James 🇬🇧 👑

Germany switching off its perfectly fine nuclear power plants, but keeping coal power plants instead to fight climate change in one picture. Enjoy your air quality.

21,000 churches have become subject to VAT on repairs overnight, with the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme. Visit our website for all the details on what we know so far, and how you can help churches affected by these changes.

Supporters will still flood the private members bill ballot - the only chance the bill has. But it has vastly increased appetite for Lords reform. Many said they were “absolutely radicalised” by it “Once we’ve done the hereditaries we should come for the rest of them” one says

Supporters will still flood the private members bill ballot - the only chance the bill has. But it has vastly increased appetite for Lords reform. Many said they were “absolutely radicalised” by it “Once we’ve done the hereditaries we should come for the rest of them” one says

NEW Blimey - devolution of some proportion of income tax to some city regions - ie to back incentives for growing cities: Chancellor announces “roadmap for future fiscal devolution to be published at this year's budget” to give “regional leaders control of a share of some national taxes which have for too long been allocated by central governments.” “They will look at income tax alongside other taxes with reforms initially targeted at those places have the greatest capacity to deliver them and the greatest potential to benefit. Now this is not about new taxes, and it's not about higher tax rates, I will not ask taxpayers to pay more. Reforms will be fiscally neutral, …these reforms will represent a permanent transfer of power and resources, not another exercise in local ambition frustrated by central government control, with taxpayers able to see what is being delivered with their money and to hold local leaders to account for the results what I am describing is a genuine break with the past, a generational opportunity for Britain's regions to make their own future”.

The UK is missing a regional tier of govt. Draw them how you want, but multi-county regions of 3-8m people or so with powers from both below and above, assemblies, and empowered leaders *with real budgets* would be a start. WM takes 15% VAT, region takes 5%, both can raise/lower, etc. Regions set/keep proportional property taxes. Then if the NW want a high tax, high spend system, they can have it - but they pay for it. Central govt hands over things like local policing, NHS, schools, etc, focuses on defence, law, foreign policy, major infra, and so on. Fixed payments for each person, plus development grants for poorer regions. Our regions often have quite different political priorities and tilts, so let's give them the chance to see if they work in practice. It may also help parliament become a serious legislature again, rather than hyperlocalised social workers. These reforms don't go nearly far enough, at present. Give proper tax and budget setting powers.