Budget will 'put more money in people's pockets' claims Tory MP

The Chancellor’s Budget will put more money in people’s pockets and the economy has “turned round the corner”, according to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury Bim Afolami.

He told GB News: “Really, the most important thing we've done here is to put more money in their pockets…that isn't going to happen literally at this moment, but in the weeks and months to come.

“With inflation continuing to come down, with mortgage rates continuing to come down, and with those incomes really coming into their pay packets, I hope that your viewers will see the actions of what we've done today and that they will benefit directly from that.”

Asked by Martin Daubney if the Government was giving a real cut in taxes, he said: “We’ve very aggressively tried to eliminate this double tax on work, National Insurance for working people.

“We've begun and continue the process of bringing their tax rates down and those take-home pay numbers…they are going to feel better off than they otherwise would have done without those National Insurance cuts.

“Now, I completely understand that people will feel, well over the last few years that taxes have gone up for them and that's true. And the reason for that was, as a result of the pandemic, the Government spent over £400 billion supporting British people and British families.

“But now is the time, over the last six months or so, cutting National Insurance in the Autumn Statement, cutting it again now, getting rid of that double tax on work. This is our path to lower taxes.

“And we're doing this all at the same time as maintaining high levels of public services and increasing the spending in public services and also making sure that we're improving the productivity so that it actually it gets to the frontline as effectively as possible.”

He added: “We're doing all of that in a sensible balanced way, but it's not going to happen immediately. It is going to happen with time but they've got to stick with the plan, the economy's turned round the corner and we will deliver for them.”

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Suella Braverman slammed for ‘making things more expensive’ for UK immigrants - ‘you need these workers!’

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been criticised, following her latest comments on foreign workers and migration.

In an exclusive interview with GB News, Braverman proposed a "raise in taxes" for businesses which employ foreign workers.

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'Mob rule' or legitimate protest? Activists descend on council meeting demanding Gaza ceasefire

A banner filled with the names of children killed in Gaza stretched down the street across the road from St Pancras Station.

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Suella Braverman blasted for ‘sticking plaster’ solution to migration: ‘Who’s going to pick up the tab?!’

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been criticised, following her latest comments on foreign workers and migration.

In an exclusive interview with GB News, Braverman proposed a "raise in taxes" for businesses which employ foreign workers.

Speaking to GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope, Braverman outlined her idea to increase revenue "up to £8billion" by introducing the higher rates for businesses.

She added that as a result, the plan will "reduce net migration" to the UK.

Braverman told GB News: "I'm very interested in something I did as Home Secretary in raising taxes and charges on businesses that employ foreign workers.

"It will also have a benefit of lowering net migration, and we know the British People have voted time and time again to lower overall numbers, and we have unprecedented numbers of foreign workers coming in."

Reacting to the proposal, political commentator and former Labour aide Stella Tsantekidou hit out at Braverman and accused her of "already making it expensive" to be an immigrant in the UK.

Tsantekidou shut down the idea of the plan helping to reduce net migration by making things "even more expensive" for foreign workers.

Tsantekidou told GB News host Martin Daubney: "The people you have here already, a lot of them, they are the teachers that are going to be teaching at your schools, who you need and you don't have enough of."

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Tsantekidou continued: "They are the nurses and the social care workers that you need for your NHS. They are the construction workers who you need to tackle your housing crisis.

"So it's all well and good what she's saying about making it so expensive for immigration, but who do you think is going to pick up the tab in the end?"

Christopher Hope argued in defence of Braverman and said she is "trying to tackle the idea that the companies rely on foreign labour as a way to avoid hiring more expensive UK labour."

Tsantekidou hit back, arguing that the Conservative government have "promised for years" to bring down rising levels of mass migration.

Tsantekidou fumed: "They should be honest from the get go and say look, there are some jobs that we haven't managed to convince British people to take up. Very often it is because these jobs don't really pay very well and we have limited the quality of these jobs.

"So this could be the honest thing to do as a politician, to go out and say this is the root of the cause, rather than this is just a plaster I'm going to stick on and I'm going to say whatever I want."

Commenting on Suella's stance on the government's efforts to stop the boats, Tsantekidou accused the former Home Secretary of being "tame", suggesting she is hoping to become Tory leader in the future.

She added: "For the majority of people who look at it objectively, they would also say this also sounds like a big waste of money. You are spending over half a billion pounds on something that so far has not had any results, and something that's only going to impact less than 1 per cent of asylum seekers.

"Surely the public will think there are better things to spend our money on?"

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Donald Trump warns America's borders are 'under siege' after Supreme Court victory

Donald Trump has hit out at US President Joe Biden and expressed his concerns for the "siege" of America's borders, following his Supreme Court victory.

Trump told reporters: "While most states were thrilled to have me, there were some that didn't. And they didn't want that for political reasons. They didn't want that because of poll numbers, because the poll numbers are very good.

"We're beating President Biden in almost every poll. New York Times came out yesterday with a very big poll for us. So they didn't like that. And you can't do that. You can't do what they tried to do.

"And hopefully Colorado as an example will unify. I know there's tremendous support. They've, they've brought our support up very strong in Colorado because people thought, people in Colorado thought that was a terrible thing that they did. And while we're on the subject and another thing that will be coming up very soon will be immunity for a president. And not immunity for me, but for any president.

"If a president doesn't have full immunity, you really don't have a president. Because nobody that is serving in that office will have the courage to make, in many cases, what would be the right decision. Or it could be the wrong decision. It could be in some cases the wrong decision. But they have to make decisions, and they have to make them free of all terror that can be rained upon them when they leave office or even before they leave office. And some decisions are very tough. I can tell you that as a president, that some decisions to make are very tough."

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Budget: Are tax cuts the vote winner they seem?

As the country gears up for the general election, Wednesday's budget may be the last before the voters go to the polls.

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Any tax cuts will need to be 'undone' after election, economist claims

Any tax cuts made during this budget will "one way or another be undone after the election", according to one economist.

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POLL OF THE DAY: Has Britain given up on its armed forces? VOTE HERE

Britain’s armed forces are to be significantly weakened after the RAF announced it will retire 30 “quick reaction alert jets” which currently protect Britain’s skies from Putin.

RAF bosses are retiring the Tranche 1 Typhoons from service to save money despite MPs urging the UK’s top generals to rethink the decision amid surging tensions with Russia.

In addition, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that next week’s Budget will not include a rise in defence spending.

Former defence minister Mark Francois said that instead of being outright scrapped, the jets could be mothballed in a hangar and brought back into service at a later date.

He told MailOnline: “Can you imagine if we had sold off squadrons of Spitfires prior to the Battle of Britain? There would have been uproar.

“The Tranche 1 Typhoons should be mothballed to enable them to be brought back at a time of conflict.

“For the purpose of defending Britain's skies from Russian jets, they will do splendidly.”

As a result of the plan, Britain’s jet fleet of T1 Typhoons will decrease from 137 to 107. The first jets will start being withdrawn from service in 2025 – five years ahead of the original date of 2030.

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A spokesperson for BAE Systems said: “Retaining Tranche 1 Typhoons would not offer operational benefit or value for money and would lead to significant reductions in available spares and investment for Tranches 2 and 3.”

They added that keeping the Trance 1 jets would cost “in excess of” £300million for repairs and upgrades.

Plans to slash the Typhoon jets from service come after MPs were warned that the British armed forces are “haemorrhaging” troops faster than they can recruit as uninterested young people and draconian entry requirements have left the British Army knee-deep in a “disastrous” military staffing crisis.

Following a slump in recruitment, the British Army is at its smallest since the 1850s.

Has Britain given up on its armed forces? VOTE IN OUR POLL ABOVE

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The Week... Of the budget

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POLL OF THE DAY: Was Rishi Sunak right to stand up to Islamic extremism after Galloway win? VOTE HERE

Rishi Sunak on Friday stood up to Islamic extremism after claiming “forces are trying to tear us apart” in an address to the nation from Downing Street following the election of George Galloway.

The Prime Minister said there has been a “shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality” from people trying to capitalise on Hamas' attack on Israel.

Following George Galloway’s by-election victory in Rochdale on Thursday night, Sunak said “our democracy itself is a target”.

In the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel, regular marches have taken place throughout the UK with the PM urging protesters not to let extremists “hijack” demonstrations.

“Protest decently,” he said, and “with empathy for your fellow citizens. Let us prove these extremists wrong.”

MPs have faced abuse and threats as a result of growing extremism with many politicians not feeling safe in their own homes.

In addition, many Muslim women and Jewish children in Britain also feel threatened.

Sunak told the nation that “we must face down the extremists” who are “spreading a poison throughout the country”.

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He said they want Brits to doubt themselves and their history, blaming the UK and the West for being “solely responsible for the world's ills”.

Galloway has hit back at Sunak, who called his win “alarming” and accused the Workers Party leader of supporting Hezbollah.

The newly-elected Workers Party MP told Sky News: “You talk as if this is God. We’re talking about little Rishi Sunak, in the fag end of his prime ministership.

“Don’t talk to me as if he’s come down from the mount with tablets of stone.”

He added: “I don’t know what the glorifying of Hezbollah is all about but maybe he can tell me on Wednesday at Prime Minister’s Questions if he’s got the guts.”

Was Rishi Sunak right to stand up to Islamic extremism after Galloway win? VOTE HERE

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Chancellor tempers tax cut expectations as £800m tech package to free up public service workers' time revealed

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has tempered expectations of tax cuts in Wednesday's budget as he announced an £800m package of technology reforms designed to free up time for frontline public sector workers.

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Hate preachers to be blocked from entering the UK

Hate preachers are to be banned from entering the UK.

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Minorities being humiliated for 'political gain', London mayor says

There is a "concerted attempt" to "humiliate minorities for political gain", London's mayor has said.

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'I regret George Galloway's victory' Michael Gove speaks out after controversial MP wins Rochdale by-elections

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove has spoken out after the controversial MP George Galloway won the Rochdale by-elections.

Speaking to GB News Gove said: "The first thing is we're all Democrats, so I've got to congratulate George Galloway on his victory.

"I am fundamentally opposed to the platform on which George Galloway stood. I think that George is using the politics of division.

"I think that the approach that he's been taking, rather than bringing communities together at a challenging time, will only polarize people further. I think his approach towards the war in the Middle East won't contribute to peace and it shows no sympathy or understanding for the position of Israel.

"But also here in the UK, we had a by-election campaign which instead of being about housing, health, and education was about division and one which will only doctor extremists further.

"So in that sense, I regret George Galloway's victory.

"I think it only emphasises the need for all of us to stand together against extremism and to celebrate what brings people together in this great country."

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'Our democracy is a target': PM rails against 'extremist forces trying to tear us apart' in Downing Street address

Rishi Sunak has railed against "extremist forces trying to tear us apart" during a Downing Street address to the nation.

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