UK politics live: Reeves defends ‘necessary’ winter fuel payment cuts amid speculation over U-turn

The most recent ballot from Extra in Frequent has put Reform UK assist at 30 per cent – the very best ever.

Labour is trailing eight factors behind at 22 per cent, whereas assist for the Tories has gone up one level to 21 per cent.

In the meantime, Sir Keir Starmer’s web approval score is -38, whereas Kemi Badenoch is -25, in accordance with Extra in Frequent.

The union on the centre of the long-running Birmingham bin strike has accused authorities commissioners of “sabotaging” talks geared toward resolving the dispute.

Members of Unite have been on all-out strike for greater than two months in a row over pay and jobs, resulting in bins piling up throughout the town.

The conciliation service Acas has been concerned in talks because the begin of the month, however the dispute stays deadlocked.

Unite stated the talks set out a transparent timeline for a mentioned provide to be tabled by the council, nevertheless it claimed no provide has been made.

A ministry of housing, communities and native authorities spokesperson stated: “It’s merely false to recommend the commissioners, or the chief of the council have blocked makes an attempt to resolve this deal, and we proceed to induce Unite to droop its strike motion and each events to succeed in settlement on a good and affordable provide.”

A council spokesman stated: “The council stays dedicated to in search of a negotiated settlement to finish the dispute.”

The work and pensions secretary will stand agency on Labour’s £5 billion plans for welfare cuts on Wednesday, arguing that reform is required to ensure the system survives.

Liz Kendall is anticipated to say there’s a “threat” the welfare state would collapse with out the proposed modifications, which embody tightening the eligibility standards for the primary incapacity profit in England, the non-public independence fee (Pip).

Limiting Pip would slash advantages for about 800,000 individuals, whereas the sickness-related component of common credit score can also be set to be lower.

The bundle of measures is geared toward lowering the variety of working-age individuals on illness advantages, which grew throughout the pandemic and has remained excessive since.

The federal government hopes the proposals can save £5 billion a yr by the top of the last decade, and seems intent to press forward with the plans amid mounting opposition.

Some 100 Labour MPs – greater than 1 / 4 of the get together’s parliamentary numbers – are reported to have signed a letter urging ministers to cut back welfare cuts into account.

In a separate, earlier letter, 42 MPs stated the cuts had been “unattainable to assist”.

Angela Rayner reportedly recommended reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and altering dividend taxes in a memo to the chancellor with concepts to boost income.

The deputy prime minister despatched the recommendations, in a doc that estimated the modifications may increase £3 billion to £4 billion a yr, to Rachel Reeves in March forward of the spring assertion, The Telegraph reported.

The Chancellor has been adamant she won’t flip to tax rises as a part of the Authorities’s efforts to fund its insurance policies.

There have been reviews that Ms Rayner has been pushing again in opposition to spending cuts behind the scenes.

rayner Ms Rayner’s recommendations, in a memo titled “different proposals for elevating income”, reportedly included reinstating the lifetime pensions allowance, which restricted how a lot savers may put put of their pension pot earlier than incurring a better tax cost and was abolished below the Tories.

Ending the inheritance tax reduction on shares for the Various Funding Market, elevating the financial institution surcharge to five%, and freezing the extra charge revenue tax threshold above £125,140 so extra individuals can be dragged into a better band had been additionally among the many proposals.

She additionally floated closing the industrial property stamp obligation loophole and rising the annual tax on enveloped dwellings, in addition to elevating charges on dividend taxes to deliver them nearer to revenue tax and eradicating the tax-free dividend allowance.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reviews:

Steve Reed has stated he’s “livid” about how Britain’s water firms are run, however confused that “nationalisation is not the reply”.

The surroundings secretary stated the federal government is taking motion to strengthen how the sector is regulated.

“However the public are livid. I am livid at the truth that we now have file ranges of sewage polluting our rivers, lakes and seas below the earlier authorities,” he instructed Occasions Radio

He added: “We’re decided as a authorities to scrub up our waterways.”

Requested about taking them into public possession, he stated: “The issues listed here are regulation and governance, not possession. The Scottish Water Firm is within the public sector, and so they have related issues with air pollution. So we all know that nationalisation is not the reply. Nationalisation by the way would price over £100 billion.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated rising wages would assist ease the cost-of-living squeeze.

She instructed broadcasters: “For the previous couple of months, wages have been rising at a sooner stage than costs.

“That’s welcome, however I do completely get that the cost-of-living challenges are nonetheless the largest concern that households up and down our nation have, which is why we’re taking motion with the nationwide residing wage, with free breakfast golf equipment, with freezing gas obligation as a result of I’m decided, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, to assist relieve a few of that strain that households have been dealing with.”