Asda boss urges Rachel Reeves to ‘stop taxing everything’

Asda’s chairman has urged Rachel Reeves to stop “taxing everything in some way, shape or form”.

Allan Leighton advised the chancellor to invest in Britain if she wants to grow the economy, not launch a new tax raid in her upcoming budget later this year.

Ms Reeves is grappling with the various options at her disposal to fill a £50bn hole in the public finances, while she attempts to stay within her self-imposed fiscal rules.

Among the policies believed to be under consideration by the chancellor, the most headline-grabbing is a so-called “mansion tax”, which would hit the owners of high-value properties with capital gains tax when they sell their homes.

A likely move will also see the Treasury extend the freeze on income tax thresholds. This means that as wages rise with inflation, over the years workers are dragged into higher tax bands and end up paying more.

And this week, it was reported Ms Reeves is plotting a tax raid on landlords by applying national insurance (NI) to rental income.

Separately, Ms Reeves looks set to raise business rates for larger premises, according to reports, which would lead to increased bills for bigger supermarkets.

Mr Leighton described the proposed changes as “very unhelpful” in an echo of concerns raised by Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

The Asda executive chairman told The Telegraph: “All these things don’t make life easier. They are contributing to inflation, and inflation is hitting the pocket of the consumer.”

This week, new figures revealed that food prices have risen at their fastest pace in 18 months.

According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-NIQ Shop Price Monitor, food inflation hit 4.2 per cent this month, up from 4 per cent in July, marking the highest level since February 2024. Bosses at the trade body warned the acceleration “adds pressure” to families already struggling with the cost of living.

Mr Leighton explained that supermarkets were battling to keep prices down for customers as they attempt to “find a way through”.

The uptick in food prices comes after the Bank of England said earlier this month that the increase in national insurance contributions in April had contributed to accelerating food prices.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “Shop price inflation hit its highest rate since March last year, fuelled by food price rises.

“This adds pressure to families already grappling with the cost of living.

“Retailers continue doing everything they can to limit price rises for households, but as the Bank of England acknowledged, the £7 billion in new costs flowing through from last year’s budget has created an uphill battle for retailers.”

More than 60 retail bosses, including chiefs at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Boots, warned Ms Reeves last week that raising taxes further in the autumn budget could contradict her plans to improve UK living standards.

In the letter, coordinated by the BRC, the bosses said they were expecting the rate of food and drink inflation to reach 6 per cent later this year.

Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NIQ, said: “The uptick in prices reflects several factors: global supply costs, seasonal food inflation driven by weather conditions, the conclusion of promotional activity linked to recent sporting events, and a rise in underlying operational costs.

“As shoppers return from their summer holidays, many may need to reassess household budgets in response to rising household bills.”

Tour de France winner Chris Froome undergoes surgery after suffering serious injuries in crash

Chris Froome is undergoing surgery in France after a serious crash during training left him with a collapsed lung, broken ribs and a fractured spine.

The incident took place in Saint-Raphael, along the coast from Froome’s home in Monaco. Initial reports suggested he had collided with a car on the road, but his team Israel-Premier Tech made clear that no other vehicle was involved.

French newspaper L’Equipe reported that Froome was conscious on arrival at hospital in Toulon and able to speak to medical staff.

The injuries are likely to rule out the 40-year-old for the rest of the season and could even spell the end of his cycling career, with his contract due to expire at the end of the year.

Israel-Premier Tech said in a statement on Thursday: “Chris Froome was airlifted to hospital in Toulon yesterday afternoon following a serious training crash [no other cyclists or vehicles were involved].

“Fortunately, Chris is stable and did not sustain any head injuries, however, scans have confirmed a pneumothorax (collapsed lung), five broken ribs, and a lumbar vertebrae fracture, for which he will undergo surgery this afternoon. We will update on Chris’ condition following surgery.”

Froome is a four-time Tour de France champion and won seven grand tours in total with Ineos Grenadiers, previously known as Team Sky, in a period of dominance from 2011 to 2018. Only three riders in the history of men’s road cycling have won more of the sport’s iconic trio of stage races: French rider Jacques Anquetil won eight during the 1950s and 1960s; his compatriot Bernard Hinault won 10 between 1978 and 1985; and Belgian legend Eddy Merckx claimed 11 from 1968 to 1974.

But Froome has struggled since another crash in 2019 in which he hit a wall while travelling downhill at high speed during a reconnaissance ride at the Criterium du Dauphine, breaking his femur bone and sustaining fractures to his elbow, ribs and vertebrae. The incident caused him to miss eight months of racing and he did not return to the same level.

Froome was persuaded by Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams to join his new team in 2020, then known as Israel Start-Up Nation. They set an ambitious goal of delivering a fifth yellow jersey, recruiting a number of experienced support riders, but Froome has not made a significant mark on the general classification in any of his three grand tours with the team.

Team Sky’s legacy is currently under scrutiny after it emerged the International Testing Agency is investigating David Rozman, a team carer who worked closely with stars including Froome and Bradley Wiggins.

Rozman is alleged to have exchanged a series of messages with Mark Schmidt, a notorious German doctor who was convicted in 2021 of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers.

Philp accused of courting Musk over grooming gangs scandal X post

Chris Philp has been accused of courting Elon Musk after he responded to a social media post from the tech billionaire offering funding to bring private legal action relating to the grooming gangs scandal.

The shadow home secretary replied to an X post in which Mr Musk announced plans to “help fund legal actions against corrupt officials who aided and abetted the rape of Britain, per the official government inquiry”.

He added: “Please reply below for consideration.”

Responding, the shadow home secretary – who was a minister in the Home Office until last year – claimed to have “details of a senior police officer who deliberately covered up evidence of the rape and sexual assault of young girls by mainly Pakistani origin taxi drivers, with evidence of that”.

“I think a private criminal prosecution is possible and likely to succeed”, he added.

The intervention has prompted questions over why he hasn’t yet handed his evidence over to the police.

Liberal Democrat MP Paul Kohler, who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “If Chris Philp has such evidence he should pass it to the Police Anti-Corruption & Abuse Reporting Service immediately.

“I am dismayed that, as shadow home secretary, he appears to be misusing such information to court Elon Musk, rather than ensuring the allegations are investigated.”

Meanwhile, a Home Office source expressed concern that Mr Philp is “potentially interfering in really important live police investigation.”

Asked whether Mr Philp will be handing his evidence over to the police, a Conservative Party official said “Chris is working to prepare [an] evidence file at the moment”.

It comes after an unofficial inquiry into grooming gangs, conducted by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, claimed it had found evidence of child sexual exploitation in as many as 85 local authorities.

The MP, who now sits as an independent, set up his probe before Sir Keir Starmer announced there would be a new government-backed inquiry in June.

A fundraiser to carry out Mr Lowe’s inquiry has raised nearly £620,000, and hearings to hear from victims and survivors and experts are expected later this year before a final report.

The crowd funder said costs will be kept minimal and transparent, covering costs such as panel and legal advisor fees, venue hire, travel expenses for witnesses, and that any left over funds would be donated to grooming exploitation survivor charities.

The focus on grooming gangs comes after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) led by Professor Alexis Jay found institutional failings and tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales.

The seven-year probe made 20 recommendations in the final report published in 2022, as it described child sexual abuse as an “epidemic” across the two nations.

The wait for the recommendations to be implemented hit the headlines in January, after criticism from billionaire X owner Elon Musk over the UK’s handling of child grooming scandals.

The government then announced plans including for a rapid audit looking at the scale of grooming gangs across the country to be carried out by Baroness Louise Casey.

The crossbench peer published a report in June that found the lack of data showing the ethnicity and nationality of sex offenders in grooming gangs was “a major failing over the last decade or more” and listed 12 recommendations, including for a national inquiry.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs the findings from the report were “damning” and the government will take action on all of the 12 recommendations immediately.

In January, ministers also vowed to establish at least five local inquiries into grooming in those areas, but Mr Philp criticised them, adding the Conservatives believe “as many as 50 towns could have been affected”.

Farage’s deportation plans ‘beneath us as a nation’, top UK bishop says

Nigel Farage‘s plans for the mass deportation of asylum seekers are “beneath us as a nation”, the UK’s top bishop has said.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell argued that the Reform UK leader’s radical proposals to “send them all back”, which would involve returning migrants to war, violence and persecution, go against “the British way”.

He said it has been a longstanding tenet in the UK that “compassion and understanding” is what is provided to those in need, as he warned that this country “cannot simply close the door”.

The archbishop’s remarks come days after Mr Farage said his party would remove 600,000 asylum seekers, including children, under the first parliament of a Reform government, should they win power.

At a press conference in London on Tuesday, he also pledged to scale up detention capacity for asylum seekers to 24,000 and secure deals with countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iran to return migrants to their countries.

Mr Farage suggests the plan – which would require the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights – would address what he claimed was a “rising anger” among the British public towards the UK’s small boats crisis.

But the Archbishop of York – who is the Church of England’s most senior figure until a new Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed – told The Mirror: “We cannot simply close the door on people fleeing war, violence and persecution. ‘Send them all back’ is not a sensible or compassionate response, and is beneath us as a nation.

“We need a system that is fair and functional and works well for everyone – including those living near hotels and other asylum accommodation. But this debate also goes to the heart of who we are.

“It is the Christian way to meet those asking for help with compassion and understanding, and it has long been the British way to give shelter where we can to those escaping violence and conflict abroad. It should remain that way.”

Mr Farage has previously claimed Christian values make this country great – but the archbishop’s remarks suggest the Reform leader would face pushback from Britain’s most senior Christians if he attempted to push ahead with his mass deportation plans.

It was put to Mr Farage whether it would be hypocritical to ignore senior church figures in light of his previous comments – and he told The Mirror: “Whoever the Christian leaders are at any given point in time, I think over the last decades quite a few of them have been rather out of touch, perhaps with their own flock.

“Given the types of people appointed to be the Archbishop of Canterbury, that’s probably the biggest understatement of the day.”

A spokesperson for the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, told the newspaper that she is “fully supportive” of the statement issued by the Archbishop of York.

The Independent has approached Nigel Farage for comment.

My son’s lucrative summer jobs are a warning sign for British industry

Our son has had a good summer. Back from university, he’s been flat out working as a waiter and behind the bar. His employer is an agency that supplies staff to events. It suits him down to the ground; some days he has a shift, others he doesn’t. He’s making good money. It’s the gig economy, and he’s on a zero-hours contract.

Except he’s not only been doing parties and weddings. He’s also been filling in at restaurants. Slots that might once have been taken by a staffer are now not. He is doing very well out of businesses that are not hiring permanent workers.

His experience is being repeated everywhere – more and more people are being taken on temporarily. He is a student, and has Rachel Reeves’ hiking of employers’ national insurance and the national living wage to thank for his good fortune. Others are not so lucky. They want proper jobs with career paths, and they cannot get them. They have next to no chance of renting, let alone saving to buy a home, and are stuck.

Conditions are worsening, not improving. Research from the Resolution Foundation suggests unemployment will hit 5 per cent for the three months to August, up from 4.7 per cent in the second quarter. “Unemployment has not yet peaked,” said Gregory Thwaites, research director at the think tank. “The ongoing loosening of the labour market appears to be taking the form of a hiring freeze rather than a firing spree, but this is still bad news for jobseekers as vacancies look set to continue being scarce.”

They based their study on a range of indicators, looking at vacancies, wages, company surveys, and jobless benefit claims. The official ONS data says otherwise, that employment is up over the past year. The Resolution Foundation analysis says no, pointing to a level below where it was on the eve of the pandemic.

To complicate matters, pay has been rising. Presumably, what that really means is that if you’re blessed to be in work, your earnings are up, keeping in line with inflation and the rising cost of living, and possibly, having to go that bit further to cover for those who are not being permanently hired.

Which is to be believed, ONS or Resolution? The former gives Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer reasons for boosterism, for insisting their “further and faster” approach is having an effect. The latter, plus anecdotal evidence such as our son’s, is telling a different story. As Thwaites describes: “It worryingly indicates that economic inactivity has been on an upward trajectory.”

Has been and is. Starmer promised in his election campaign to “Get Britain working”. Yet, the new Department of Work and Pensions tally for those receiving some form of worklessness welfare – incapacity benefit, unemployment support and Universal Credit – stands at 6.5 million, a rise of 500,000 since Labour took office. It is well ahead of the previous peak of 5.9 million reached during the pandemic.

The government maintains that this is misleading, that what it highlights is a welfare system that is not fit-for-purpose and needs reforming. There may be some truth in that, but it ignores the bigger picture, which is increasingly bleak.

More signs: the latest statistics for NEETs – those 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training – continue to push upwards to just short of one million. The general secretary of the TUC, Paul Nowak, blames the “Tory legacy” of low pay and deregulation. He wishes to see additional state support in “a comprehensive plan to ensure all young people across the country can access high-quality training and decent, well-paid work as well as timely and effective healthcare”.

Where is his “decent, well-paid work” if the response from employers to higher national insurance contributions and the increased living wage is not to employ at all?

The housing market is almost lifeless; in flats, it is virtually non-existent. Britain has stopped moving.

This week, the cost of UK public borrowing also climbed to an almost 27-year high, forcing up the cost of servicing government debt to more than £100bn a year, or almost 10 per cent of the annual budget.

Repeatedly, the talk is that Reeves may soon have to go cap-in-hand to the IMF for a bailout. While that seems fanciful at this stage and is confined to her opponents rubbing salt in, the direction the economy is heading is troubling.

Whatever Reeves and Starmer set out to do simply isn’t happening. Contrary to what they pledged, their policies – and Britain – are not working.

Make the most of London this summer with this stadium experience

Whether you’re experiencing London for the first time or you’re a family with kids keen to create unforgettable memories during the holidays, a visit to this world-famous stadium in North London is a must.

After 90 years at their beloved Highbury stadium, Arsenal’s ambitions outgrew their original home and in 2006, the club opened the Emirates. With a seating capacity of over 60,000, the Emirates stadium is one of the largest in England. The sheer scale of this field of dreams must be seen to believed — and thanks to its easy-to-reach location, you can hop on a bus or train and get there in no time.

Once there, Arsenal’s award-winning tours open the doors to parts of the stadium that are usually off-limits to the public. For sightseers who prefer to go at their own pace and for those with little ones who tire easily, the club’s self-guided audio-visual tour is a great option.

Fans and families can take their time to soak in the atmosphere and stroll in the footsteps of footballing legends, imagining the roar of the crowd as you step into the players’ tunnel. Afterwards, feel the tension rise in the dugout and experience the best seats in the house in the directors’ box.

It’s a rare opportunity to glimpse the inner workings of a prestigious football club and explore normally restricted areas that also include the home and away dressing rooms, the media lounge and the exclusive members-only Diamond Club.

Available in seven languages on a state-of-the-art handheld device, the tour is narrated by Arsenal presenter David Frimpong, otherwise known as ‘Frimmy’, as well as featuring commentary from Arsenal legends Alex Scott and David Seaman.

As well as audio, the tour recreates the electric atmosphere of matchday using 360-degree augmented footage and includes brand new interactive elements. You can also take souvenir photos with iconic Arsenal trophies, including that of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The Arsenal Legend Stadium Tour is a more bespoke alternative to the self-guided tour, where visitors can explore the stadium for 90 minutes alongside an Arsenal hero. Tour guides include Nigel Winterburn and Perry Groves, as well as former women’s captain Faye White MBE.

During the tour, the Arsenal legend will share memories, anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories from their time on the pitch, offering a unique insider’s perspective on life at the club. Expect plenty of humour, fascinating insights and a chance to hear back-room gossip straight from the legends themselves. There’s also a chance for a Q&A and photo opportunity with your Arsenal legend of choice.

Included with every tour ticket is entry into Arsenal’s interactive museum situated right next door to the stadium. Chart the club’s evolution from humble origins in Woolwich in 1886 to its modern powerhouse status with a global following of over 100 million fans.

The museum features two impressive video theatres, showing highlights from the club’s origins to the present day as well as twenty major displays of Arsenal’s proud history. Feast your eyes on silverware from the club’s most successful eras, Michael Thomas’s boots from Anfield 1989 and Jens Lehmann’s goalkeeper gloves worn for every league match of the unbeaten Invincibles season in 2003/4.

For lifelong Gooners, it’s a trip down memory lane. For families and tourists, it’s an eye-opening lesson in why football matters so much to the UK and is the perfect outing to experience London at its most authentic.

This content is brought to you by Living360, a digital lifestyle destination keeping you up to date with health and fitness, food and drink, homes and gardens, beauty, travel, finance trends and more.

Mounjaro weight-loss jab ‘to be offered at discounted prices’

The manufacturer of weight-loss drug Mounjaro says it expects the costs of the jabs to be discounted after an official price rise takes effect on Monday.

Eli Lilly has suggested to pharmacies the cost of the maximum 15mg dose should be £247.50 a month, instead of the originally planned £330 price tag, which would have represented a 170 per cent increase on the current cost of £122 a month.

The new discounted price is still more than double what it costs now.

US firm Eli Lilly planned the price increase after US president Donald Trump urged America’s drug manufacturers to raise their prices abroad and reduce them at home.

It led to some UK users stockpiling the jabs, causing shortages at pharmacies, including at Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Superdrug.

As a result, the manufacturer suspended sales of the jab to UK wholesalers.

A confidential document from Eli Lilly to pharmacies sets out the new saving of £83 on the cost of the maximum dose, according to Sky News.

Lower doses of the drug, dubbed the “King Kong” of weight-loss medicine, will attract lower discounts. The six doses available range from 2.5mg to 15mg.

Some pharmacies have reported users are switching to rival weight-loss drug Wegovy, which is cheaper, ahead of the Mounjaro price hike. Sales of Wegovy at one supplier soared by 2,600 per cent following Eli Lilly’s announcement.

The NHS has started rolling out weight-loss jabs through GPs, but health chiefs expect it will take more than a decade to reach everyone who could qualify for the drug, and most users pay for it privately.

Medical experts have warned people not to turn to fake weight-loss jabs after fears the Mounjaro price hike could make it unaffordable for people who are “already struggling to pay for it”.

An Eli Lilly spokesperson said: “We are working with private providers on commercial arrangements to maintain affordability and expect these to be passed onto patients when the change is effective on 1st September.

“We are already seeing providers respond in different ways to the list price change, with a range of options available for eligible patients.

“We also want to work in partnership with the government to expand NHS access for eligible patients, building on the commitments in the government’s 10-year plan.”

Mounjaro does have downsides for some users. Its side effects include nausea, upset stomach and heartburn.

According to the NHS, some users may experience more serious side effects, such as low blood sugar, gallstones and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool return as Champions League draw revealed

Trent Alexander-Arnold faces the tantalising prospect of a first return to Anfield since his frosty exit after Real Madrid drew Liverpool in the league phase of the Champions League.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, departed his boyhood club after 20 years in June, a decision that was met with hostility from Reds fans. After announcing his intention to leave at the end of his contract, he was booed by his own supporters in his next appearance at Anfield, although he received a warmer reception on the final day of the season as Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy.

He moved to Real Madrid for an early release transfer fee of £10m, with Los Blancos opting to splash the extra cash to secure his services in time for the Club World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold surprised fans by speaking near-fluent Spanish at his unveiling, revealing that he had been learning the language for months. However, the Englishman has endured a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital and has already dropped out of the starting line-up in place of veteran Dani Carvajal, who recently returned from a long-term injury.

Having won two Premier League titles and a Champions League with Liverpool during a glittering spell, Alexander-Arnold will now square off against the club he grew up supporting.

Arne Slot’s side will also play host to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in the league phase, with long-distance trips to Turkish giants Galatasaray and Azerbaijan’s Qarabag in the docket. They have also been drawn to face Marseille, Frankfurt and PSV – the latter being the only side to beat Liverpool in last season’s league phase.

For their second Champions League season in the last three, Newcastle United are tasked with a blockbuster league phase, including clashes against Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. They’ll also face difficult assignments at Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille and Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise, as well as hosting PSV, Athletic Bilbao and Benfica.

Chelsea will take on Bayern Munich and Barcelona on their Champions League return. Enzo Maresca’s side will also face tough trips to Italy to face Atalanta and Scudetto champions Napoli, while renewing hostilities with Benfica, who took the Blues to extra time in a lightning-marred round-of-16 clash on their way to winning the Club World Cup. Ajax and Qarabag also await the Blues, as well as Champions League debutants Pafos from Cyprus.

Manchester City will join Liverpool in facing Real Madrid once again, while also having tricky encounters against German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. There is a reunion with Kevin De Bruyne on the cards as the Etihad plays host to Napoli. Pep Guardiola’s side will also play Galatasaray, Villarreal and Monaco, as well as last year’s Europa League semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt, of Norway.

Arsenal were paired with Bayern Munich and must also travel to Milan’s San Siro to take on last year’s beaten finalists, Inter. The Gunners face two stern Spanish tests against Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, and were notably spared what is the longest-ever Champions League away day in Kazakhstan, instead facing Kairat Almaty at home. To round off their fixture list, they will play Club Brugge, Olympiakos and Slavia Prague.

Europa League winners Tottenham will bid for Super Cup redemption against PSG after suffering a defeat on penalties to the current holders. Thomas Frank’s side are then pitted against Bundesliga duo Frankfurt and Dortmund, while hosting Villarreal, Copenhagen and Slavia Prague. As well as a trip to Monaco, they will return to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt, who they beat in the last four on the way to continental glory last term.

Real Madrid (H)

Inter Milan (A)

Atletico Madrid (H)

Frankfurt (A)

PSV (H)

Marseille (A)

Qarabag (H)

Galatasaray (A)

Bayern Munich (H)

Inter (A)

Atletico Madrid (H)

Club Brugge (A)

Olympiacos (H)

Slavia Praha (A)

Kairat (H)

Athletic Bilbao (A)

Barcelona (H)

Bayern Munich (A)

Benfica (H)

Atalanta (A)

Ajax (H)

Napoli (A)

Pafos (H)

Qarabag (A)

Dortmund (H)

Real Madrid (A)

Leverkusen (H)

Villarreal (A)

Napoli (H)

Bodo/Glimt (A)

Galatasaray (H)

AS Monaco (A)

Borussia Dortmund (H)

Paris Saint-Germain (A)

Villarreal (H)

Frankfurt (A)

Slavia Prague (H)

Bodo/Glimt (A)

Copenhagen (H)

Monaco (A)

Barcelona (H)

Paris Saint-Germain (A)

Benfica (H)

Bayer Leverkusen (A)

PSV (H)

Marseille (A)

Athletic Bilbao (H)

Union Saint-Gilloise (A)

The opening fixtures in the 2025/26 Champions League take place from 16-18 September.