Public sector workers have been slapped with a decade long “pay pinch” and now inflation caused by Brexit has worsened the pay problems for midwives, teaching assistants and refuse collectors amongst others. The GMB union claims the public sector is now suffering from the worst salary squeeze since the Thatcher government The government cap on wages means that full-time workers, in the public sector, now actually face a real terms reduction in income. On average this will be a huge...

By Bex Bastable When the organiser of a Vegfest challenged me to try going vegan I was at first dubious. But if you’re going to do it anywhere, it’s got to be Brighton. If you throw a Linda McCartney sausage in this city you’ll hit a vegan. And I thought if Beyonce and Brad Pitt can do it so can I. That’s what I thought until I realised most Quorn products aren’t vegan. Disaster. To be honest, I don’t have...

PWR BTTM aren't pulling their punches with 'Answer My Text', the second single from their forthcoming LP Pageant (May 12, Big Scary Monsters / Polyvinyl). The track finds Liv Bruce singing in narrative-like fashion to a prospective lover through trials and tribulations; from asking for their phone number to formulating the perfect emoji combination, the song takes these seemingly miniscule acts of affection and puts them under the lens of anxiety, hopefulness, and comedy. Pageant is the Brooklyn-based duo's newest effort, and sees...

Could you track down and outsmart a ring of international thieves? Would you go on one last, big score to pay the bills? And most important of all, how far would you get with $140 billion in gold bullion? The new infographic from Gocompare.com Van Insurance looks at the 56 biggest heists in film since 1956. While only 41% get away with it (and a further 27% at least avoid getting caught), the total amount stolen across all the films is about...

By EJ Stedman I’ve already run it up the flagpole that I don’t do any research before going to a show. In the illustrious world of writing theatre reviews, when a PR company asks me if I’d like to go to a show, all I do is check my diary. If I’m free, the answer is yes. Especially on Wednesdays because my partner is playing netball, and otherwise I have to go and watch and the weather isn’t that reliable...

Though so many of London’s Thai restaurants are unapologetically bad, the popularity of Thai food (as well as Vietnamese) is currently booming. So, considering London has one of the world’s most diverse restaurant scenes, it’s astonishing that Laotian food has taken so long to become established throughout the city. It’s undeniable that Lao cuisine has contributed significantly to Thai food becoming an international phenomenon, yet so few menus throughout Europe give the landlocked country between Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia any...

A builder who was paralysed in a 30ft horror fall on a site can now go for a stroll around the park – thanks to his £50,000 robot legs. Gheorghe Dunca was left paralysed from the waist down, after he fell nine metres from the first floor of a building while working as a labourer in 2011. But now the 42-year-old has secured enough compensation to use £50,000 exo-skeleton legs for the next 20 years – because they need to...

A frustrated Jeremy Corbyn told the Victoria Derbyshire show that Labour could win a snap election. The presenter pressed the labour leader for a yes or no answer, he was sick of being asked and replied: “Listen, you’ve asked me the question many times. How many times do I have to tell you? We’re taking our case out there to win because we believe we can win.” Many Corbyn supporters believe that his own party are responsible for the large...

Whether you live in your property or are offering it for rental, you can benefit from renovations. Renovating your property increases its value, and many renovation efforts have a bigger impact on the value of a property than the cost of the improvement itself. By choosing the right projects, you can get an outsized return on your investment while also making the property more enjoyable to live in for yourself or your tenants. Here are some of the best ways...