Category: UK News

Credit card companies Mastercard and Visa, could face a cap on fees they charge retailers for payments between the United Kingdom and the European Union. This news was put forth by the UK’s Payment Systems Regulator, which stated that these charges cost UK companies between £150m and £200m in the previous year. Furthermore, since Brexit,… Continue reading Mastercard and Visa face post-Brexit card fee cap

Jon Venables, one of the killers of James Bulger, has had his bid for parole rejected by authorities after they deemed he still poses a risk to children. The Parole Board issued a report stating that Venables’ release “would not be safe for the public”. The report further stated that Venables could potentially be a… Continue reading James Bulger killer Jon Venables' parole bid fails

JM Nixon and Son, a farming company, has pleaded guilty to failures leading to the death of a primary school teacher on holiday after she was charged and flipped by a runaway cow in Northumberland in 2016. Initially, the firm denied any offence, but at Newcastle Crown Court, admitted failing to ensure the safety of… Continue reading Northumberland farm firm admits Marian Clode cow death failings

Local councils in Scotland could be in financial crisis, with a study by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) suggesting that a quarter of councils fear they will be unable to balance their budgets next year. The study gathered responses from 42 council leaders, chief executives, and finance directors representing three-quarters of Scotland’s 32 local… Continue reading One in four Scottish councils fear 'bankruptcy' – study

Northern Ireland’s biggest car dealership, Charles Hurst, has announced that about 100 of their staff face redundancy. The dealership has eight sites across Northern Ireland and currently employs close to 900 staff. The job cuts were announced internally on Tuesday, and some sales staff and business managers may be affected. The notice periods will depend… Continue reading Charles Hurst: NI's largest car dealership to cut about 100 jobs

The UK economy saw a surprise contraction in October, with monthly GDP falling by 0.3%. This is compared to a growth of 0.2% in September, and it’s worse than expectations of a 0.1% fall. Interest rate rises imposed by the Bank of England to combat inflation have squeezed household spending, while construction and tourism were… Continue reading UK economy shrank by more than expected in October

Political talks in Northern Ireland about a proposed £2.5bn financial package for a restored Stormont executive are entering a third day. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is expected to again meet leaders from the assembly’s largest parties. The government offer, outlined on Monday, is dependent on reviving the power-sharing institutions. But the parties have said… Continue reading Stormont stalemate: Third day of NI party talks on £2.5bn funding package

Indhu Rubasingham has been named as the first-ever female artistic director of the National Theatre in London. She will be taking over from Rufus Norris in 2025, coming to the position from Kiln theatre in north-west London where she has been the director for over a decade. Rubasingham is renowned in the industry and was… Continue reading National Theatre: Indhu Rubasingham to be first female artistic director

In addition to his “Stop the boats” pledge, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made a commitment to clear the backlog of asylum claims. The backlog is defined as claims made before 28 June 2022 that have yet to receive a decision. Mr. Sunak aims to “abolish” the backlog by the end of 2023. However, this… Continue reading Is Rishi Sunak meeting his asylum pledge?

The prime minister is likely feeling relieved after his government’s recent win in a crucial vote. While it’s not exactly a major feat to win this early stage of passing a new law, the alternative would have been much worse. If he had lost, there would have been serious questions raised about Rishi Sunak’s future… Continue reading Chris Mason: No easy way forward for Rishi Sunak after Commons win as Rwanda bill splits party