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Jeremy Hunt has claimed a £15,000 settlement paid by the taxpayer to an academic who was falsely accused of supporting Hamas by Michelle Donelan was not “approved” by him.The science secretary has come under fire after she was forced to retract comments she made about Professor Kate Sang last year.It cost taxpayers £15,000 to cover damages and the sum was paid “without admitting any liability”, according to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.“The chancellor only approves much larger sums of money,” Mr Hunt told BBC Breakfast on Thursday 7 March, when asked if he signed off the payment. More

Tim Farron was adamant Jeremy Hunt’s spring Budget will not “shift the dial” on the Tories’ poll woes.Speaking outside parliament on Wednesday (6 March), the Former Liberal Democrat leader maintained that the public won’t vote based on polls, rather “on the basis of how do they and their family feel”, regarding NHS waiting times and food prices.Mr Farron’s comments came after it emerged support for the Conservative Party plunged to the lowest level since 1978 with a fifth of British voters backing Rishi Sunak’s party in a new poll.Regarding the chancellor, Mr Farron said: “Nice man. Don’t think it’ll shift the dial.” More

Listen to Jeremy Hunt’s U-turn over abolishing the non-dom tax status across two years.In November 2022, the chancellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he would rather the super-rich “stayed here and spent their money here”.“The Treasury did not tell me it was going to help the economy to do this, that’s why I chose not to do it,” he said at the time.However in Wednesday’s (6 March) Budget, Mr Hunt committed to scrapping the non-dom status for wealthy foreigners, putting the £2.7 billion a year raised as a result towards tax cuts, mirroring a Labour policy. More

Martin Lewis has explained what Jeremy Hunt’s Budget child benefit changes mean for families.Wednesday’s (6 March) announcement revealed that around 170,000 families will be taken out of paying a tax charge.Speaking to LBC, the MoneySavingExpert founder said: “Currently the cut-off is a single earner of £50,000… from the sixth of April, you’ll start to lose child benefit at £60,000.“Currently, you lose it altogether at 60 grand, from the sixth of April you will lose it altogether from £80,000. So people earning under 80 grand will still get some form of child benefit.” More

Sir Keir Starmer joked that Jeremy Hunt “has been taking lessons on marketing from the Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow” over promises on childcare.The chancellor announced the government will guarantee pay rates to childcare providers for the next two years, to deliver on its care offer for children over nine months old and get more working-age parents back into employment.The Labour leader added: “All is not as it seems and with just over three weeks to go, he has to come clean because up and down the country parents need to know will they get their entitlement in April or is it just another of their reckless promises on governing?” More

Sir Keir Starmer described Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt as “the Chuckle Brothers of decline” as he responded to the chancellor’s spring Budget on Wednesday 6 March.The Labour leader suggested Mr Hunt’s statement – which is expected to be the last before a general election – “is the last, desperate act of a party that has failed”.“Another day, a new entry in this hall of infamy. The chancellor, who breezes into this chamber in a recession and tells the working people of this country that everything is on track,” Sir Keir said.“Crisis, what crisis… smiling as the ship goes down, the Chuckle Brothers of decline.” More

Jeremy Hunt made a joke about Sir Keir Starmer’s weight during his heated Budget announcement in the House of Commons.The chancellor brought up comments by top Labour adviser Peter Mandelson who said Sir Keir could do to “shed a few pounds” to appeal to voters.Mr Hunt said: “I know he has been taking advice from Lord Mandelson who yesterday rather uncharitably said he needed to shed a few pounds.“Ordinary families will shed more than a few pounds if that lot gets in.”Mr Hunt then added: “If he wants to join me on my marathon training he is most welcome as well. More

Rishi Sunak dodged Sir Keir Starmer when he was asked why “mandatory national vetting standards are not already in place” for the police.The Labour leader focused on policing failures during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 6 March, in the wake of a report into Sarah Everard’s death.“Serious failures in police vetting were raised in independent reports as long ago as 2012, 2019, 2022 and 2023. That is why has been arguing for mandatory national vetting standards,” Sir Keir said, before asking why they are not already in place.Mr Sunak did not directly answer the question but said it is “vital” for public confidence that those who are not fit to wear the badge are not able to join in the first place. More