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For the chancellor to yield to his rightwing obsessives would be bad economics and bad politics Few things in British politics are more glumly predictable, whatever the economic and political circumstances, than Conservative MPs and their rightwing media echo chamber demanding budget tax cuts. Reducing the tax burden for the less well-off undoubtedly has a place in an even-handed approach to Britain’s economic challenges. The tax system also needs reform. But renewed backbench calls for cuts in personal taxes in advance of Jeremy Hunt’s pre-election budget reveal a party that has learned nothing. It is only 18 months since Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng brought the UK economy to its knees by pursuing exactly this approach. Sterling crashed to its lowest level against the dollar in half a century after they declared their tax-cutting budget was just the start . Borrowing costs spiralled. The package also inflicted what may prove to be irreparable damage on the Tory party’s electoral...

Lee Anderson, Liz Truss and other Conservatives peddle shoddy lies about the capital. The truth is far more interesting Just why do the Conservatives so dislike London? The former deputy chair of the Tory party Lee Anderson recently described the capital’s Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan, as controlled by “Islamists” – a sentiment others in his party rather belatedly accept as “ wrong ”, even if they won’t say why. Paul Scully, a former minister for London, chipped in with his belief that parts of the city, and of Birmingham, are now “ no-go areas ”. The previous prime minister Liz Truss lambasted an “anti-growth coalition” incessantly cabbing from their “ north London townhouses to the BBC studios ”. Rishi Sunak marked his first ever prime minister’s questions by attacking Labour’s Keir Starmer as a leader who “rarely leaves north London”. Put these statements together and it appears that, in the collective mind of the post-Brexit Tory party, London has become synonymous with all that...

In compelling documentary As We Speak, a controversial legal practice that uses rap lyrics to secure convictions is explored In September 2001, McKinley Phipps Jr, also known as the rapper Mac, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for manslaughter. It had been a year and a half since gunfire erupted outside a club where he was slated to perform in Slidell, Louisiana, resulting in the death of 19-year-old Barron Victor Jr. Phipps, then 22, maintained his innocence , and the case against him was weak – there was no gun linking him to the crime, several witnesses recanted their testimony and another person confessed to pulling the trigger. And yet, prosecutors had their trump card: Mac, a former New Orleans rap prodigy who began releasing music at the age of 13, had rapped about murder. “Murder, murder, kill, kill”, Phipps recites in As We Speak, a new documentary on the criminalization of rap lyrics. Prosecutors spliced that line with one from a different song – “Pull the trigger, put a...

Misbah Sadique and her friend Kulsum were hit by a car they say was accelerating at them but police did not regard incident as a potential hate crime despite rising Islamophobia The driver was said to have slowed down to let Misbah Sadique, 37, and her friend Kulsum, cross the road. They were close to home in Waltham Forest and felt safe in a part of east London that they knew well. But, as they stepped out, the car in front of them suddenly, inexplicably, accelerated, one of the women later alleged. It is said that Kulsum was thrown to the ground by the force of the impact and that Misbah was dragged under the vehicle. She claims she was lucky to escape with breaks to her right ankle and foot, ribs and right arm, on top of extensive bruising and abrasions. Three weeks later, she remains in hospital, traumatised and facing a long road to recovery. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0M3e6CN

In Kirkby-in Ashfield, some call their MP an ‘embarrassment’ while others say ‘he’s telling the truth a lot of people daren’t say’ In his Nottinghamshire constituency, Lee Anderson has long been considered a Marmite character, attracting staunch supporters and vehement critics alike, and the reaction to his latest comments proved no different. Some said they felt Anderson had been punished unfairly for his statements about the London mayor on Friday, which have been labelled Islamophobic and led to him losing the Conservative whip. Others said they were horrified by his words and believed his suspension from the Tory party had been a long time coming. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/rT8lL6u

Langley will make attempt in National League Cup final Manager says her side are ‘empowering women in Saudi Arabia’ Becky Langley is suddenly well placed to beat Eddie Howe in the race to claim Newcastle United’s first trophy since their Saudi Arabian-led takeover. Howe’s men are desperate to end a club silverware drought stretching back to 1969 when the Fairs Cup was lifted but Langley’s fully professional women’s team may yet lead the way after reaching next month’s National League Cup final. After beating Portsmouth 2-1 in front of an exuberant 22,307-strong crowd at St James’s Park courtesy of the excellent Georgia Gibson’s 90th-minute winner, Newcastle will now meet semi-professional, Essex-based, Hashtag United at Luton’s Kenilworth Road. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EHCfpRW

Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off Live scoreboard | Share your thoughts with Scott on email Eddie Howe speaks to TNT Sports. “We always rotate for different games … with [Isak] back it’s a massive lift … he’s such a key player … a difference maker … we’ll certainly need him to play well tonight … our midfield is picking itself … we want more control and clarity … the spirit is there … the determination … so long as we keep showing that, whatever we deliver tonight we’ll take … we need to keep 11 men on the pitch … but we also have to compete … mixing your game up is absolutely crucial … Arsenal are constantly changing their midfield shape so it will be interesting to see how it goes … we have to bring a threat to the match … our away form has been good in part due to that attitude.” Arsenal make one change to their starting XI after Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Porto. Jorginho comes back in at the expense of Leandro Trossard, who drops to the bench. Gabriel Jesus is...