Levelling up must be coupled with growth
Soaring inflation, moribund economic growth, enormous public debt: the UK ends the year in a somewhat precarious economic position, to say the least. Unfortunately, the situation could…
Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard, review: huge amounts of wonder and a note of doom
Sir David Attenborough is someone you picture in the Amazon rainforest or on the plains of the Serengeti. But has he ever looked happier than he did…
Boris Johnson to be ‘criticised’ over Downing Street flat refurbishment – but cleared of breaking rules
While Lord Geidt had formally cleared the Prime Minister of breaking any ministerial rules in of his initial probe, he decided to re-examine the matter in light…
Workers should get limited pay rises to protect elderly from inflation, says Tory MP
Inflation-linked salary rises for the working population are not easily replicated for older adults, who “can’t go along to the pension payer and say: ‘Inflation’s gone up…
Critical workers could be prioritised for Covid tests as cases hit another record high
Stephen Barclay, the Cabinet Office minister, is expected to chair a meeting of Whitehall’s Covid operations committee next week to assess sector shortages. One government source said:…
Ports prepare for delays as post-Brexit customs checks kick in
From Saturday, full customs import declarations will be required on all goods at the time they enter Great Britain, and importers will have to prove goods arriving…
Risk-averse Tories are squandering Great Britain’s Brexit opportunities
Please do stop using the word Brexit; that fractious period in our politics is now past, government officials are invited to believe. Instead, recently issued Whitehall guidelines…
Tough road ahead for Liz Truss with ‘Global Britain’ trade deals set to miss targets
The easy yards have already been made. But with a China deal politically fraught, and a lack of interest from the Biden administration pushing a prized transatlantic…
‘Cowards’ send ‘traitors hang’ death threat to Tory MP
A Conservative MP has shared a “traitors hang” death threat that she received and pledged to call out “cowards” seeking to intimidate her. Virginia Crosbie warned that…
Police investigate after anti-vaccine protesters invade Test and Trace centre
Priti Patel has confirmed that there will be a police investigation after anti-vaccine protesters invaded a Test and Trace centre. The Home Secretary condemned the incident, in…
Nicola Sturgeon’s war on drugs deaths hit by resignation of key advisers
Nicola Sturgeon’s war on drugs deaths has descended into chaos after two key advisers quit, blaming pressure from SNP ministers. Catriona Matheson, an expert in substance misuse,…
Stormont elections must not become referendum on Northern Ireland Protocol, warns Dublin
Next year’s elections for the Stormont Assembly must not be allowed to become a referendum on the Northern Ireland Protocol, Dublin has warned. Simon Coveney, Ireland’s foreign…
Questor: our tip of the year turned up trumps, but our Swedish adventure has fallen flat
It has become traditional at this time of year to summarise our performance since New Year’s Day. Yesterday, we did so for our stocks and will look…
Santander accidentally pays out £130m in Christmas Day blunder
Santander is racing to reclaim £130m after tens of thousands of customers woke up to a surprise bonus in their accounts on Christmas Day. The bank is…
Our post-lockdown bubble: my parents have moved in next door to me
It is a phenomenon that Nilu Ahmed, a behavioural psychologist at the University of Bristol, has noted. “Being physically unable to spend time with loved ones because…
What shall we do this Christmas? File our tax return
Thousands of people filed their tax return on Christmas Day ahead of another trying year for the self-employed and freelancers. More than 31,000 taxpayers submitted their self-assessment…
How to survive the ‘year of the squeeze’ as bills and inflation soar in 2022
“Anything that makes our mortgage more expensive is not great,” says Felicity Meares, a 31-year-old architect from Surrey. “Luckily we have some time left on our fixed-rate…
House prices grew at fastest rate in 15 years in 2021
Just 10pc of London earners can afford to get on the property ladder in the capital, as house price growth across Britain rose at the fastest rate…
Cheugy, brain ticklers, quaranteen: how many of this year’s new words can you decipher?
You’re at a Christmas party where the conversation is about buying NFTs; a quaranteen mutters ‘so cheugy’ at her aunt’s skinny jeans (and her criticism of the…
The experts’ guide to what we’ll be drinking in 2022
South African wine is hitting a few sweet spots at the moment. At the £20-plus level, producers in the Cape are making wines that are both interesting…
Gardening jobs in January: what to plant and tidy in your garden
Pick sprigs Pick the occasional sprig of winter scented shrubs lonicera, sarcococca and daphne and bring them indoors, where they will fill the entire house with their…
Six simple tricks to improve your eating habits in 2022 and beyond
After a month of overindulgence it can be tempting, come January, to go cold turkey on sugar, carbs or alcohol, or to set yourself a big weight…
Everything you need to know about the test that can tell you when you will get cancer
What if doctors could build a model of your organs inside a laboratory, then use it to predict whether or not you will develop cancer – and…
Dry January? After the year we’ve all had, you must be joking
Even in the best of times, I’ve never been much of a fan of Dry January, despite it becoming so fashionable of late. But this year in…
It is time to recognise the Army’s role at home
Since the Government’s Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy was published in March, the emphasis has been on the away leg of this global…