Good morning. It is going to be fairly cloudy and wet today across the central swathes of the uk. To the central swathes of the uk. To the south of that mostly dry and mild. In the north, blustery showers with gales in north west scotland. Details later. Good morning. Its wednesday, 13th march. Rishi sunak is facing calls to hand back millions of pounds donated to the Conservative Party by a businessman accused of making racist comments about the mp, diane abbott. Tech boss frank hester is reported to have said ms abbott made him want to hate all black women, and that she should be shot. The Prime Minister called the comments racist and wrong. Our Political Correspondent Hannah Miller has more. Hello, rishi. How are you . Very nice to see you. When rishi sunak made this visit to a mill near leeds in november, his Helicopter Ride had been provided by one of his partys biggest donors, frank hester, Who Last Year donated £10 million to the Conservative Party, now alleged to have made com
The most and conservative thing i could do would be to cut taxes by increasing borrowing. Thats just cutting taxes and saying future generations have to pick up the tax after. I wont to do that. But i do want, where its possible to do so, responsibly, to move towards a lower tax economy, and id hope to show a pass in that direction. But this will be a prudent and responsible budget for long term growth, tackling inflation, my investments, morejobs, and thats path to lower taxation as and when we can afford it. But you said also, that the forecast from the obr, which is the economic watchdog which marks your homework, you have said that the numbers have gone against us. So the picture is bleaker than it was at the beginning of the year . Why then are you looking now to cut taxes at all . These forecasts change the whole time. What happened in the autumn was that the forecast went in our favour unexpectedly, quite close to the end. So i was able to introduce the biggest business tax cuts
If hamas is ready to release the most vulnerable israeli hostages it holds. But one egyptian official says there are still technical issues to resolve, including agreement on the number of palestinian prisoners the israelis would be prepared to release in exchange. The us has carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid for gaza on saturday with more than 30,000 Meals Parachuted by three military planes. Inside gaza theres a desperate need forfood. The Hamas Run Health Ministry has said 15 children have died of malnutrition and starvation in gazas Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of the strip. The head of the norwegian refugee council, jan egeland, who has visited the area, says there is now a famine in Northern Gaza. I think there is a famine in the north. Yes. There is no other way to describe what has befallen on the 300,000 people who live in the ruins of the north and who havent had really any aid for a very long time, because israel is not opening the border crossings from
Hamas is ready to release the most vulnerable israeli hostages it holds but one egyptian official says there are still technical issues to resolve. Including agreement on the number of palestinian prisoners the israelis would be prepared to release an exchange. The us is carrying out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid on saturday with more than 30,000 Meals Parachuted by three military planes. Meanwhile, an Israeli Army Spokesman says the military says has completed a review. An Israeli Army Spokesman says the military has completed a preliminary review into the incident last thursday in which dozens of palestinians were killed as an aid convoy arrived in gaza city. Rear admiral Daniel Hagari says the review determined that forces did not strike the convoy, and that most palestinians died in a stampede. The idf says gazan civilians were trampled to death as they charged toward the aid convoy. Mr hagari said the review found that Israeli Soldiers did in his words fire warning shots a
However, we should tell our viewers. We are going to do a different dance, are we . I know you are a keen ballroom dancer. There is a widespread expectation you are likely to cut national insurance, there is a widespread expectation you are going to nick labours policy of tightening up the rules for so called non doms, people who earn huge fortunes abroad. But arent permanent residents. You said these are foreigners who could leave easily in ireland, france, portugal, or spain, they all have these schemes, id rather they stayed here and spent their money here. Do you want to take that back . As i said, laura, im not going to talk about individual taxes. 0h, oh, im asking on principle. Out of principle do you agree Withjeremy Hunt from 2022 . I dont disagree Withjeremy Hunt from nearly everything i said in the past, but sometimes. Let me say this, the country sees through gimmicks and we are not going to do gimmicks on wednesday. Its going to be a budget for responsible, long term growt