United Kingdom

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/12728779

geteilt von: https://sh.itjust.works/post/38301389

To try to tackle this, the Welsh Labour government, alongside Plaid Cymru, introduced measures to curb second-home ownership. This included giving councils the ability to push council tax on second homes to 300% the usual rate. They also closed a loophole whereby second-home owners could register as a business in order to pay the much lower business rates.

Gwynedd council used these powers to hike council tax to 150% in April 2023. By the end of 2024, house prices had fallen by 12.4% as second-home owners tried to sell up. In Pembrokeshire, house prices fell by 8.9% after the council increased the council tax to 200% on second homes (though this was reduced to 150% recently).

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/64026427

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/29010822

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/62632335

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28713031

Paywall? https://archive.is/NicVP

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/33259385

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will introduce an amendment to legislation to ensure there is no slavery in GB Energy's supply chains.

It comes after ministers rejected an amendment to a bill last month that would have prevented that state-owned GB Energy spending money on solar panels where supply chains had "credible evidence of modern slavery".

The production of solar panels in China's Xinjiang region has been linked to the alleged exploitation of Uyghur Muslims.

[...]

A government source told the BBC since then "there has been an acknowledgement of the argument that GB Energy should be an industry leader".

There has already been praise from the international community for the U-turn. Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, told the BBC: "I really salute the UK government's decision."

He said that the materials for green technology are important but "should really be produced in a socially and environmentally acceptable way".

Labour MPs who have been calling for the change are seeing it as a victory.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28700515

Paywall? https://archive.is/ZSHXV

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/62057062

cross-posted from: https://metawire.eu/post/43203

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/61877028

Emmanuel Macron will be granted a state visit before Donald Trump’s expected trip in September as Britain seeks closer ties with Europe, according to a report.

https://archive.ph/7dmKx

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28399267

Brexit promised the UK a golden era of global trade deals. But five years later, where are they? In this video, we break down the trade agreements Britain secured post-Brexit—what worked, what flopped, and why the U.S. deal remains elusive. From the CPTPP to failed talks with India and Canada, we explore how the UK’s biggest economic gamble turned into a global balancing act. Was it worth it?

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/28280646

The Ministry of Justice is developing a system that aims to ‘predict’ who will commit murder, as part of a “data science” project using sensitive personal data on hundreds of thousands of people.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/41924885

cross-posted from: https://metawire.eu/post/5637

The UK government sought to keep details of its row with Apple over requested access to its encrypted cloud storage tool private.

Publish Date: 07.04.2025, 15:22

cross-posted from: https://metawire.eu/post/5871

The UK hopes to limit the impact of President Trump's tariffs in an economic agreement with the US.

Publish Date: 07.04.2025, 17:24

cross-posted from: https://metawire.eu/post/2822

A spokesperson for Labour says Dan Norris has been suspended from the party after being arrested.

cross-posted from: https://metawire.eu/post/1295

The 49-year-old denied he was ever "a rapist", adding: "I've never engaged in non-consensual activity."

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/59477372

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/26116694

Even with the caveats about limited data and untangling causation and correlation, the statistics are striking: the first year of a scheme in Wales where the speed limit on urban roads was lowered to 20mph resulted in about 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27212838

Summary

Prince William visited Estonia to support UK troops stationed at NATO's eastern flank near the Russian border.

Wearing military uniform, he toured Tapa Camp where 900 British soldiers are deployed alongside Estonian and French troops.

William engaged with soldiers about the proximity to Russia and modern combat challenges, including drone warfare.

The visit symbolized the UK's commitment to Estonia's defense against potential Russian aggression.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/41023869

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27090644

The UK left the European Union thinking it would gain sovereignty and economic independence. But nearly a decade later, many Britons regret their decision, and some are even asking if the UK should rejoin the EU. However, the real question is: Does the EU even want Britain back? From new trade agreements to stricter immigration policies, Brexit forced Europe to change in ways no one expected. Would the UK be welcomed back, or is the EU better off without it?

Let’s break down the 7 major changes Brexit triggered in the European Union!