[ad_1] Becky MortonPolitical reporterGetty ImagesHousebuilding is forecast to hit a 40-year high, with reforms to the planning system expected to boost the economy by £6.8bn, according to the independent spending watchdog.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said changes including mandatory housing targets for councils and making it easier to build on green belt land could result in 1.3 million new homes by the end of the decade.The government said further
[ad_1] Lucy HookerBusiness reporter, BBC NewsRadhika GuptaOn Wednesday the chancellor will give an update on her plans for the economy.The government has promised to boost growth, which should mean higher pay and more jobs, but so far the economy has been sluggish.Rachel Reeves will share the latest official forecasts and explain how she intends to tackle the big challenges facing her when she delivers her Spring Statement.Those challenges are also
[ad_1] Sam FrancisPolitical ReporterBBCA lawyer investigating former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has found "credible evidence" he and his staff mistreated two female team members in ways that "seem to amount to harassment". Jacqueline Perry KC, employed by Reform to investigate after complaints were raised in February, found evidence of "victimisation, constant criticisms and discriminatory behaviour".Parliamentary officials have launched a separate bullying probe into Lowe. Meanwhile, the Met Police is
[ad_1] A new assisted dying law for England and Wales could take up to four years to fully implement due to additional safeguards being adopted as the bill goes through Parliament.A spokesperson for Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the bill, described the four-year time limit as "a backstop" but acknowledged changes to the bill – including new panels to oversee applications – will "inevitably take longer to implement".The bills
[ad_1] Getty ImagesReeves attended the Sabrina Carpenter gig with a family memberHousing minister Matthew Pennycook has said he does not "personally think it's appropriate" to accept free concert tickets, after the chancellor took a family member to see pop star Sabrina Carpenter without paying. Rachel Reeves defended taking the tickets for the show at the O2 arena on security grounds. On Monday the prime minister backed his chancellor, saying "everything
[ad_1] BBCOn Thursday 1 May elections will be held for 23 councils and six mayors in England.Around a third of electors in England are eligible to vote, and more than 1,600 councillors will be elected.In some parts of England, local elections have been postponed because the government is planning to reorganise local councils.Use our tool to find out whether there is an election near you.Most of the councils up for
[ad_1] The government will end a contract with a provider of hotel places for asylum seekers after an audit identified concerns about the firm's performance.Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) provides around a quarter of Home Office asylum accommodation in 51 hotels in England and Wales. It also operates Napier Barracks in Kent, which houses people awaiting asylum decisions and is due to close in September. SBHL was sub-contracted under a £2bn-a-year
[ad_1] Brian WheelerPolitical reporterReutersThe US launched air strikes towards Yemen on 15 MarchThe lives of British servicemen and women have not been put at risk by a major security breach in the United States, the UK armed forces minister has told MPs. Luke Pollard said he had "high confidence" that British operational security remains "intact".It comes after after a US journalist was inadvertently added to a secret group chat where
[ad_1] Working class people do not want "handouts" but support to find jobs, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said.Last week the government set out changes to the benefits system aimed at saving £5bn, including making it harder for people to claim disability payments. Asked whether the cuts were "a hard sell" to Labour MPs and supporters, Rayner told the BBC it was "a working class thing that people do
[ad_1] Angus CochraneBBC Scotland NewsGetty ImagesDouglas Ross stepped down as party leader after his decision to stand in last year's general election went down badly with colleagues Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is to stand down as an MSP at next year's Holyrood election.The Highlands and Islands MSP confirmed he would seek to return to the UK Parliament, where he previously served as MP for Moray. Ross resigned as
