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A top Tory minister has suggested George Galloway’s Rochdale by-election win is “not a good thing for the country”.Greg Hands also described the Workers Party leader as an “opportunist who sows the seeds of division”.“He doesn’t stay popular, he lost his seat in Bethnal Green and Bow, and he lost his seat in Bradford in the following election. He’s somebody who never delivers for his constituents,” Mr Hands told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday 5 March.Mr Galloway was sworn in as the new Rochdale MP in the House of Commons on Monday, following his by-election win. More

Speculation continues to mount as the chancellor prepares to deliver what is likely to be the last Budget before the general election on Wednesday 6 March.Most of that speculation has so far focused on tax cuts, although both Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak have been less keen to talk up the prospect of further tax reductions after official forecasts were reported to have reduced the amount of “headroom” available to meet their fiscal rules.The main question has been whether Mr Hunt will cut income tax or repeat the national insurance cut he introduced in last year’s autumn statement, with either offering a pre-election giveaway to voters. More

George Galloway has been sworn in as the new Rochdale MP in the House of Commons.The Workers Party of Britain leader took an oath of allegiance before signing the Test Roll in parliament on Monday (4 March). Mr Galloway was escorted by the Alba Party’s Neale Hanvey and the Father of the House Peter Bottomley.Mr Galloway was announced as the winner of the Rochdale by-election in the early hours of Friday (1 March), with the Workers Party of Britain leader receiving just under 40 percent of the vote. More

Martin Lewis has explained what people can expect from the chancellor’s much-anticipated spring Budget.Jeremy Hunt is likely expected to cut National Insurance contributions, over income tax in the Budget on Wednesday (4 March).The Money Saving Expert founder has now revealed what a cut would mean for people’s pay packets.Speaking on This Morning on Monday (2 March), Mr Lewis said: For a two percent cut for each £10,000 you earn over £12,500, you will be £200 a year better off.” More

George Galloway took a dig at politicians as he arrived at Parliament to be sworn in as the new MP for Rochdale on Monday (4 March).Mr Galloway was announced as the winner of the Rochdale by-election in the early hours of Friday (1 March), with the Workers Party of Britain leader receiving just under 40 percent of the vote.Mr Galloway arrived at Parliament in a dark Volvo driven by an aide on Monday morning, as he was greeted by photographers and camera crews.He said: “I always loved the building – the people in it, not quite so much.”Mr Galloway will meet Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ahead of his introduction. More

Treasury minister Bim Afolami has defended a tweet he made about Donald Trump, calling the former US President “a cancer”.Mr Afolami was confronted about the tweet he made back in 2021, when he appeared on Nick Ferrari’s LBC breakfast show on Monday (4 March).The MP insisted the UK will have a good relationship with whoever is elected US President in November, when the LBC presenter said: “I wonder how a tweet of yours from a few years back helps that relationship…”After reading out Mr Afolami’s previous tweet, Mr Ferrari asked: “Very personal, so I’ll ask for a third time, is it appropriate?Mr Afolami replied: “I think it was appropriate.” More

Sadiq Khan hit out at the “poison” of Islamophobia as he responded to Lee Anderson’s comments in a speech at the London Labour Conference on Saturday, 2 March.The Ashfield MP received widespread criticism and had the Tory whip suspended after claiming the London mayor is being controlled by “Islamists”.Mr Anderson has refused to apologise for the remarks despite Rishi Sunak labelling them as “wrong” and has not ruled out standing at the next election.Mr Khan criticised Mr Sunak for “failing to condemn [Mr Anderson’s] words for what they are.” More

Jeremy Hunt was unable to name “extremist” groups Rishi Sunak said hijacked pro-Palestine marches in his speech on Friday.Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News on Sunday (3 March), the chancellor said he could not give them the name of a group, but that he and the prime minister were talking about “scenes on television” and emails he says he’s received “from people who’ve been terrified by what they’ve seen in some of these protests.”Mr Hunt was asked several times to name groups referenced by Mr Sunak in his speech but did not.Mr Sunak said the UK’s streets had been “hijacked” by people “hostile” to British values during protests in support of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. More