Plus, the people turning classic cars into electric vehicles
| Tory donor Amersi involved in corruption scandal |
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| | | As cabinet ministers prepare to address the Conservative Party conference, the focus is on the financing of their party. Leaked documents dubbed the Pandora Papers have led to the revelation of how Mohamed Amersi, a prominent Tory donor who contributed to Boris Johnson's leadership campaign, was involved in one of Europe's biggest corruption scandals. Documents reveal the corporate lawyer, who has given nearly £525,000 to the party since 2018, worked as a consultant on a series of controversial deals for Swedish telecoms company Telia, which was later fined $965m (£700m) in a US prosecution. Files show how, in 2010, Mr Amersi was involved in a payment described by the US authorities as a “$220m bribe” to a secretive offshore company. Read the details. Mr Amersi denies wrongdoing, while his lawyers say the company was “vetted and approved by Telia” and that its involvement “did not raise any red flags” to him. The Conservative Party says "fund raising is a legitimate part of the democratic process" and all donations to the party are properly and lawfully declared. It says the party performs compliance checks in line with legislation enacted by the last Labour government. Political law expert Gavin Millar QC believes the Conservatives should give back the money if serious questions are being asked about the donor but adds: "The bottom line is they don't have to." The main political parties including Labour and the Lib Dems have all faced calls to hand back donations over the years, having been exposed for accepting money in questionable circumstances. If you struggle to get your head around party funding, read our explainer. | |
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| What are the Pandora Papers? |
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| Sunak to extend job support over winter |
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| Chancellor Rishi Sunak will use his conference speech to commit £500m to renewing job support schemes. "I made a promise to do whatever it takes, and I'm ready to double down on that promise now as we come out of this crisis," he will say. The £2bn Kickstart Scheme - subsidising eligible jobs for young people on universal credit - will be extended by three months to March 2022, with only 76,900 of an intended 250,000 having started roles. Schemes to help long-term unemployed people on universal credit and to pay employers £3,000 per apprentice taken on will also be extended. But Labour's Jonathan Reynolds says government support has failed, adding: "An extended deadline will do nothing to compensate for the chancellor's tax rises, cost of living crisis and cuts to universal credit." | |
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| Amber list scrapped as travel rules simplified |
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| It feels like a while since their announcement but the UK's simplified coronavirus travel restrictions have just come into effect, with the traffic-light system replaced by a single red list. Most fully vaccinated travellers arriving from non-red list countries will no longer have to take a test before setting off for the UK. But those coming from red-list destinations must still pay to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days. Still find it all confusing? Our explainer sets out the rules. | |
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| | | | | There are questions swirling in Manchester over what the shape of tax and spend should look like next. Two cabinet ministers, who would protest that their loyalty to Boris Johnson was undimmed, made it perfectly plain that in their view tax has gone far enough. Jacob Rees Mogg, in a double breasted suit, striped shirt and watch chain, said taxes were "at the upper reaches of reasonableness". Liz Truss, the new foreign secretary, whose ambition is matched by the growing size of her new power blow dry, told the BBC: "We need to keep the tax burden low..." It is not surprising that is what they believe. But it is notable that they both made those comments like that mere weeks after the cabinet signed off a significant and expensive change to the tax system to pay for the NHS. For those ministers who have drawn that line publicly, there are dozens more of their colleagues and MPs who privately share that discomfort. | |
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| | Laura Kuenssberg | Political editor | |
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| | | | While the Guardian leads on the Pandora Papers, other front pages trail announcements expected at the Conservative Party conference. Boris Johnson will announce all of Britain's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2035, according to the Times. The Daily Express says the prime minister intends to cut taxes and the Financial Times leads on Chancellor Rishi Sunak's £500m job support extension. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail says nearly 1,000 police officers and staff have been investigated for misogynistic, sexist, racist and homophobic social media communications. | |
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| | | | | Cartoonist Swede who sketched Muhammad killed in crash |
| | | | Police Met officer charged with rape |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| How would you fancy living on a ship, 75 miles off the Yorkshire coast? That's where 88 people eat, sleep and work, as they service 174 giant wind turbines. Our climate editor Justin Rowlatt finds out about the challenges of life in the North Sea. And, talking of perilous locations, did you read about the signwriters who did an "Italian job" in their van? Bruce and Amelia Isaac were working in the back when it rolled forward and ended up teetering perilously over the 22ft (7m)-high ledge of the promenade at Westward Ho! in north Devon. Here's the full story. | |
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| | | 1976 British Rail launches its Inter-City 125 high-speed train, with the first London-Bristol service arriving three minutes early. |
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