Badenoch accused of wanting to chop state pension as Labour deny Musk compelled gangs inquiries: Politics stay | EUROtoday
Kemi Badenoch has been accused of wanting to chop the state pension after she revealed she’s going to contemplate means-testing the triple-lock system.
“We don’t have a system that knows who should get what,” mentioned the Tory chief throughout the LBC phone-in in what could be a significant coverage shift for the celebration.
Under the triple lock coverage beforehand supported by the Conservative authorities, the state pension rises every year by whichever is highest out of two.5 per cent, inflation, or earnings.
Ms Badenoch added: “We’ve got to give something to the next generation. What are we leaving them with?”
But her feedback shortly drew criticism from opposition events.
A Labour Party spokesman mentioned: “Kemi Badenoch has put pensioners on notice – she’s going to cut your state pension.”
Elsewhere, Labour’s minister for tradition, Lisa Nandy, was requested about claims billionaire Elon Musk pushed the federal government into launching a brand new audit into grooming gangs.
“I utterly refute that,” she instructed Sky News.
On Thursday, dwelling secretary Yvette Cooper introduced a “rapid national audit” into the size and nature of grooming gags throughout the nation.
Retailer Next shall be taking up fewer employees after Reeves’ Budget, boss warns
The boss of retail big Next has issued a warning over the impression of Rachel Reeves’ Budget, after the enterprise revealed it was going through a £67m surge in wage prices within the yr to January 2026.
The enterprise has blamed the chancellor’s plans to extend employer nationwide insurance coverage contributions and the minimal wage from April. It mentioned it might want to push via an “unwelcome” 1 per cent rise in costs as a part of efforts to assist offset the hit.
Chief govt and Conservative peer Lord Simon Wolfson mentioned Next wouldn’t be slicing jobs via redundancies, however confirmed it could tackle fewer employees than regular within the yr forward throughout its warehouses and retail shops.
He mentioned that employers with part-time and low wage employees shall be disproportionately affected by the strikes, as prices will rise extra steeply for these workers.
“We’re not looking at a dramatic increase in unemployment but… it’s these jobs that are most likely to be lost in the economy,” he mentioned.
He careworn that for Next, it was “not a meltdown situation”.

Alex Ross17 January 2025 10:10
FTSE 100 hits report excessive in ‘surprise’ rally
Good information for traders this morning.
The UK’s FTSE 100 reached its highest ever degree following a rally for the index helped by miners and housebuilders amid rising hopes of additional rate of interest cuts. It surged greater than 1 per cent shortly after markets opened on Friday morning to a excessive of 8,480.57.
Miners Antofagasta, Glencore and Anglo American, and housebuilders Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Redrow have been among the many huge risers.
Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, mentioned the rally got here as a shock. He mentioned: “US markets faltered after a blowout session the previous day, while the surprising upstart came in the form of the FTSE 100, which has set the early pace and blew past its previous record high in opening trade.
“The housebuilders were also strong, given a combination of potentially lowering interest rates and some recent updates which have shown robust forward order books, with rises of 2% or more for the likes of Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Redrow and Berkeley Group.
“The FTSE 100 is now ahead by 3.5 per cent this year, and marginally ahead of the previous record level set last May.”

Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:58
Surprise flop in retail gross sales in December
Following information yesterday that the UK economic system solely grew barely in November, we’re now getting information on retail gross sales for December, which once more exhibits a fairly gloomy image.
UK retail gross sales unexpectedly fell by 0.3 per cent in December, the Office for National Statistics mentioned. It adopted a 0.1 per cent improve in November, revised down from a earlier estimate of a 0.2 per cent rise.
Analysts had been anticipating gross sales to rise by 0.4% in December, with consumers stocking up forward of Christmas.
Erin Brookes, European retail and shopper lead at Alvarez & Marsal, mentioned: “Sales disappointed in December after five months of positive growth, signalling that retailers are already being hit by low consumer confidence on spending.”

Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:51
Tax won’t exchange BBC licence price, Labour minister signifies
Some extra this morning on Labour’s plans on the BBC licence price.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy was requested on the problem because the price, which the federal government has dedicated to rising according to inflation every year till 2027, is to rise to £174.50 in April.
The broadcaster has been cash-strapped in recent times following the licence price being frozen for 2 years at £159.
Ms Nandy instructed BBC Breakfast that the licence price was “not only insufficient, it’s raising insufficient money to support the BBC, but it also is deeply regressive”.
The Government will use a overview of the BBC’s Royal Charter, which is able to embody a public session, to contemplate funding choices to help the broadcaster’s long-term future.
Ms Nandy mentioned she has “already started initial discussions with the BBC leadership about the charter review”, that she hopes will “future proof our national broadcaster until well into the latter half of this century”.
She added: “I think the one that has been speculated about is general taxation.
“That’s not something that we are considering, not least because we want to make sure that we protect the BBC from the sort of political interference that we saw under the last government.”
Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:32
Rachel Reeves points defiant message to critics as she refuses to resign
Rachel Reeves in contrast herself to ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher as she mentioned she won’t resign, after coming underneath stress over the state of the economic system.
There have additionally been issues concerning the fall within the pound and an increase in authorities borrowing prices.
Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer was requested if Ms Reeves would proceed in her position as chancellor.
Speaking to BBC’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Ms Reeves mentioned she was not going to let her critics get her down, and mentioned she wouldn’t resign. Ms Reeves mentioned she didn’t take assaults on her personally and “strongly believes” she has “what it takes” and “the ideas to turn things around”.
She additionally mentioned she was blissful to be generally known as the ‘Iron Lady’.
Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:22
‘I utterly refute that’ – Labour minister rejects claims Musk triggered inquiries
Lisa Nandy has dismissed claims that Elon Musk’s slew of social media posts about grooming gangs kick-started the Government into motion.
“I utterly refute that,” the Culture Secretary instructed Sky News when requested concerning the billionaire’s curiosity within the scandal.
Ms Nandy additionally instructed the broadcaster the Government would settle for a “majority” of the suggestions set out by Professor Alexis Jay geared toward stopping future baby sexual abuse.
The dwelling secretary additionally pledged 5 new native inquiries backed by authorities funding.
The partial climb down comes after three Labour MPs from the North West and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham broke ranks to demand a rethink.

Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:11
Row continues as Tories hit again at Labour criticism
So, we had Kemi Badenoch showing on the LBC phone-in this morning, revealing she was contemplating means testing the triple-lock pension.
Then Labour accused the Tories of planning to chop the state pension.
Now the Tories have hit again, accusing Labour of “fake news”.
A Conservative Party headquarters spokesperson mentioned: “The Labour Party is skewing her words for political gain and lying about what she said. We will look at means testing. But the Conservatives have always protected the triple lock. Ignore the fake news! Read the transcript.”
Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:05
Labour accuses Tory chief of ‘placing pensions on discover’
Not lengthy after Kemi Badenoch appeared on the LBC phone-in, each the Labour and Lib Dem events responded.
A Labour Party spokesperson mentioned: “Kemi Badenoch has put pensioners on notice – she’s going to cut your state pension. The Labour government has taken tough action to clean up the mess the Tories left our economy in, meaning we can guarantee a £470 cash boost for pensioners in April.
“The Tories have let the mask slip though and are happy to leave pensioners worse off. Yet again, the Conservatives haven’t listened and they haven’t learned.”
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, a part of the coalition that launched the triple-lock system 14 years in the past, mentioned: “Bungling Badenoch has finally come up with her first new policy, slashing the state pension.
“The Liberal Democrats are proud we introduced the triple-lock and will fight tooth and nail against Conservative attempts to weaken it.”

Alex Ross17 January 2025 09:02
What is the triple lock pension?
The triple lock ensures that the state pension rises yearly according to inflation, earnings or 2.5 per cent – whichever is highest.
The coverage helps to make sure pensioners’ residing requirements sustain with these of the broader inhabitants.
More than 12 million folks obtain the state pension.
Alex Ross17 January 2025 08:59
Tories will contemplate means-testing triple-lock, Badenoch says
Kemi Badenoch mentioned Tories will contemplate means-testing the triple-lock.
The Conservative chief mentioned that whereas in authorities the celebration had supported the system, however added that “we need to make sure we are growing”.
During a phone-in on LBC, Mrs Badenoch was requested whether or not she would “look at” the triple-lock, to which she replied: “We’re going to look at means-testing. Means-testing is something which we don’t do properly here.”
“The triple-lock is a policy which we supported throughout our 14 years in government, that was a Conservative policy, but we need to make sure that we are growing.
“Starting with the triple-lock is not how to solve the problem. We need to start with, why are we not making the same kind of money we used to make?
She added: “We’ve got to give something to the next generation. What are we leaving them with?
“And that’s what we’ve got to sort out. We can’t just make ourselves comfortable now, spending their future.”
The suggestion shortly got here underneath fireplace from political opponents, with Labour accusing the Tory chief of “putting pensioners on notice” whereas the Liberal Democrats mentioned the Conservatives ought to “clarify what she meant”.

Alex Ross17 January 2025 08:57
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-musk-badenoch-reeves-politics-live-today-b2681355.html