Prince William is set to cash in on two weeks paternity leave just as the football World Cup kicks off in June. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced today that they are expecting their third child with just nine months to go until the tournament kicks off in Russia. William, who may have otherwise been engaged in a busy schedule of hand-shaking and ribbon cutting, has now got the green light to clear his calendar for two weeks of...

As McDonald’s employees gather on the picket line for the first time ever in the UK, the Labour leader has come out in support of the disgruntled workers. The burger chain employees want secure shift patterns and pay of at least £10 an hour. A rally is expected to go ahead in central London with 40 striking workers will attend a rally in Westminster, with Jeremy Corbyn lending his support. The industrial action comes from two outlets, one in Crayford...

Theresa May could be about to make a U-turn on public sector pay caps, according to leaked documents. The PM stoically rejected calls to lift the 1 per cent pay cap after the controversial policy saw the average public sector worker lose £13,000 over the last seven years. But according to reports a letter has been issued by ministers to pay review bodies signalling the lifting of the pay cap on those professions with the biggest recruitment and retention problems -...

A Tory MEP has got himself an Irish passport as he wanted to ensure he was a EU citizen after the UK finally leaves the economic union after the Brexit deal is finally agreed. Charles Tannock is a passionate remainer who was deeply saddened by the EU referendum result. He has an Irish grandmother so was able to apply for a passport for the Republic. Tannock told the Irish Times about his newly found passion for his Irish family background...

Almost 800 years of additional imprisonment were imposed on prisoners found to have broken prison rules last year, as jails across England and Wales descended further into chaos. Research by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveals today (Monday 4 September) that prisons are routinely and increasingly resorting to draconian punishments in a counter-productive attempt to regain control. It shows that almost 290,000 additional days of imprisonment were handed down to prisoners during 2016 – a 75 per cent rise...

A sense of history hangs heavy over ‘Back to Burgundy’ (‘Ce qui nous lie’), the new film from French filmmaker, Cedric Klapisch. ‘Back to Burgundy’ is a sentimental film and one that has a very good first act with the strongest writing of the whole film, nicely setting up the premise. Thereafter the film’s structural problems begin. It is a tale of familial heartache and strife set against the picturesque vineyards of Burgundy, where siblings Jean (Pio Marmaï), Juliette (Ana...

Ground Rents to offer inflation linked alternative to doubling rents - On 2 August 2017, Ground Rents Income Fund issued a Corporate Update in light of media attention on ground rents and the launch by the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, of a consultation on proposals to amend leasehold legislation. The announcement advised that the Board, in conjunction with the Investment Manager, was considering options for certain ground rents within the portfolio, reflecting concerns expressed by the Government. These concerns were...

London is worst hit when reviewing gazumping rates across the UK There has been an increase in gazumping across the UK over the past 24 months, a new study finds. As house prices continue to rise to meet high levels of demand and low levels of stock on the market, gazumping rates have risen from 13 percent in 2015 to 36 percent now. Gazumping is when a property seller accepts an offer from a buyer and then accepts an even...

There has been some shocking news that has just emerged that could mean that the NHS might not be able to provide beds to patients this winter, with many asking if this could be the last year the NHS can function as a provider of universal health care. Even though the target to seen A&E patients within four house has failed to be met over the last two years, it is likely to be much worse this coming winter. Now...