Private school tax raid drives inflation to 10-month high

“Inflation jumped to a 10-month high at the start of this year after the Government enforced sharp increases in private school fees. The consumer prices index (CPI) rose from 2.5pc in December to 3pc in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which was its steepest rate since March last year. The increase, which was larger than economists had expected, comes after the Government ended the long-standing VAT exemption for private schools on January 1. From the start of this year, many schools passed price increases onto parents after the standard rate of 20pc was applied to private school education and boarding fees. The ONS said private school fees was the only factor driving up education inflation, which surged by 12.7pc compared to the previous month.” – The Daily Telegraph

• UK inflation rises to 3 per cent in blow to hopes for interest rate cuts – The Times
• Inflation rises to 3 per cent – what it means for your mortgage, pension, and more – The I

Starmer in rare public row with most senior judge…

“Sir Keir Starmer has become embroiled in a rare public row with Britain’s most senior judge over his criticism of an immigration decision. Baroness Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, attacked the Prime Minister for his “unacceptable” criticism last week of an immigration judge who allowed Palestinian refugees to come to the UK from Gaza. At a press conference on Tuesday, she said both Sir Keir and Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, had failed to “respect and protect” judges by publicly criticising the verdict as “wrong”. She said she was “deeply troubled” by their comments and said she had written to Sir Keir and Shabana Mahmood, the Lord Chancellor, to remind them that politicians must respect judicial independence.” – The Daily Telegraph

• Respect our independence, she says, after the Prime Minister claimed a tribunal made the ‘wrong’ decision in letting a Palestinian family come to the UK – The Times
• British judges need to be reminded that Parliament is supreme – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
• Unless the law is enforced, a vigilante future beckons – Madeline Grant, The Daily Telegraph

…as he prepares to seek approval from Trump for Chagos Islands deal

“Sir Keir Starmer will next week try to sell his contentious Chagos islands deal to US President Donald Trump, amid a growing dispute over the rationale for an agreement affecting the US-UK military base at Diego Garcia. British officials claim that criticism of the deal is based on “wild speculation” and insist there are multiple national security grounds for striking an accord under which the UK will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. But the security justifications for the deal affecting the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) were this week denounced in a report by the Policy Exchange, a centre-right think-tank, highlighting the risk of tense discussions when the prime minister and his team arrive in Washington.” – The Financial Times

• The Special Relationship died decades ago. Only deluded British leaders failed to notice – Philip Johnston, The Daily Telegraph

British Typhoons ‘may keep peace in Ukraine’ – if Russia drops objections

“Britain is prepared to send Typhoon fighter jets to police the skies over Ukraine to help secure peace, it is understood. However, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that Moscow would not accept the deployment to Ukraine of Nato troops as part of any peace deal. On Tuesday the US and Russia held four and a half hours of talks to end the war, with no European nations at the negotiating table in Saudi Arabia. Lavrov cast doubt upon plans for a European-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine. He said: “The appearance of troops from Nato countries … under a foreign flag, the flag of the European Union or the national flag, is unacceptable.”… British ministers have discussed ways to provide security guarantees without the need for large numbers of troops on the ground…” – The Times

• Trump demands Zelensky holds elections – The Daily Telegraph
• He blames Ukraine over war with Russia, saying it could have made a deal – The Guardian
• On the front line with British troops preparing to protect Europe from Russia – The Daily Telegraph
• ‘Russia won’t stop until it takes everything’: What Ukrainians want Trump to know – The I
• The coalition force that could join British troops in Ukraine – The Daily Telegraph
• It’s no accident that Saudi Arabia is at the heart of the Ukraine negotiations – Editorial, The Times
• We must not forget Russia’s aggression – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
• Europe is at a crossroads, as Trump and Putin sit down in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine – Editorial, The Daily Mail
• Europe may need to view Trump’s America as an adversary – Simon Marks, The I
• It still doesn’t realise how helpless it’s become – Daniel DePetris, The Daily Telegraph
• Starmer’s British troops vow boosted morale in Kyiv – but those words look empty while he scrimps on defence funds – Noa Hoffman, The Sun
• Trump’s refusal to help NATO allies has left Britain no choice but to make plans to conscript – General Richard Shirreff, The Daily Mail

Reeves to order audit of UK’s 130 regulators in bid to cut red tape

“Chancellor Rachel Reeves is to tell cabinet ministers to conduct a full audit of Britain’s 130 or so regulators to ensure they are working to boost growth, including looking at whether some should be scrapped. Reeves has promised senior bankers that she wants to go further in cutting red tape… “They are deadly serious about regulation and seem galvanised by the battle with the blob,” said one person briefed on a meeting between Reeves and UK bank bosses last week. The person said the chancellor was writing to cabinet ministers to remind them to scrutinise all the regulators operating in their area and whether they “are configured to encourage growth”. Reeves’ allies confirmed that ministers would be asked to look at the work of about 130 regulators…” – The Financial Times

• Why, for the first time in my life, I can see Britain being poorer than not just Italy and Poland but India and Argentina too – Matt Ridley, The Daily Mail

Business Secretary claimed he was a solicitor…despite never qualifying

“Jonathan Reynolds has been accused of fabricating his CV after it emerged he repeatedly described himself as a solicitor despite never qualifying. The Business Secretary previously claimed on his website that he worked as a solicitor in the Manchester branch of the law firm Addleshaw Goddard before becoming an MP. He also told the Commons in 2014 that he “worked as a solicitor in Manchester city centre” before switching careers. In fact, he didn’t qualify for the title because he never finished his training contract, having quit the course in 2010 to run for Parliament. This means he never registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which is required to legally practice as a solicitor in England and Wales.” – The Daily Telegraph

• Tories say there is a ‘clear pattern’ emerging around Labour Party CVs – The Sun
• Reeves’s lies are an insult to high-achieving women – Annabel Denham, The Daily Telegraph

Treasury rejects farmers’ inheritance tax compromise

“The Treasury has refused to entertain a compromise put forward by farming groups to soften the impact of UK inheritance tax reforms on the agricultural sector, despite growing pressure to reconsider the policy. Farming leaders proposed a clawback mechanism, which they said would generate similar revenues while protecting family farms from the levy, during a long-awaited meeting between the Treasury and the industry. The groups…have criticised the decision by chancellor Rachel Reeves to end decades of exemption from death duties for farmers in her October Budget. But Treasury minister James Murray and farming minister Daniel Zeichner told the groups the government would not row back on its proposed reforms…” – The Financial Times

Three million claim benefits with no obligation to seek work

“More than three million people are claiming Britain’s main benefit without any obligation to look for work, twice as many who are on it and seeking a job. The number of people claiming universal credit while looking for work has remained broadly stable, but figures published on Tuesday showed that the number claiming it with no requirement to work has doubled in three years. Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, said that “too many people are shut out of work, with no support, no help and no prospects” as she argued that the figures demonstrated the need for wholesale reform of the benefits system. The Times reported last month that Kendall is planning to require the long-term sick to look for work in reforms intended to control the welfare bill and fill 800,000 vacancies…” – The Times

• Millions spend five years on benefits without having to find a job – The Daily Telegraph
• Welfare reform must underpin Starmer’s drive to boost defence spending – Editorial, The Times
• Labour will have to ditch tax pledges sooner or later – Stephen Bush, The Financial Times
• Here’s how Starmer should play for his defence rise – William Hague, The Times

Lord Hermer won £750,000 for heroin-addicted prisoners

“Lord Hermer helped secure a £750,000 payout for almost 200 prisoners who had been stopped from taking heroin substitutes behind bars. In a High Court test case in the 2000s, the Attorney General acted on behalf of six inmates denied drugs such as methadone as part of their addiction treatment. He said the Prison Service abstinence programme was not “humane”, and the prisoners claimed it was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights to force them to go “cold turkey”. Sir Tony Blair’s government reluctantly agreed to settle out of court with 197 prisoners, who received an average of £3,807 in compensation. The costs to the taxpayer totalled more than £1 million, with the sum including Lord Hermer’s fee and payments for other lawyers in the case.” – The Daily Telegraph

• ‘Venomous’ attacks on attorney general undermining rule of law, say UK lawyers – The Guardian

Net zero will mean higher bills, admit Miliband’s officials

“Britain’s push towards net zero will temporarily push energy bills higher, Ed Miliband’s officials have admitted in an apparent contradiction of the Energy Secretary’s own claims. The cost of rolling out wind farms, solar farms and other renewable power schemes will inflate prices in the “short to medium term”, making British businesses less competitive internationally, an obscure page on the Government’s website states. It has emerged as Mr Miliband faces scrutiny over how he will meet Labour’s pledge to bring down bills for millions of consumers, amid predictions that households face a surge in bills this spring. Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy, on Tuesday forecast that the energy price cap was on course to rise by £85 in April…” – The Daily Telegraph

• Taxpayer cash ploughed into wooden bottles under Labour’s net zero drive – The Daily Telegraph

‘Scary’ Trump win shows Labour not safe from political disruptors, warns Starmer ally

“Donald Trump’s “scary” victory over the Democrats in the US presidential election shows Labour is not safe from political disruptors, one of Sir Keir Starmer’s closest allies has warned. Baroness Mattinson, Sir Keir’s director of strategy from 2021 until last July, said Mr Trump’s return to the White House had “worrying” parallels with British politics. Labour’s popularity has collapsed since it came to power, and it now trails Nigel Farage’s Reform UK …Mr Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in November was boosted by significant gains among Latino voters and…among younger voters… The Labour peer warned that the scale of Ms Harris’s defeat showed it was “much, much harder” for incumbent parties to present themselves as the change that voters want.” – The Daily Telegraph

Scottish Labour faces ‘challenge’ to win next Holyrood elections, Sarwar admits

“Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has admitted his party faces a significant challenge to win the next Holyrood elections after its popularity slumped in the polls. His party’s support has fallen by half since the chancellor cut the winter fuel payment and raised national insurance costs last year, leaving it trailing behind the Scottish National party (SNP). On the eve of Scottish Labour’s annual conference in Glasgow this weekend, Sarwar said: “I accept [that] shows we have a challenge facing us in the next 15 months.” His conference speech on Friday “has to be a big moment”, he added… Recent polls, which show a surge in support for Reform UK and the Scottish Greens, suggest the SNP would comfortably win the election in May 2026, its fifth in a row since 2007…” – The Guardian

Farage calls for more UK births in pro-family message

“Nigel Farage has said the UK’s birth rate needs to increase, as he launched a defence of traditional family values that may not resonate with the moderate voters his Reform UK party is hoping to attract from both Labour and the Conservatives. The Reform leader said the family unit “matters enormously” and that the west has lost sight of its “Judeo-Christian” cultural underpinnings, during an appearance at the right-leaning Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference on Tuesday. His comments signal a pivot by the rightwing populist party, which has overtaken Labour and the Conservatives in some opinion polls by focusing heavily on migration and net zero. “Of course family matters enormously, of course we need higher birth rates,” Farage told the event…” – The Financial Times

• He tells the ARC conference that the UK needs ‘some sense of optimism’ and praises ‘Judeo-Christian culture’ – The Guardian
• He warns Labour to stop being so ‘miserable’ and ‘declinist’ to get Britain’s birth rate rising again – The Daily Mail
• Farage just made Peterson look even stranger – Kitty Donaldson, The I
• Why the speech in which she bravely said ‘some cultures are better than others’ could mark a turning point in Badenoch’s fortunes – Sarah Vine, The Daily Mail

>Today:

• ToryDiary: Badenoch’s apocalyptic rhetoric has set the bar for her policy revolution extremely high
• Holly Whitbread in Comment: Reform are not the answer to Britain’s problems – but its up to persuade voters we are

>Yesterday:

• Sam Hall in Comment: Reform’s socialist new energy policies give Miliband a run for his money

News in Brief:

• We need a cat lockdown now – Zoe Strimpel, The Spectator 
• Can Starmer exploit Europe’s crisis? – Tom McTague, UnHerd
• We know the difference between Ukrainians and Gazans – Chris Bayliss, The Critic
• There’s no point in democracy without debate – Harry Gillow, CapX
• Badenoch has strengths – just not those of an opposition leader – Rachel Cunliffe, The New Statesman

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