The UK government is weighing inheritance tax reforms ahead of the autumn Budget, including caps on gifts, pension taxation, and reduced reliefs for farms and businesses.
The UK and its NATO allies have renewed pledges of military, financial, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, signalling continued Western backing despite rising costs and political challenges.
New official data shows knife crime in London up 16% year-on-year and 58.5% over three years — outpacing the national trend. Critics accuse the Mayor of cherry-picking data to downplay the wider rise in serious crime.
The U.S. State Department’s 2024 Human Rights Practices report warns of “backsliding” on free speech in the UK, citing restrictions near abortion clinics, online regulation under the Online Safety Act, and growing tensions between liberty and safety.
UK midday update: new IPCC policing recommendations, E3 powers warn Iran of possible UN ‘snapback’ sanctions, indie band Iglu & Hartly cancel UK tour, and the heatwave peaks before cooler weather arrives.
New NPCC guidance encourages police to disclose suspects’ ethnicity and nationality in high-profile cases to help combat disinformation—but civil rights groups warn it may fuel prejudice and distract from gender-based violence.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing major inheritance tax and pension reforms to tackle a £40 billion budget shortfall. New proposals include capping lifetime gifts, tightening taper relief, and making unspent pensions subject to IHT from 2027 — changes aimed at boosting revenue without raising income tax, VAT, or National Insurance.
The UK’s heatwave peaks today with highs up to 34°C in the south, before cooler, fresher weather arrives later in the week.
A night of bold headlines: tomorrow’s papers highlight 50,000 Channel crossings since Starmer’s tenure began, significant inheritance tax reforms, drought emergency measures, and Europe’s arms expansion.
The UK faces a £51 billion budget shortfall, rising tax pressures, and director departures amid non-dom rule changes. Global trade tensions and US tariffs threaten further disruption to growth and public finances.