Don’t rush the ban on ‘conversion therapy’
There is a public consultation closing on Friday that, should some of its recommendations be poorly implemented in law, would have damaging consequences for children. It could…
Bureaucratic Britain has become addicted to permanent failure
Do you ever get the sneaking feeling that nothing really … works? Certainly, a few days of dealing with the DVLA or passport office (or indeed, any…
Arthur’s tragic tale shows how lockdown became an abusers’ charter
Such failings need to be exposed. But they should not distract us from the fact that, during the period Arthur was being tortured, all of society –…
The idea that films and TV ‘glamourise’ drug use is patronising nonsense
Indeed, Farrimond sounds a lot like former US President Ronald Reagan, who gave a speech to high-school seniors in Chattanooga Tennessee about the dangers of drugs. Reagan…
Landscapers, review: turning true crime into the most daring and dazzling drama of the year
From The Crown’s imperious monarch to a downtrodden murderer in a knitted beret. Never let it be said that Olivia Colman isn’t versatile, either in character or…
Bring back working from home, Nicola Sturgeon urges employers as omicron cases rise
While the SNP government has previously encouraged home working, Ms Sturgeon’s call for every business that asked staff to work from home to do so again for…
Downing Street staff joked about lockdown Christmas party, leaked video reveals
On Tuesday night, government sources outside Downing Street reacted with fury to the video, which they said had tarnished the reputations of ministers who were sent out…
Mass house building in rural areas blamed for heaping pressure on schools and hospitals
Most rural councils believe that housing development has put schools, roads and hospitals under “excessive” pressure, according to a survey. Overly dense house building has disproportionately hit…
Priti Patel to leave migrants ‘in limbo’ by scrapping six-month deadline for asylum decisions
Asylum seekers could face longer in migration limbo as Priti Patel has refused to set a time limit for responding to their applications in her new border…
One in 10 who worked from home experienced domestic abuse, poll finds
One in 10 people who worked from home in the Covid pandemic experienced domestic abuse, a poll has revealed. Bright Blue, a liberal conservative think tank, surveyed…
Christmas work from home order being drawn up by Government
Preliminary data from South Africa has shown that people who have antibodies and protection against Covid are far less protected against omicron. A pre-print, published online, revealed…
Every worker in New York City must have Covid-19 vaccine, declares mayor
Omicron cases have been confirmed in at least 15 US states since it was first reported in late November, with a handful reported in New York. Mr…
Revealed: How much money your MP makes from their second job
However, the exact details of what would and would not be allowed remained unclear, with specific changes to the MPs’ code of conduct due to be made…
Chronicle of chaos: What really went on as Foreign Office struggled to choose who to save in Afghanistan
One FCDO civil servant described a cumbersome and time-consuming legacy IT system, where sharing documents online was impossible and staff relied on borrowing each other’s logins to…
Matt Hancock: ‘My dyslexia wasn’t spotted until university, and I’m one of the lucky ones’
As an undiagnosed dyslexic teenager, I just thought I was bad with words. I was a slow reader. Despite brilliant and inspiring teachers, I couldn’t ever envisage…
Government to introduce prison league tables which measure drug use and rehabilitation figures
Today, I am setting out the Government’s new strategy for prisons – to build more cells to protect the public, and reform the regime so offenders are…
Top Foreign Office civil servant who was on holiday during fall of Kabul ‘should resign’
Sir Philip’s holiday attracted criticism from Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who said he had “very serious concerns” that the “ethos” of public service…
Afghan allies ‘left at the mercy of Taliban’ while civil servants worked from home
After a report in the Observer newspaper that emails requesting assistance were going unread, Mr Marshall said civil servants simply marked the messages as “read,” to allow…
Boris Johnson: Carrie and I didn’t intervene to get Pen Farthing evacuated from Kabul
The Government is facing fresh questions over why Mr Farthing was helped to evacuate when the same whistleblower claimed just five per cent of refugees who requested…
Looser mortgage rules will add £17,000 to price of a starter home
First-time buyers could borrow tens of thousands of pounds more if the Bank of England goes ahead with plans to loosen its lending rules. Threadneedle Street is…
Will there be a recession? How to protect your finances
Pressure is building on the British economy. The cost of living is marching up and low interest rates mean that the value of our money is falling…
The cheapest places to retire in the UK
The second and third most expensive locations were Edinburgh and Stockport, each costing around £22,300 per year. Meanwhile, Northampton and Leicester were among the most economical places…
How landlords can save money when selling a rental property with this buy-to-let tax loophole
She added that HM Revenue & Customs would quickly disqualify someone from PRR if it seemed as though they had simply moved into the property to pay…
Questor: this firm’s break-up plans make it an interesting slow-burn turnaround story
Update: Anglo-Eastern Plantations In response to a reader’s letter, this column has quickly cast its eye over Anglo Eastern Plantations, a producer of palm oil and rubber…
‘Hello mum’ WhatsApp scam skyrockets, costing parents thousands
Some who have been the target of the scam but escaped have shared their experiences on social media, warning others. Others have not been so lucky, however….