Former Conservative leader William Hague has thrown his weight behind calls for tax rises at this week's budget in order to deal with Britain's huge COVID spending. In a major intervention, the senior Tory said the country had "reached the point where at least some business and personal taxes have to go up". Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering a hike in corporation tax when he reveals his budget on Wednesday. It has also been claimed he will seek to raise £6bn by freezing income tax thresholds for at least three years. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player How will the budget help our high streets? Mr Sunak has hinted his budget will include an extension of support schemes for furloughed workers and businesses while COVID restrictions remain. Advertisement But he has also warned of the need to "level" with the public about the large economic cost of the pandemic. In the 10 months … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: Lord Hague throws his weight behind calls for Rishi Sunak to raise taxes to deal with COVID spend
The hollow point
My son was going to hear his baby’s heartbeat – he was killed by a hit & run driver who served just 5 months in jail
A MUM whose son died in a hit and run road collision, only for the driver responsible to serve just FIVE MONTHS imprisonment, is campaigning for stiffer jail terms. Louise Smyth, aged 49, was widowed 20 years ago, when husband Darren was killed in a motorbike accident after misjudging a bend in a road. It left her to bring up their two sons alone. She later had another son, from a different relationship. Her middle son Matt died aged 25 in a hit and run crash when his motorbike was hit by a delivery driver, who then fled the scene. She collected over 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for the law to be changed, which will be debated in Parliament later this year. Louise, from Duxford, Cambridgeshire, says: “Matt was my middle son, quite shy and quiet - a kind, thoughtful boy still living at home with me when he passed away. "He loved animals and Liverpool FC. He worked as a chef at a pub. Sometimes after a shift, he’d bring me home one of his fabulous brownies … [Read more...] about My son was going to hear his baby’s heartbeat – he was killed by a hit & run driver who served just 5 months in jail
Jody Wisternoff selects ten of the best from Bristol, including tracks from Massive Attack and Portishead
JODY Wisternoff might be best known as one half of electronic music duo Way Out West alongside one of Britain's original superstar DJs, Nick Warren. The enduring partnership of the two Bristolian talents continues to this day having contributed numerous pivotal moments in electronic music since the 90s. In the same way as Nick’s, Jody’s solo work has also seen great success over the years. His long relationship with Above & Beyond and James Grant’s Anjunadeep label continues this month with the release of Anjunadeep 12 mixed by Jody and label head James. Since the inaugural ‘Anjunadeep 01’ over 10 years ago, the compilation series has proven a hotbed for new talent joining the imprint and has helped break some of the most iconic tracks in the label’s back catalog. Marking a new chapter for Anjunadeep, the compilation sets the tone for what’s to come from the label in 2021. Including some of the best tracks of 2020, ‘Anjunadeep 12’ also showcases 50 new and … [Read more...] about Jody Wisternoff selects ten of the best from Bristol, including tracks from Massive Attack and Portishead
Royal Mint to give away 95 £5 coins to mark Queen’s 95th birthday
THE Royal Mint is giving away 95 commemorative £5 coins to celebrate the Queen turning 95 next month. To be in with a chance of winning a coin, you must also be celebrating your 95th birthday this year. This means you must have either turned 95 in January or February, or will turn 95 at some point this year. The Queen will celebrate her 95th birthday next month on April 21. Each coin features a design by heraldic artist Timothy Noad, with the words: “My heart and my devotion.” This is in reference to part of her 1957 Christmas broadcast, which was the first to be televised. What coins have launched to celebrate the Queen's 95th birthday? HERE are all the coins listed on the Royal Mint website to celebrate the 95th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The 95th Birthday Of Her Majesty The Queen 2021 £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin - £13 The 95th Birthday Of Her Majesty The Queen 2021 £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin (Premium Pack) - £18 (limited edition 9,500) … [Read more...] about Royal Mint to give away 95 £5 coins to mark Queen’s 95th birthday
Fake 50p Kew Gardens coins flooding eBay and duping coin collectors out of cash – how to spot a real one
COIN hunters are being warned to watch out for scammers selling fake Kew Gardens 50ps on eBay. This 50p has caught the eyes of crooks after regularly topping lists of the rarest coins in circulation . Collectors pay up to £400 for genuine Kew Gardens 50ps on eBay - 800 times its face value - and there are often hundreds of them listed. This means it can be a costly error if you end up bidding on one that isn’t real. Speaking to The Sun, coin expert Jon White of the Britannia Coin Company explained how many replica Kew Gardens 50ps find themselves on auction sites. Crooks first purchase these fake coins from Chinese websites, with The Sun spotting some for sale from as little as 68 cents each (48p). What to do if you think you've spotted a fake coin FIRST of all, check our guide below with detailed images to see if you can spot any tell-tale signs that show a Kew Gardens 50p could be fake. There are also other ways you can check if what you're bidding … [Read more...] about Fake 50p Kew Gardens coins flooding eBay and duping coin collectors out of cash – how to spot a real one