Political news

• Budget 2017: Waugh Zone Special

  22-11-2017 23:17
  Philip Hammond’s first autumn Budget was meant to get the country ‘Fit for the Future’. But just three minutes into his speech, the Chancellor himself revealed that in coming years Britannia would be as fit as an ageing smoker with a weight problem. And that’s even before Brexit.Yes, the UK’s vital statistics from the official Office for Budget Responsibility were not just bad, they were very bad. Dragged down by our low productivity, the nation will grow much less
  
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• ‘The Apprentice’: 13 Things We Learnt From Speaking To This Week’s Boardroom Casualties

  22-11-2017 23:02
  Every week, HuffPost UK speak to the ‘Apprentice’ candidate whose time on the show has come to an end, finding out everything from whether they think Lord Sugar was fair to why they messed up in the first place. This week though, Lord Sugar indulged himself with a rarely-seen triple firing, dispatching Andrew Brady, Anisa Topan and Charles Burn from the series in one go, meaning there were three people ready to tell us where it all went wrong. Unsurprisingly, they did not hold back,
  
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• Listen: Key measures in the Autumn budget

  22-11-2017 22:48
  Lucy Warwick-Ching and guests discuss the Budget announcements and what it means for your pocket
  
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• Budget 2017: the UK chancellor has played his bad hand cleverly

  22-11-2017 21:20
  Hammond could do little else in the face of fiscal constraints and grim economic prospects
  
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• Budget 2017: Hammond increases borrowing to fund spending plans

  22-11-2017 21:08
  ‘Pledge of fiscal responsibility ‘ still in place by front-ending borrowing
  
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• The darkening view of UK economic prospects from the OBR

  22-11-2017 21:01
  Fiscal watchdog’s predictions have big implications for UK wages and public finances
  
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• Labour MPs Reveal Alleged Budget Jibe By Tory Whip Who Said Jeremy Corbyn 'Should Be In Care'

  22-11-2017 20:56
  A Tory whip is facing a furious backlash after he allegedly said Jeremy Corbyn ‘should be in care’ during a debate on the budget.Labour MPs lodged formal complaints and branded the jibe - which they say was made by Andrew Griffiths as Corbyn criticised the government’s failure to mention social care in its economic plans - ‘disgraceful’.Sources said the heckler made an “ageist” joke along the lines of “you should be in a care home”,
  
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• Ambitious plans to fix ‘broken housing market’ get mixed response

  22-11-2017 20:55
  Hammond promises extra £15bn in cash but OBR gives housebuilding pledges short shrift
  
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• Ambitious plans to fix ‘broken housing market’

  22-11-2017 20:55
  Hammond promises extra £15bn but OBR gives pledges short shrift
  
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• Budget science boost will need business to deliver

  22-11-2017 20:39
  Britain’s plan for investment in research is reminiscent of the pre-crash era
  
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• Budget 2017: Hammond pledges to fix UK housing market

  22-11-2017 20:18
  Chancellor outlines plans after biggest cuts to growth forecasts since financial crisis
  
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• Budget 2017: Hammond passes up a chance to be radical

  22-11-2017 20:04
  The British chancellor played it safe but could still prove to be his party’s saviour
  
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• Budget 2017: Six things missing from the chancellor’s speech

  22-11-2017 20:01
  Social care, public pay and tuition fees among overlooked issues
  
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• Budget springs capital gains tax on overseas property investors

  22-11-2017 19:44
  Concerns change will reduce appeal of British real estate for foreign buyers
  
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• John McDonnell Follows Corbyn's Fiery Speech With Car-Crash Budget Interview

  22-11-2017 19:43
  The Labour leader won plaudits for a speech which tore into the Tories on everything from Universal Credit to the Paradise Papers.He said: “Our country is marked by growing inequality and injustice.“We were promised a revolutionary Budget. The reality is nothing has changed.“People were looking for help from this Budget, they have been let down.”Tories jeering and howling as Corbyn talks about pensioners and children living in poverty isn't a good look #budget2017
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• Abandoning Mental Health Plan Would Represent 'Catastrophic Betrayal'

  22-11-2017 19:27
  NHS boss Simon Stevens recently warned that without additional money, plans to improve cancer and mental health treatment were in danger. So it felt like there might be cause to celebrate when the Chancellor Philip Hammond announced £10bn capital spending for the NHS in addition to £2.8bn extra for NHS England.But look a little more closely and it’s the same old problem: another Budget, another disappointment for mental health and for the NHS. As Sir Malcolm Grant, chairman of
  
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• Budget 2017: Hammond's Stamp Duty Cut Backfires As Watchdog Warns It Will Push Up House Prices

  22-11-2017 19:20
  Philip Hammond’s Budget bid to woo younger voters with stamp duty cuts unravelled within minutes after the UK’s economic watchdog warned the move would push up house prices.The Chancellor was cheered by Tory MPs as he unveiled a surprise move to scrap stamp duty for first time buyers of homes worth less than £300,000 and Treasury officials claimed it would save a million people an average of £1,600.But the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) demolished the
  
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• Denise Welch Lays Into Piers Morgan Over His Stance On Mental Health Issues

  22-11-2017 19:15
  Denise Welch has reignited her feud with Piers Morgan over his stance on mental health issues.The actress came to blows with the ‘Good Morning Britain’ presenter earlier this year over his response to Will Young’s admission he had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.After Piers claimed the singer was actually had a case of “WNTS - Whiny Needy Twerp Syndrome”, Denise found herself blocked by the star on Twitter when she took him to task on his dangerous
  
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• Treasury's Own Analysis Reveals Budget Will Hit Poorer Households Hardest Long-Term

  22-11-2017 19:12
  Long-term budget decisions made by the government will hit poorer families hardest, analysis reveals.According to the Treasury’s own household impact assessment documents, the impact of changes to tax, welfare and public spending will affect those in the bottom income brackets most significantly, as well as those at the very top, both of which will lose nearly 2% of their net income by 2019/20 - the former through welfare cuts and the latter through tax.Set to benefit most are households w
  
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• Philip Hammond’s economicky reality (joking aside)

  22-11-2017 19:12
  Chancellor succeeded in ratcheting up rhetoric in a UK Budget of little substance
  
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• Five Problems With The Chancellor’s Universal Credit Announcements

  22-11-2017 19:05
  Chancellor Philip Hammond announced some changes to Universal Credit in today’s budget. Firstly, let’s be absolutely honest: these changes do not address the multiple and serious issues with Universal Credit, many of which are designed into the system, and can only be fixed by a root-and-branch reassessment of Universal Credit. The Tories have thus far shown themselves totally resistant to do what is needed on Universal Credit.Secondly, not a single one of these changes would have ha
  
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• Budget 2017: Hammond ramps up spending on Brexit preparations

  22-11-2017 18:48
  Eurosceptic Conservatives welcome move to inject £3bn into UK plans to leave EU
  
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• Philip Hammond's Budget Left Public Services Gasping For Air

  22-11-2017 18:46
  Today Philip Hammond delivered his second budget as Chancellor. The last one was uninspiring, unraveled quickly and showed just how out of touch with modern Britain the Conservative Party is. A few months after that debacle, his party lost its majority and nearly tumbled out of power.In the days and weeks that followed, Hammond and his beleaguered boss Theresa May implied they understood the message the public had sent them. They told us they had changed. They told us things would be different.
  
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• Autumn budget 2017: Hammond announces stamp duty changes and slower growth - as it happened

  22-11-2017 18:44
  Rolling coverage as chancellor Philip Hammond delivers the 2017 autumn budgetCorbyn: Budget is record of failureStamp duty changes will drive up prices!The key pointsProductivity growth slashed
  Fuel duty frozen£3bn more for Brexit 5.44pm GMTIn the spring, around the time Philip Hammond was preparing his first budget, some of those close to him suggested that the March budget was never intended to be that special because he was saving his big, structural changes for the autumn. Since then,
  
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• Budget 2017: Philip Hammond survives to fight another day

  22-11-2017 18:42
  Chancellor avoided any bear traps and managed to crack a few jokes
  
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• Brexit 2017: Philip Hammond survives to fight another day

  22-11-2017 18:42
  Chancellor avoided any bear traps and managed to crack a few jokes
  
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• Budget 2017: ‘Box Office’ Phil does enough to survive — for now

  22-11-2017 18:41
  The chancellor’s enemies will probably lay off him for the rest of the year
  
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• A Budget 2017 Guide For People Who Don't Like Politics

  22-11-2017 18:40
  Autumn Budget day - perhaps no other day in the year is as important yet simultaneously, so insipidly dull.Unfortunately, Chancellor Philip Hammond - not known for his Peter Kay-esque comedic delivery or timing - seemed to think the way to approach it this year was to swiftly pivot between Top Gear gags and news that the British economy is really, really f****d.What resulted was a rollercoaster-ride of emotion in a theme park where all the guests wear grey suits, shout at each other, and al
  
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• Tough On Brexit, Tough On The Causes Of Brexit: The Case For Renewal Of Britain's Towns

  22-11-2017 18:39
  It may seem like a lifetime ago, but it has in fact been just 16 months since Theresa May took office. We knew then, that with Brexit on the horizon, much of her premiership would revolve around the negotiations with the EU. However, few predicted just how all-encompassing the process would become: today, in the halls of power across Westminster the only issue on people’s mind is ‘deal or no deal’.Theresa May’s transformation from ‘strong and stable’ and &lsqu
  
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• Budget 2017: Everyone Is Ripping Matt Hancock For His Baffling Tweet

  22-11-2017 18:39
  It was a Budget where the Conservative Party was looking to present a united front.After a disastrous election and splits over Brexit, the annual financial update was the perfect opportunity for everyone to get their message straight.This was Minister for Digital Matt Hancock’s attempt to put his shoulder to the wheel, complete with party-approved #firforthefuture hashtag. Except many people were confused by what he meant by saying he wanted to ‘halve’ the number. The numb
  
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• Budget 2017: Everyone Is Ripping Matt Hancock For His Baffling Tweet - Including Another Tory MP

  22-11-2017 18:38
  It was a Budget where the Conservative Party was looking to present a united front.After a disastrous election and splits over Brexit, the annual financial update was the perfect opportunity for everyone to get their message straight.This was Minister for Digital Matt Hancock’s attempt to put his shoulder to the wheel, complete with party-approved #firforthefuture hashtag.  Except many people were confused by what he meant by saying he wanted to ‘halve’ the number. Th
  
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• Theresa May Must Demonstrate Her Liberal Credentials With Increased Rights For Transgender People

  22-11-2017 18:37
  One of the key factors in the Conservative Party’s failure to secure a majority in the House of Commons in June’s general election was young people’s decision to overwhelmingly support the Labour Party. This was driven by a number of factors but the Prime Minister’s perceived lurch away from liberal values – advocating a ‘hard Brexit’, tough controls on immigration and scepticism with human rights - was one such factor.To win the votes of more young peop
  
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• Budget 2017 podcast: Fiscal Phil's housing gamble

  22-11-2017 18:34
  Philip Hammond delivered his autumn Budget on Wednesday. Was it enough to placate his Conservative critics?
  
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• Black Friday 2017: Best Amazon Deals On PlayStation 4, Xbox One, TVs And More

  22-11-2017 18:34
  Amazon was responsible for bringing Black Friday to the UK in 2010, so we think it’s fair to say we always have high expectations of what it will eventually deliver.With the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X fighting it out and PS VR now getting involved we’re spoiled when it comes to choosing the best games console.They’re not cheap though, and buying the kit and games needed to get started can make a big dent on your pocket.One of the biggest problems with Black Friday has alw
  
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• All I Want For Christmas Is To Avoid ‘Shopping Fast Lanes’ Like The Plague

  22-11-2017 18:34
  Friday 24 November marks this year’s Black Friday, but of course, you already know that.You know that, because for the past fortnight you’ve been bombarded with advertisements for Black Friday deals that will supposedly provide you and your family with the perfect Christmas. You’ve been told you must “snap up” these deals “before they’re gone”, because acting with caution, or God forbid, slowness, will doom you to certain disaster.There’s an
  
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• Budget 2017: UK renewables raise red flag over ‘green taxes’

  22-11-2017 18:31
  Treasury aims to limit levies used to pay for low-carbon subsidy schemes
  
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• Budget 2017: Tax thresholds to rise in line with inflation

  22-11-2017 18:27
  Chancellor wants families ‘to keep more of the money they earn’
  
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• Budget 2017: How it went down in Lincolnshire

  22-11-2017 18:27
  Regional businessmen enjoy upbeat national vision put forward by Hammond
  
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• Budget 2017: summary and key points

  22-11-2017 18:24
  A guide to the FT’s coverage and analysis
  
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• Try the Budget calculator

  22-11-2017 18:22 via bbc.co.uk
  Will tax changes in the Budget leave you better or worse off in 2018/19?
  
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• Universal credit payment waiting times cut in Budget

  22-11-2017 18:20
  Rollout of benefit system running five years behind schedule
  
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• 12 Style Lessons We Can Learn From Queen Rania Of Jordan

  22-11-2017 18:16
  Her majesty Queen Rania of Jordan is a royal with style in spades.Celebrated for her efforts to bridge the gap between people of all backgrounds and cultures, Queen Rania lends support to causes that benefit the education of girls and children the world over.She is also a regular attendee of galas and formal events and she is often seen gliding from one charitable event to another, impeccably dressed no less.The Duchess of Cambridge effect may be well-known, but royal fans have another
  
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• Budget 2017: 6 Things Hidden Away In Philip Hammond's Budget

  22-11-2017 18:14
  Philip Hammond used his second Budget as Chancellor to try to tackle the housing crisis, soften the impact of the Universal Credit roll-out and make sure enough cash is available to plan for Brexit.But tucked away in his Budget document and the Office For Budget Responsibility’s analysis of the measures were some interesting details.1) We’re all going to have to keep working longer hours It had been assumed that as the economy grew stronger, people could cut back on all those ex
  
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• The Budget's Cruellest Truth Is More Will Be Spent On Brexit Than The NHS

  22-11-2017 18:12
  As much as the Chancellor tried to glam it up, today’s budget was packed full of nasty Brexit-based shocks. The headlines will of course be dominated by the huge slowdown in future economic growth, leaving those mythical Brexit sunlit uplands disappearing over the horizon like a mirage. Over the next half-decade, the UK’s GDP growth is predicted to dip sharply. Before the Brexit referendum, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was predicting 2.1% growth in 2020. Now it says it
  
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• Housing.... and?

  22-11-2017 18:11 via bbc.co.uk
  Chancellor Philip Hammond makes housing a priority in his Budget speech.
  
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• Budget 2017: Minimum wage to rise but miss long-term target

  22-11-2017 18:06
  Pay for over 25s increases to £7.83, ahead of inflation
  
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• Budget 2017: UK to sell RBS stake despite sitting on £26bn loss

  22-11-2017 18:00
  Chancellor Philip Hammond sets out plan to start selling 71% stake in bank by March 2019
  
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• Spreadsheet Phil Fails To Excel

  22-11-2017 17:59
  Has Spreadsheet Phil offered something substantial to younger generations in today's Budget? A quick glance through the policies announced suggests that rather than taking bold steps to rebalance the interests of different generations more fairly, the Chancellor has once again ducked the key issues that are crippling young people - student debt, high housing costs and stagnating wages.The key issue for young people is housing so the abolition of stamp duty for first-time-buyers on properties up
  
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• Lucy And Tiffany Watson Discuss Why They Are Disgusted By Faux Fur Labels That 'Lie'

  22-11-2017 17:55
  Lucy and Tiffany Watson have added their voices to a campaign aiming to educate people on the difference between real and fake fur.Lush Cosmetics has collaborated the Humane Society International UK in response to worrying discoveries that some shoppers have been unwittingly buying real fur from brands who’d mislabelled items faux fur.The Made In Chelsea stars explain how to spot the difference in this helpful video:The animal loving sisters grew up on a farm and are now veg
  
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• Budget 2017: Falling growth will hit poor hardest, says Labour

  22-11-2017 17:55
  Tory package fails to address plight of the hard-pressed, says Corbyn
  
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