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A cabinet minister has blurted out Rishi Sunak’s plan to extend furlough support for workers a day ahead of its announcement in the Budget. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had already been a “public announcement” that the job retention scheme – which provides up to 80 per cent of wages for staff who would otherwise be laid off during the coronavirus pandemic – will be continued.But the chancellor had in fact not committed himself publicly to continuing the scheme, which has already cost £46bn.Mr Kwarteng’s blunder came as former Tory leader William Hague, a close ally of the chancellor, said that taxes will have to go up in the coming years to pay for the cost of coronavirus.Mr Sunak is known to consult regularly with Lord Hague, who was the previous MP for his Richmond seat, and the Tory peer’s comments were seen as foreshadowing the likely announcement in Wednesday’s Budget of a package of tax hikes to be introduced gradually as the economy recovers from the pandemic.Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Hague said: “It pains me to say, after spending much of my life arguing for lower taxes, that we have reached the point where at least some business and personal taxes have to go up.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayMr Sunak faces stiff opposition from Tory backbenchers to increases in taxes on businesses and individuals. But Lord Hague warned that those who opposed some form of tax rises at a time when the UK’s national debt stands at a historic high of £2trn were buying into “dangerous illusions”.Meanwhile, former chancellor Philip Hammond said that public spending will have to be cut as part of the effort to balance the public finances.“I think we have got to get a balance right between restraining public spending and increasing taxes and we’re going to have to do both,” Lord Hammond told Times Radio . “Anybody who says that the challenge can be met only by increases in taxation, or only by cuts in public spending is not being straight with people. “The scale of this problem means that we are going to have to do both.”Mr Kwarteng played down the prospect of immediate large tax increases but said the chancellor had acknowledged the country could not “go on spending money forever”.“For now, what we have to do is support businesses, individuals, families, through what has been an extremely difficult time,” he told BBC Breakfast.“We have got another three years to run in the parliament and the chancellor will be looking to reduce the deficit.“For now, I think the real emphasis is on trying to provide critical support.”He told BBC Radio 4’s Today it was a “fairly good assumption that while lockdown persists there will be additional support”.“I think it is really important that we don’t crush the recovery before it’s happened,” he said.“In order to keep people’s jobs going, in order to keep companies going we need to continue providing support. I think there is every indication that is what the chancellor will do.“My view is that the way to get out of this difficult situation is to grow the economy.”Mr Kwarteng appeared to go too far in setting out Mr Sunak’s plans when he told Today: “I think the chancellor has already indicated that we will be extending furlough.“I think that has been part of a public announcement. I think there will be other measures that we will see tomorrow.”In a round of interviews over the weekend, Mr Sunak hinted strongly that furlough and other business support schemes like rates relief and VAT breaks will be extended in line with Boris Johnson’s 21 June timetable for ending social and economic restrictions. But he stopped short of specific commitments, saying he would not comment on the fate of individual programmes.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish its latest forecasts alongside the Budget on Wednesday – with Boris Johnson expecting a recovery to be “much stronger than many of the pessimists have been saying over the last six months or so”.In its November forecasts the OBR indicated the national debt could reach 105% of gross domestic product in 2020/21, with a record peacetime borrowing of £394 billion.Ahead of Wednesday’s Budget:– It was revealed nearly £410 million will support the badly-hit culture sector.– A £300 million summer sports recovery package will help cricket, tennis and horse racing.– A £150 million fund will help local communities save struggling pubs, sports clubs, theatres and Post Offices.– A £520 million initiative will be announced to support small UK businesses with training and software.– Some £2.8 million will help fund a joint UK and Ireland bid to host the 2030 football World Cup.– The fuel duty freeze is set to continue, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling The Sun: “I firmly believe the economic recovery is going to be powered by White Van Man amongst others.”The Treasury set out details of the funding packages for the beleaguered culture, sport and pub trades which have seen profits and activity knocked since social distancing was introduced at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak last year.Mr Sunak is expected to pump an extra £300 million into the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, as part of the measures.National museums and cultural bodies will also receive £90 million to help keep them afloat until they can open their doors on May 17 at the earliest and £18.8 million will be provided for community cultural projects.An additional £77 million will be given to the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to provide their culture groups with similar backing.Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said that businesses had been “calling for weeks and weeks for certainty around things like the business rates holiday extension” and “clarity” over the furlough scheme.Amid speculation that Mr Sunak could impose tax rises in order to cut them again ahead of the next election, Ms Dodds said the Tories were “focused potentially on party political issues, how quickly they could get any tax changes through, that’s not what’s needed for our economy right now”. 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Furlough support for jobs will be extended in Wednesday’s Budget to keep workers in employment as the economy begins to reopen, chancellor Rishi Sunak has indicated. The job retention scheme – which pays up to 80 per cent of wages for staff who would otherwise be laid off – is due to expire at the end of April, but the chancellor is coming under intense pressure to extend it as many businesses will still be closed at that point.He today signalled that it will continue, along with a raft of other business support measures due to run out at the end of March, including business rates relief, support for the self-employed and VAT breaks for hospitality and tourism.A similar reprieve is also expected for the £20-a-week temporary uplift to Universal Credit, which is currently due to be removed in March.But Mr Sunak indicated that the extensions may only be brief, saying they will be “aligned” with Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown, which runs to 21 June.Trade group UK Hospitality has called for support to continue to the end of the next financial year in April 2022, to help save companies which will need months to get back to break-even and get on top of debts after a year of near-constant closure.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayMr Sunak told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday he wants to “support people and businesses” as the UK emerges from lockdown.Asked if furlough would be extended, he replied: “I said at the beginning of this crisis that I would do whatever it took to protect people, families and businesses through this crisis and I remain completely committed to that.“The PM in the roadmap set out a path for us to recover and reopen and I want to support people and businesses along that path.“I’m not going to comment on specific policies but I want to make sure people realise that we are going to be there to support them and if you look at our track record we went big, we went early and there’s more to come next week.”Mr Sunak said he knew that the UC uplift had “made a difference to people over the past 12 months”, and indicated that he regarded it as part of the wider support package which he is expected to extend in the Budget.“It’s one part of a comprehensive plan that we’ve put in place to protect people, particularly those on low incomes,” he said. More

Foreign office minister James Cleverly has repeatedly refused to say whether MPs will be given a vote on a multi-billion pound cut to the UK’s aid budget after being grilled by senior Tories.The row follows the government’s decision to renege on a manifesto commitment to maintain overseas aid spending at 0.7 per cent of national income, cutting the budget to 0.5 per cent — around £4 billion per year.Ministers have insisted the cut is temporary until the economic crisis recedes, but have given no timeframe for the budget to be restored — leading to concerns the cut will become permanent.Addressing the issue on Tuesday, the former de facto deputy prime minister during Theresa May’s premiership, Damian Green, told Mr Cleverly: “The legislation allows the government to miss the 0.7 target in an emergency but not to plan to miss it for an indefinite number of years ahead.He asked: “Can my right honourable friend give a commitment today that further cuts won’t be made until that necessary legislation promised by ministers to this House to enact this policy has been put to a vote?”However, the minister replied: “The foreign secretary is looking carefully at the requirements of the legislation and I can assure him from this position at the despatch box this government is well able to listen to the mood of the House without the need for legislation on the issue.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayPressed again by the Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall, who also urged the government to bring forward of a vote on the highly-contentious issue, Mr Cleverly added: “The foreign secretary is looking at the legal requirements around this situation.“I can completely understand his passion but I would remind him and the House that we remain one of the largest humanitarian donors to this crisis.”The refusal to guarantee a vote came as Mr Cleverly also faced intense anger from MPs over humanitarian aid support to war-torn Yemen.At a pledging summit on Monday, the UK government said it would earmark at least £87 million in aid for Yemen during 2021 — over 50 per cent down on a promise of £164m made last year and significantly down on the total £214m figure of aid provided throughout 2020.The former Conservative cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell warned the cut in Yemen was a “harbinger of terrible cuts to come” with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) yet to outline where cuts will fall as a result of the overall budget reduction.“The fifth-richest country in the world is cutting support by more than half to one of the poorest countries in the world, and during a global pandemic,” he added.“Every single member of this House was elected just over a year ago on a promise to maintain the 0.7. Aid has been cut already under that formula because our economy has contracted, but the government told this House that they would protect seven strategic priorities including, and I quote, ‘human preparedness and response’.“No-one in this House believes that the foreign secretary wants to do this. It is a harbinger of terrible cuts to come. Everyone in this House knows that the cut to the 0.7 is not a result of tough choices, it is a strategic mistake with deadly consequences. This is not who we are, this is not how global Britain acts.” More

Rishi Sunak’s ‘vain’ Budget promo video mockedRishi Sunak is expected to extend the government’s furlough scheme when he sets out his Budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning the extension is likely to come with “other measures” when Mr Sunak addresses parliament. Mr Kwarteng played down the prospect of immediate large tax increases but said Mr Sunak had acknowledged the country could not “go on spending money forever”.The Labour Party has said it would focus on recovering from the Covid crisis before raising corporation tax at a later date in a bid to boost the public purse.Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is believed to be trying to set up a charity to help pay for a costly makeover of his Downing Street flat, after protesting at the huge bill.The prime minister complained the cost of the refurbishment – carried out by his fiancée Carrie Symonds – was “totally out of control” and running to “tens and tens of thousands”, it was reported. Mr Johnson’s official spokesman did not deny the reports. He told reporters: “Downing Street is a working building, as has been the case under successive administrations, refurbishment and maintenance are made periodically.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayShow latest update
1614696132Pontins blacklist of people with Irish surnames ‘completely unacceptable’, says prime ministerBoris Johnson has denounced as “completely unacceptable” a blacklist of Irish surnames drawn up by Pontins to keep supposedly undesirable guests out of its holiday camps.The list, distributed to the company’s call handlers, said that people with names like Boyle, Delaney, Gallagher, McGinley, McMahon and O’Donnell were “unwelcome” and should not be allowed to book holidays.Political editor Andrew Woodcock has more details: Matt Mathers2 March 2021 14:421614694689Government refuses to say if MPs will be given vote on multi-billion pound aid cutForeign office minister James Cleverly has repeatedly refused to say whether MPs will be given a vote on a multi-billion pound cut to the UK’s aid budget after being grilled by senior Tories.The row comes after the government reneged on a manifesto commitment to maintain overseas aid spending at 0.7 per cent of national income, cutting the budget to 0.5 per cent — around £4 billion per year.Politics correspondent Ashley Cowburn has more details below:Matt Mathers2 March 2021 14:181614692860 Johnson’s ‘charity plan’ to renovate Downing Street ‘abuse of power’, former standards chief warnsBoris Johnson would be abusing his position as prime minister if he set up a charity to help pay for a renovation of Downing Street’s flat, a former standards chief has warned.Reports suggest Mr Johnson is trying to set up a body similar to those used by US presidents to help cover the cost of expensive refurbishments of the White House.It would be funded by wealthy Tory party donors, according to reports.But Sir Alistair Graham, a former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said the alleged plan was “monstrous”, adding that charitable donations are not designed to enhance “living standards for the prime minister and his wife.”He told The Times: “It would seem to me an abuse of his position as prime minister. I cannot believe how it crossed his mind. If there is a need to do certain things in terms of maintenance, that should be paid out of government funds.”Downing Street has not denied the plan, first reported by the Daily Mail.Matt Mathers2 March 2021 13:471614690308No 10 refuses to comment on PM’s plans to redecorate flat via charityBoris Johnson’s official spokesman has refused to comment on reports that the prime minister is considering setting up a charity to pay for the refurbishment of his official flat.It was reported in the Daily Mail that the scheme – based on one used by the White House – could be funded by wealthy Tory benefactors. The paper claimed it followed reports that Mr Johnson had complained the cost of refurbishing the flat over No 11 by his fiancee Carrie Symonds was “out of control”.Speaking on the matter today, the PM’s spokesman said: “Matters concerning any work on Downing Street, including the residences, are covered in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts. That is where we set out the details of what has happened.“Downing Street is a working building, as has been the case under successive administrations, refurbishment and maintenance are made periodically.”Here is deputy political editor Rob Merrick’s report on the claims from earlier:Sam Hancock2 March 2021 13:051614689742PM: Pontins blacklist of people with Irish surnames ‘unacceptable’Boris Johnson has denounced as “completely unacceptable” a blacklist of Irish surnames drawn up by Pontins to keep supposedly undesirable guests out of its holiday camps.The list, distributed to the company’s call handlers, said that people with names like Boyle, Delaney, Gallagher, McGinley, McMahon and O’Donnell were “unwelcome” and should not be allowed to book holidays.An investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that the company had been using the blacklist as part of a policy of refusing bookings by Gypsies and Travellers to its holiday parks.Political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full report:Sam Hancock2 March 2021 12:551614689434Johnson and Sunak want Budget to ‘unleash growth’No 10 has revealed what Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak hope to achieve when the new Budget is announced on Wednesday. “It is a challenging time for the public finances but what they want to be doing is unleashing growth and supporting jobs,” the PM’s press secretary Allegra Stratton told reporters earlier. It comes following reports the chancellor is set to extend furlough support for jobs to keep workers in employment as the economy begins to reopen.The job retention scheme – which pays up to 80 per cent of wages for staff who would otherwise be laid off – is due to expire at the end of April, but Mr Sunak is coming under intense pressure to prolong it as many businesses will still be closed at that point.Sam Hancock2 March 2021 12:501614689087Public trust ‘eroded by ministers flirting with cuts to animal welfare standards’Trust in ministers has “eroded” due to the government’s nonchalant attitude towards diluting food and animal welfare standards in post-Brexit trade deals, an official report is warning.An independent commission – which trade secretary Liz Truss agreed to set up – demands that protections are maintained and calls for them to be enhanced, in the years to come. It also chastises ministers for casting doubt on bans on low-quality products such as chlorinated chicken.“With busy lives, people often don’t have the time to scrutinise what they buy and expect the reassurance that the government has this in hand,” it states.Deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports: Sam Hancock2 March 2021 12:441614688547EU workers may ‘lose right to live in UK after returning home during Covid’Tens of thousands of EU nationals living in the UK could lose their right to remain here after being forced to return to their home countries due to the pandemic, a new report has warned.After as many as 1.3 million foreign workers left the UK last year – the largest exodus since the Second World War – campaigners fear that many may have intended to return to homes and jobs in Britain, but have lost their rights because they felt unable to come back within six months, at a time when Europe was under public health restrictions and travel ground to a virtual halt.Official Home Office guidance states that an absence of more than six months from the UK as a result of the coronavirus outbreak will “not necessarily” affect a claim for “pre-settled status”, but guarantees this only for individuals whose return was delayed because they were personally ill with Covid-19, in quarantine or studying. Political editor Andrew Woodcock has more:Sam Hancock2 March 2021 12:351614688083Mental health minister urged to address ‘record long’ wait timesThe Scottish government has said it will “go further” after new figures showed 1,560 children waited longer than a year for specialist help with mental health problems by the end of 2020.The number of young people waiting 52 weeks or more for an appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is up from 589 at the end of December 2019 – a rise of 164.8 per cent. Campaigners at the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) complained that the figures were the worst on record as it was revealed some 11,166 children and younger people were waiting to be seen by CAMHS in December.Scotland’s mental health minister Clare Haughey said there had been a “significant increase” in performance in the most recent quarter, describing this as “encouraging”.But she added: “We want to go further as long waits are unacceptable.”Public Health Scotland’s latest waiting times report explained that the rise in the number of youngsters experiencing long waits was “potentially due to a combination of school closures, some CYP (children and young people) not having access to a safe/confidential space to engage in digital appointments, or have a desire to wait for an in-person appointment”.But the SCSC, an alliance of organisations working with vulnerable youngsters, branded the latest figures as “deeply troubling”, adding that they “point to a highly challenging environment for both our young people and our mental health services”.“Our mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face having a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people,” a SCSC spokesman. Ms Haughey said a number of actions had been set out to “progress improvement on access to CAMHS and psychological therapies, backed by significant investment”.She continued: “The £120m we have announced for our Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund is the single largest investment in mental health in the history of devolution.“It will prioritise our ongoing work to improve specialist CAMHS services, address long waiting times, and clear waiting list backlogs.Sam Hancock2 March 2021 12:281614686265Furlough to be extended in Budget, Rishi Sunak indicatesFurlough support for jobs will be extended in Wednesday’s Budget to keep workers in employment as the economy begins to reopen, chancellor Rishi Sunak has indicated.The job retention scheme – which pays up to 80 per cent of wages for staff who would otherwise be laid off – is due to expire at the end of April, but the chancellor is coming under intense pressure to extend it as many businesses will still be closed at that point.Political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full report:Matt Mathers2 March 2021 11:57 More

Health officials are closing in on the mystery missing patient with the more virulent Brazilian variant of Covid-19, Matt Hancock says.The search has “narrowed down to 379 households in the south-east”, the health secretary told MPs, adding: “We are contacting each one.”He also said just 0.1 per cent of people who take tests fail to fill in a registration card, after Downing Street was unable to say the extent of the problem.Officials have been hunting for the individual, one of six people infected with the “variant of concern” from Brazil – but the only one who provided no information about themselves.He or she is believed to have completed a home test, or one provided by a local authority, as staff at testing centres check that contact details are submitted.The search had triggered criticism that Boris Johnson is “complacent” about the threat posed by new variants, some of which respond less well to vaccines. Mr Hancock told MPs that, “unfortunately”, the person concerned “didn’t successfully complete the contact details”, but insisted: “Incidents like this are rare and only occur in around 0.1 per cent of tests.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayHe said: “We’ve identified the batch of home test kits in question, our search has narrowed from the whole country down to 379 households in the south-east of England and we’re contacting each one.“We’re grateful that a number of potential cases have come forward following the call that we put out over the weekend.”And he added: “Our current vaccines have not yet been studied against this variant and we’re working to understand what impact it might have.“But we do know that this variant has caused significant challenges in Brazil, so we’re doing all we can to stop the spread of this new variant in the UK, to analyse its effects and to develop an updated vaccine that works on all these variants of concern and protect the progress that we’ve made as a nation.” The arrival of the P1 variant, from Manaus, saw oneleading scientist accuse the prime minister of “complacency”, while  another said people should be “worried” about the added risk.But Mr Johnson brushed off fears of delay to his roadmap for easing the lockdown, which would see international travel allowed after mid-May – if key tests are met.And both Mr Hancock and Public Health England have spoken of their confidence that further infections with the Brazil strain have been prevented. The health secretary also said over-60s were now being invited for vaccinations, saying: “Although the day-to-day figures of supply are lumpy, we have some bumper weeks ahead later this month.“Given that our vaccination programme began 12 weeks ago today, from now we begin in earnest our programme of second vaccinations which ramps up over the month of March.“I can assure the House that we have factored these second jabs into our supply projections and we’re on track to meet our target of offering a vaccine to all priority groups one to nine by April 15 and all adults by the end of July.” More

A stamp duty holiday for home buyers is set to end on 31 March unless Rishi Sunak changes his mind and extends the tax break at his upcoming Budget. That would mean a tax bill for anyone buying a home for between £125,000 and £500,000 from 1 April – purchases which are currently exempt from paying stamp duty. The chancellor will make his taxation and spending plans clear on 3 March in a Budget speech that will be keenly watched by those looking to move home. What do we know about the government’s plans and how will changes to stamp duty affect the cost of buying a flat or a house?What are stamp duty rates and how much does it cost home buyers?Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayUntil 31 March 2021, no stamp duty will be charged on a residential property bought for up to £500,000. This covers the majority of houses and flats in the UK.From £500,001 to £925,000, buyers must pay 5 per cent to the government, rising to 10 per cent on the portion between £925,001 and £1.5m. Above £1.5m, stamp duty is 12 per cent.For example, if you bought a house for £625,000 next month, you would pay nothing on the first £500,000 and then 5 per cent on the remaining £125,000.That works out at £6,250 for the Exchequer.The zero rate under £500,000 was a temporary measure (the “stamp duty holiday”) introduced last July after the number of home sales collapsed because most were prevented during the first lockdown in March and April.Since then, the housing market has boomed with more mortgages approved last year than in 2019, despite the lengthy shutdown.Prices have jumped across much of the country with Nationwide recording a 7.3-per-cent average rise in the year to December 2020. This is well in excess of wage growth and comes despite a severe economic crash and financial hardship for millions of households.Property industry experts say this has been fuelled by the stamp duty cut, low mortgage interest rates and people seeking more outdoor space or another room for home working.There were signs the growth has slowed in the latest figures with annual growth in average sold prices falling to 6.4 per cent in January.What will happen to stamp duty from 1 April 2021?The Scottish government has confirmed that its rates, which differ from the rest of the UK, will revert to levels in place before the pandemic (they can be found here).  Under current plans stamp duty rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will revert to where they were before 8 July 2020:Up to £125,000 – no stamp dutyFrom £125,001 to £250,000 – 2 per cent£250,001 to £925,000 – 5 per cent£925,001 to £1.5m – 10 per centAbove £1.5m – 12 per centAs before, each of the rates only applies to the portion of the value that is within that band. For example, if you buy a house in May 2021 for £275,000 you will pay:Nothing on the first £125,0002 per cent on the next £125,000 = £2,5005 per cent on the final £25,000 – £1,250Total = £3,750First-time buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland do not pay stamp duty on purchases up to £300,000. The changes, if they go ahead, will most affect people buying a property for between £125,000 and £500,000. With the average sale price at £250,000, a lot of buyers will face additional costs. Sales that are not already underway are unlikely to be completed before the deadline.The UK government may change its mind on stamp duty, however.  What other options are there for the stamp duty holiday?Several different approaches are said to be under consideration.The Daily Mail previously reported Conservative Party sources saying that an extension of the stamp duty holiday was being looked at as a way of boosting the UK’s flagging economy.An online petition signed by 140,000 people forced a debate in the Commons earlier in February with some Tory and Labour MPs arguing for an extension.Other reports have suggested the holiday could be phased out rather than ending abruptly on 31 March.On 24 February, The Times reported the holiday would be extended to June.What will Rishi Sunak do about stamp duty?As ever, Sunak has remained tight-lipped about future tax and spend plans. He has avoided answering questions about stamp duty in the House of Commons, saying only that an extension was one of many support measures that would have to be “considered in the round at the Budget”.So we do not yet know what he will do but we can look at the arguments in favour and against keeping the stamp duty cut.The tax cut has caused prices to rise, meaning that the overall cost of a property (purchase price plus stamp duty) may in many cases be approximately the same while the government has been deprived of billions of pounds of revenue. It is possible that re-introduction of the tax will help to cool down an overheated market.A stamp duty holiday also hands a tax break to relatively well-off homeowners when the pandemic has disproportionately hurt lower-income households, particularly private renters.
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Boris Johnson has denounced as “completely unacceptable” a blacklist of Irish surnames drawn up by Pontins to keep supposedly undesirable guests out of its holiday camps.The list, distributed to the company’s call handlers, said that people with names like Boyle, Delaney, Gallagher, McGinley, McMahon and O’Donnell were “unwelcome” and should not be allowed to book holidays. Pontins owner Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited has now signed a legally binding agreement with the EHRC to prevent racial discrimination. Responding to the case, detailed in an EHRC report published today, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “This is completely unacceptable.“No-one in the UK should be discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“It is right that the EHRC and Pontins investigate and address this.”The EHRC said that by declining to provide its services to guests of a certain race or ethnic group, Pontins was “directly discriminating on the basis of race” and had “breached the Equality Act”, which recognises Gypsies and Travellers as distinct racial groups.
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Scotland’s Lord Advocate has rejected “baseless” claims of political interference by the Crown Office into the Alex Salmond inquiry.Mr Salmond has criticised the Crown Office over its “astonishing’ demand his written evidence to the committee probing the Nicola Sturgeon government’s botched handling of harassment claims be redacted.The former SNP leader has also called on Lord Advocate – who is both the head of the Crown Office and a member of the Scottish government – to resign over the saga.However, the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC denied any wrongdoing on Tuesday – telling MSPs the Crown Office had been motivated purely by a desire “to protect the identity of the complainers” at Mr Salmond’s criminal trial.“Any suggestion … that the Crown’s decision-making has at any time been influenced by irrelevant considerations or improper motivations would be wholly without foundation,” Mr Wolffe told the committee. “Insinuation and assertions to the contrary are baseless.”Challenged by Tory MSP Murdo Fraser on claims of a “cover up” made by Mr Salmond’s supporters, Mr Wolffe said: “The Crown [Office] would not be party to any improper conduct … Any suggestion of improper motive or improper behaviour is the most serious slur.”It comes as deputy first minister John Swinney admitted legal advice given to the Scottish government revealed concerns about the unlawful investigation of Mr Salmond.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayAfter agreeing to hand over the “key” legal advice following the threat of a no-confidence vote, the SNP minister claimed there were no documents substantiating Mr Salmond’s claims.The former SNP boss has claimed the Scottish government deliberately delayed conceding the case in the hope a criminal trial would “overtake” his own legal claim against the government.In a letter ahead of the release of the advice, Mr Swinney admitted there had indeed been legal concerns about the unlawful investigation of Mr Salmond – but claimed there were “good public policy grounds” to not concede the case until January 2019. More