UK can ‘defy’ gloomy forecasts despite productivity problems, says Chancellor
Writing in the Guardian, the Chancellor acknowledged that productivity forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) could make for tough reading. Ms Reeves will hope that better-than-expected inflation figures and a slight improvement in some growth forecasts will help ease the pressure. But the gap could be even bigger than feared, following media reports that the OBR is preparing to downgrade its productivity forecasts by 0.3 percentage points. In her Guardian article, Ms Reeves said she would not “pre-empt” the OBR productivity downgrade, but added she would be “candid” that Britain’s productivity performance under the Conservatives had been “too weak”. Without deeper spending cuts or increased borrowing, the Chancellor will be left with little choice but to raise taxes.
Source:The Times
October 29, 2025 00:30 UTC
Times letters: Radical suggestions for chancellor’s budget
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Source:The Times
October 29, 2025 00:04 UTC
Bill Gates: climate change is not the end of the world
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Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 22:33 UTC
De Blasio Impersonator Tricks British Newspaper With Fake Criticism of Mamdani
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York has been an enthusiastic supporter of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and front-runner in the mayor’s race. So it seemed odd on Tuesday when an article appeared in The Times of London in which he was quoted saying he had concerns about Mr. Mamdani’s policy proposals. Mr. de Blasio told The New York Times on Tuesday evening that the comments attributed to him were invented and that he had not spoken with the British newspaper. (The New York Times and The Times of London are not connected.) Mr. de Blasio reiterated his support for Mr. Mamdani’s plans to make buses free, to freeze the rent on rent-stabilized apartments and to institute free universal child care, comparing them to his own quest to create universal prekindergarten.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 22:26 UTC
Labour slumps to record low in polls while Reform and Greens surge
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy noticeLabour has fallen to its lowest rating in a YouGov poll, with Sir Keir Starmer’s party almost level with the Conservatives, Greens and Liberal Democrats. It comes as Sir Keir has been warned that he could struggle to turn the party’s fortunes around following last week’s defeat in a Welsh by-election. Labour faces threats from the left and the right, with concerns about voters being lost to Reform or the surging Greens. Ipsos pollster Keiran Pedley told The Independent that it is “hard to see how Labour will turn things around”.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 22:13 UTC
SWNS studio Creatorville appoints The Times director of video Jon Eastman as creative director
Creatorville, the original video studio within SWNS Media Group, has named Jon Eastman as creative director. Eastman has more than twenty years’ experience in video and digital strategy, and combines “editorial rigour and digital-first creativity” according to Creatorville. He joins from The Times, where he served as director of video, overseeing content across YouTube, TikTok and The Times & Sunday Times’ digital platforms. Sam Barcroft, group CEO of SWNS Media Group and founder of Creatorville, said: “Jon is one of the most talented and forward-thinking video leaders in the industry. There’s a huge opportunity here to shape the next generation of digital formats, and I can’t wait to get started.”Creatorville partners with creators, publishers and brands to produce shareable original video content for audiences worldwide.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 18:43 UTC
Edgwarebury Lane surrounded by armed police - recap
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Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 18:33 UTC
The expats living in France who say: ‘We’ll never go back to the UK’
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Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 18:03 UTC
It’s time we were told the truth about taxes
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Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 17:46 UTC
Prince William threatened to strip Andrew’s daughters of titles in mansion row
Prince William threatened to strip Andrew’s daughters of titles in mansion rowThe former BBC anchor who famously grilled Prince Andrew about his scandalous friendship with Jeffrey Epstein revealed Tuesday that Prince William threatened to remove the royal titles of Andrew’s daughters unless their disgraced father finally agreed to leave Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion he and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, occupy near Windsor Castle. The revelations about the emails led to both Andrew and Sarah renouncing their Duke and Duchess of York titles in the past two weeks. The Daily Beast, though, reported that William has grown impatient with the “spectacular mismanagement of the entire Andrew affair” by Charles’ team. Those threats may have finally convinced Andrew to begin talks about leaving Royal Lodge. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail he doesn’t think the king would make such offer.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 15:09 UTC
Rescued tiger Aqua settling into new home at British zoo
Six years later, Aqua has become the final tiger of the rescued pack to find a permanent home. He moved into his purpose-built habitat at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall, near Bristol, a week ago and keepers say he is settling in well. Larry Bush, director of the attraction, said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome Aqua to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, continuing our conservation of endangered species. Aqua was rescued from illegal trafficking (Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm/PA)Emma Ogborne, a keeper at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, said: “Aqua’s story is one of incredible endurance and resilience and marks another significant milestone in our ongoing journey to protect and nurture endangered species at Noah’s Ark. “But once they’re rehabilitated, being able to count on outplacement partners like Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, committed to providing the best forever home and care, is essential to us.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 15:00 UTC
Amazon plans to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs – reports
Boss Andy Jassy had warned workers that a number of jobs in the business could be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). Amazon is expected to target divisions globally including human resources, operations, devices and services, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), according to reports from Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. AWS is the world’s largest cloud computing provider and offers a wide variety of services, including storage, databases, machine learning, and security tools. In the UK, it revealed plans to shut all its Amazon Fresh grocery stores last month, putting up to 250 jobs at risk. In a note to employees, he said: “As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 14:34 UTC
Newspaper headlines: 'Migrants in barracks' and 'NHS printed me a new face'
The paper says there is also a silver lining for Reeves, as economic growth has been better than forecast. The Daily Mirror highlights a report by the Fairness Foundation, external calling on the chancellor to increase taxes for the wealthy. On its front page, the Daily Telegraph highlights, external the trial of a new system for rapid diagnosis of prostate cancer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. The research involved two groups of people - one viewing paintings in a gallery while the other looked at copies of the works in a normal environment. In the first group the levels of the stress hormone cortisol fell by 22%, while in the second they dropped by 8%.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 14:03 UTC
Titanic passenger’s archive set to sell for more than £100,000
Frederick Sutton, 61, was a first class passenger on the ill-fated liner, which sank in April 1912, costing 1,500 lives. Frederick Sutton was a first class passenger who died in the sinking (Henry Aldridge & Son/PA)The archive is going under the hammer at Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire, on November 22. He had travelled to England in March 1912 for health reasons and was returning to the US on the Titanic. The bag that carried Mr Sutton’s effects (Henry Aldridge & Son/PA)Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: “The Sutton archive is without doubt one of the most complete collections of its type we have ever handled. “To discover a first class passenger list that was not only onboard the Titanic but went into the water and actually survived is truly remarkable.
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 12:51 UTC
Lefay Resort and Spa tops The Times and The Sunday Times’ 50 best spas in the world list
The newspapers have launched an interactive guide, from which readers can learn about their top rated spasA supplement will be published on Sunday about the growth of consumer wellness and self-care trendsThe best spas according to the newspapers are listed below
Source:The Times
October 28, 2025 12:30 UTC