Andy Burnham has appeared to perform a U-turn as the Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley gears up to hand millions of locals a tax refund.
Ben Houchen is said to be in talks with Treasury officials and is hopeful that flocks of his voters will be able to pocket the rebate under new guidance.
His criticism echoes others’ disgruntlement with Labour after Mr Burnham’s “cost-of-living Government” insisted its plans to allow regional mayors to keep a hold of their income tax and business rates cannot be fed back to the taxpayer.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester said the new system will dole out powers to metro mayors to invest funds to boost public services in the community.
But Lord Houchen insisted it was “not beyond the wit of man” to create a system to offer the rebate to locals across the country.
He claimed it would not be “overly complicated”, adding: “I think the Prime Minister and what this government is doing on fiscal devolution is a move in the right direction, but for it to be real devolution we’ve got to have local decision-making and choose what’s best for the people we represent.
“The Prime Minister has said he wants to alleviate the cost of living [crisis] and give people room to breathe – what better way to do that than allow them to keep more of their own money?”
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Labour accused of ‘nanny state’ plans to BAN cigars
Labour has been accused of accosting “nanny state” plans to ban cigars in a bid to deter Britons from picking up smoking.
Health officials in Westminster are assessing whether the ban should come into force – or simply should apply to authentic handmade cigars.
Such a ban would still allow cigars with plain packaging and warning photographs, just as regular cigarettes are sold.
Angela Rayner embroiled in new hypocrisy row over ‘do as I say, not as I do’ stance on £20k donation
Angela Rayner has come under fire after being accused of hypocrisy over a £20,000 donation from an oil advisory group.
The Housing Secretary, who criticised the Tories for failing to “take on oil and gas giants”, accepted the donation from Signum Global Advisors on July 8 this year to cover some of her staffing costs.
Ms Rayner’s donation was recorded as part of MPs’ financial interests just months after she praised her “friend” Ed Miliband for his push towards net zero.
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “It’s a classic Angela Rayner case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’ just as it was when she dodged her housing taxes.”
Joanna Marchong, head of campaigns at the think tank Onward, added: “This is yet another case of Labour hypocrisy from a minister who has made a career of it.”
The revelation about Ms Rayner’s oil firm donation came just days after the ex-Deputy Prime Minister insisted receiving £105,000 on the speaking circuit did not constitute a second job.
Ms Rayner, who quit as Housing Secretary last year after avoiding £40,000 in stamp duty on the purchase of a second home in Hove, returned to the Cabinet after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
A spokesman for Ms Rayner said: “All donations have been declared in line with the rules.”
Keir Starmer donates biography about himself to Downing Street library… and it was written by ex-PM’s pal
Sir Keir Starmer has donated a biography about himself to the Downing Street library
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GETTY
Sir Keir Starmer has donated a biography about himself to the Downing Street library – which was penned by a close friend of the former Prime Minister.
The latest additions to the No10 library also include former Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s own book, as well as those of ex-Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and former Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds.
Written by ex-Labour aide Tom Baldwin, Keir Starmer: The Biography sets out the MP’s “journey” from his time as a human rights lawyer to his time as Labour leader.
The book claims to lay out the former leader’s “transformation of the party and vision” despite the ex-Prime Minister being pelted with accusations of failing to have a vision for the country in his final weeks in No10.
Labour’s ‘disgusting’ asylum seeker rape guidance blasted by Tory MP: ‘This is NOT the solution!’
Matt Vickers has launched a scathing attack on the Labour Government after publishing a document for asylum seekers on how “not to rape women and girls”.
Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Crime Minister hit out at the “disgusting” Home Office guidance, declaring it is “not the solution” to Britain’s migrant crisis.
In the Home Office document, asylum seekers are warned that breaking these laws “could” lead to prison, the loss of their support and accommodation, and an adverse effect on their asylum claim.
Describing a rape offence, the guidance lays out what consent is.
“In the UK, both people must say ‘yes’ to sex. This is called consent,” it reads.
WATCH MATT VICKERS ON GB NEWS HERE.
Labour’s £662million French migrant deal torn apart as staggering cost per boat stopped revealed
Labour’s £662million French deal designed to block illegal migrant crossings was torn apart on GB News as the eye-watering cost per boat stopped has been revealed.
Speaking to GB News, commentator Duncan Barkes revealed that if police maintain their current record of boats stopped, it will cost Britons £890,000 per boat.
Yesterday, the Home Office released footage showing French police coming under attack as they attempted to intercept a migrant boat.
Officers can be seen using spray to disperse the migrants, who threw projectiles at the officers before they deflated the dinghy by cutting it with a knife.
Angela Rayner declines to return £17k severance payment she received when resigning in disgrace from Cabinet last year
Angela Rayner has refused to return the £16,876 exit payment she received when she left Government last autumn over her tax affairs.
The Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne was reinstated as Housing Secretary by Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Monday.
Ms Rayner picks up the mantle of the role she lost barely 10 months ago and has faced calls to pay back the severance money.
However, Ms Rayner today confirmed she would not be doing so, saying: “I had worked in Government for a period of time and then I came out of Government for just under a year.”
Angela Rayner opens door to more traveller sites near you as councils lose power to stop encampments
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has sparked fears of a surge in traveller sites across England by softening planning rules to remove powers from local councils.
Ms Rayner, who unveiled the changes on Monday, made it harder for both residents and councils to oppose applications for retrospective permission for illegal camps.
The new guidance removes requirements for councils to consider “potential environmental damage” and “provide a settled base that limits the need for long-distance travelling” when assessing applications.
It is likely the changes will make it easier to set up new traveller sites, with officials admitting the new policy “may also mean that locations not well-related to existing settlements may be appropriate”.
Angela Rayner says pocketing £105k delivering speeches doesn’t count as second job – despite her own voters earning just £692 a week
Angela Rayner has said that pocketing £105,000 delivering speeches does not count as a second job – despite her own voters earning just £692 a week.
Ms Rayner took home the staggering sum in speaking fees as a backbencher across the course of six months, the register of MPs interests revealed.
The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said: “I was focusing on my constituents during that time, and you’ll have seen from the [register of] members’ interests, there was, I think around six engagements in 12 months for a couple of hours of speaking engagements. And that’s all declared appropriately.”
Ms Rayner delivered seven speeches between February and June.