Author: SKYNEWS

Any tax cuts made during this budget will “one way or another be undone after the election”, according to one economist. Speaking to Sky News, Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, explained that – if it were not an election year – it is unlikely that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt would be looking to trim the tax burden. Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Mr Hunt said his budget would be “prudent and responsible” – but added that he wanted to “make some progress” on the “journey” started by the two pence cut to National Insurance…

British Land, Microsoft and Vodafone are among the backers of a new business coalition that will launch this week with the aim of tackling the UK’s perennially weak productivity.Sky News understands that the trio, along with Churchill Retirement Living, NHBC and Pension Insurance Corporation, are among the founding members of the Building Back Britain Commission (BBBC). The group will be formally launched on Monday evening at an event attended by Labour’s shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds.It will be advised by Claire Ainsley, Sir Keir Starmer’s former policy chief.People close to the group said it would seek to draw up a…

Comedian Michael McIntyre has cancelled a gig on his world tour due to undergoing a medical procedure.The 48-year-old’s social media account announced on Sunday the comedian was “unable to perform” his show at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre on Monday. “Unfortunately, Michael has had an operation to remove kidney stones,” read the post on X.The show is due to be rescheduled, with those unable to make the new date entitled to a refund, it said.”We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused,” it added. X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you…

Jeremy Hunt is considering a last minute further cut to public spending to boost the tax giveaway in Wednesday’s budget.The Politics At Jack And Sam’s podcast, out now, sets out how Number 10 and 11 have spent recent days finding as many different ways of raising future revenue as possible to increase the size of Wednesday’s tax cuts. National insurance could be cut by 2p again in the budget if the chancellor succeeds in finding the right mix of revenue-raising measures and spending cuts.👉 Listen above and tap here to follow Politics At Jack And Sam’s wherever you get your…

Kim Kardashian turned heads at a Paris Fashion Week event on Sunday with a possible fashion faux-pas – or did she mean it?The reality TV star and businesswoman wore a black dress to a Balenciaga show in the French capital with the tag still hanging from the back. The word Balenciaga was clearly visible as she walked by and posed for photographers, with the tag appearing to swing slightly and hit her back.She shared an Instagram story showing the tag still attached to the back of the lace turtleneck outfit, which had long sleeves that covered beyond her hand.Kardashian captioned…

US actor Mark Dodson, who provided voices for creatures in the Star Wars and Gremlins movies, has died aged 64.His daughter Ciara said he had suffered a “massive heart attack” while sleeping, reported TMZ, which said it had spoken to her. Dodson was the voice of Salacious Crumb, a scruffy monkey-lizard character who was a cackling court jester and pet of gangster Jabba the Hutt in the 1983 film Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi.A year later, he did the voice for mogwai in another Hollywood movie, Gremlins. X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies…

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said he “absolutely” expects to remain in charge for next week’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.The team principal told Sky Sports F1 that Red Bull is a “very strong team” after reigning world champion Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez came first and second in Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix – the first race of the season. He said: “We have got tremendous support, tremendous partners and great shareholders behind us as well.”You don’t achieve this kind of result by not being united.”Horner was asked if he expects to still be in charge in Jeddah…

Stars took to the red carpet for tonight’s Brit Awards in London in typically extravagant style.For the latest news on the UK’s top music awards, you can read our live blog.For the full story of what happened on the night, read here.But for are some of the best outfits among the arrivals, scroll down: Image: Dua Lipa. Pic: PA Image: Maya Jama. Pic: PA Image: Mollie Pearce. Pic: PA Image: Kylie Minogue. Pic: PA Image: Charli XCX. Pic: PA Image: Yinka Bokinni. Pic: PA Image: Kate Ferdinand and Rio Ferdinand. Pic: PA Image: Raye. Pic: PA Image: Ashley Roberts. Pic:…

Britain’s biggest banks have been placed on alert over hundreds of ‘rogue’ filings which appear to have been lodged at Companies House, the UK’s central corporate register.Sky News has obtained a note issued by UK Finance, the banking trade association, which warned its members that approximately 800 forms relating to the discharging of financial liabilities were submitted at Companies House late last month. In the notice to banks – marked as “Urgent” when it was circulated last week – UK Finance said it had alerted both Companies House and the Department for Business and Trade to the issue.Industry executives pointed…

Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman is used to her work speaking for itself.She’s known to many for her roles on Doctor Who, Eastenders and as “Auntie Val” in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner. But at a time when she’s arguably hitting her creative stride, winning critical acclaim in the West End, the actress has also had to deal with death threats – a response to her challenging antisemitism she sees online. Image: Oberman has won critical acclaim for her West End role She said: “My identity has never felt a huge part of my creative life, but in recent years,…