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Carrie Johnson has shared a series of photos of her husband Boris Johnson and their four children enjoying a summer getaway in Greece. Pictures show the former prime minister playing with his daughter Romy, who was born in 2021, near the seaside. Captioned ‘Our favourite place’, other photos showed the mother-of-four tanning, eating out with friends and their three eldest children playing on the beach.Boris Johnson has been pictured playing with his daughter while on holiday in Greece More

The UK government’s borrowing significantly undershot expectations in July, reaching just £1.1 billion, offering a welcome reprieve for Chancellor Rachel Reeves as the autumn budget approaches.This figure, confirmed by the Office for National Statistics, marks the lowest July borrowing total in three years and represents a £2.3 billion reduction compared to the same month last year. The improved performance was largely attributed to a surge in tax receipts, driven by increased self-assessed income tax and national insurance payments.Economists had widely predicted a higher July borrowing figure of £2 billion, making the actual outcome a positive surprise. Despite this monthly improvement, the cumulative borrowing for the first four months of the financial year stands at £60 billion, an increase of £6.7 billion over the corresponding period last year.Rob Doody, ONS deputy director for public sector finances, said: “Borrowing this July was £2.3 billion down on the same month last year and was the lowest July figure for three years.“This reflects strong increases in tax and national insurance receipts.“However, in the first four months of the financial year as a whole, borrowing was over £6 billion higher than in the same period in 2024.”The Office for National Statistics said the figure, which was £2.3 billion less than the same month a year earlier, is the lowest July borrowing figure for three years More

Radical new ways to tax property are reportedly being considered by the Treasury ahead of the next autumn budget as chancellor Rachel Reeves looks to bolster public finances.Plans to overhaul stamp duty and council tax, as well as a “mansion tax” to cover the sale of high-value homes, are all on the table, sources have said in recent days.Ms Reeves is understood to have asked officials to calculate how these new “proportional” taxes would work in the UK, all of which would aim to target wealth more directly. The overhaul would see a national property tax replace stamp duty on owner-occupied homes. Council tax could also be replaced with a local property tax, helping to boost ailing local authority finances.Chancellor Rachel Reeves has asked officials to calculate how a new ‘proportional’ property tax would work in the UK More

Independent readers are divided over the High Court ruling that asylum seekers must be moved out of The Bell Hotel in Epping, with many seeing it as a fraught and short-term fix to a wider housing and migration crisis.Many argued the judgement sets a dangerous precedent, effectively rewarding protests and unrest by closing hotels, and leaving asylum seekers displaced without proper alternatives. Others warned that the decision risks emboldening far-right groups, who would see disruptive tactics as a way to influence local planning and policy.But some commenters backed the court’s decision, saying local people had been ignored for too long while their towns and services absorbed sudden changes without consultation. “Ordinary UK citizens are sick of being ignored while resources are stretched thin,” said one reader, echoing widespread frustration that communities feel powerless over decisions made in Westminster.Meanwhile, however, several readers stressed that immigration is essential to the UK’s economy, especially in an ageing society, while others called for safe and legal asylum routes to end the small boats crossings. Critics of Reform and Nigel Farage accused them of exploiting the crisis for political gain, while pointing out that both Tory and Labour governments had failed to address the backlog.Here’s what you had to say:This is no victory for EppingThe government are now actively fast-tracking migrants from hotels to HMOs all across the country. As a landlord with two of these types of property, the temptation of a lease from Serco is getting far too hard not to take.I approximate that landlords will get an extra £2,000–£5,000 per year to lease to the government. Not only that, you don’t have to ever find a tenant or look after the property as Serco completely take over the management and maintenance duties.These properties have a great value to society, as they are frequently used by split families, where fathers can’t afford a full-price rent or mortgage. These places give them time to get back on their feet and live well, whilst paying maintenance. Also, young single people who don’t have a strong family network – it’s their only way to afford any accommodation. These people are being squeezed out as more properties are turned over to the government. 227detiusOrdinary UK citizens are sick of being ignoredPeople in towns like Epping are exhausted. They never asked for their local hotel to be turned into an asylum hostel, never got a say, and yet they’re the ones left living with the consequences – rising tension, fear, and the sense their community is being changed without their consent.Ordinary UK citizens are sick of being ignored while resources are stretched thin and foreign nationals are prioritised over them. This isn’t about hate – it’s about fairness, safety, and respect for the people who actually live here. The High Court ruling is a rare moment where local voices have finally been heard, and many feel it’s long overdue. RFAThey are asylum seekers, not migrantsThey are asylum seekers and cannot be called migrants. I have seen some people in hotels where they seem lost. What they need is a place to sleep and be able to eat their nation’s dishes, and hotels are not aware of what food they eat. On top of that, hotels hire people who speak their language to learn their taste.If they can buy stuff themselves, that will reduce costs for government considerably. Once their case is finalised, they can start work and won’t be a burden to government. TotiCallingThe far-right create the problems they rail againstSo, right-wingers who voted in a right-wing party to stop asylum seekers being housed in run-down empty homes across the country that locals didn’t want to live in, and house them in hotels instead, have won a victory against the policy they created. It’s endless.The far-right create a problem, then rail against it, then by their actions create a new problem that they then blame on others and rail against that.If the UK stops accepting asylum seekers, which is what the anti-immigrant groups want, countries that border conflict zones may also reject their international obligation, leading to many times more asylum seekers heading to the UK where they will just go underground and untracked. It could also potentially damage our relationships with trading partners that do take asylum seekers and undermine our moral position that supports our global trading and strategic interests.But hey, why look at potential problems when you can raise a pitchfork and kick off. BrotherCheFarage is stirring up the crisisProfessional agitator Farage is stirring up the crisis for political gain! Reform has NO policies but “stop the boats” – a problem Labour inherited from the Tories. However, it seems the right-wing media are pushing Farage and Reform as they are the party of the establishment, who would deregulate Britain – only an advantage for the richest few.The small boats crisis also, as giving Farage a single-issue rhetoric, masks the large legal migration that happened under the TORIES – and we are not told how large it is now! MintmanQuestionable judgementA questionable judgement. It says to local communities if you don’t want these asylum hotels/refugees in your communities, you can protest on the grounds it might make it unsafe for your children on their way home from school, and you get the council to shut them down. You just have to make a fuss on behalf of your children. chrishPlaying a very dangerous gameThe left-wing political establishment is playing a very dangerous game, bringing people into the country in this way and planting them in the middle of settled communities – and at great expense. The political establishment might think they are provoking the far-right, but in reality they are provoking ordinary people, many of whom have fallen on hard times. If they carry on like this, it could get very ugly. MarkReform don’t do solutionsI see Reform claiming credit for this judgement.I don’t see any practical solutions from Reform as to how to tackle this problem. In fact, it seems Reform don’t do solutions.While the number of asylum seekers held in hotels etc is now one for Labour to solve, it should be remembered who was responsible for this backlog to build – the last government. JRileyImmigration is here to staySome people blame Tony Blair for embracing a policy of high immigration. However, the truth is that during the Blair years, net migration was generally small but increased to between 200,000 and 300,000 per year in 2004 (Migration Policy Institute). However, in the post-Brexit years net migration rose to between 600,000 to 900,000 per year (ONS).The UK is a rapidly ageing country and cannot function without immigrants. So, immigration is here to stay and people should be grateful for that, especially pensioners and those on benefits, because immigrants pay taxes that allow the government to pay pensions and benefits. Pomerol95Kicking the can down the roadSo the far-right start to riot, and their targets are punished and moved away? Makes sense. I’d rather we get rid of the far-right that are ruining the town.Good job on kicking the can down the road a bit. BobertsonIf you don’t like immigration, don’t cheer invasionsA large proportion of recent asylum seekers come from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya – all countries which have been reduced to ruin by invasions which most of these people enthusiastically supported. If you don’t like immigration, don’t vote for people like Tony Blair or Lord Snooty Cameron, don’t cheer on “Our Boys” when they go rampaging around the world! enviousSafe routes are neededGenuine refugees need SAFE routes that the last Tory government took away, and a reintroduction of such routes would probably eliminate the small boats problem. Christopher1959Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

Plans for a new tax on the sale of homes worth over £500,000 are reportedly being considered by the Treasury, potentially marking a major change to the stamp duty and council tax system.Ahead of the autumn Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves has asked officials to calculate how a new “proportional” property tax would work in the UK.The overhaul would see a national property tax replace stamp duty on owner-occupied homes, sources told The Guardian. Council tax could also be replaced with a local property tax, helping to boost ailing local authority finances.The plans have reportedly drawn on the findings of a report from centre-right think tank Onward, published in August last year, which lays out criticism of stamp duty and council tax, and steps to replace them.Chancellor Rachel Reeves has asked officials to calculate how a new “proportional” property tax would work in the UK. (Matthew Hornwood/PA) More

Independent readers were largely united in rejecting Kemi Badenoch’s suggestion of using migrant “camps” instead of hotels to house asylum seekers, with many calling the proposal cruel, impractical, and politically motivated.Several argued that the UK’s asylum numbers are relatively small compared with other European countries, and that moral panic is being stoked to distract from deeper problems. “England prefers moral panic and scapegoating,” said one, while others pointed to the dismantling of public services, years of austerity, and poor management of the immigration system under successive Conservative governments – including Badenoch’s own role in it.Many called for safe and legal asylum routes, a crackdown on illegal employment, and fairer trade with poorer nations to address the root causes of migration. Some noted that other countries manage greater numbers without resorting to hotels or camps, while a few stressed that the housing shortage and rising costs are real but need solutions that preserve dignity and human rights.Across the board, readers saw the camps idea as part of a wider “race to the bottom” in political rhetoric, warning it risked emboldening far-right groups and fuelling division rather than solving the issue.Here’s what you had to say:A widening and deepening sinkhole There is no easy solution. Whether in camps, hotels, or privately purchased homes and flats, the costs will continue to accelerate. No democratic nation or government, or one claiming to be a democracy, can afford to keep on ignoring the electorate. No democratic nation or government can afford to keep on throwing away tens of £billions each year into a widening and deepening sinkhole, and simultaneously causing deep offence to its citizens and constituencies whose views and wishes are not allowed to be expressed. Legislation is possible. What is wrong with our politicians and government? SPCKTrade imbalance fuels migration Whatever the short-term solutions are, the long-term one must surely be for richer countries to help poor countries develop, so that people have opportunities and don’t want to migrate. Huge youth unemployment and no hope are forcing millions to flee from their homes in poorer countries. Putting tariffs on these countries and making them lose what little industries they have is a sure way to encourage more migration.Paying them fairly for their raw materials – be it coffee, tea, cotton, whatever. Instead, we push them to sell to us at the lowest prices and then make huge profits here. Trainers that cost USD 10 to 15 to make are retailed at over £100 – same with iPhones etc. As long as this imbalance in trade exists and we do not allow people to have their basic needs met, they will want to migrate. A lot of Europeans migrated to the Americas and Australia for that very reason.pundaCreate safe routes The answer to stopping the boats is to create safe routes for those to claim asylum before arriving in the UK. The challenge is that these asylum seekers have been dehumanised and demonised, and many people in the UK don’t want to accept any asylum seekers. The right continues to use immigration as an excuse for all the problems in this country when that blame needs to be laid at the door of 14 years of austerity and the dismantling of state institutions that look after the normal working people of this country. SpeculatorThe real issuesStill homeless, living in the street.Many millions in child poverty.Elderly living in squalor.NHS at breaking point.Cost of living crisis.Transport is a mess.Pollution in the rivers.Well-paid jobs are scarce.The issue is not asylum seekers but illegal migrants getting paid cash in hand for jobs. This needs to be outlawed and stamped out. JohnZaA legislative mess The previous government’s contradictory legislation meant the Home Secretary couldn’t process arrivals as they were meant to be deported to Rwanda, which they weren’t. So we had thousands of arrivals in no man’s land, hence a huge increase in accommodation needs/hotels. Complete mess. EdwardoMoral panic over manageable numbers I read that the number of asylum seekers in 2025 has now reached almost 50,000. Considering that this number is much lower than the attendance at several football grounds, it is hard to imagine why a relatively rich country of 67 million has so much difficulty coping. No European governments, despite dealing with greater numbers, have had to resort to the use of hotels. Rather than manage a problem, England prefers moral panic and, crucially, using migrants as a scapegoat for all its homegrown difficulties. Blackkbeard’s hostA record of failure The Conservatives’ track record on asylum and immigration:The “hostile environment” – failed Brexit – failed Calling asylum seekers illegal – failed Intentionally delaying processing – failed The points-based system – failed Bibby Stockholm – failed Rwanda – failedSince 2010, every Conservative government has pledged to reduce immigration. Everyone has presided over a massive increase and left an unholy mess in their wake. Now, as those same Tories swell the ranks of Reform, they expect people to believe it’ll all be different this time. RickCLearn from the grown-ups Switzerland has open land borders with five neighbouring states.Switzerland doesn’t have an illegal immigration problem like this.Maybe go after people hiring illegal labour – no demand, no supply.Why not learn from the grown-ups? Letter_from_Captain_SwingBadenoch’s amnesia Is Badenoch suffering from amnesia?I can critique the current Labour government for a number of things. However, it has to clear up the monumental mess of an immigration system created by the Conservative governments of which Badenoch was a senior member.When can we expect an apology from Badenoch for the record-high levels of immigration her Conservative governments allowed? DisgustedOfMiddleEnglandSome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

Further details about Labour’s review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) have been revealed after the government’s climbdown over changes to the health-linked benefit in June.The review will be led by veteran Labour MP Sir Stephen Timms, who shared more information about how he will approach the issue. Currently claimed by 3.7 million people, PIP is designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability. Labour’s proposals to tweak the assessment criteria for the benefit to effectively make it harder to claim was met with fierce opposition from campaign groups and disabled people’s organisations.Ministers backed down on the plans in late June after over 100 Labour MPs threatened to vote against the government on the measures. The concession was announced by Sir Stephen in the middle of the debate on the legislation.Sir Stephen Timms announced the climbdown in the middle of the debate on the legislation (Jonathan Brady/PA) More

The Conservatives are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to “urgently rule out” increasing share taxes in the upcoming autumn budget, following the leak of a memo from Angela Rayner suggesting a series of tax hikes. The Tories argue that leaving investors “in limbo” could harm the economy.The party claims that scrapping the £500 dividend allowance would pull an estimated 5.22 million more individuals into paying investment levies. This pressure on ministers comes after a document, reportedly sent by the Deputy Prime Minister to Ms Reeves, was leaked to the press.In the memo, Ms Rayner proposed removing the dividend allowance to generate approximately £325 million annually, as well as axing inheritance tax relief for AIM shares and increasing dividend tax rates, according to The Telegraph.Shadow chancellor Mel Stride commented: “The Government need to urgently rule out these tax hikes on savers and investors before speculation causes further economic harm.“Labour don’t understand how business works and how to create growth. More taxes on investment, entrepreneurship and saving are the last thing our economy needs right now.”Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said it had been a ‘year of utter underperformance’ from Labour More