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A huge leak of data from offshore service company Mossack Fonseca has exposed the super rich, celebrities and politicians. Iceland is considering a snap election over revelations which implicate Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and his wife. He is among several leading politicians with links to Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm whose services include incorporating companies in offshore jurisdiction. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been implicated in a $2 billion scheme which involves his best friend Sergei Roldugin. Other national leaders include Pakistan’s...

By Dean Hochlaf As I write, 40,000 workers in the British steel industry face an uncertain future. Tata Steel is on the verge of selling its unprofitable British operations. While attention given to the state of British steel gathers momentum, it is becoming painfully clear that the seeds of the collapse of British steel were sown long ago. There are several reasons as to why we are witnessing this fall, high energy costs among them, however a lot of attention and...

Virgin Trains announced it will be adding the Flying Scotsman to its fleet to pull regular commuter services in a clever April Fools Day prank. The unprecedented announcement came from the company this morning via social media, with notice of plans to repaint the historic loco in Virgin's bright red livery. They also promoted a 25 per cent discount on train tickets for any passengers who help shovel coal on their journey! The Flying Scotsman, which used to run the London to...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Ken Clarke, who was responsible for privatising the steel industry under Thatcher, showed how out of touch he his with the area his party is about to destroy. He said, during The BBC's The World at One Programme, that he knew South Wales well, and had "driven past Port Talbot many times." Jeremy Corbyn repeated his call for the Tata businesses to be nationalised. He said: "The Prime Minister has offered no solutions today to the threat...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The Chancellor has come out fighting and has defended the Government’s handling of the steel crisis, but his special relationship with China is clouding his judgment, critics have claimed. He said the Tories were doing all that is "practicable and possible" to slap tougher tariffs on cheap steel. The steel crisis has been squarely blamed on China continually dumping cheap steel on European markets and making UK steel far too expensive. Instead on intervening, it...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A video has emerged which features a traffic warden giving a ticket to a taxi driver, only moments after he had pulled up to let out an elderly disabled woman at an M & S in Chelmsford, Essex. The warden ignores the driver when he asks: “You’re giving me a ticket for dropping off a disabled lady?” The customer objects to the warden’s actions, saying he is a “nasty person” and asking “don’t you think he...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Generous tax breaks have helped create a “shadow” welfare state for the 20 per cent wealthiest in the UK, research has revealed. The Fabian Society believe these high earners will take almost the same as the worst off fifth take in benefits. The Fabians’ general secretary, Andrew Harrop, indicated his research illustrates the latest Budget was another step in remodeling the welfare state as we know it. This shift has moved resources from the poorest...

Britain has a real problem with foreign languages. A study by the British Council recently found three-quarters of the population cannot hold a conversation in a foreign language. Our apathy could prove to be a big risk to the economy, with an "alarming shortage" of people able to speak the ten languages vital to our future prosperity and global standing. So what's stopping us? New research by the Goethe Institute has revealed that 73 per cent of Brits have considered learning a second...

By Gemma Joyce As the race for London Mayor accelerates, new data is suggesting a change in tide of online support for the front runners. Social data research on the candidates’ performance on social media could be good news for Richmond Park and North Kingston MP Zac Goldsmith. The analysis, conducted by Brandwatch, studied conversations surrounding London Mayor front runners Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith on Twitter, finding that discussion related to the Conservative candidate was scoring a higher percentage of...