John Healey warns UK bracing for 'really challenging' autumn Budget

John Healey has warned that the UK should brace for a "really challenging" autumn Budget, blaming increasing Government borrowing costs and higher interest rates.

Sources close to the Chancellor have said wars in the Middle East and eastern Europe are having a "significant impact on the economy", with Prime Minister Andy Burnham also claiming the fallout from the world conflicts would make for a "challenging" Budget.

Mr Healey set out a £24billion margin to work with; however, this is said to have now considerably shrunk.

One Labour ally told the Financial Times: "This is a really challenging Budget."

Another blamed the advance of Houthi rebels on the Red Sea coast of Yemen and the escalation of fighting in Ukraine: "Both of these fronts are having a significant impact on the economy.

"John knows this better than anyone with his international outlook from defence and is using it as a basis for some early thinking into the Budget."

The UK's consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate for 12 months to August jumped to 3.1 per cent per cent, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is a slight jump from July's 2.9 per cent rate and is attributed to a rise in transport costs, particularly motor fuels, towards the end of summer.

The Conservatives have described the appointment of Paul Nowak, head of the Trades Union Congress, to the Bank of England’s Court of Directors as evidence of a left-wing economic takeover.

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said: "The last thing our country needs is a trade union leader helping to run the Bank of England."

Mr Healey will announce the Budget statement next month on October 28.

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Reform UK’s first police and crime commissioner cancels plans for a national theatre tour following backlash

Reform UK’s first police and crime commissioner (PCC) has cancelled plans for a national theatre tour with more than 100 dates next year after criticism.

Colin Sutton, who was elected as Norfolk’s PCC in July, was due to tour the UK next year with a live show called The Makings Of A Murderer – Double Jeopardy.

Promoters for the show had listed 130 dates online across 11 months of next year and Mr Sutton initially defended his decision, saying: “Am I not entitled to spend my spare time as I wish?”

Former Metropolitan Police detective Mr Sutton had said he would only be “incommunicado” for two-hour slots while he was on stage and it “would not impinge on my duties as PCC”.

But, on Wednesday, he told a meeting of North Norfolk District Council’s scrutiny committee that he had decided not to go ahead with the tour, telling councillors: "What surprised me and what made me reflect and think again was the reaction that I got personally from a number of residents.

"I’m not sure I could do 127 dates because it was ridiculous, but I could have done some. What I don’t want to do is to give the impression to anybody that I don’t take this role seriously and I’m not going to do a good job on this. So, that’s why my decision has been: ‘OK, I’m not legally obliged to do this, I’m not going to do it’."

Britain pleads with Donald Trump's America for help on how to fight 'radical right'

British officials have asked the White House for help in how to combat the "radical right" in the UK, it has emerged.

In July, shortly before Andy Burnham was handed the keys to No10, Britain's ambassador in Washington, Sir Christian Turner, held talks with State Department officials over the new Prime Minister's plans for governing.

During the talks, officials asked State Department official Sarah Rogers for advice on how to fight the "radical right" in Britain, sources familiar with the meeting told PoliticsHome.

The diplomats cited speeches delivered by Ms Rogers at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) conference in London in June.

At the event, Ms Rogers issued warnings over "tyrannical" free speech infringements and "open border" policies as she urged Britons to "reject helplessness and reject decline".

However, the staunch Trump ally assured that the British national character would prevail and predicted that the UK will have its own political revolution akin to the one seen in the US in 2016.

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