Reform unveils plan to 'save' British businesses by slashing red tape and axing 'ridiculous EU laws'

Reform UK has pledged to scrap UK privacy rules as part of a bid to slash “red tape” for businesses and axe "ridiculous EU laws".

Treasury spokesman for the party, Robert Jenrick, said the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - which mirrors EU legislation and was adopted as domestic law after Brexit - had “strangled” tech firms and small enterprises.

Under new proposals, the framework would be replaced by rules modelled on New Zealand’s privacy legislation, which is seen as more lenient, the party said.

Mr Jenrick outlined the pro-business pitch this morning, including a pledge to widen a tax-relief scheme for investors in small businesses in the UK to allow relatives to claim advantages more easily.

Mr Jenrick said the GDPR had “strangled small businesses and tech firms alike in a web of unnecessary regulation”.

“Ten years after the Brexit referendum, we should not still be following ridiculous EU privacy laws that hurt British businesses", he added.

Reform said it would change the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme to ensure parents and grandparents can put up to £250,000 into their child or grandchild’s small business, and receive an income tax rebate of 50 per cent and exemption from capital gains tax if they hold the investment for three years.

The party has also announced promises to reverse the rise in employer national insurance contributions and changes to inheritance tax on farms, while introducing a “hard work bonus” that scraps income tax on overtime.

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Andy Burnham 'looking forward' to first meeting with Donald Trump next month despite back and fourth digs

Andy Burnham has defended past remarks about Donald Trump by claiming the US president has “said things as well”.

The Prime Minister insisted he would find “common ground” with the US leader, despite having previously described American politics as “poisonous” and “polarised”.

Speaking to Channel 5 News, he also said he has a “habit of saying what I feel” - something he pledged to continue doing as Prime Minister.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump said he thinks he and the Prime Minister are “going to have a very good relationship”, while also claiming Britain is currently “a bankrupt country”.

Mr Burnham is planning to join European leaders on a US trip in September to lobby for Ukraine’s defence - which would be Mr Burnham’s first US visit since taking over in No10 in July.

When pressed on past comments, Mr Burnham told reports today: “Well, he’s said things as well, and everyone says things as politicians. In the moment you meet people where they’re at, and you find a connection with people, and that’s always been my style.

“I’ve had a habit of saying what I feel over the years, and I’ll continue to do that.

“But, at the same time, I am somebody who works with people, tries to find common ground, and obviously that’s what I should be doing in this job in the British public’s interest, and I will always take that approach.

“I’m looking forward actually to my first meeting. We had a good phone call on my first day in office and looking forward to meeting in person.”

PM joins Sadiq Khan and Pat McFadden to celebrate Sainsbury's launching 10,000 work experience opportunities for Neets

Andy Burnham has urged UK business to follow the example of Sainsbury’s, after the retailer announced 10,000 work experience opportunities for young people to tackle youth unemployment.

The Prime Minister said the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) - which has topped one million - is a “huge challenge” which employers need to help address.

He toured Sainsbury’s Nine Elms this morning, after the supermarket group unveiled a programme designed to help more young people in deprived areas into work from October, including workplace visits, careers sessions and practical work experience across England, Scotland and Wales.

Mr Burnham told reporters: “This is a really positive development today.

“One of the biggest British brands out there, Sainsbury’s, coming forward and saying 10,000 placements for young people, work placements, apprenticeships. This is exactly what we need.

“We need a national drive to challenge youth unemployment and give more opportunities for our young people, and I would ask other businesses to do the same.

“We have a huge challenge: too many young people are out of work - but it can be fixed.

“I think we need to fix the education system, which is what I’m doing as well, giving young people technical paths alongside the academic route. But then we need employers to step forward and offer those work placements too.”

Mr Burnham was joined on his tour of the superstore by Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

Britain to maintain staunch support of Ukraine, says Andy Burnham

Britain’s support for Ukraine will not change, Andy Burnham has said, amid news that the head of the CIA has travelled to Russia for unannounced talks.

CIA chief John Ratcliffe made his first known visit to Moscow for talks with Russian officials yesterday - sparking widespread speculation that it could be pre-empting new military action of some kind by Vladimir Putin.

Asked if Britons should be worried that the talks herald the possibility of attacks by the Russians on the UK, Prime Minister Mr Burnham told broadcasters: “It’s a challenging situation when we look around the world right now.

“But from what we’re doing, people need to be sure of this: We’re doing what we’ve done since the start of this conflict, which is to provide that back-up support to Ukraine to be able to defend themselves, because they do need to do that.

“They are obviously in an impossible situation, so challenging, but Britain needs to be there and be a constant as they go through this illegal invasion that they’re facing.

“So, we will continue to do that. Prime ministers before me gave that assurance and I visited Ukraine to send a really clear message to the Ukrainian people that Britain isn’t changing course. We said we would support them. We are supporting them, and that won’t change.”

The Prime Minister on Monday travelled to Kyiv, where - during a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky - he reiterated there would be “no change in the UK’s steadfast support” for Kyiv.

He also urged Ukraine’s allies to send more interceptor missiles to Kyiv, and co-chaired his first coalition of the willing meeting, where he said the group was doing “everything we can” to “dig into our own stocks and help others dig into their stocks”.

Mr Burnham plans to lobby US president Donald Trump for more support for Ukraine’s defence in a trip to Washington in September.

PM concedes rising energy price cap is 'difficult for people'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said rising energy bills are “difficult” for people after Ofgem raised its price cap by 4 per cent to a three-year high and analysts forecast a further 9 per cent hike from January.

Speaking to reporters this morning, the Prime Minister said: “It’s difficult for people and I recognise that. But it’s why, within days of taking office, I announced that we would remove VAT off electricity bills to give people that little bit of help.

“That kicks in from October. We know the price cap will have an impact, but it is what we can do right now. And we’ll continue to look as we go forward at how we get energy prices down in the long term, and that’s what we need to do too.”

Andy Burnham vows to take action on dangerous driving epidemic after fatal A66 crash

The Government will “take action” to stop the trend of dangerous driving videos being posted online, following the fatal A66 crash last weekend that claimed seven lives - including two police officers.

Speaking to Channel 5 News, the Prime Minister was asked if there is anything the Government can do to crack down on the “growing problem online of the police being goaded and provoked”.

Mr Burnham said: “There’s always something we can do and the glorification of dangerous driving is an appalling trend, and it needs to be challenged, and that means everybody playing their part to stop it, including the tech companies.”

Pressed on whether he would be asking tech companies to take down such content, he added: “I’m waiting for a full investigation into what happened at the weekend, but people can be sure that we’ll take action off all of the issues that are coming out.”

'What a legacy to leave' - Prime Minister pays tribute to Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton will be remembered for her legacy of “great music that people will treasure forever”, Andy Burnham has said.

Speaking to reporters at a supermarket in London, the Prime Minister said: “I was a huge fan of what Dolly did around literacy around the world.

“I was culture secretary when her libraries were first coming through and the books that went into communities across Britain. What a legacy to leave.

“It was so moving to hear about her dad and how that experience made her want to give back so much.

“She leaves that legacy as well as, obviously, great music that people will treasure forever.”

Kemi Badenoch seeking to gain control of another council as voters go to the polls in five areas

Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives could gain control of another council as voters go to the polls in five by-elections across the country.

Following the resignation of a Labour councillor in Wandsworth, the Conservatives could take control, making it the seventh London council in which they would have the majority of councillors.

That's not all, as Reform UK is looking to strengthen their position on councils stretching from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Dover.

GB News has done a preview of every by-election happening this week.

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Tories and Lib Dems hit out at Labour's 'failing' promises to cut energy bills

Labour has failed to deliver on its promise to cut energy bills, the Conservatives have said, as household bills are expected to rise from October.

Claire Coutinho, Shadow Energy Secretary, said: “Labour promised to cut energy bills by £300, but they have gone up by nearly £400 instead.

“Our cheap power plan would cut energy bills for households and businesses by scrapping Government taxes and levies on bills, and it wouldn’t cost the taxpayer a penny. We have to put cheap energy first.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have said the latest energy price rise is “continuity Starmerism”.

Pippa Heylings, the party’s energy spokeswoman, said: “This latest rise in the price cap has wiped out the small savings from Andy Burnham’s cut of VAT on electricity bills, proving that continuity Starmerism will keep families stuck in a financial mire.

“The Prime Minister must wake up to the scale of the challenge and accept that bold change is needed to bring bills down.”

Energy bills to see 4% rise from October as Energy Secretary says slash to VAT will 'give breathing space'

Average annual energy bills will rise by almost £100 for a typical household in October, GB News understands.

Energy regulator Ofgem announced a 4 per cent rise on July's price cap this morning, which will see billpayers in a typical dual fuel home pay £1,723 - up from the previous cap of £1,633.

October's price cap will cover the period from October 1 to the end of this year (Q4).

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said families will be "understandably concerned about the cost of energy bills this winter", and suggested that the rise is being "driven up by the Iran war".

She added: "Energy is an everyday essential and it needs to be affordable for everyone, which is why we have cut VAT on electricity bills from October, to give families some breathing space.

"This has limited the rise in the price cap and follows the £150 in costs we removed from bills earlier this year, and we will keep looking at what more we can do to protect families from unaffordable bills."

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