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      Landlords warn they could increase rents in response to Labour’s renters’ rights bill

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentLandlords have warned they may raise rents as a result of Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill, which is aimed at giving tenants more power when renting.The proposals could include legislation to allow tenants to walk away from deals just two months after moving in, as well as introducing a ban on so-called no-fault evictions in the coming week.Previously, tenants generally had to wait for six months before they could leave a rental agreement. The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), which represents over 110,000 landlords, warned that, if the policy is introduced, it could lead to an increase in rent prices particularly in city centres and tourist hotspots.It said its members are considering adjusting prices to mitigate the risk to incomes posed by added flexibility for renters.Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said renters have been let down for ‘too long’ (Chris Furlong/PA) More

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      Economy flatlines as UK sees no growth for second month in a row

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentThe UK’s economy saw a second month of stagnation in July, also recording no growth in June, the Office for National Statistics has said.Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the measure of the value of goods and services, is shown to have flatlined for the month. The figures are the first for the period since Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour power after the 4 July general election.Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight.“Two quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for fourteen years of stagnation.“That is why we are taking the long-term decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy.”Economists had been expecting GDP to edge up by 0.1 per cent in July, according to a consensus provided by Pantheon Macroeconomics.The latest data comes after the economy continued its recovery from recession at the end of last year, with growth of 0.6 percent between April and June.The ONS’s data showed that the services sector increased by 0.1 per cent in July but by 0.6 per cent across the three months to July.The accommodation and food and beverages category ticked up by 0.9 per cent, with accommodation, including hotels, the biggest contributor with 2.2% growth recorded during the month.ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: “The economy recorded no growth for the second month running, though longer term strength in the services sector meant there was growth over the last three months as a whole.“July’s monthly services growth was led by computer programmers and health, which recovered from strike action in June. These gains were partially offset by falls for advertising companies, architects and engineers.“Manufacturing fell, overall, with a particularly poor month for car and machinery firms, while construction also declined.”Rob Wood, chief UK economist for Pantheon Macroeconomics, said GDP was “dragged down by erratic sectors” and that he is expecting a “substantial rebound” in economic growth in August, as manufacturing and construction recover.He also said consumer spending could “keep rising as the prospect of interest rate cuts and a more political and a more stable political and economic environment allow households to lower their saving rate” during the second half of 2024. More

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      Sweden gets a new foreign minister after Billström’s shock departure last week

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House Correspondent A new foreign minister was named in Sweden on Tuesday, nearly a week after the post was vacated in a surprise resignation.The move to appoint Maria Malmer Stenegard, 43, came after Tobias Billström said on Sept. 4 that he was leaving the government in a shock departure. Malmer Stenegard had previously been migration minister.Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also made other changes to his center-right government as part of a Cabinet shakeup.Johan Forssell, who was development minister, takes up the migration portfolio vacated by Malmer Stenegard. Benjamin Dousa replaces Forssell as development minister.The Swedish government leader also tapped Jessica Rosencrantz as the new European Union affairs minister. She replaces Jessika Roswall, who was nominated as Sweden’s new EU commissioner in July.All are members of Kristersson’s conservative Moderates party. Finally, two Liberal ministers swapped roles: Johan Pehrson became education and research minister, while Mats Persson became minister for employment and integration. In October 2022, Kristersson formed a center-right, minority Cabinet with his own Moderates, the Liberals and the Christian Democrats. It was relying on Sweden Democrats, the populist party with far-right roots that supports the government but isn’t a part of it.Kristersson’s announcement was made as Swedish lawmakers returned to the Riksdagen, Sweden’s 349-seat parliament, after the summer recess.Billström, who steered the Scandinavian country along a sometimes bumpy road to NATO membership and is a strong supporter of Ukraine, said that he was resigning and that he hadn’t decided what to do in the future. More

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      Labour gives renters the right to have pets as it ends no-fault evictions

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentLabour will give renters the right to have pets and end no-fault evictions as it revives a package of rental reforms abandoned by the Tories.In a major overhaul of renters rights to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday, the government has vowed to “clean up the mess” in the rental market left behind by the Conservatives.Sir Keir Starmer’s party will abolish Section 21 so-called no-fault evictions, under which tenants can be removed from rented housing when a fixed-term tenancy ends or during a rolling tenancy.Angela Rayner said renters have been let down for too long as the government published plans to ban no-fault evictions More

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      Keir Starmer stares down Labour MPs’ revolt over winter fuel payments as rebellion fizzles out

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer has won his first major political test as prime minister, seeing off a major rebellion over his government’s plans to cut winter fuel payments to 10 million pensioners.On a day when the prime minister defended making tough decisions and rejected the “snake oil of easy answers” in his speech to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton, he stared down a threat of mutiny from his own backbenchers.Despite criticism at the TUC of his “austerity” policies, Sir Keir said he made no apologies for doing what was needed to fix the country.Just one Labour MP voted against the cut, while another 53 abstained. However, only 12 of those did not have permission to be away from parliament on other business.Keir Starmer faced the biggest rebellion of his time as prime minister More

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      Antony Blinken hails UK Brexit reset as he and Lammy unite to condemn Iran

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentUS secretary of state Antony Blinken gave the strongest indication yet that the Labour government’s attempts to heal the relationship with the EU in the wake of Brexit have significantly improved relations between Washington and London.With Sir Keir Starmer set to fly to Washington DC this week to meet up with US president Joe Biden, there had been concerns that the so-called “special relationship” may have been cooled by David Lammy’s announcement that he was suspending 30 arms export licences to Israel.However, the two men insisted that they are working hand in hand, and united to condemn Iran after it was revealed that the country has been sending ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine. Sources have suggested that Tehran is receiving nuclear technology in exchange. Mr Blinken said that the US would be imposing further sanctions on Iran, and it is understood that the UK will follow suit.US secretary of state Antony Blinken, left, and British foreign secretary David Lammy were speaking at a joint press conference in London More

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      Kemi Badenoch regains momentum in Tory leadership race as Mel Stride eliminated

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentKemi Badenoch has regained momentum in the race to become the next Tory leader, while Mel Stride has been eliminated.Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick won the second round of voting in the contest to replace Rishi Sunak, but Ms Badenoch picked up the most votes, narrowing the gap slightly. She also saw off a challenge from ex-home secretary James Cleverly, keeping him in third. Seen as the early favourite, Ms Badenoch appeared to stumble last week when she came second in the first round of voting. But she gained some ground on Mr Jenrick in the latest round, picking up six votes, the most of any contestant, to his five.The results of the second ballot saw Mr Jenrick receive the backing of 33 MPs, Ms Badenoch 28, Mr Cleverly 21, Tom Tugendhat 21 and Mr Stride 16.As the MP with the lowest number of votes, Mr Stride automatically leaves the race. The remaining four contenders will now proceed to the upcoming Conservative Party conference, which will be dominated by the contest.Badenoch at the launch of her Conservative Party leadership bid More

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      Labour orders review of planned £38,700 minimum salary to bring partner to UK

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentLabour has ordered a review of Tory plans to make British workers earn £38,700 or more in order to bring their spouses to the UK.Home secretary Yvette Cooper has given the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) nine months to report back on what the minimum income requirement for family visas should be.Under plans announced last year by Rishi Sunak, the threshold was hiked from £18,600 to £29,000.Sir Keir Starmer promised before the election to cut net migration More