National Insurance: What are NI and income tax and what do I pay?
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel National Insurance: What are NI and income tax and what do I pay? Banzai Japan Music Video The government has announced an increase in the amount of National Insurance (NI) paid by employers. Before the Budget, the chancellor and prime minister had promised not to increase the main rates of income tax and National Insurance (NI) for working people and these will not change. NI rates paid by workers and the self-employed have already been been cut in 2024, but previous changes to the way tax is calculated mean the amount many people pay overall has risen. Budget 2024: Key points at-a-glance How the Budget will affect you and your money Book Novotel Hotel What is National Insurance and what does it pay for? The government uses National Insurance contributions (NICs) to pay for benefits and to help fund the NHS. It is paid by employees, employers and the self-employed across the UK. Those over the state pension age do not pay it, even if they are working. Eligibility for some benefits, including the state pension, depends on the NICs you make across your working life., external How does National Insurance work?, external Check your National Insurance record Banzai Japan Music Video How much do employers pay in National Insurance? At the moment businesses pay a rate of 13.8% on employees’ earnings above a threshold of £9,100 a year. In the Budget Chancellor Rachel Reeves said this rate would increase to 15% in April 2025, and the threshold would be reduced to £5,000. The employment allowance – which allows companies to reduce their NI liability – will increase from £5,000 to £10,500. In total Reeves said the changes would raise £25bn a year by the end of the period covered by the Budget. Neither employers nor employees pay NI on pension contributions. There had been widespread speculation that the Budget could set out plans for employers to start doing so, but it did not. Would raising employer National Insurance break Labour’s pledge? How much do employees pay in National Insurance? Workers start paying NI when they turn 16 and earn more than £242 a week, or have self-employed profits of more than £12,570 a year. The starting rate for National Insurance for 27 million employees fell twice in 2024: from 12% to 10%, and then again to 8%. The previous Conservative government said that the two cuts were worth about £900 a year for a worker earning £35,000. For the self-employed, Class 4 NI contributions on all earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 fell from 9% to 6%. At the time, the previous government said this was worth £350 to a self-employed person earning £28,200. Self-employed workers also no longer have to pay a separate category of NI called Class 2 contributions. The NI rate on income and profits above £50,270 remains at 2% for all workers. National Insurance rates, external What are the current income tax rates? Income tax is paid on earnings from employment and profits from self-employment during the tax year, which runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year. It is also paid on some benefits, external and pensions, income from renting out property, and returns from savings, external and investments, external above certain limits. The basic rate is 20% and is paid on annual earnings between £12,571 and £50,270. The higher rate is 40%, and is paid on earnings between £50,271 and £125,140. Once you earn more than £100,000, you also start losing the £12,570 tax-free personal allowance. You lose £1 of your personal allowance for every £2 that your income goes above £100,000. Anyone earning more than £125,140 a year no longer has any tax-free personal allowance. The additional rate of income tax of 45% is paid on all earnings above £125,140 a year. These rates apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some income tax rates are different, external in Scotland, where a new 45% band took effect in April 2024. At the same time the top rate also rose from 47% to 48%. What is happening to NI and income tax thresholds and why do they matter? Despite the NI cuts for workers and the self-employed in 2024, millions will still pay more tax overall because of changes to the tax thresholds. These are the income levels at which people start paying NI or income tax, or have to pay higher rates. These used to rise every year in line with inflation. However, the previous government froze the NI threshold and tax-free personal allowance at £12,570 until 2028. Higher-rate tax will continue to kick in for earnings above £50,270. Freezing the thresholds means that more people start paying tax and NI as their wages increase, and more people pay higher rates. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think thank, the freeze cancels out the benefits of the NI cuts for some workers. In the 2024-25 tax year, it says an average earner will have a tax cut of about £340 – from the combined tax changes – and people earning between £26,000 and £60,000 will be better off. But by 2027, the average earner would be only £140 better off – and only people earning between £32,000 and £55,000 a year would still benefit. Before the Budget there had been speculation that the chancellor would extend the freeze until 2030 but she said she had decided not to do so. Who pays most in income tax? For most families, income tax is the single biggest tax they pay. But for less well-off households, a greater share of family income goes on taxes on spending, known as indirect taxes. For the poorest fifth of households, VAT is the biggest single tax paid. How do UK taxes compare with other countries like France and Germany? You can look at the amount of tax raised as a proportion of the size of the economy, or GDP. In 2022
The seven bills going up this week
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel The seven bills going up this week Banzai Japan Music Video A series of essential bills are rising at the start of what some commentators have described as “awful April”. The exact amount you pay will depend on your individual circumstances, and where you live. Although minimum wages are also increasing, and wages on average have been outpacing inflation, household finances could still come under extra pressure. Here are seven ways in which you could be affected from 1 April. Book Novotel Hotel 1. Water bills Water bills for households are going up in England and Wales by £10 more per month on average, but there’s a lot of variation depending on the company, external. For example, the annual Southern Water bill will jump 47% to £703, while Anglian Water customers will pay 19% more, or £626. Factors including whether households have a meter and how much water used will also impact bills, which are being front-loaded for the next five years, meaning the big increase is coming this year. Water companies in England and Wales have said the increases are needed to invest in creaking infrastructure, including sewage, and to build more reservoirs. In Scotland, water bills are rising by almost 10%. Scottish Water, which is a public body, said spending was needed to cope with periods of “drought and intense rainfall” brought on by climate change. Domestic customers in Northern Ireland are not billed for water, with the system funded by the devolved government. 2. Energy bills The annual energy bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity is going up by £111 a year to £1,849 from April. Regulator Ofgem increased the energy price cap because of higher wholesale costs and inflation. The cap is set every three months and limits the amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity, but not the total bill, so if you use more, you will pay more. It affects 22 million homes in England, Wales and Scotland. Standing charges – fixed fees to connect to a gas and electricity supply and vary by region – are rising again for gas but dropping for electricity, but it depends on where you live. Ofgem is suggesting households consider a fixed tariff for a bit of stability. Energy price cap: Why are gas and electricity bills going up and can I fix? 3. Council tax It is likely the tax you pay to your local authority is going up. In England, local authorities with responsibility for delivering social care can increase council tax every year by up to 4.99% without triggering a referendum or local vote. Smaller councils without social care duties can increase bills by up to 2.99%. For 2025-26, the government is allowing Bradford, Newham, Birmingham, Somerset, and Windsor and Maidenhead to bypass the 4.99% cap, meaning they could raise council tax by more. Council tax rates in Scotland have been frozen or had limited increases since 2007, but they are are going up, in some cases by as much as 10%. The Scottish government says it is offering local authorities an extra £1bn in 2025-26 to help reduce the scale of any rise. In Wales, council tax rates could jump by as much 15% in some areas. Local authorities were given £253m by the Welsh government in its draft budget, but council leaders say more money needed. Northern Ireland uses a domestic rates system, external instead of council tax. All of Northern Ireland’s councils have reported district rate increases for the next year. What is council tax and how much is it going up? 4. Car tax The standard rate of tax for cars registered after April 2017 is rising £5 to £195 a year. According to the RAC,, external you may pay less or more if your car was first used before 2017. The exact amount for your road tax will depend on the year your car was registered and the type of fuel it uses. One big change is that electric vehicles (EVs) will no longer be tax exempt. EVs registered from April 2025 will pay the lowest rate of £10 in the first year, then move to the standard rate. The standard rate will also apply to EVs first registered after April 2017. Banzai Japan Music Video 5. Broadband, phone and TV licence Rule changes introduced by the telecoms regulator this year mean that mobile and broadband providers must now tell customers “in pounds and pence” about any price rises, as well as when they occur. The new rules typically only apply to new customers, so any price rise will depend on when you took your contract out, but prices ususally increase around now. For instance, under the new rules, someone with a mobile Sim only contract with EE will see their bill go up by £1.50 a month, or £18 a year. But for the majority of EE customers who took their contract out before 10 April 2024, they will face an increase of 6.4%, which is based on the inflation rate last December together with an additional charge. Similarly, most Virgin Media broadband customers will face a 7.5% rise in bills, but for anyone who took out a contract after 9 January this year, their monthly bill will go up by £3.50. The cost of a TV licence is also going up by £5 to £174.50, and for a black and white TV is going up by £1.50 to £58.50. 6. Stamp duty House buyers in England and Northern Ireland will start paying stamp duty on properties over £125,000, instead of over £250,000. First-time buyers currently had paid no stamp duty on homes up to £425,000, but this is dropping to £300,000. A host of homebuyers had been trying to beat the deadline or face paying more. What is stamp duty land tax and how is it changing? 7. Hidden tax rises The government
WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale Banzai Japan Music Video The name WH Smith, a staple of UK town centres since the Victorian era when it became the country’s principal newspaper distributor, is set to disappear from the High Street after the firm agreed to sell its shops to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital. The sale does not include the WH Smith brand, its travel shops at airports and railway stations or its outlets in hospitals. The new owner will rebrand the High Street chain as TGJones, but said it would keep the Post Office outlets that operate in many branches. Book Novotel Hotel Modella Capital will take over 480 stores in retail parks, shopping centres and on High Streets including 5,000 staff. Modella said it would be “business as usual” while it worked on changes to the store chain including adding new ranges. However, the new owner said the Post Office and Toys “R” Us outlets currently in WH Smith stores, would remain. It would not comment on whether jobs would be cut following the takeover. The private equity firm specialises in retail and consumer businesses and, as well as buying Hobbycraft, has also invested in Crafters’ Companion and The Original Factory Shop. It said the TGJones brand carried “the same sense of family” as WH Smith, which it described as an “iconic” retail business. Banzai Japan Music Video WH Smith’s first shop was in Little Grosvenor Street, London. It opened its first travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848. It still sells papers and magazines, alongside books, sweets and snacks and art supplies. WH Smith group chief executive Carl Cowling said the £76m sale, was “a pivotal moment” for the company, which would now focus exclusively on the travel-related side of the business. “High Street is a good business; it is profitable and cash generative with an experienced and high-performing management team,” he said. “However, given our rapid international growth, now is the right time for a new owner to take the High Street business forward.” The travel division operates more than 1,200 stores in 32 countries. Nicholas Found at the consultancy, Retail Economics, said conditions on the High Street were “increasingly unforgiving”. As a result in recent years WH Smith’s travel arm had become its “engine room”, he said. WH Smith’s travel business contributed 75% of the group’s revenue and 85% of its trading profit in 2024. “Its product mix, which includes food, beverages and tech, is better suited to higher-margin, impulse-driven purchases in busy transit hubs,” he added. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Post-Brexit sea border trading scheme extended
Buy NowAn error occurred. Buy NowAn error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Post-Brexit sea border trading scheme extended Banzai Japan Music Video The government is extending its main post-Brexit scheme for helping traders move goods from GB to Northern Ireland. The Trader Support Service (TSS) was set up in 2020 to help businesses deal with new customs processes. The current contract, held by a Fujitsu-led consortium, was due to expire at the end of this year. That contract has been extended for another year; a competitive process will be held to find an operator for 2026 onwards. Earlier this year the National Audit Office (NAO) said the government expects to have spent £531m on the TSS between December 2020 and December 2024. Book Novotel Hotel HMRC said: “The current TSS has been extended to the end of 2025 as the implementation of the Windsor Framework progresses. “The service is a key part of the government’s help for businesses adjusting to the new trading environment. ” From January 2021 commercial goods entering Northern Ireland from GB have needed customs declarations. Banzai Japan Music Video The TSS effectively acts as government-backed customs agent on behalf of businesses. The government intends to continue simplifying the customs processes through a combination of technology and improved administration. Meanwhile it has been confirmed that Maroš Šefčovič is to remain the EU’s chief negotiator with the UK. Mr Šefčovič has been appointed to a new position as European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security but will retain responsibility for engaging with the UK. The UK is seeking a reset in relations with the EU which includes an aim to negotiate an “ambitious” new agri-food agreement. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Vauxhall’s troubles began with Brexit – former boss
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Vauxhall’s troubles began with Brexit – former boss Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo The former boss of Vauxhall in Luton said the factory’s “troubles began with Brexit”, after news that the van-making plant would close. Mark Noble said parent company Stellantis had “lost an excellent workforce in Luton” and the closure would affect 1,500-2,000 jobs when taking account of suppliers. Confusion over Brexit tariffs affected operations at Luton and at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, he said, while he also blamed the government for not providing incentives to buy electric vehicles (EVs). Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 A government spokesperson said it was spending £300m to “drive uptake of zero emission vehicles,” while Stellantis said there would be “meaningful dialogue with our union partners to agree the next steps”. Mr Noble said it was “extremely sad” to lose “part of Luton’s history”, since the factory on Kimpton Road first opened in 1905. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s He joined Vauxhall in 1988 and became director of Ellesmere Port and then Luton before retiring in 2022. “The trouble for both the UK plants started with Brexit. It caused a lot of uncertainty within business, and business doesn’t like uncertainty,” he said. “When you’ve got two plants that export 80% of their build, then tariff confusion and no clarity really hurt the two plants. “It became clear that exports would probably be reduced due to the implication of tariffs.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Reform UK row: Leaked messages reveal Farage fury with Lowe
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Reform UK row: Leaked messages reveal Farage fury with Lowe Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Nigel Farage called the behaviour of suspended Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe “disgusting” and “contemptible” in private WhatsApp messages seen by the BBC. In the messages, which were sent after Lowe criticised the Reform leader in a Daily Mail interview, Farage accused him of “damaging the party just before elections”. Reform has always denied there was any connection between Lowe’s suspension and his criticism of the party. In his Mail interview on 5 March, Lowe called Reform a “protest party” led by “the Messiah”. He was suspended on 7 March and reported to police over claims he had made threats of violence against party chairman Zia Yusuf. Reform said it had also received allegations of bullying in Lowe’s MP offices. Lowe strongly denies all the allegations. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 He has since accused Farage, external of a “malicious witch hunt” and being motivated “to remove me because I dared to ask questions”. Responding to the latest development, external on social media, Lowe said: “These messages unquestionably prove that the Reform leadership has zero integrity. “Nigel Farage must never become prime minister.” Farage told the BBC: “The suspension was to protect the party, simple. The newspaper attack on Reform UK is separate but dreadful.” He has previously insisted the party was duty bound to look into any allegations of wrongdoing. Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice previously told the BBC there was “absolutely no truth” in claims of a link between the decision to suspend Lowe and the allegations being made public. But a series of messages between Farage and someone who has worked for Lowe in recent years reveals Farage’s personal anger with Lowe about his comments to the Daily Mail. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s In one message, Farage says Lowe is “contemptible”. When asked by the activist, who is not currently a party member, why Reform had not allowed a lawyer to complete an investigation before suspending him Farage said: “Because he is damaging the party just before elections. Disgusting.” When it was suggested the investigation into Lowe was a response to his criticism of the leadership, Farage replied on WhatsApp: “We are definitely damaged and within two weeks of nominations. Awful.” Farage went on to say the Mail interview was a “side issue” and that the party had to investigate the claims against Lowe. But the messages reveal a level of animosity between the suspended MP and his team and the Reform UK leadership, alongside the claims about his behaviour, which Lowe vehemently denies. The BBC’s source is themselves the subject of an allegation of bullying, which they strenuously deny. The BBC has spoken to several members of Rupert Lowe’s team. Among them are people who have worked alongside Nigel Farage for years and admired him. But many now are deeply critical. One said: “Nigel is thin skinned and egotistical. I have spent years defending him but the aura has gone for me now. Reporting Rupert to the police? Come on. They’re trying to put him in prison!” The staff member went on to claim that the root of this whole row was Elon Musk’s praise for Lowe on X, saying: “Nigel is very sensitive about his American contacts.” Another staffer said: “It is absolutely terrible the party going to the police. “You’d never find someone more kind and considerate than Rupert. “If you don’t have policies as a party, you’re a joke and that is what Rupert was pointing out.” The BBC has also seen evidence of lengthy and detailed exchanges between Lowe’s offices and Parliament’s human resources team over the alleged conduct and subsequent departures of two members of staff. Lowe has long insisted that he and his staff diligently followed the due process parliament requires of them and there was no need for the party, or a senior lawyer hired by the party, to get involved. Reform UK has expanded rapidly, now boasting more than 200,000 members and regularly topping or coming second in national opinion polls. But Nigel Farage has publicly acknowledged that infighting has damaged the party’s chances of progress. Rupert Lowe told the BBC: “Farage has admitted himself, in writing, that the motivation behind my removal was the Daily Mail interview, in which I raised reasonable and constructive questions of Reform structure, policy and communication – following months of pushing for change behind the scenes. “That interview is why they designed and launched their horrific smear campaign against my name. It is evil behaviour. Nigel Farage must never be Prime Minister. All I have done is tell the truth, and I will continue to do so.” In the WhatsApp exchanges, Farage is asked whether the row could have been better handled. He says that given the allegations of bullying “in the current world we have to take this seriously and to be seen to take this seriously”. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Political protests: Who are the Stop Brexit campaigners?
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Political protests: Who are the Stop Brexit campaigners? Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo The Houses of Parliament are a magnet for protests of all kinds. Here’s who has been making their voices heard in the rain on Monday. Who are they? Steve Bray, a 48-year-old rare coins dealer from Port Talbot, in South Wales, says he spends every day, from 11am to 6pm, protesting against Brexit opposite the Houses of Parliament. He met fellow protesters Jane Pierce and Helen Campbell, both from London, through an anti-Brexit Facebook group, which is trying to keep a permanent protest going, while Parliament is sitting. They stage a daily evening vigil outside nearby Downing Street, for protesters who have to work during the day. Steve says he has funded his campaign by selling some of his stock and has been staying with friends in the London area. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 What do they want? “Our message is that it’s never too late to stop Brexit,” says Steve, “it’s a wrong turn for the country.” Their big hope is that there will be another general election and that public opinion will shift their way when the final Brexit deal is revealed. So where were they before the EU referendum? “We were living in cloud cuckoo land,” says Jane, who runs a charity, “thinking it could never happen”. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s How is the protest going down? “We do get people hollering at us ‘get a job’,” says Helen, “but I’m self employed.” Taxi drivers have been particularly hostile, she adds, but she has noticed a change in their attitude in recent weeks. “I think they are starting to realise it is not turning out how they wanted.” Steve says: “We’ve had people trying to rip the flags out of our hands. One man said I should be hung as a traitor. I said ‘I’d like to see you try’.” But he says they have had a positive response from a lot of passers-by, as well as MPs and members of the House of Lords, one of whom wandered over to give him £20 to get a drink. “I spent it on flags,” he adds. What is the government’s position? In its response to a petition to calling for a referendum on the final Brexit deal, external, to be debated next month the government says: “There must be no attempts to remain inside the European Union, no attempts to rejoin it through the back door, and no second referendum. “The country voted to leave the European Union, and it is the duty of the Government to make sure we do just that. “Rather than second guess the British people’s decision to leave the European Union, the challenge now is to make a success of it – not just for those who voted leave but for every citizen of the United Kingdom, bringing together everyone in a balanced approach which respects the decision to leave the political structure of the EU but builds a strong relationship between Britain and the EU as neighbours, allies and partners. “We want a deep and special partnership with the EU. We aim to get the right deal abroad and the right deal for people here at home. We will deliver a country that is stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
General election 2019: Anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray to stand for Lib Dems
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel General election 2019: Anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray to stand for Lib Dems Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo Anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray is to stand for Parliament for the Lib Dems. The activist is a familiar figure in Westminster where he regularly bellows his ‘Stop Brexit’ message through a megaphone outside the House of Commons. He has been selected to fight the seat of Cynon Valley in south Wales. It has been held by Labour for more than 30 years but its longstanding MP Ann Clwyd has retired and is not standing again. The Lib Dems have vowed to cancel Brexit if they win power. The party’s leader Jo Swinson dismissed suggestions Mr Bray’s candidacy was a stunt, saying the Lib Dems needed people prepared to put themselves on the line to stop the UK leaving the EU. “He cannot be accused of not being committed to his cause,” she said. “To have candidates who care so passionately about that is a positive.” Who are the Stop Brexit campaigners? Mr Bray, a rare coins dealer from Port Talbot, has spent every day since September 2017 protesting opposite Parliament, where his anti-Brexit antics having become a tourist attraction in their own right. He and fellow protesters who he met through an anti-Brexit Facebook group also stage a daily evening vigil outside nearby Downing Street. The 50-year-old says Brexit is a “wrong turn” for the country and must be stopped. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 Mr Bray would appear to have little chance in Cynon Valley, where the Lib Dems polled only 585 votes in 2017, finishing fifth behind UKIP. Wales, as a whole, voted to leave the EU in 2016 but the Lib Dems have made gains there in recent times, winning the seat of Brecon and Radnorshire in a by-election in August. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s The Lib Dems have formed a loose electoral pact with other anti-Brexit parties, including Plaid Cymru, which will see the parties not fielding candidates in some of their respective target seats to try and maximise the pro-Remain vote, Plaid Cymru has already selected a candidate in Cynon Valley, where it came third in 2017. Ms Clwyd retained Cynon Valley with a majority of more than 13,000 in 2017, having represented the seat since winning a by-election in 1984. Labour has selected Bethan Winter to fight the seat. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Brexit: Steve Bray vows to carry on ‘Mr Stop Brexit’ protest
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Brexit: Steve Bray vows to carry on ‘Mr Stop Brexit’ protest Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo A man who uprooted his life to protest against Brexit has vowed to carry on protesting outside Parliament. Steve Bray, from Port Talbot, has become known as “Mr Stop Brexit” for his divisive hollering in Westminster. He said he was prepared for the “longest protest ever” and would “not give up” until the UK rejoined the European Union. Supporters of Brexit celebrated the moment the UK left the EU with a party in Parliament Square on Friday. In the 2016 referendum, 52% of UK voters backed the Leave campaign. But grandfather Mr Bray has protested outside Parliament every day MPs have sat since 5 September 2017 – and has become something of a tourist attraction in his own right. The 50-year-old has interrupted live broadcasts with his shouts of “stop Brexit”, and gate-crashed interviews with placards. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 While Mr Bray has scaled down his campaign there is no sign of him going away any time soon. “This is my first ever protest, I was never that political before, but so much is at stake,” he said. The self-employed rare coin dealer has vowed to remain outside Parliament for as long as it takes for the UK to rejoin – but only every Wednesday, when Prime Minister’s Questions is held. “It is not a question of if or when – we will join the EU. It could be 10 years, it could take 50 years, it could turn into one of the longest protests ever.” His interruption of Theresa May’s farewell speech with his “stop Brexit” cry led to her replying “I think not”, while her replacement as Prime Minister Boris Johnson told him to “put a sock in it”. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s He sold some high value coins to fund the campaign and made merchandise to sell. “I sold some of my collection, rather than leave them to the children I thought I would use it to leave them a better future,” he said. A crowdfunding campaign raised more than £70,000 for him and other protesters to rent a flat near Parliament. They moved there after living on the same street as pro-Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg – who he said he bumped into “quite often”. Mr Bray said some of the hardest times were during the Beast from the East in 2018, when he said a member of the House of Lords came outside to give him a coat. “I’ve been spat at a few times, assaulted a few times, all very minor things. “It does take a toil, but the hatred drives me on more than the support,” he said. In his home county, Neath Port Talbot, 56.8% of people voted to leave during the poll in June 2016. Mr Bray stood in the Cynon Valley for the Liberal Democrats in the 2019 general election, but only secured 949 votes. “People just have different views,” he said. “We need the government to know we are not giving up and not going away”. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
MP Nigel Adams filmed swearing at Mr Stop Brexit Steve Bray
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel MP Nigel Adams filmed swearing at Mr Stop Brexit Steve Bray Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo A minister has been filmed swearing at a veteran pro-EU campaigner who approached him outside the Houses of Parliament. Steve Bray, known as Mr Stop Brexit, uploaded the clip of his exchange with Foreign Office minister Nigel Adams. The footage shows Mr Adams give the four-letter response at least twice as Mr Bray attempts to question him. A spokesperson for the MP said his remarks “no doubt reflect those of many democratic representatives”. The video, shared on social media by Mr Bray, shows the pair talking in the street on Wednesday evening following the Commons vote on a tax increase to help fund health and social care. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 After questioning Mr Adams about the tax increase, the MP responds: “I’m really not interested in talking to an odd bloke with a top hat on chasing me down the street”. He then tells Mr Bray, from Port Talbot in Wales, to “talk to your own MP” and swears at him. The 52-year-old campaigner became a regular sight outside Parliament following the EU referendum, with Mr Bray repeatedly interrupting live TV broadcasts with his cries of “stop Brexit”. Speaking to BBC Radio York, he said: “You should be able to ask an MP a question without being told where to go. “This is at Parliament, it’s not as if I’m on his doorstep at his house, this is the seat of power – if you write to these MPs, half of them don’t reply. “I don’t harass MPs, I ask them questions and I like to think I’m speaking for other people who can’t be there to ask those questions.” Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s In a statement, a spokesperson for Selby and Ainsty MP Mr Adams said: “Mr Bray has spent the last few years harassing, following and hurling abuse at elected Parliamentarians as well as interrupting journalists, preventing some from doing their job of reporting the news and conducting interviews. “Mr Adams’ remarks no doubt reflect those of many democratic representatives trying to deliver on the will of the people and others seeking to go about their business who have been harassed or had their work disrupted by this individual and his handful of followers.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol