Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Claire Coutinho may become chief secretary to Treasury

Sunak is expected to reshuffle his cabinet next month as Conservatives seek to negate Labour lead in onion polls

Claire Coutinho may become chief secretary to Treasury

MINISTER for children, families and wellbeing, Claire Coutinho, could be made chief secretary to the Treasury next month when prime minister Rishi Sunak is expected to reshuffle his cabinet, a media report suggested.

Coutinho MP would be a politically attractive appointment to succeed John Glen in the Treasury department, The Sunday Times (13) reported.


Glen is seen as a potential replacement for Ben Wallace, who announced his resignation as defence secretary last month.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove may replace Steve Barclay as health secretary, the report said, adding there is also a likelihood of education secretary Gillian Keegan becoming business secretary in place of incumbent Kemi Badenoch.

Badenoch may be made education secretary.

Coutinho, 38, is not new to the Treasury as the Oxford graduate previously worked as an aide to Sunak when he was the department’s chief secretary.

The MP for East Surrey, whose family can trace their roots to Goa, backed Sunak in the Tory leadership race last summer.

The Conservatives are facing an uphill task against Labour as the government battles record arrivals of migrants from across the Channel, long waiting lists in the public health service and elevated inflation which has severely squeezed household savings.

Official data showed last week that 100,000 migrants made their way to the UK shores on small boats since 2018. The NHS waiting lists, according to the most recent figures, reached 7.6 million. But inflation has been cooling off from record highs and the economy recorded an unexpected growth in the second quarter of the year.

Contrary to predictions, the Conservatives pulled off a win in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election in July, although the party lost two other seats - Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome.

Sunak has tried to restore the Tories’ credibility after a series of scandals last year forced Boris Johnson to resign as prime minister and economic turmoil made his successor Liz Truss leave office after just six weeks.

Sunak’s close advisers and election officials are likely to hold a conference next month to devise strategy for a general election.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less