 | Ben Riley-Smith Political Editor | When Rachel Reeves unveils her Budget, at long last, on Wednesday, there will be plenty of rhetoric about the need for tax rises. Money, after all, must be found from somewhere.
But what about from spending cuts? That is the question being asked by political opponents, with their fingers pointed at one target in particular: the ballooning welfare bill.
The Telegraph has crunched the numbers, and it emerged that the Chancellor will actually be adding, in various ways, to the annual benefits bill by £15bn in her Budget.
How? Firstly, under pressure from Labour MPs, Ms Reeves is expected to lift the two-child benefit cap in full, despite the policy being popular in polls. That will cost £3bn a year.
The second move will see working-age benefits – such as Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and child benefits – uprated in line with inflation.
The 3.8 per cent rise, which kicks in from April, will cost an estimated £6bn. Tory chancellors between 2015 and 2019 chose to freeze working-age benefits except for disability payments.
The third and fourth benefits payment changes come from about-turns the Treasury was forced to adopt since the last fiscal statement to MPs in the spring.
Number 11 was made to gut a PIP reform package by Labour rebels, losing almost all of the £5bn of savings, and reinstate winter fuel payments for most pensioners, costing £1.25bn.
If different decisions had been taken in those four areas – collectively amounting to £15.25bn in extra annual spending – then the need for tax rises would have been lower.
One to ponder as you digest Ms Reeves’s “smorgasbord” of tax hikes to be unveiled at around 12.30pm on Wednesday.
Read the full story here ➤
Reeves waters down mansion tax plans ➤ |  | Connor Stringer Washington Correspondent | Europe has drawn up a counter-proposal to Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan for Ukraine that could see Vladimir Putin return to the top table in the form of the G8.
The plan contains a number of concessions, including a cap on the size of Ukraine’s army and a commitment to elections, which risks Volodymyr Zelensky being removed from power.
The plan led by Britain, Germany and France – the so-called European E3 power – essentially softens much of Washington’s blueprint by stripping out the most pro-Moscow points.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, confirmed the Trump administration was “making changes” to its peace plan after crisis talks in Geneva.
Mr Rubio said the discussions in Geneva were ‘‘probably the best meeting and day we’ve had so far in this entire process, going back to when we first came to office in January’’.
Mr Trump is yet to approve the plan. But if he does, his next task will be convincing Putin to accept it.
Read the full story here ➤
See how the European and American peace plans compare ➤
How Putin’s money man hoodwinked Trump’s top diplomats ➤ | | Kamal Ahmed Labour has to make a choice – does it want to govern seriously or keep the PM?
Kamal will be replying to your comments at 10am. Continue reading ➤ Michael Mosbacher Rachel Reeves’s ‘mansion tax’ could be Labour’s poll tax moment Continue reading ➤ Michael Vaughan England should be worried about supporters turning on them Continue reading ➤ | Get the full experience. Unlock our award-winning website, app and newsletters. | | Forty Dean Street in London’s Soho has lost £5,000 in the past three months to bogus refund claims, and it’s not alone. Customer chargeback fraud, when diners pay for their meals and later report the transaction as fraudulent to their bank to get a refund, is sweeping through the battered hospitality sector. But owners are powerless to fight back. “All we’re told is the customer says they didn’t receive the goods,” says one restaurateur, astounded by the fast-spreading racket. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | It was when my baby granddaughter arrived for a visit with pierced ears that I knew I’d never truly be friends with my daughter-in-law, writes our anonymous author. The woman is in her late 20s, from a provincial town in Essex, and is what my mother used to call “common”. My son, who went to a private day school and a Russell Group university, reads books about science and is into politics; she prefers fluffy romances and reality TV. She’s very sweet, but how can I cope with this class and lifestyle clash? Continue reading ➤ | | | | | Introverts have myriad strengths – thoughtfulness, perceptiveness and are often fantastic listeners – but their tendency to withdraw from social situations can have dangerous effects on their health as they age. Not only can it lead to loneliness, but some studies suggest social isolation may be linked to dementia. Here’s how to reduce your risk if you’re an introvert. Continue reading ➤ | | | Lord Glasman is already puffing on his fifth rolled-up cigarette of the interview when he tells Annabel Denham that Keir Starmer “wants to be a unifying prime minister, and clearly that is not the reality”. Gloriously candid and unapologetically pro-working class, the philosopher-peer and founder of Blue Labour asserts his belief that the “utterly unique” Shabana Mahmood “is a blessing to our country” and will redeem the Labour Party in her role as Home Secretary by stopping the boats and bringing order to the immigration system. Continue reading ➤ | | | Alex and Mick Bull are a gay couple who live in an idyllic country cottage in deepest Suffolk. Their life is one of dog walks, tending to goats, chicken and ducks – and espousing Right-wing views on their Nice Boys in the Country Instagram account. “If you’re gay and talk about mental health, people assume you’re Left-wing,” says Alex, as he explains why they decided to speak out. Continue reading ➤ | | | We are just a month away from Christmas and thoughts may have turned towards buying presents. If so, you might find the Telegraph Recommended Christmas page helpful. The team has found this year’s best gifts, catering to all interests, from gardening and cooking to gaming and travel. You’ll also find reviews of artificial Christmas trees, advent calendars and other things that, let’s admit it, are starting to get us in the mood for Christmas, however much we try to resist.
Speaking of resistance, it will be hard to avoid Black Friday when the annual sale begins this week. Almost every retailer will be advertising discounts, only some of which will be worth your while. The Telegraph Recommended Black Friday page is here to help you avoid scams and snap up the genuine bargains.
- Here are our recommendations for the best Christmas gifts for him and her.
- Plus, see our comprehensive Black Friday guide here.
|  | Matt Pritchett Cartoonist | Hello,
After seeing a collapsing snowman this week I couldn’t help but be reminded of our Prime Minister’s precarious situation. Submit a caption to be in with a chance of winning a large amount of satisfaction. I’m excited to hear your thoughts.
We also have our winner from last week below.
Sir Keir really is the butt of all our jokes. This was submitted by Mal Greer, who somehow found himself privy to a conversation regarding the UK’s latest defence plans...
As always, I’ll be answering your questions on the Your Say page, so please enter some for me!
PS, for an inside look at what inspires my weekly cartoons, you can sign up to my personal subscriber-exclusive newsletter here. | Parlez-vous anglais? Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
I can’t pretend to be a vastly distinguished linguist. I reached the height of my French-speaking powers when I studied it for GCSE. One of my exams involved talking for a few minutes about my home town, St Ives, which I probably described as “a diminutive fishery on top of the blue very sea”. I don’t think I’m technically much better at Italian – but I feel a lot better at it, because Italians tend to be so forgiving. Oh, and let’s not forget the invaluable smattering of Old English I picked up during my degree.
Still, better to speak a language or two ineptly than not at all (which, unfortunately, is the way things are going in many British schools). A recent series of letters has illustrated this point. It began with Ron Giddens, who wrote: “I achieved O-levels in French and German 70 years ago, and they remain tucked away in my memory. I help out at Wings Aviation Museum in Balcombe, West Sussex, which houses a collection of the remains of aircraft destroyed during the last war. Many French visitors come to see the contribution their countrymen made, and Germans come for the bits of raiders that didn’t return. They very much appreciate a short discourse in my rusty schoolboy French and German, even though their English is, of course, fluent.”
Peter Sander, meanwhile, explained how his O-level French “resulted in a life-changing experience. Entering my local with my then girlfriend, I immediately fell in love with a beautiful woman I’d presumed was French sitting in a group. I managed to sit next to her, make conversation in French and arrange to see her a couple of days later. We celebrate our 51st wedding anniversary in a few weeks’ time”.
Michael Bacon took a different approach, however: “In my career, I worked in 58 different countries. I was often asked which languages I spoke. My reply was always: ‘English, shouted English, and shouted English with waving arms.’ The last one was for Mediterranean countries.” How are your languages? Send your replies here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | |
Why did Millie the cat have a run-in with the police at an Aldi supermarket? | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
The solution to yesterday’s clue was HARDWIRED. Come back tomorrow for the answer to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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