Author: Laura Robinson

Nearly half over-50s who quit their jobs during Covid now live ‘in poverty’, think-tank findsHalf of 50- to 70-year-olds who left employment in 2020-21 in relative povertyInstitute for Fiscal Studies suggested people were forced into early retirement By Martin Beckford Policy Editor For The Daily Mail Published: 19:35 EDT, 6 July 2023 | Updated: 08:37 EDT, 7 July 2023 Half the older people who dropped out of the workforce at the start of the pandemic found themselves struggling financially, it is claimed today.New analysis has found that 48 per cent of the 50- to 70-year-olds who left employment in 2020-21 ended…

The Royal Family usually needs to adopt the ‘brace’ position each November, when a new series of The Crown is released by streaming giant Netflix.However this year there may be a sigh of relief — at least from Prince Andrew — as it can be revealed that the forthcoming sixth and final series does not feature his friendship with convicted billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.Instead, I am told that it concentrates on Charles and Camilla’s relationship, and the efforts of Prince — now King — Charles to get the Queen, his teenage children and the British people to accept their love.The…

Broken electric vehicles need ‘quarantining’ under government guidelines, driving up the costs for mechanics and insurersEV owners face high insurance and repair costs over fears they could explodeGovernment  say damaged cars must be ‘quarantined’ 15m from other carsBy Sam Merriman Published: 19:10 EDT, 6 July 2023 | Updated: 19:21 EDT, 6 July 2023 Electric car owners face soaring insurance and repair costs over fears the vehicles could explode after being in even minor collisions.Damaged EVs must be ‘quarantined’ 15 metres apart from other cars in repair shops due to the risk of battery fires under government guidelines – driving up…

Chemicals tycoon warns the UK has its head in the clouds with wind power ambitionsIneos’s Sir Jim Ratcliffe slams government for fracking ban and windfall taxesMonaco-based tycoon worth £29.6bn says you can’t power the UK on just windBy Colin Fernandez Environment Editor For The Daily Mail Published: 17:45 EDT, 6 July 2023 | Updated: 17:45 EDT, 6 July 2023 Chemicals tycoon Sir Jim Ratcliffe has launched a blistering attack on UK energy policy – saying ‘you are not able to power the whole of the UK on wind.’Sir Jim, the billionaire owner of Ineos, and a potential buyer for Manchester…

Today it’s my privilege to announce the inaugural winner of my Black Pot award for the week’s most breathtaking hypocrite in public life.It has been a closely fought contest, as you can imagine, with a crowded field of kettle-shamers vying to outdo each other in attacking others for sins of which they are quite as guilty themselves.You won’t be surprised to hear that an early favourite was Sir Bernard Jenkin, the Tory grandee who sits on the bench of the kangaroo court — whoops! I mean the privileges committee — and voted to expel Boris Johnson from the Commons after…

Boris Johnson’s Partygate inquisitor Sir Bernard Jenkin was last night facing a police investigation into claims he attended a lockdown-busting party himself.Scotland Yard said it has launched a formal probe into a ‘birthday drinks’ bash for the wife of the Tory grandee amid evidence of ‘a serious and flagrant breach’ of Covid rules.Previously, the force was only ‘assessing’ whether any breaches might have occurred.It means that Sir Bernard, who co-authored a controversial Commons report into claims Mr Johnson lied to Parliament about lockdown parties in Downing Street, now faces the humiliation of being questioned over his own conduct.At the same…

Around the time of the world banking crash in 2008, Jeremy Clarkson told me he was buying a farm, a safe and a shotgun.When I asked why, he explained that the only way to survive the coming apocalypse was to have somewhere to grow your own food, store your cash and arm yourself against the Walking Dead.Turns out he was pretty perceptive, although back then he had no idea that Clarkson’s Farm would become the new Top Gear. Growing your own food sounds like a plan, given that prices in the supermarket are through the stratosphere as a result of…

China is seeking the return of three UK-based human rights activists – and is offering £100,000 for assistance leading to their arrests.Beijing has approached Interpol to demand warrants for the trio who spoke out against repressive reforms in former UK colony Hong Kong.Nathan Law, Finn Lau and Mung Siu-Tat are among eight persons Beijing wants to imprison for endangering national security.While the UK does not extradite to China, the move could render the trio prisoners in this country – as their ability to travel freely could be compromised.Two European Union states, Portugal and the Czech Republic are yet to suspend…

As Meghan said, in typically syrupy style while promoting her Archetypes podcast last year, she and husband Prince Harry are ‘like salt and pepper — we always move together’.And yet, as their media empire implodes, with their Spotify deal axed, today it seems that these particular condiments have somehow ended up on totally opposing shelves in the pantry.Meghan, the ink fresh on her management deal with the ultimate Hollywood agent, Ari Emanuel at WME, is still pursuing creative and commercial opportunities. It was a solo deal — not her and Harry — and an enormous coup.Harry, meanwhile, is said to be…

ALISON BOSHOFF: Brad to make Pitt stop at Clooney’s £10m Berkshire home for F1 movieBy Alison Boshoff for the Daily Mail Published: 20:41 EDT, 22 June 2023 | Updated: 21:11 EDT, 22 June 2023 Residents of the picturesque village of Sonning are used to damping down the impulse to rubberneck when their A-list neighbours George and Amal Clooney are in town.The actor and his British wife bought a £10 million house in Berkshire in 2014 and live there part-time with their twins and staff. Visitors have included the Obamas and Harry and Meghan.Now the locals had better brace themselves as…