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    Is council tax value-for-money? Join The Independent Debate as annual bills set to rise across England

    Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailThe average council tax bill across England is more than £2,000 a year – and it’s only set to get more costly come April.For many, council tax is likely to increase by the maximum amount possible as local authorities across the country hope to boost their finances.By increasing council tax by 4.99 per cent, the levelling-up department is hoping to raise £2bn from taxpayers despite Rishi Sunak’s suggestion of pre-election giveaways.Most of us have to pay council tax, whether you are a homeowner or renter. The money is used to fund a range of services, including street lamps, libraries and waste collection.A portion also goes towards local police and fire and rescue services.What you pay is determined by what your property would have sold for in 1991 in England and 2003 in Wales, as well as your personal circumstances. With another rise imminent, we want to know whether you think council tax provides value for money.Do you think the right services are getting the money where you are? Are there enough concessions on council tax during a cost of living crisis? And would you be happy to pay more to make your area a better place to live?If you want to share your opinion then add it in the comments and we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and register your details – then you can then take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. More

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    Sunak warns country descending into ‘mob rule’ and demands police get tougher on protests

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has claimed the UK is descending into “mob rule” as he warned police must take urgent action or risk losing public confidence.The prime minister demanded a crackdown on protests as he pledged to do “whatever it requires to protect our democracy”. During an extraordinary meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon he told police chiefs they had to demonstrate they would “use the powers you already have”, saying it was “vital for maintaining public confidence in the police”.In a startling assessment of the state of modern Britain, he added: “There is a growing consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule. And we’ve got to collectively, all of us, change that urgently.”He said that he would “do whatever it requires to protect our democracy and our values that we all hold dear”.He hailed a new policing protocol, which “provides clarity that protests at elected representatives’ homes should be treated as intimidatory”. The protocol also warns protests at democratic venues, like parliament, or political events should not be allowed to “cause alarm, harassment or distress” to attendees. Forces will provide additional patrols in communities at risk of “potential flashpoints”.Earlier, he rejected calls that fearful MPs should work from home as he sought to defend security measures which critics say fail to tackle the root cause of attacks on politicians. No 10 said the prime minister believed the WFH idea was “appalling” and “we shouldn’t be closing down parliament” because of extremists.Tensions have been heightened by protests over the war in Gaza, as MPs come under intense pressure to back calls for a ceasefire.Mr Sunak has previously condemned an “aggressive mob” of pro-Gaza protesters at the home of Tory MP Tobias Ellwood. There were also angry and chaotic scenes at Westminster last week after the Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle was accused of ripping up the parliamentary rule book over a vote on a ceasefire in Gaza, because of concerns about “threats” against MPs.But the government is facing a backlash from one of its own ministers, who said a new £31m security package for MPs was “missing the point”.Justice minister Mike Freer, who has started to wear a stab vest at public events and will stand down at the next election because of threats to his safety, said the measures would “not actually [go] to the root cause” of why people felt emboldened to target MPs.He also warned a “ring of steel” around politicians would fundamentally alter democracy. The security package came as: Sir Keir Starmer accused the Conservatives of indulging in conspiracy theories and said they had become the “political wing of the flat earth society”The Labour leader also called on Mr Sunak to block Liz Truss from standing at the general election after she “remained silent as right-wing thug Tommy Robinson was described as a hero”Pro-Palestinian protesters vowed to continue marches, despite government calls for a halt The new funding, announced by home secretary James Cleverly, followed “frightening” threats to MPs and their families. Under the plans, MPs will be given greater police protection, while those at higher risk could have private security guards. The level of protection will be decided by the police and could apply to controversial figures like George Galloway, if he is elected in this week’s Rochdale by-election. All elected representatives and candidates will also have a dedicated police contact to liaise with on security matters.But Mr Freer, who represents a predominantly Jewish constituency in Finchley and Golders Green in north London, said the extra funding did not address the underlying problem.“I kind of think it’s missing the point,” he told Times Radio. “More security is always welcome, but that’s only dealing with the symptom.“It’s not actually going to the root cause. Why do people now feel emboldened to attack members of parliament, to demonstrate outside their homes where they’re intimidating their family? Not necessarily the MP, but their family.“Why should their partners and their children have to put up with being frightened in their own home?“So, security is welcome. But frankly, unless you get to the root cause, then you’re just going to have a ring of steel around MPs. And our whole style of democracy changes.”Mike Freer says he received a series of death threats as well as an arson attack at his officeShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government “rightly needs to ensure that democracy is protected and that no one faces security threats either for themselves or their family because of the job they do or their democratic role”.Just hours after the new measures were unveiled, Just Stop Oil, which has defended protests at the homes of MPs, tweeted Sir Keir “we’ll be with you in a few hours. Put the kettle on for us”.Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian protesters vowed to continue marches despite calls for a halt. Mr Cleverly told marchers they had made their “point”. But Chris Nineham, vice chairman of the Stop the War Coalition, accused ministers of creating a “social panic” around pro-Palestinian protests. Labour MP Harriet Harman has suggested that MPs should be able to speak and vote from their constituencies because of concerns about security at Westminster. More

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    Rochdale by-election – live: Polls to open in hours as George Galloway and Simon Danczuk to battle for votes

    Sunak takes aim at Starmer: ‘We expel antisemites, he makes them Labour candidates’Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailGeorge Galloway is confident of becoming the next MP for Rochdale as voters go to the polls in the town’s by-election.The Workers Party of Britain candidate, who was expelled from the Labour Party in 2003, is the bookies’ favourite, following the implosion of Labour’s campaign.Labour withdrew its support from its candidate, Azhar Ali, over his suggestion Israel was complicit in the massacre of its own people on 7 October. The party no longer has a candidate.Rishi Sunak used Mr Galloway and Mr Ali to accuse Keir Starmer of making “antisemites” Labour candidates at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.The prime minister said voters in the Greater Manchester town would have the choice of “three former Labour candidates, two of which are antisemites”.“We expel antisemites, he makes them Labour candidates,” he said. Mr Galloway and Mr Ali deny being antisemitic.Simon Danczuk, an ex-Labour MP for Rochdale who is standing for the right-wing challenger party, has accused Mr Galloway’s campaign of “whipping people into a frenzy”.Other candidates are Iain Donaldson (Liberal Democrats), Paul Ellison (Conservatives), Michael Howarth (Independent), William Howarth (Independent), Ravin Rodent Subortna (Official Monster Raving Loony Party) and David Tully (Independent).Show latest update 1709160126Key timings in the Rochdale by-electionVoters go to the polls tomorrow in a by-election called after the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm, with the result expected early on Friday morning. We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates throughout the day and into Friday morning. Katy Clifton28 February 2024 22:421709143359Why Lee Anderson is accused of IslamophobiaJane Dalton28 February 2024 18:021709137821Rochdale by-election: Chaotic contest overshadowed by antisemitism row and Gaza war leaves voters frustratedOnce a Labour safe-seat, Rochdale is facing a chaotic byelection this week where the party isn’t represented at all, writes Zoe Grunewald.Read the full report here: Matt Mathers28 February 2024 16:301709135980Reform candidate blames George Galloway for ‘whipping up division’ in Rochdale after receiving death threatFull report: Matt Mathers28 February 2024 15:591709135912ICYMI: Has Labour’s Rochdale debacle gifted George Galloway an open goal?What was set to be a straightforward contest to replace the late Labour MP Tony Lloyd, who died of blood cancer aged 73, has been mired by a series of scandals. Archie Mitchell asks how we got here, and what will happen next.Full report below: Matt Mathers28 February 2024 15:581709135763What could happen if George Galloway wins the Rochdale by-election?This Thursday’s vote in a deprived town in Greater Manchester has generated something of a circus in recent weeks. Sean O’Grady looks at what a Galloway win could mean, not just for Rochdale but for British politics as a whole.Read the piece in full here: Matt Mathers28 February 2024 15:561709133321Scheme to insulate 300,000 homes over 3 years helps just 2,900 in first 8 monthsA government scheme aimed at insulating 300,000 homes in three years in a bid to reduce energy bills has only helped 2,900 homes in its first eight months.Ministers are now assessing whether the programme – the £1bn Great British Insulation Scheme – is viable, The Times reports.“The government knows that the scheme isn’t working and isn’t going to work in its current form,” an industry source told the paper. “The question they still haven’t answered is what they’re going to do instead.” More

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    Relax planning laws and build more homes for prosperity, says Skipton chief

    For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsEyebrows were raised little more than a year ago when Stuart Haire jumped from HSBC, where he ran UK personal and private banking, to become chief executive of Skipton Building Society.He was very much near the top of the global giant’s star executive chart, having held senior roles within M&S Bank, First Direct and John Lewis Financial Services, as well as HSBC UK. Compared to the mighty HSBC, the Skipton was seen as something of a backwater. He’s smiling, nodding, when this reaction is put to him. He remembers it well.Here he is, though, 49 and having just presented an impressive set of annual results, with a performance that would do any financial powerhouse proud. He laughs at the memory. “What people don’t realise is that if we were to demutualise – and we’re not going to – Skipton would go straight into the FTSE 100 of biggest listed companies.”His is an organisation with £37.2bn of total assets, more than 1,300 branches and 1.2 million members.As well as the main building society business, Skipton owns Connells, Britain’s largest estate agents with more than 80 high street brands including Hamptons, Bairstow Eves, William H Brown and Connells. It is responsible for one in ten houses bought and sold in the UK. Skipton also has a financial advisory subsidiary, a commercial estate agency and an AI software firm in New Zealand. “We’ve a range of interesting businesses, it was part of the attraction,” says Haire. “We’ve got very strong businesses and we have no shareholders – we just have customers who are our owners. It’s a breath of fresh air.”The group turned in pre-tax profits of £333.4m, up by more than £30m. Mortgage advances increased 6.3 per cent to £6.7bn, helping Skipton lift its market share by 12.7 per cent – this, despite the mortgage market being stagnant for most of the year.Savings balances also rose, by 15.4 per cent to £26bn. Again, savings market share increased, 10.7 per cent. This, too, against a savings market that grew only 1.7 per cent.Mortgage arrears of three months or more, were 0.23 per cent – against an industry average of 0.91 per cent.It may be 170 years old, and still based in picturesque Skipton, in North Yorkshire, but the society has long earned a reputation for innovation. Haire is keen for it to continue, launching Britain’s only available deposit-free mortgage, Track Record. He’s rightly proud of increasing the number of first-time buyers helped by 40 per cent. Track Record received over £62m in applications.It is genuinely deposit-free. “If you can prove you’re paying rent and the mortgage repayments will be less, then it’s likely you will get a mortgage offer. We want to assist people who don’t have part of the equity saved up, we want to help them get started as homeowners.”It also unveiled Income Booster, which allows more than one person’s income to go towards buying a home. Again, aimed at giving first-time buyers a lift.He has focused Skipton on two watchwords: homes and money. “There are too many people in the UK who desperately feel that they will never have a home of their own. Be they aspiring homeowners or renters. And that needs to change.“Homes and money are vital for individual prosperity, and for our country to thrive. The Skipton Group sits at the nexus of homes and money, and we want to drive collaborative change across the UK housing sector, to help more people put these stable foundations in place, and to help unlock opportunity and build long-term financial wellbeing, home by home, right across Britain.”He wants to see planning laws relaxed and the whole process speeded up. “We’ve got the largest estate agency in the UK. As a country, we need more houses.”For first-time buyers some areas are prohibitively expensive and in places such as Skipton, there is an additional pressure, from second-home owners. “It’s not just about the financial aspects, local and central government have got to do more. We’ve got to do more with planning permission, we must be making sure we’re getting more homes built and in locations where people want to live.”Last year saw Skipton become the Which? Recommended Mortgage Provider. It was awarded the Your Mortgage – Best First Time Buyer Mortgage Lender, together with being named, at the What Mortgage Awards 2023, Best National Building Society for the 10th year in a row.“Looking ahead, our ambition is to make a positive impact to tackle the UK’s housing crisis by enabling more first-time buyers to realise their homeownership aspirations.”Skipton, he says, “has great potential to drive transformative change in the housing market and financial services industry, leveraging our collective capability to drive change, influence decision makers and campaign on the issues that matter to our members and wider society.”Savers are not forgotten. “We’re supporting our savers, passing on over 75 per cent of 2023’s base rate increases, which is above our competitors, while even our lowest rate on an instant-access account is well ahead of the market average.”Saving members received £148m more interest than if they had taken market average rate saving products. They were able to take advantage of “member only“ offers.“What attracted me to Skipton is its unwavering member-focused purpose and its huge potential to help more people.”Skipton Building Society offers Britain’s only deposit-free mortgageHe says Skipton is a society that has always believed in keeping things simple, no frills. It’s in the DNA. “Its roots are here, in Yorkshire. We’re a massive local employer and we ensure that one per cent of our profits go to charity. We’re very much aware of our history and responsibility.”Haire himself is from Glasgow – “a scumbag from Glasgow is how I am viewed in these parts,” he jokes. “I was always taught never to get ahead of myself, never to let ego get in the way. That’s also true of the people of Yorkshire. They work exceptionally hard and they’re very proud.”In the year ahead, he is expecting rates to remain high. “They will come down but not by so much.”He’s predicting “low growth” for the economy. “We’re starting to see confidence return. There are signs of real green shoots. In the housing market, mortgage applications are up 14 per cent, viewings are up 12 per cent and sales are up 12 per cent. Confidence is returning.”Unlike HSBC, you sense, the Skipton has given him mission and purpose. More

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    Rishi Sunak refuses to back Post Office chief under investigation

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has refused to back Post Office chief executive Nick Read after it emerged he is under investigation.The prime minister told MPs that it would be “inappropriate” for him to comment when challenged in the Commons to back Mr Read’s leadership of the company.His response came a day after Downing Street offered assurances over Mr Read after former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton highlighted the existence of an 80-page report compiled by the organisation’s HR director.Our focus remains working closely with the Post Office to ensure it delivers justice for postmasters caught up in this historic scandalPrime minister Rishi SunakMr Staunton, who claims he has been the victim of a “smear campaign” since his public fallout with business secretary Kemi Badenoch, said his own behaviour was only referenced once in the document about Mr Read.Rishi Sunak said it would be inappropriate to comment before the investigation had concluded (James Manning/PA)Speaking at PMQs, Labour MP Kevan Jones told the Commons: “After yesterday’s revelation that Nick Read, the CEO of the Post Office, is under investigation for an 80-page report written by the former head of HR at the Post Office, does the prime minister and the business secretary have confidence in Nick Read’s leadership at the Post Office?”Mr Sunak replied: “It would clearly be inappropriate for me to comment on an investigation before it has been completed.“Our focus remains working closely with the Post Office to ensure it delivers justice for postmasters caught up in this historic scandal and that is why we will imminently bring forward legislation that we promised.”On Tuesday, asked if the government and No 10 has confidence in Mr Read, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “Yes.”Downing Street would not be drawn on when No 10 became aware of the investigation into Mr Reed, with the prime minister’s official spokesman saying he would not comment on “internal matters”.Labour former minister Dame Angela Eagle questioned why Mr Sunak had opted not to comment, adding: “And yet he allows his trade secretary to comment freely, loudly and often on Twitter.“Is he content with her activities and her behaviour in this respect?”Mr Sunak replied: “The business secretary set out her position explicitly and clearly in the House last week, and actually since then, and despite some of the claims that were made by the party opposite, the former permanent secretary at the department has completely refuted the claims that were made, and yesterday the current CEO and the director of business resilience at the department refuted Mr Staunton’s recollection.”What there is, actually, is Mr Read fell out with his HR director and she produced a ‘speak up’ document which was 80 pages thick. Within that was one paragraph… about comments that I allegedly madeHarry Staunton in evidence to MPsDowning Street was repeatedly challenged about Ms Badenoch’s decision to reveal that Mr Staunton had been the subject of a bullying investigation.Mr Staunton said the investigation was actually into Mr Read.The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “I’m not going to offer any further commentary on HR investigations and HR matters.”Asked if Ms Badenoch lied to the Commons, he said: “I have nothing further to add to what the business secretary has already said on the floor of the House in relation to this matter.”Mr Staunton’s comments about the 80-page report came at an evidence session with MPs on the Business and Trade Committee on Tuesday.He previously said he had been told to delay payouts to subpostmasters affected by problems with the Horizon computer system, which led to Ms Badenoch accusing him of spreading “made-up anecdotes”.Asked if he was informed that his behaviour was under investigation in November last year, Mr Staunton said: “What there is, actually, is Mr Read fell out with his HR director and she produced a ‘speak up’ document which was 80 pages thick.“Within that was one paragraph… about comments that I allegedly made.“So, this is an investigation, not into me, this is an investigation made into the chief executive Nick Read.“That one paragraph you could say was about politically incorrect comments attributed to me which I strenuously deny.“This was not an investigation into me, this was an investigation based on the 80-page document prepared by the HR director.”Mr Staunton continued: “This 80-page document was actually taking a terrible toll on Nick Read.“He said: ‘I’m not being supported by the board, this is just bad news for me and my family, I’m going to resign tomorrow, I’ve just had enough’.”The Post Office said it was investigating a complaint against a number of people including Mr Read, but that he had never offered to resign.The Horizon IT scandal saw more than 700 subpostmasters prosecuted by the Post Office and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.Hundreds of subpostmasters are still awaiting compensation despite the government announcing those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts. 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    Sunak takes aim at Starmer: ‘We expel antisemites, he makes them MPs’

    Rishi Sunak took aim at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claiming the Conservative party “expels anti-semites, while he makes them Labour candidates” in a heated Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (28 February).The prime minister appeared to be referring to the Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali, following his comments on the Israeli-Palestine conflict.Mr Ali told a meeting of activists that Israel deliberately allowed the 7 October attacks by Hamas to take place in order to give it the “green light” to invade Gaza.Addressing Sir Keir, Mr Sunak said: “The truth is, his party is so mired in hate that despite three ex-Labour candidates standing, [Starmer] can’t back a single one of them.” More

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    Watch: Sunak faces Starmer at PMQs as Lee Anderson launches fresh attack

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Rishi Sunak faces Sir Keir Starmer in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 28 February.The pair go head-to-head for the first time since Lee Anderson was suspended from the Conservative Party for refusing to apologise over comments made about Sadiq Khan.Senior Tories have faced mounting pressure in recent days to describe the former deputy chairman’s attack on the Mayor of London as “Islamophobic” as the row over his comments entered its sixth day.The prime minister and others have condemned Mr Anderson’s comments, but have so far shied away from calling them “Islamophobic”.Their reluctance to use the term has been criticised by Labour as “weak”, with one frontbencher saying the prime minister was “in hock” to “a strange coalition of MPs”.Mr Sunak will also take questions from MPs for the first time since the House of Commons descended into chaos last week over a vote about a ceasefire in Gaza – leading to more than 80 MPs calling for speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to resign. More

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    Tories are ‘political wing of Flat Earth Society’, taunts Starmer

    Sir Keir Starmer taunted Rishi Sunak during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 28 February, by referring to the Conservative party as the “political wing of the Flat Earth Society.”The Labour leader said the Tories have been “claiming that Britain is run by a shadowy cabal made up of activists, the deep state, and most chillingly of all the Financial Times,” referring to Liz Truss’s comments at CPAC in the US.The former prime minister blamed the “deep state” for “sabotaging” her controversial tax-cutting plans from Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-budget. More