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Hannah Furness Royal Editor |
In the lead-up to the King’s eight-day tour of the Caribbean, there has only been one topic of conversation in town: slavery reparations.
He will encounter protests, calls for Britain to pay billions, if not trillions, of pounds in compensation, and a weather forecast that promises rain.
As he landed in the Bahamas yesterday afternoon, he might have attempted to steer away from controversy with a jolly photo opportunity. Instead, he chose to tackle it head-on.
Within two hours of arriving, at his first engagement, the King spoke to young Bahamians and deliberately acknowledged the “great suffering” of historic slavery.
He promised them that the issue would be discussed further at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua next week, and that he planned to say more at his opening address then.
His spokesman spelt it out: “For His Majesty, this tour is both a new journey and also the continuance of a lifelong one, in which he has sought to engage, understand and educate about the most shameful aspects of our past.
“The next seven days will see him travel in the Bahamas, to Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda. There will be multiple moments built in for him to see first-hand how the historic slave trade has had an impact on the islands, and reflect.”
Reparations are a matter for government, palace sources repeat. The British Government has already ruled them out.
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Burnham: We will not pay slavery reparations ➤ |
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Szu Ping Chan Economics Editor |
John Healey is targeting one of the most irritating parts of your energy bill: those annoying standing charges you pay every day, even when the radiators remain stone cold.
The Chancellor’s plans to remove standing charges from gas bills, however, are about much more than saving households up to £50 a year. He also wants to rein in Ed Miliband’s former department, which has been able to slap green levies on bills to fund the previous energy secretary’s net zero agenda.
New rules will give ministers greater control over future charges, effectively starting to dismantle parts of Miliband’s legacy and preventing green policies from adding ever more to household costs.
Milliband’s belligerence caused consternation in the Treasury. “His staff always cut across us by adding to bills, reducing energy security and obsessing over net zero at the expense of the cost of living and growth,” says one senior source.
The timing is significant. Energy bills are set to climb by more than a quarter – to more than £2,000 – just after Christmas.
What’s more, household electricity bills could rise by more than £260 over the next decade as a result of mounting net zero costs.
There is a catch, though. Healey has chosen to scrap standing charges by shifting some of those costs onto the price paid for each unit of energy.
That could leave heavier users, including elderly people and families who need more heating, worse off.
Healey wants to “bring bills down for good”. The question is whether he can dismantle parts of Miliband’s green agenda without simply moving the costs from one part of the bill to another.
This report is available only to our subscribers.
Continue reading ➤
Go deeper with our coverage of the Budget:
NHS prescription charges to be frozen by Healey ➤
What could be in Burnham’s first Budget ➤
Budget 2026: Follow the latest ➤ |
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Ken Costa Britain needs policies which unashamedly promote economic growth, not little tweaks here and there Continue reading ➤
Allison Pearson Labour is forcing me to prepare for a disaster of its own making Continue reading ➤
Tom Harris Sorry Remainers, the return of free movement would make Britain worse Continue reading ➤ |
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Benjamin Netanyahu and principal challenger Gadi Eisenkot have emerged neck and neck from Israel’s first general election since the October 7 massacre, exit polls indicate. With the governing coalition and the opposition falling well short of a Knesset majority, the result suggests Israel could be in for a lengthy period of political uncertainty and the prospect of another election within months.
Continue reading ➤
Latest updates: Defiant Netanyahu calls for ‘Right-wing government’ to crush Iran ➤ |
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What do Russell Brand, Wayne Rooney and Jeffrey Archer have in common? They’ve all been sketched by a court artist during a trial. Working from memory, they are perhaps something of an anachronism in today’s world, when trials are covered by live bloggers and podcasters. Their work sometimes attracts mockery, but, after 100 years, Colin Freeman explores how court artists remain a crucial aspect of the way in which we perceive our legal system.
Continue reading ➤
Brand told police: I was promiscuous but never forced myself on anyone ➤ |
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The seven co-founders of Anthropic, the company that developed Claude, the AI bot, will collectively control a single share worth 50.1 per cent. This decision will give them the power to nominate a number of directors – in effect, a controlling vote over the direction of the company, and, potentially, humanity. Continue reading ➤ |
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People tell a new mother to sleep when the baby sleeps, but instead I was using Tom’s nap times to vacuum, dust and wipe. I didn’t realise it at the time, writes Gemma Bray, but I was in the grip of postnatal anxiety, consumed with worry after the difficult birth that accompanied my first child’s arrival in June 2006. Aged 25, I’d been incredibly naïve about what motherhood would be like. I dealt with the fear that dogged my every waking moment by pulling on the rubber gloves and getting to work. Continue reading ➤ |
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For many people, turning 50 brings an expanding waistline and the frustrating discovery that old dieting tricks no longer work. New research suggests that losing even a little weight in middle age could offset decades of damage. We ask five experts what really offers results, from nutrition and exercise to sleep.
Continue reading ➤
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Walsall
Poppie and her sister as children in Walsall |
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Poppie Platt |
Growing up, I counted down the days until I could get out of Walsall, but in the 12 years since I left for university aged 18, my heart has grown fonder of my hometown.
I miss hearing Black Country slang – “cob” for a roll, “the cut” for canal, “yampy” for a foolish person – and being able to walk to the chippy for a cone of bright orange battered chips.
I miss the familiar jangle of the “pop van” – literally what it says on the tin: a man who sells drinks from the back of a van.
I miss my old accent, before living in London smoothed its edges. Most of all, though, I miss the people, who are some of the friendliest and funniest characters you will ever meet.
My love of culture was fostered by visits to the central library, New Art Gallery and Leather Museum. As a teenager, I’d hop on the bus to nearby Wolverhampton or Birmingham to see my favourite bands: Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Paramore.
Every weekend, friends and I trawled from one packed pub to another (honorary mention to one in Darlaston, which had a huge dancefloor and £5 bottles of wine).
I’ve always loved clothes, and while local department stores have long since closed – Debenhams, Beatties in Wolves – my favourite vintage shop in the world is still going strong. If you love a rummage (and a bargain), head to Second to None on Stafford Street.
I’ll always be proud to be from Walsall, where having a good heart is the most valuable thing.
Have you ever been to Walsall? If so, let us know your memories of the town here. |
Pet hatesEvery weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
“If the Prime Minister is tackling ‘little things’ that annoy people”, wrote Charles Foster, referring to Andy Burnham’s plan to fine passengers who play loud music on public transport, “he should ban the use – particularly by politicians – of the word ‘impactful’.”
Charles is, of course, correct, and the wishlist did not end there. “He should then move on to ‘Can I get… ?’”
This is not, it is true, the first time that readers have taken to the Letters page to express frustration at the debasement of the English language, yet that only serves to illustrate the whack-a-mole relentlessness with which fresh irritations arise.
Patricia Essex took aim at another buzzword in vogue among our leaders: “How about ‘pragmatic’, Labour politicians’ new favourite?”
Alas, politicians are not the only “serial murderers of English sentences”, to borrow Martin Amis’s phrase. Offences are far more widespread.
“There is no need for the word ‘upcoming’ to describe a future event,” observed John Barnes. “We have a perfectly good word in ‘forthcoming’. Add to that any use of ‘paninis’. One cannot purchase ‘a panini’, because the noun is a plural, like spaghetti. The correct singular form is ‘panino’.”
Michael Upton, meanwhile, complained: “‘Epicentre’ is often used to describe the exact location of any event or occasion. The word is specific to earthquakes, the centre of which is underground, with the epicentre on the surface. If people wish to incorrectly emphasise a statement, may I suggest a new word – the ‘megamaxiepicentre’. Alternatively, they could use ‘centre’.”
Finally, John Wilson’s bete noire was one I hadn’t noticed before, but I suspect I will now find myself vexed by it all the time: “I dislike the habit everyone now has of stating an opinion, then asking ‘Why?’ in a long drawl before explaining it.” Yes, it’s open season. Send your nominations here, and the most irritating of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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1811 | First known purchase of Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility by the Prince Regent (later George IV)
1919 | The Volstead Act is passed by Congress, establishing a nationwide ban on alcohol
2008 | Gordon Brown, the prime minister, intervenes in a BBC row over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross’s lewd phone calls to Andrew Sachs, the Fawlty Towers actor (see our front page from the following day)
2021 | Mark Zuckerberg announces Facebook will change its corporate name to Meta amid increased public scrutiny over leaked internal documents
Plus, new research claims to have found the world’s first psychopathic boss. Which company was he employed by?
1. Dutch East India Company
2. Danish East India Company
3. French East India Company
4. Swedish East India Company
Click one of the options to reveal the answer...
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was BOOKPLATE. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk. |
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