3+ min ago (808+ words) Rachel Reeves has vowed to be Chancellor in two years time as she urged Labour MPs to rally around her ahead of this week's Budget. The Chancellor called for unity from her party as she spoke in front of restive backbenchers - insisting she was proud of her statement which she'll deliver in the Commons on Wednesday. She described leaks within the Labour party in the run-up to the Budget as "incredibly destabilising" and hit back at "misogyny" in public life, the Times reports. In a defiant message to Labour MPs, she said: "I'll show the media, I'll show the Tories. I will not let them beat me. "I'll be there on Wednesday, I'll be there next year and I'll be back the year after that." Ms Reeves has long suggested she will have to hike taxes to fill a black…...

4+ min ago (655+ words) Rachel Reeves has urged Labour MPs to back her forthcoming Budget, as the final day before the major Government financial statement dawns. The Chancellor is due to deliver her second budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday, in which she is widely expected to pull the lever on tax hikes in order to fill a black hole in the public finances. Ms Reeves called for unity within the Labour Party as she spoke to restive backbenchers on Monday night, urging them to support her efforts to steer the national economy. Many Labour MPs are understood to have become increasingly frustrated about the prospect of tax rises on the horizon, amid their party's opinion poll slump less than two years into a term of government. At the gathering of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Ms Reeves told MPs that politics is…...

4+ min ago (750+ words) If you invest in a single skincare step this winter, let it be SPF When the temperature drops and the days get shorter, it can be tempting to tug on your coat and forget about sun cream until spring. But we all know by now " or should " that winter doesn't give our skin days off. As such, one of the smartest things that we can do for it is to find an SPF that we get along with beautifully and wear it daily come rain or shine. Why? Because while UVB levels certainly dip in the winter, UVA rays " the ones most associated with ageing, as well as pigmentation, conditions like rosacea, and long-term skin damage " remain very much present all year round, penetrating clouds, windows and even our clothes, regardless of whether the sun feels hot or not. As…...

12+ min ago (603+ words) A new exhibition will explore the world of Aardman at the Young V&A " from Wallace & Gromit to Morph, Chicken Run, and Shaun The Sheep. With more than 150 objects on display " including never-before-seen models, sets and storyboards from Aardman's archives " it will open in February to coincide with the studio's 50th anniversary year. Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends will be the third exhibition to be shown at the Young V&A, in Bethnal Green, east London, since it opened in 2023 after formerly being known as the V&A Museum of Childhood. It will go behind the scenes of stop-motion animation to explore how Aardman's characters are brought to life and will feature interactive activities for children including designing characters and creating their own live action videos. Visitors will be able to view Aardman's early character sketches, concept art, puppets, props,…...

20+ min ago (421+ words) Jamie Carragher has explained the key difference between under-pressure Arne Slot and club legend Jurgen Klopp, as the Reds are linked with interest in Julian Nagelsmann. Slot, who lifted the Premier League trophy in May, is facing question marks over his future at Anfield after overseeing six league defeats in the last seven games. Speaking on Sky Sports" Monday Night Football, Carragher said: "To win a league title in your first season is pretty special, but I have the feeling [Slot] doesn"t have the unconditional love and support like Jurgen Klopp always had. "Jurgen Klopp had a couple of ropey moments in his time " at one stage he lost six games in a row at Anfield in the league" but at no stage did that ever feel like people were talking about Jurgen Klopp"s position the same way…...

23+ min ago (519+ words) No-frills carrier easyJet has recorded a better-than-expected annual profit haul as strong demand for its package holidays helps offset more difficult trading for its airline. The Luton-based group posted a 9% rise in headline pre-tax profits to "665 million for the year to September 30, up from "610 million in 2023-24 and higher than the "650 million most analysts were expecting. Its growing holidays business was the star performer, with annual earnings surging 32% to "250 million, seeing the group meet its earnings target early. This resulted in the group hiking the earnings target for it holidays arm to "450 million by 2029-30. But annual headline profits at its airline dropped to "415 million from "420 million the previous year, and it said the carrier's performance has been "more challenging" to improve than previously hoped, particularly over winter. It said this was due to "the pace of route maturity and the wider…...

26+ min ago (838+ words) One of the son's of the late Doddie Weir has said he feels it is time to "step up" as he was announced as captain of the Scotland team in a fundraising challenge'raising money for research into motor neurone disease. Scotland rugby legend Weir died in November 2022 aged 52 after a six-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND). In 2017 Weir founded the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation to fund research into MND. Hamish Weir, 24, has been named Scotland captain for Doddie Aid 2026, an annual mass-participation fundraising event founded by his father's friend and former Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright. The challenge, which begins on January 1, encourages people across the UK and beyond to log miles in any form of exercise " from swimming and cycling to running, golf, dog walking or simply getting outside " to raise funds for MND research. Hamish, 24, said: "This…...

56+ min ago (865+ words) Thousands of unpaid carers could have historic overpayments cancelled or repaid after a review found many had been faced with huge debts because of "unclear and confusing regulations. The issue of people being penalised for going over their earnings limit for'carer's'allowance'even by as little as a few pence per week has previously been branded a "scandal by charities. A year-long review, the findings of which were published on Tuesday, has concluded that many carers felt they were "treated as criminals, with resulting feelings of fear and shame. Historic overpayments led to many carers " who had to earn "151 a week or less to qualify for the allowance " unwittingly racking up unmanageable levels of debt and some quitting their jobs as a result. The earnings threshold rose to "196 a week from April this year. Carer's allowance, which is currently "83.30 a week, is…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (529+ words) Chelsea will tonight again be without Cole Palmer for their high-profile Champions League showdown against Barcelona. The England attacker had been close to returning after two months out with the persistent groin injury that has plagued him all season, only to sustain a fractured little toe on his left foot after stubbing it on a door in an accident at home last week. Palmer has been working with a specially adapted boot that includes more cushion to try and protect the toe and hasten his comeback, though he won't be ready to face Barcelona and remains a doubt for Sunday's clash with leaders Arsenal in the Premier League. However, he was seen taking part in team training at Cobham on Monday afternoon. Chelsea made it through Saturday's 2-0 win against Burnley without picking up any fresh injuries as Enzo Fernandez, Pedro…...

1+ hour, 7+ min ago (518+ words) Scheduled for the day of the budget, farmers are planning another tractor protest for London's streets, in response to proposed inheritance tax changes. Farmers are demanding "fairness and a future, claiming that such reforms could put family-run farms out of business. This comes on the heels of a similar protest in Ipswich on Monday, November 24, where over 100 tractors formed a procession along the A14 to Felixstowe. Reeves facing fresh pressure to axe farm inheritance tax changes in Budget "This Budget Day, farmers from across the UK are driving to London to demand fairness and a future for British farming, write the organisers on the event page. "The current Inheritance Tax (IHT) system threatens family farms and rural livelihoods " it's time for change. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the farmers' protest. British farmers will unite in London on Budget…...