Chancellor John Healey made a point of heaping praise on his predecessor Rachel Reeves when he stood up to deliver the first Budget of Andy Burnham’s premiership.
It begged the question, if she was so good, why replace her?
He’s since faced criticism for what some considered a rather stodgy Budget that lacked the radicalism needed to solve the problems piling up in the UK’s in-tray – defence spending, the benefits bill, the flagging economy, the cost-of-living crisis… it’s no small feat.
At one point during his speech, Healey joked that at least heckling MPs were still awake. But this was never intended to be a showstopper of a Budget.
The Thunderbirds-inspired house that has sold for £375,000
A house in Berkshire inspired by , featuring an extensive network of tunnels, rooms and a railway – all more than 50 feet underground – has sold at auction for £375,000.
Age-old inspiration
Located on Long Lane in the village of Tilehurst, on the outskirts of Reading, the property was inspired by Tracy Island, the secret headquarters featured in popular 1960s TV series .
The site boasts a swimming pool and garden with a model space rocket measuring around 23 feet tall, as well as a 2,500 square foot workshop and a hand-built underground railway, with the subterranean network spanning four levels.
Future plans
The tunnels were the passion-project of civil engineer Tony Deane, the late owner of the property, who started on them over two decades ago. Now, there are plans to convert the spacious workshop – which spans three floors – into a three-bedroom house.
Other features
- Deane, the previous owner, first built underground changing rooms for the property’s swimming pool in the 1960s.
- The entrance was behind the existing model rocket.
- Construction on the tunnels took place in the 80s and 90s, carried out by Deane and his family.
It represents a really unique opportunity for somebody to either develop it or to live there and enjoy it. To say it’s a workshop is doing it down a little bit, it’s constructed better than 95% of houses, to be honest.
Richard Worrall, auctioneer and consultant at BTG Eddisons Property Auctions
How to lower your council tax band – and the deadline for £100 energy payment
The Government has seen a surge in council tax enquiries following Chancellor John Healey’s maiden Budget. Here’s why.
What to know
On Wednesday, the Chancellor revealed that the more than 20 million households in council tax bands A-D in England will get a £100 payment sent straight to their bank accounts, to give people “breathing space” to offset rising energy bills. The Welsh Government confirmed it will deliver the same £100 payment, and funding has been allocated to Scotland and Northern Ireland to set up equivalent schemes.
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Checking your council tax band
How it works
Each residential property in England, Scotland and Wales is assigned a council tax band, from A to H.
Who pays what?
Tax is cheapest for those in Band A, with each band after that more expensive.
Check online
There is a government website for people to check what band they are in based on their home address.
Could your band be wrong?
However, many people may be sitting in the wrong council tax bands because of incorrect valuations that were made in 1991, as time-pressured assessors often drove through streets and looked at houses from the outside to determine their value.
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What to do before challenging
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) experienced “high demand” for council tax services after the Budget, including challenges to bands. Before going down that road, though, you should check a few things:
- You can’t ask for your band to be lowered, only revalued, meaning you or your neighbour’s bands could also go up.
- So, check if you are in a different band to your neighbours in similar or identical properties.
- You also need to know your property’s worth in 1991, so enter the price and date of sale into a free website like Zoopla.
- Then, find a house that is similar to yours on your street that sold recently and note down the price and date.
- Input this information into a home valuation calculator and compare it to the council tax band you are in today.
How to challenge
- One way to challenge your banding is to make a proposal if you’ve been paying council tax on your property for less than six months or changed your band in the past six months. The VOA must review your band by law.
- If you think you are in the wrong band and you have been paying council tax for more than six months, you can request a band review. However, the onus is on you to provide strong evidence that you are in the wrong band after reviewing your “property attributable data”, which the VOA can provide online or over the phone.
Cut off date
- There will be a cut-off date when people will need to have their council tax band reviewed by to be eligible for the £100 payment.
- This date, which is yet to be announced, will be part of guidance to local authorities with details on eligibility criteria for the payment.
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Could you be eligible for the new Your First Home scheme?
Further details of the support being made available for aspiring first-time buyers were outlined in the Budget this week.
What to know
70,000
The new £4.7bn scheme aims to help around 70,000 households in England to take their first step on to the property ladder.
20% equity
The scheme will provide 20 per cent equity loans to first-time buyers, accessible with a five-year interest-free period.
The deposit requirement will be 2.5 per cent, with a maximum deposit of 15 per cent.
Cost caps
Income caps for the scheme will be set at £110,000 per household outside London and £140,000 inside London.
Budget documents said price caps for properties will be set based on local authority median prices to ensure support is targeted at those who need it, with inner and outer London caps of £650,000 and £500,000, respectively.
When does it start?
The scheme will open for pre-registration by the end of December 2026 and full applications from February 2027, with the first loans issued from April 2027.
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Pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US election
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to vote in a US election, the Vatican confirmed on Friday.
Pope Leo, who was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois, submitted a mail-in ballot in his home state ahead of the midterm elections on 3 November.
The Pope, who has lived in Vatican City since his election last May, “expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes”, a statement from the Vatican said.
Influence from abroad
The Pope “has exercised his right to vote as a US citizen…whenever he was eligible to do so”.
Dedicated voter
He also voted while living in Peru as a missionary priest and bishop for over 20 years.
Pope’s hometown
The pontiff is yet to return to the US since his election but is registered to an address in New Lenox, a south-west Chicago suburb.
What’s on the ballot
- Pope Leo had requested a mail-in voting ballot from the Will County Clerk’s office this month.
- Illinois voters are deciding whether to elect Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to his third term.
- They are also filling an open US Senate seat after longtime Catholic Democrat Dick Durbin’s retirement.
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Voting history
He did not vote in the Illinois primary in March.
American citizens who are based overseas can vote in US elections by mail if they choose to as per the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
Clashes with Trump
The upcoming midterms are seen as something of a referendum on the increasingly unpopular Donald Trump, and come after clashes between the US President and the Pope on issues such as conflicts in the Middle East and immigration.
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go deper on this topic
The small town in Ohio that shows why Trump is in trouble
Director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting
Welcome to Ohio, where the dirtiest campaign of the midterm elections is unfolding. I’ve come to this state because its mix of farmland and factories has made it a bellwether for the nation.
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
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A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
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It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
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The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
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The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Treasury insiders had dubbed it the “see you next year Budget”, and that was precisely what he delivered. Apart from a £100 giveaway to 20 million people, some of Healey’s criticis have argued that there was little to get the heart beating or solve the UK’s problems.
‘Can they walk the walk?’
“It feels like they can talk the talk, but the jury is still out on whether they can actually walk the walk,” a Labour source said of Burnham’s new administration.
All politicians are human, and as with all collective human endeavours, it has to be assumed a certain amount of frantic paddling is going on below the surface when looking at the calm exterior of a man downing a pint in one in triumph at delivering his Budget.
But for all the nerves in No 10 and the Treasury over how the Budget would go down, their plans have so far been well received by voters.
Polling for The i Paper, carried out just after Healey’s Budget statement, gave Labour a 31 per cent share of the vote – 9 points ahead of Reform in second place, and ten ahead of the Tories. That is three points up on last month. The Budget far from puncturing the Burnham bounce, has sent it higher.
Despite some negative headlines that surrounded the lack of action on the benefits bill, polling for this newspaper showed overall, more voters felt it was a good Budget than a bad one.
“This is the most popular Budget we’ve seen since we started tracking in 2022,” Robert Struthers, Head of Public Perceptions at BMG, said. “‘Vibes’ can sound dismissive, but getting them right is a real political achievement.”
But how will the UK’s problems be solved if the big calls are shirked at the Budget? More clues may come at the end of next month. Burnham will launch a ten-year plan for the UK, which is likely to include his plans for a National Care Service and reform of the triple lock that has made the state pension take such a big chunk of national income.
One of the most striking findings to emerge from the Budget is that the rising cost of working-age, disability and child benefits is forecast to consume virtually all the additional revenue the Treasury expects to raise from freezing income tax and National Insurance thresholds.
Yet, the Government has also indicated that reforming welfare in a ‘Labour way’ will take ten years.
Big solutions to big problems, rather than tinkering in the Budget.
But whether these solutions become a reality will hinge on a general election, and BMG’s polling, according to Struthers, “will only add to calls in Labour for an election sooner rather than later.”
Snap election fever a political stitch-up?
There are strong reasons why an election may not come until 2028 – not least because the current fever may be cooked up by the opposition, according to a senior Labour Party source.
“The opposition parties are trying to push us into a Gordon Brown-esque situation and create the speculation from which we feel we can’t back down without looking like we are bottling it,” a very senior Labour Party source said.
“I think our political rivals are doing exactly what I would do in their situation and trying to make sure speculation hits fever pitch, so it looks like a backing down when something that was never going to happen doesn’t happen,” the source added.
Before the ten-year plan comes the Brexit reset summit in Brussels, when Burnham is planning on signing a deal to ease trade with the EU and allow under-30s to work and study here – and for UK nationals to do the same in Europe.
Burnham has made no secret that he wants to rejoin in his lifetime. At Prime Minister’s Questions before the Budget, the Prime Minister pointedly refused to rule out a second Brexit referendum when asked twice by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
But he has has already discovered the political risks of setting out that vision. After calling for an “honest discussion” about restoring EU freedom of movement, he was forced to clarify that he would not reintroduce it without a referendum.
Downing Street subsequently insisted he was not proposing its return.
And in a sign of how divided the Labour cabinet is on the issue, Healey has said he does not expect to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. At 66, he is ten years older than Burnham.
The Brexit tightrope
This week’s episode exposed the difficulty at the heart of Burnham’s strategy: making the case for closer ties with Europe without appearing to reverse Brexit or breach Labour’s manifesto commitments this parliament.
One supportive Cabinet minister believes Burnham is right to make the case for closer ties, but argues that he must avoid getting bogged down in the mechanics of negotiations and summits.
The message, they say, should be about control: using greater co-operation with European partners to tackle illegal migration while making the economic case for a closer relationship with the EU.
The minister argues that the public is more concerned about the loss of control symbolised by small-boat crossings than about freedom of movement itself.
Closer co-operation with European partners is essential to tackling the problem, they claim, potentially opening the door to more effective arrangements on asylum claims and returns.
There is also scope, the minister believes, for a more nuanced debate about migration. One possible approach would be to make the right to stay in the UK beyond 90 days conditional on meeting a means test, rather than allowing unrestricted longer-term residence.
The economic case for closer ties has strengthened since Brexit, with central and eastern European economies performing strongly, the minister said.
On the EU side, they would welcome closer relations – but not at any price.
Sandro Gozi, a senior MEP and chair of the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, said Burnham’s readiness to reconsider freedom of movement marked a fundamental change in British thinking, potentially paving the way for a new partnership that could eventually include rejoining the EU.
“I think this is a new start. We are entering a new phase,” Gozi told The i Paper.
“He rightly says that freedom of movement is not a price to pay for getting closer to the European Union. It is a major opportunity for British and European citizens, especially young people.”
“The next summit is very important,” he added. “We need to resolve and conclude positively the negotiations currently under way, but above all, we need to establish a new strategic framework within which we can enhance our bilateral cooperation.”
He added that Burnham was showing “courage and bravery” in confronting the Brexit debate.
The enthusiasm reflects a wider change in Brussels, where years of frustration with Britain’s reluctance to reconsider its Brexit settlement have given way to cautious optimism.
Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive of the Brussels-based European Policy Centre, believes Burnham is laying the groundwork for a fundamental reassessment of Britain’s relationship with Europe in Labour’s next manifesto, while appealing to voters increasingly convinced Brexit has harmed the economy.
However Brussels would expect concrete proposals rather than simply warmer rhetoric, he cautioned.
“There’s still a degree of mistrust. In particular, will the UK really follow through on these discussions? We’ve seen positive movement before without it leading to very much.”
There is, however, another obvious problem with Burnham’s ten-year plan.
Two of those years are constrained by existing manifesto commitments so in reality, he has just eight years to deliver the transformation he promises.
The question is whether he can do it without an election and a fresh mandate from voters.
With speculation about a 2028 general election now gathering pace, Labour faces a narrowing window to make the difficult decisions needed to revive the economy before time runs out – or risk presiding over another year of drift and stagnation.