughter Christina backed Kenny MacAskill to be the leader of the Alba Party. MacAskill served in Salmond's cabinet and defected with him to his new party in 2021. Alex Salmond accusations Alex Salmond was accused of bullying colleagues when he led the Scottish Government in a BBC documentary that aired before his death. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was Salmond's deputy from 2007 to 2014, claimed she 'intervened' to stop Alex Salmond from bullying colleagues 'many times' and that he could be 'really rough on people'. Sturgeon (below) told the Financial Times: 'He would be really rough on people. Many times I intervened to stop him.' (Image: Gettty) Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon fall out The BBC documentary, Salmond And Sturgeon: A Troubled Union, which aired before his death, explored the broken relationship between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond. It featured interviews from both former first ministers, who spoke about the public breakdown of their long-term political partnership. Hitting out at the documentary on X (formerly known as Twitter), Salmond described it as 'venomous bias' against Scottish independence. He said the documentary had 'plumbed new depths' and advised to 'turn it off after the first episode'. Salmond and Sturgeon's friendship began fracturing after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Salmond while in office to both police and the Scottish Government. Sturgeon's government investigated the allegations, which led to a bitter split between them, with Salmond saying he 'seriously doubts' he will ever be on speaking terms with Sturgeon, according to the documentary. Salmond took legal action against the Government for its handling of the investigation into him and accused the Government of a plot against him. He was cleared of the allegations. Sturgeon had said that she mourned her relationship with Salmond after their friendship ended.
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Yes party leaders urged to stand against genocide in Gaza
The non-party affiliated Scottish Independence Convention (SIC) called on Yessers to condemn the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people and 'take every action possible to inhibit those atrocities from continuing'. It comes as at least 31 people were killed and more than 170 wounded while on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials and multiple witnesses. The SIC wrote to Yes party leaders on May 25 to ask them to sign the pledge. Only the Alba party confirmed to The National that they would be signing and supporting the contents of the letter. READ MORE: UK Government response to Israel 'gravely inadequate', 15 human rights groups say The letter calls for pro-independence party leaders to condemn the Gaza genocide in the 'strongest possible terms' and 'commit to sanctioning Israel where possible and to pushing all Scottish business and suppliers to divest from Israeli products'. It also calls for Israel to be banned from taking part in international events such as football championships and Eurovision, as well as divesting Scottish Government and local authority pension schemes to any companies who have links to arming Israel. The letter also asks Yes leadrs to 'commit to doing all within their power to uphold international law and to arresting anyone suspected of war crimes that steps on Scottish soil, support and promote the key organisations and the United Nations offering aid to the Palestinian people; demand that the UK Government do the same, sanction Israel, end any complicity and end all arms trading with Israel without exception'. The SIC calls for the commitments listed to remain in place until a 'permanent treaty for peace is established' and Palestine is 'formally recognised by Israel and the international community as a free and independent nation state'. 'The offer to sign up in acceptance will first be put to all the leaders of the major pro-independence political parties with elected representatives,' the SIC added. READ MORE: Scots minister hits back at Defence Secretary 'student union politics' jibe 'If they ignore or refuse to sign we will put it to the next most senior person in the party and so on, so forth. 'Any political party, party leader, MSP or MP who signs up will be commended for their humanity.' The National understands that First Minister John Swinney was approached to sign the letter. Swinney previously condemned Israel for blocking aid entering Gaza, and said there was a 'need to end the conflict' in discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Alba leader Kenny MacAskill, said: "I confirm the full support and endorsement by Alba Party for your call. A genocide is being perpetrated and we cannot stand idly by. "Independence remains our goal but as you detail that neither precludes comment and indeed humanity dictates its requirements." It comes as witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around 1000 yards from a new aid site run by an Israeli-US-backed foundation. Israel's military said in a statement that its forces did not fire at civilians near or within the site, citing an initial inquiry. Before Sunday, 17 people were killed while trying to reach the sites set up to distribute aid, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry's records department.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Rise of Nigel Farage's Reform UK boosts support for Scottish independence
A new poll puts support for Yes at 54 per cent Sign up to our Politics newsletter 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... Support for Scottish independence has increased amid the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform UK and the unpopularity of Sir Keir Starmer's UK Labour Government. A Norstat survey for The Sunday Times put support for Yes at 54 per cent, which is the joint-highest level recorded by the polling firm in the series. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Asked how they would vote if Mr Farage became prime minister, 58 per cent of Scots said they would back independence. This is close to the 60 per cent tipping point many SNP insiders believe would make opposition to another referendum unsustainable. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage | PA Elsewhere, the poll found support for the SNP has dropped slightly but the party is still on course to win 54 of Holyrood's 129 seats at next year's election, due to the splitting of the unionist vote. Reform would win 18 seats, putting it just behind Labour on 20 and ahead of the Conservatives on 17, according to projections by polling expert Sir John Curtice. The Liberal Democrats would secure 11 MSPs, up from five, and the Greens nine, an increase of two. This would leave a small unionist majority in Holyrood. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Norstat polled 1,007 Scottish residents between May 27 and May 30, with just days to go until the crunch Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, which is expected to demonstrate rising support for Reform in Scotland. Both the SNP and Labour are publicly treating Mr Farage's party as their main rival in the constituency. The Reform leader will visit Scotland tomorrow. Mark Diffley, a pollster from Diffley Partnership, said: "The SNP and wider nationalist movement will be encouraged by the poll's findings of 54 per cent support for independence. 'But what will concern the pro-union parties the most is the finding that the prospect of Nigel Farage as PM would push support for independence close to the symbolically important 60 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The rise of Reform is not only hitting Labour and the Tories at the ballot box but represents an increasing threat to the Union." Sir John said the findings suggest Mr Farage is "not as toxic in the eyes of Scots as many of his rivals believe". He said: "John Swinney is in pole position to remain Scotland's first minister after next year's Holyrood election. But his party is still struggling to recover from its sharp reversal of fortune last year. 'Key to the SNP's lead is the rise of Reform. Nigel Farage's party is now breathing down Labour's neck in the race for second place at Holyrood." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Norstat has previously recorded higher levels of support for independence for other clients, with 56 per cent and 55 per cent recorded in late 2020. However, 54 per cent is the joint highest recorded by the firm in a poll for The Sunday Times. The highest that support for independence has reached in recent years is 58 per cent, in an Ipsos Scotland poll for STV News in the early months of the pandemic, as Nicola Sturgeon received plaudits for her handling of Covid-19. SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown said: "This poll is proof of what we already know: the SNP has momentum and the Labour Party has lost this by-election. "After ten months of failure and broken promises, voters know that the Labour Party can't be trusted, and see Farage's party as the threat that it is.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: 'Scotland has been let down for too long by this tired and out-of-touch SNP government.
