Financial news

• The Guardian view on child poverty: free school meals are a help, but not a panacea | Editorial

  08-06-2025 18:30 via theguardian.com
  Giving lunch to more pupils is a good move – but poor nutrition points to deeper problems that ministers must faceIt was Ellen Wilkinson, education minister in the Attlee government, who announced in 1946 that free school dinners would be introduced, along with free school milk, at the same time as child benefit. No doubt Rachel Reeves, who has a picture of Wilkinson on the wall of her office, is aware of this – and also that the Treasury subsequently decided the policy was unaf
  
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• It’s crunch time for Starmer and Reeves: either build social housing or lose the next election | John Harris

  08-06-2025 13:36 via theguardian.com
  As the clock ticks down to this week’s spending review, a lack of secure homes remains a defining issue in the UK. For Labour, the stakes couldn’t be higherI have got used to a scene that has been repeated in wildly different places all over the UK. Close to the centre of a town or city, there will be a construction project, centred on the delivery of brand new apartments. The air will be filled with the loud clanking of machinery; a hastily finished show flat might offer a glimpse o
  
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• From beeswax to baby wipes: how to make your leather last a lifetime

  08-06-2025 11:00 via theguardian.com
  We asked the experts about the best ways to care for, clean and protect your favourite leather clothing, shoes and accessories• From smash-proof cases to updates: how to make your smartphone last longerStrong, beautiful and, if well looked after, endlessly long-lasting: leather has long been a staple of many of our wardrobes. And while there are ethical and environmental reasons to consider not buying new leather, the leather items you already own (or buy secondhand) could well outlast you,
  
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• ‘There are so many rental hacks’: meet the small-space interior influencers

  08-06-2025 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Bold use of colour and wallpaper stuck up with double-sided tape among tricks for tenants as rents surgeThe dance pole bang in the middle of Georgie Webster’s living room is one of its less eye-catching features. The lounge has striking pink and peach walls, a sideboard painted in cubes of purple and orange, and an olive-green sofa, all of which come together to create a kaleidoscope of colour.On paper, it really shouldn’t work, but the 36-year-old artist and interior designer has mo
  
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• ‘Freemen on the land’: YouTube videos tell homeowners they aren’t bound by mortgages

  08-06-2025 09:00 via theguardian.com
  FCA has sounded alarm over growing conspiracy theory that uses arguments dating back to Magna Carta“Freemen on the land” sound like outlaws in a fairytale. But rather than stealing from the rich to give to the poor like Robin Hood, this group tries to convince hard-up borrowers they are not legally bound by their mortgage contract.It may sound far-fetched but the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has sounded the alarm over this conspiracy theory as a small but growing number of homeo
  
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• Cuba or camping trip? New Scouts badge helps teenagers learn to budget

  08-06-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Guardian Money joins those working towards their money skills badge, which also teaches about payday loans and avoiding scamsFrom pocket money through to student loans, the teenage years are when finance transforms from a side issue into one of your biggest concerns. Now those who are members of the Scout Association can learn about personal finance and put their knowledge to use – then get a badge for it.Guardian Money was invited to the Argo group of explorer scouts in Hampstead, London,
  
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