HMRC to close helpline for six months a year from April
Taxpayers with self-assessment and VAT queries directed to web services instead
newHM Revenue & Customs will permanently close its self-assessment helpline for half the year, leaving some taxpayers unable to speak with the tax authority on the phone. The phone line will be closed between April and September each year and open only to taxpayers with “priority queries” between...HM Revenue & Customs will permanently close its self-assessment helpline for half the year, leaving some taxpayers unable to speak with the tax authority on the phone. The phone line will be closed between April and September each year and open only to taxpayers with “priority queries” between...HM Revenue & Customs will permanently close its self-assessment helpline for half the year, leaving some taxpayers unable to...
UK NEWS
Met investigates ‘vote-rigging’ in Labour candidate contest
newPolice have begun an inquiry after claims of vote rigging in the contest to select a candidate for a safe Labour seat at the next election. Labour suspended the selection process for Croydon East last autumn after allegations of large-scale tampering with membership lists. At least one member of the local party claimed that someone had...Police have begun an inquiry after claims of vote rigging in the contest to select a candidate for a safe Labour seat at the next election. Labour suspended the selection process for Croydon East last autumn after allegations of large-scale tampering with membership lists. At least one member of the local party claimed that someone had...Police have begun an inquiry after claims of vote rigging in the contest to select a candidate for a safe Labour seat at the...
film
Ewan McGregor: I had an intimacy co-ordinator for sex scenes with my wife
Using an intimacy co-ordinator to set up sex scenes in films has become so embedded in the industry that Ewan McGregor wanted one when shooting bedroom scenes with his wife. The actor, 52, said that he felt one was necessary for scenes in the period drama A Gentleman in Moscow when his character has sex with a woman...Using an intimacy co-ordinator to set up sex scenes in films has become so embedded in the...Using an intimacy co-ordinator to set up sex scenes in films has become so embedded in the...
Editor's picks
Moving stories
‘We did an emergency house swap with my parents’
caitlin moran
My train journey from hell — from London to Birmingham
Like a hairline fracture in an ankle bone, you can often forget how broken this country has become until you move. Or...Like a hairline fracture in an ankle bone, you can often forget how broken this country has...Like a hairline fracture in an ankle bone, you can often forget how broken this country has...
Obituary
Rose Dugdale, Oxford-educated debutante who became the ‘most-wanted’ IRA terrorist
In March 1958, when Rose Dugdale curtseyed to the Queen at Buckingham Palace, no one present could have imagined that...In March 1958, when Rose Dugdale curtseyed to the Queen at Buckingham Palace, no one present...In March 1958, when Rose Dugdale curtseyed to the Queen at Buckingham Palace, no one present...
uk news
V&A lists Thatcher as ‘contemporary villain’
Margaret Thatcher has been listed as a “contemporary villain” alongside Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden in a display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The former Conservative prime minister is named as one of several “unpopular public figures”...Margaret Thatcher has been listed as a “contemporary villain” alongside Adolf Hitler and Osama...Margaret Thatcher has been listed as a “contemporary villain” alongside Adolf Hitler and Osama...
health
England’s middle-aged are the loneliest in Europe
Middle-aged English people are the loneliest in Europe and are more likely to suffer from the effects of isolation...Middle-aged English people are the loneliest in Europe and are more likely to suffer from the...Middle-aged English people are the loneliest in Europe and are more likely to suffer from the...
media
BBC radio to feature adverts in UK for the first time
The BBC is planning to feature adverts around its audio output in the UK for the first time in a move that has...The BBC is planning to feature adverts around its audio output in the UK for the first time in a...The BBC is planning to feature adverts around its audio output in the UK for the first time in a...
health
Fasting fad backed by A-listers ‘could raise risk of heart disease’
Diets in which people eat only during an eight-hour daily window and fast for the rest of the day may be linked to an increased risk of death from heart attacks and strokes, scientists have claimed. Intermittent fasting has been endorsed by...Diets in which people eat only during an eight-hour daily window and fast for the rest of the day...Diets in which people eat only during an eight-hour daily window and fast for the rest of the day...
courts
Zac Goldsmith banned from driving after 11 speeding offences
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, a former minister at the Foreign Office, has been banned from driving for a year...Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, a former minister at the Foreign Office, has been banned from...Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, a former minister at the Foreign Office, has been banned from...
the times diary
Miracle of female priest
Thirty years after the first ordination of female priests in the Church of England, Lucy Winkett writes in a blog for...Thirty years after the first ordination of female priests in the Church of England, Lucy Winkett...Thirty years after the first ordination of female priests in the Church of England, Lucy Winkett...
Putin to visit China in first foreign visit after re-election
updatedPresident Putin’s first foreign visit after securing a new term at tightly-controlled elections will be to China, sources have said, as the Kremlin said that no deal had been struck to exchange Alexei Navalny before his death. Beijing has provided Moscow with vital diplomatic and economic support...President Putin’s first foreign visit after securing a new term at tightly-controlled elections will be to China, sources have said, as the Kremlin said that no deal had been struck to exchange Alexei Navalny before his death. Beijing has provided Moscow with vital diplomatic and economic support...President Putin’s first foreign visit after securing a new term at tightly-controlled elections will be to China, sources have...
analysis
China seeks to rival US as potential Gaza peacemaker
newChina has stepped directly into the Gaza crisis for the first time, holding its first meeting with the Hamas leadership since the war began on October 7. Wang Kejian, a former Chinese ambassador to Lebanon, met Ismail Haniyeh, the overall head of Hamas, in Qatar, in a sign that China is moving further away from both the Israeli and western...China has stepped directly into the Gaza crisis for the first time, holding its first meeting with the Hamas leadership since the war began on October 7. Wang Kejian, a former Chinese ambassador to Lebanon, met Ismail Haniyeh, the overall head of Hamas, in Qatar, in a sign that China is moving further away from both the Israeli and western...China has stepped directly into the Gaza crisis for the first time, holding its first meeting with the Hamas leadership since...
Three generations of one family give up riches in extreme ritual
Even in a nation where fortunes are made and lost in the blink of an eye, the Jains stand out. First, members of the religion — which is said to be the world’s oldest — set about earning riches, becoming among India’s most well-educated and prosperous people, and often living in mansions with fleets of luxury cars.Even in a nation where fortunes are made and lost in the blink of an eye, the Jains stand out.Even in a nation where fortunes are made and lost in the blink of an eye, the Jains stand out.
Still life that changed how we see Spanish art returns to Madrid
For nearly 300 years the most important still life in Spanish painting remained unknown. Its discovery about a century ago changed the history of the country’s art. Francisco de Zurbarán’s Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose was found in a...For nearly 300 years the most important still life in Spanish painting remained unknown. Its...For nearly 300 years the most important still life in Spanish painting remained unknown. Its...
Musk admits taking ketamine to treat depression
Elon Musk has admitted taking prescription ketamine to cure his depression, although he denied using the drug to get...Elon Musk has admitted taking prescription ketamine to cure his depression, although he denied...Elon Musk has admitted taking prescription ketamine to cure his depression, although he denied...
LA golfers cry foul over tee time black market
After Larry David’s outburst over slow play leads to a heart attack on the golf course in Curb Your Enthusiasm...After Larry David’s outburst over slow play leads to a heart attack on the golf course in Curb...After Larry David’s outburst over slow play leads to a heart attack on the golf course in Curb...
BUSINESS
Unilever to cut 7,500 jobs and spin off its ice cream brands
Unilever plans to cut 7,500 jobs and spin off its ice cream unit — which includes brands such as Wall’s, Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s — into a standalone business. The jobs affected will mainly be global, office-based roles. The company said that its cost-saving programme aimed to save about €800...Unilever plans to cut 7,500 jobs and spin off its ice cream unit — which includes brands such as Wall’s, Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s — into a standalone business. The jobs affected will mainly be global, office-based roles. The company said that its cost-saving programme aimed to save about €800...Unilever plans to cut 7,500 jobs and spin off its ice cream unit — which includes brands such as Wall’s, Magnum and Ben &...
Mike Lynch ‘spun fabulous tale’ about Autonomy, fraud trial told
Mike Lynch, the co-founder of one of Britain’s most successful technology companies, oversaw a “multi-year, multi-layered fraud” that led Hewlett-Packard to pay $11 billion for his software company Autonomy, a jury was told on Monday as his criminal trial opened in California. Lynch, 58, and Stephen Chamberlain, Autonomy’s former...Mike Lynch, the co-founder of one of Britain’s most successful technology companies, oversaw a “multi-year, multi-layered fraud” that led Hewlett-Packard to pay $11 billion for his software company Autonomy, a jury was told on Monday as his criminal trial opened in California. Lynch, 58, and Stephen Chamberlain, Autonomy’s former...Mike Lynch, the co-founder of one of Britain’s most successful technology companies, oversaw a “multi-year, multi-layered...
Japan lifts rates for first time since 2007
newThe Bank of Japan has ended its negative interest rate policy, lifting borrowing costs for the first time since 2007 as part of a decades-long struggle to generate inflation. The central bank lifted its main interest rate from a range of -0.1 to 0 per cent to 0 to 0.1 per cent and ended a policy of buying up...The Bank of Japan has ended its negative interest rate policy, lifting borrowing costs for the...The Bank of Japan has ended its negative interest rate policy, lifting borrowing costs for the...
Jailed Libor traders’ appeals ‘should be referred to Supreme Court’
Two traders sent to prison for “rigging” interest rate benchmarks must wait to learn whether their convictions will be overturned after the Court of Appeal reserved judgment. The court has been considering the safety of the...Two traders sent to prison for “rigging” interest rate benchmarks must wait to learn whether their convictions will be overturned after the Court of Appeal reserved judgment. The court has been considering the safety of the...Two traders sent to prison for “rigging” interest rate benchmarks must wait to learn whether their convictions will...
Apple may integrate Google’s AI into iPhones
Apple is discussing integrating Google’s artificial intelligence model into the iPhone, a potential alliance that would shape the future of the technology. Shares in Google’s parent, Alphabet, closed up 4.4 per cent at $148.48...Apple is discussing integrating Google’s artificial intelligence model into the iPhone, a potential alliance that would shape the future of the technology. Shares in Google’s parent, Alphabet, closed up 4.4 per cent at $148.48...Apple is discussing integrating Google’s artificial intelligence model into the iPhone, a potential alliance that...
business commentary
Reckitt baby milk saga is still turning sour
Accounting error may force split at Hipgnosis
Tensions between Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) and its investment adviser have boiled over again, this time over an accounting error affecting one of the fund’s key performance measures. HSF has written down the value of its fund by 7.6 per cent two...Tensions between Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) and its investment adviser have boiled over again...Tensions between Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) and its investment adviser have boiled over again...
comment
Why do companies write cheques for political parties?
The row about Frank Hester’s donations to the Conservatives is receding almost as quickly as it blew up. Such is the...The row about Frank Hester’s donations to the Conservatives is receding almost as quickly as it...The row about Frank Hester’s donations to the Conservatives is receding almost as quickly as it...
MARKET UPDATE
Slide continues as investors debate risks of Reckitt
newReckitt Benckiser, the consumer goods company, saw its shares slide today as investors continued to debate the...Reckitt Benckiser, the consumer goods company, saw its shares slide today as investors...Reckitt Benckiser, the consumer goods company, saw its shares slide today as investors...
Big firms’ plea would halve number of apprentices, says Gillian Keegan
The education secretary has hit out at large employers that have lobbied to use more of the £3.9 billion a year apprentice levy to up-skill their existing staff rather than train young apprentices. Gillian Keegan said letting these companies spend...The education secretary has hit out at large employers that have lobbied to use more of the £3.9...The education secretary has hit out at large employers that have lobbied to use more of the £3.9...
succession planning
‘Family businesses can get messy’: a lesson in keeping good relations
recruitment
Professionals who volunteer benefit from their kindness to others
Corporate volunteering may be about giving to others, but it can also pay dividends for your own career. Around a fifth of British companies now offer paid volunteer days for staff and 20 per cent of volunteers in their thirties and forties have used volunteering to retrain or gain experience for a career-change. For those who plan to stay in their roles, volunteering...Corporate volunteering may be about giving to others, but it can also pay dividends for your own...Corporate volunteering may be about giving to others, but it can also pay dividends for your own...
recruitment: SIX from THE BEST
The workplace is as crucial as the classroom for social mobility
As chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, Sarah Atkinson helps employers to understand that the workplace...As chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, Sarah Atkinson helps employers to understand that the workplace is as important as the classroom for improving social mobility and meeting the country’s economic challenges. As the new Social Mobility Employer Index opens for entries, Atkinson shares her advice...As chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, Sarah Atkinson helps employers to understand that the workplace is as...
football
Ratcliffe: I want to sign next Mbappé, not spend fortunes buying success
newSir Jim Ratcliffe wants Manchester United to discover the next Kylian Mbappé instead of trying to “buy success” by throwing hundreds of millions at bringing in established players. The club’s new co-owner also explained how his plan for a so-called “Wembley of the north” could lead to United...Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants Manchester United to discover the next Kylian Mbappé instead of trying to “buy success” by throwing hundreds of millions at bringing in established players. The club’s new co-owner also explained how his plan for a so-called “Wembley of the north” could lead to United...Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants Manchester United to discover the next Kylian Mbappé instead of trying to “buy success” by throwing...
football
Forest could lose more points if they lodge unsuccessful appeal
An appeal by Nottingham Forest against the four-point deduction imposed for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules would run the risk of the sanction being increased. Forest are considering whether to lodge an appeal, after saying they were “extremely disappointed” by the four-point sanction imposed by an independent commission...An appeal by Nottingham Forest against the four-point deduction imposed for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules would run the risk of the sanction being increased. Forest are considering whether to lodge an appeal, after saying they were “extremely disappointed” by the four-point sanction imposed by an independent commission...An appeal by Nottingham Forest against the four-point deduction imposed for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules...
Cricket
Australia cancel Afghanistan series in protest over women’s rights
newAustralia have cancelled this year’s T20 series against Afghanistan in protest against the Taliban-ruled country’s treatment of women and girls. The teams were due to play three matches at a neutral venue, likely to have been in the United Arab Emirates, in August but Cricket Australia said on Tuesday that the...Australia have cancelled this year’s T20 series against Afghanistan in protest against the...Australia have cancelled this year’s T20 series against Afghanistan in protest against the...
football | martin samuel
No room for football now top-flight season plays out in law chambers
rugby union | sam warburton
England can gatecrash world’s top four – with a bit more brains
In some ways, England saved this Guinness Six Nations Championship. After three rounds I was worried that it was...In some ways, England saved this Guinness Six Nations Championship. After three rounds I was...In some ways, England saved this Guinness Six Nations Championship. After three rounds I was...
FOOTBALL | HENRY WINTER
Chelsea fans should see Sterling as a role model, not a target
The last time I spoke to Raheem Sterling was outside Stamford Bridge after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final...The last time I spoke to Raheem Sterling was outside Stamford Bridge after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup...The last time I spoke to Raheem Sterling was outside Stamford Bridge after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup...
FOOTBALL | MELANIE Maynard
Two bereavements set my son Marcus back – but he’s in a good place now
CYCLING | MATT LAWTON
A small but indomitable rider, Kenny was peerless at her peak
Six Nations | Will Kelleher
My team of tournament: three Englishmen, a young Wales star but no Scots
15 Cameron Winnett (Wales)
In a Wales team that took the wooden spoon for the first time in 21 years, back when Winnett was two months old, he was something of a find — evasive in attack, and catching more kicks than any other No 15. The...15 Cameron Winnett (Wales)
In a Wales team that took the wooden spoon for the first time in...15 Cameron Winnett (Wales)
In a Wales team that took the wooden spoon for the first time in...
unseen gallery
An eight-legged Galopin Des Champs and a pommel horse
CRICKET
Reformer Nicholas set to be appointed next MCC chairman
Mark Nicholas is set to be appointed as the next MCC chairman and will be recommended to the membership of the club...Mark Nicholas is set to be appointed as the next MCC chairman and will be recommended to the...Mark Nicholas is set to be appointed as the next MCC chairman and will be recommended to the...
Football | Martin Samuel
Howe deserves time – and English managers need him to get it
We all know the priorities of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the furtherance of domestic coaches in...We all know the priorities of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the furtherance of...We all know the priorities of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the furtherance of...
SIX NATIONS | DAVID WALSH
The two schools behind Ireland’s dominance (and could Farrell Jr go green?)
First person
There are many reasons women can’t just get on with having babies
The MP Miriam Cates says women shouldn’t be ‘tricked’ into egg freezing. Yet there are many reasons women delay babies, says Sophie Beresiner
health
Vicky Pattison: I have done the right thing for myself and my future family
The TV personality froze her eggs last year at 35 years old — despite being engaged and in love. She tells Elisabeth Perlman why she’s waiting for motherhood
food
Is posh hot chocolate the new flat white?
The café chain Knoops — speciality: sweet milky cocoa drinks — is about to expand across Britain. Surely real men drink coffee? No, says Simon Mills
caitlin moran
My train journey from hell — from London to Birmingham
The train is like a human terrine, faces pressed against the door glass
Health
How to protect your back and build up strength
Many midlifers focus on cardio or train intensively and relentlessly. But what’s key is retaining muscle mass, the osteopath David Vaux tells Anna Maxted
culture fix
Johnny Marr: How could Meryl Streep agree to be in Mamma Mia?
My favourite piece of music
For a long time now, it’s been My Goal’s Beyond by John McLaughlin. Like his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, it is in a genre entirely of its own. It’s unquantifiable and makes me feel a certain way, no matter what happens in the outside world. The lyric I wish I’d written
“You’re going to reap just what you sow”, from Perfect Day by Lou...My favourite piece of music
For a long time now, it’s been My Goal’s Beyond by John...My favourite piece of music
For a long time now, it’s been My Goal’s Beyond by John...
ARTS
21 Easter activities for kids — from artist workshops to Paddington live
Easter egg hunts are a good way to keep kids entertained over the holidays, but museums and arts venues offer events...Easter egg hunts are a good way to keep kids entertained over the holidays, but museums and arts venues offer events, exhibitions and shows for families too — from the first unicorn exhibition to a touring orchestral screening of Paddington. Interactive exhibitions and workshops include the opportunity for...Easter egg hunts are a good way to keep kids entertained over the holidays, but museums and arts venues offer events...
MUSIC | INTERVIEW
Black Pumas: meet the Texas duo handpicked by President Biden
beauty | sarah jossel
Five ways to refresh your make-up bag for spring
Moving stories
‘We did an emergency house swap with my parents’
First night reviews
FIRST NIGHT | CLASSICAL
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha’s voice is a glory of the age
newI could quibble about a few things in this BBC lunchtime recital. Some cheesy key changes were not well managed in the selection of spirituals, and a couple of songs were not really enhanced by the superfluous use of a violinist, Anna Blackmur...I could quibble about a few things in this BBC lunchtime recital. Some cheesy key changes were...I could quibble about a few things in this BBC lunchtime recital. Some cheesy key changes were...
First night | theatre
Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli excel in Ibsen on Broadway
first night | pop
The 1980s rock’n’ravers Happy Mondays lead a nostalgia fest
first night | classical
Fervent torch songs reveal Sibelius’s passionate side
MindGames
The Times Daily Quiz
Fifteen questions to get you thinking
1 In Germany and Spain, which animal is said to have seven lives instead of nine? 2 Which country’s army took part in the Emu War (1932)? 3 Mr Bumble, the beadle, says: “the law is a ass” in which Dickens novel? 4 Which British monarch was the last king of America? 5 In 1929, which Labour politician led for the first time the largest party in the House of Commons? 6...1 In Germany and Spain, which animal is said to have seven lives instead of nine? 2 Which...1 In Germany and Spain, which animal is said to have seven lives instead of nine? 2 Which...
What to watch: your TV and streaming guide
VIEWING GUIDE
What’s on TV and radio tonight
In case you missed it
ASK PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
My partner is manipulating me into having sex. I’m emotionally drained
fashion
Jim Ratcliffe’s most fashionable investment? Biker jackets
The British billionaire and Belstaff CEO Fran Millar talk motorcycles, loyalty and style
watches
What’s the time, Victoria Beckham?
VB has designed a watch with Breitling that captures her relaxed and feminine style
video
trend
Where luxury meets ASMR
Whether it’s the sound of a Mason Pearson hairbrush gliding through hair or a Hermès Kelly bag clipping shut
travel
A Mexican makeover: from cool casa to hot hotel
How a British designer created the prettiest resort in Maroma
accessories
Me and my special blanket
video
design
The best new luxury electric cars
uk
Seven of the best lush woodland walks
Biodiversity, rare birds and secret gorges — wonder as you wander through these otherworldly rainforests across the UK which will add magic to any weekend
video
city breaks
Beat the crowds to this glorious unsung Italian coastal city
Roman relics, a Renaissance cathedral and few overseas tourists are the big pulls for the low-key, laid-back hero of Rimini — go now, before its moment in the sun
video
scandinavia
My family’s TikTok-inspired Scandi holiday (which our teens loved)
Inspired by his kids’ favourite social media trends — but keen to keep them off their phones — James Palmer plans a jam-packed two-city-and-ski trip
spain
How to get a week of Easter sun in the Med for £360
Snap up seven nights in Mallorca with its coastal walks, gentle cycling and underground lakes – and balmy temperatures in April
video
UK
I’ve found the cheapest (and most convenient) way to go on safari
Forget long flights and high price tags — wake up amongst zebras and giraffes and spend a magical weekend with them and 120 other species in Wiltshire
Cruise
Dad’s dementia left Mum tired and lonely. This cruise made her smile
My mum, Lynn, is having a conversation with a mona monkey overlooking a crater lake in Grenada. It’s an old-world...My mum, Lynn, is having a conversation with a mona monkey overlooking a crater lake in Grenada.My mum, Lynn, is having a conversation with a mona monkey overlooking a crater lake in Grenada.
Kathy LEtte | travel troubleshooter
Was I right to leave my husband at the airport?
Q A few months ago I was going on a long weekend break to Berlin with my husband. We were running late to get to the...Q A few months ago I was going on a long weekend break to Berlin with my husband. We were running...Q A few months ago I was going on a long weekend break to Berlin with my husband. We were running...
Weather Eye
Mowing the lawn? You better be quick…
from the archive
‘Offence’ of politics on Sundays
Announcements
Births, marriages and deaths
HONOUR your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Exodus...HONOUR your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is...HONOUR your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is...
Court Circular
March 18, 2024
St James’s Palace
18th March, 2024 The Duke of Edinburgh this afternoon arrived at Entebbe International Airport...St James’s Palace
18th March, 2024 The Duke of Edinburgh this afternoon arrived at...St James’s Palace
18th March, 2024 The Duke of Edinburgh this afternoon arrived at...
Printable Puzzles
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
Humza Yousaf refuses to apologise for ‘Tory-free’ Scotland rhetoric
Humza Yousaf has reaffirmed his desire to make Scotland “Tory free” at the general election. The first minister has been criticised, including by some within his own party, for using the phrase at the weekend when he addressed an SNP campaign event. Some are uneasy about the tone while others...Humza Yousaf has reaffirmed his desire to make Scotland “Tory free” at the general election. The first minister has been criticised, including by some within his own party, for using the phrase at the weekend when he addressed an SNP campaign event. Some are uneasy about the tone while others...Humza Yousaf has reaffirmed his desire to make Scotland “Tory free” at the general election. The first minister has been...
Alex Salmond denies he blocked law that could now oust Michael Matheson
Alex Salmond has denied claims that he intervened to block plans that would allow voters to remove misbehaving politicians from Holyrood. The lack of recall powers for the Scottish parliament means that Michael Matheson MSP, the disgraced former health secretary, will be able to keep his seat even if the standards committee punishes him for...Alex Salmond has denied claims that he intervened to block plans that would allow voters to remove misbehaving politicians from Holyrood. The lack of recall powers for the Scottish parliament means that Michael Matheson MSP, the disgraced former health secretary, will be able to keep his seat even if the standards committee punishes him for...Alex Salmond has denied claims that he intervened to block plans that would allow voters to remove misbehaving politicians from...
MAGNUS LINKLATER | COMMENT
Our cherished right to own property is being undermined
You would think they’d have learnt by now. SNP ministers and their advisers are not great at drafting bills — but they keep on doing it. They take on complex issues without thinking them through, and then, when they end up in the courts, they lose. At considerable cost to the public purse. The list stretches from...You would think they’d have learnt by now. SNP ministers and their advisers are not great at...You would think they’d have learnt by now. SNP ministers and their advisers are not great at...
Hill fort site at risk under plans for giant wind farm
The government agency responsible for Scotland’s historic landscape has been accused of a “dereliction of duty” after it endorsed a planned wind farm at the expense of an ancient hill fort. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) was asked to review...The government agency responsible for Scotland’s historic landscape has been accused of a...The government agency responsible for Scotland’s historic landscape has been accused of a...
THUNDERER
London-centric Channel 4 should deliver for all of the UK
At the turn of the century, 95 per cent of public service television in the UK originated from within the M25. This...At the turn of the century, 95 per cent of public service television in the UK originated from...At the turn of the century, 95 per cent of public service television in the UK originated from...
scottish business digest
Offshore wind centre hailed as an energy transition ‘milestone’
Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland. 1. Sir Ian Wood...Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.
Comment
Lost boys need help or they turn to extremes
William Hague
Disaffected young men are increasingly embracing far-right parties — they deserve better role models before it’s too late
melanie phillips
Google’s diversity idiocy threatens us all
hugo rifkind
Time for Sunak to unleash his inner tech bro
giles coren | notebook
Half of our nightclubs have closed? That’s great news
John Mair
BBC needs to act fast to reimagine the TV licence
georgia heneage | notebook
I wasn’t born but the letters of Harrison and Boyd make me nostalgic
Nostalgia is a weird sentiment for a 26-year-old. It’s an absent ache, felt in the unvalidated yearning for the Sixties (Woodstock etc), vintage fashion, record players, Polaroids and my generation’s obsession with period dramas. Most recently I...Nostalgia is a weird sentiment for a 26-year-old. It’s an absent ache, felt in the unvalidated...Nostalgia is a weird sentiment for a 26-year-old. It’s an absent ache, felt in the unvalidated...
Leading Articles
Vlad the Invader
Putin’s fraudulent victory provides a springboard for the intensification of the war in Ukraine. The West must tighten sanctions and step up arms shipments
Citizen Khan
If the mayor of London wins a third term in May it will be thoroughly undeserved
Black Widow
Trigger warning over financial institution’s historic name takes ultra-thin-skinned absurdity to new heights
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Tackling the scourge of our litter-strewn roads
Sir, Sadly, Jenni Russell’s article serves principally to highlight the symptoms and not the cause of the problem (“Our litter-choked roads are a national disgrace”, Mar 18). On a recent visit to New Zealand my wife and I were struck not only...Sir, Sadly, Jenni Russell’s article serves principally to highlight the symptoms and not the...Sir, Sadly, Jenni Russell’s article serves principally to highlight the symptoms and not the...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Cabinet meeting, 10 Downing Street; the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves gives the Bayes Business School Mais annual lecture.
World: International Read To Me Day; World Social Work Day.
On this day
In 1877 Australia beat England by 45 runs at the close of the first official cricket Test match, which began on March 15 at Melbourne Cricket Ground; in 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened. Before the bridge could be officially declared open by premier Jack Lang, the fascist Francis Edward de Groot charged on to the bridge on horseback and cut the ribbon with a cavalry sword. He was fined £5; in 1959 Marilyn Monroe arrived in Chicago to begin a promotional tour for Some Like it Hot. The film was directed by Billy Wilder and co-starred Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. It was nominated for six Oscars, winning one for best costume design; in 2002 Zimbabwe was suspended from membership of the Commonwealth after irregularities around the re-election on March 6 of that year of Robert Mugabe to the presidency, including politically motivated violence. When the Commonwealth refused to lift its one-year suspension, the country withdrew from the association on December 7, 2003.
Nature notes
Witches’ butter is the common name given to several types of fungus that grow on dead wood. The bright yellow and most butter-like form — at a stretch — Tremella mesenterica is also known as yellow brain fungus. It creates intricate, jelly-like folds on the downed, rotting branches of trees and sometimes on standing deadwood; these eventually dry to a dark brown frill. Instead of feeding directly on the dead wood, it’s actually a parasite of other fungi, specifically the crust-forming species from the Peniophora genus. Tremella aurantia can appear very similar but parasitises a different host, the hairy crust fungus. In eastern European folklore the appearance of witches’ butter on your house or fence meant a witch had cursed you. Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison
Birthdays today
Ursula Andress, actress, Dr No (1962), 88; Sir John Beckwith, co-founder (1993) and chairman, Pacific Investments (fund management group), 77; Lord (Ian) Blair of Boughton, QPM, commissioner, Metropolitan Police (2005-08), 71; John Burnside, poet, Black Cat Bone (2011, TS Eliot prize and Forward Poetry prize), 69; Glenn Close, actress, Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), 77; Dame Elizabeth Gardiner, first parliamentary counsel (2015-22), 58; Ashley Giles, chief executive, Worcestershire County Cricket Club, managing director of England men’s cricket (2019-22), England cricketer (1998-2006), 51; Marcelo Gleiser, theoretical physicist, author, The Dawn of a Mindful Universe: A Manifesto for Humanity’s Future (2023), 65; Lord (Peter) Hendy, chairman, Network Rail and London Legacy Development Corporation, commissioner of Transport for London (2006-15), 71; John Holder, first-class and Test cricket umpire (1983-2009), 79; Sir David Foskett, chairman, Civil Mediation Council (2019-22), High Court judge (2007-2019), 75; Clarence “Frogman” Henry, rhythm and blues singer, Ain’t Got No Home (1956), 87; Neil LaBute, playwright and film-maker, In the Company of Men (1997), 61; Leonard Lauder, businessman, chairman emeritus and former chief executive, Estée Lauder (cosmetics), 91; Ruth McKernan, neuroscientist, chief executive, Innovate UK (2015-18, the innovation agency), 66; Sir Thomas McKillop, president, Science Council (2007-11), chief executive, AstraZeneca (1999-2006), 81; John Minihan, photographer, Samuel Beckett: Photographs (1995), 78; Mario Monti, prime minister of Italy (2011-13), 81; Lord (Raymond) Plant of Highfield, emeritus professor, King’s College London (2001-17), 79; Ruth Pointer, singer-songwriter, last surviving original member of the Pointer Sisters, 78; Henry Slade, rugby union player, Exeter Chiefs and England, 31; John Studzinski, banker, vice-chairman, Pimco (investment-management company), founder, Genesis Foundation (arts charity), 68; Bruce Willis, actor, Die Hard (1988), The Sixth Sense (1999), 69.