Thursday evening news briefing: Labour to shut loophole in VAT raid on private school fees
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Good evening. Josh here to take you through the day’s news.
Labour will prevent parents paying private school fees before its VAT raid comes into force, The Telegraph can reveal.
Elsewhere, it has been claimed that the Duke of Sussex “deliberately destroyed” potential evidence relating to his High Court phone hacking claim against the publisher of The Sun.
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Labour to shut loophole in VAT raid on private school fees
Senior Labour sources confirmed the party will announce anti-forestalling legislation to prevent a flurry of pre-payments on school fees if it wins the election on July 4. The Telegraph understands it will be unveiled in Labour’s first Budget if Sir Keir Starmer becomes prime minister – read the full story here.
Badenoch compares Labour’s race reforms to apartheid South Africa
Kemi Badenoch said Labour's proposed race reforms were 'what they did in apartheid South Africa' - Lucy North/PA Wire
Kemi Badenoch has compared Labour’s plans for a Race Equality Act to apartheid in South Africa. The business secretary accused Sir Keir Starmer of having a “morally repellent” plan to force businesses into “classifying your workforce by race” through the new act, which would enshrine in law equal pay rights for black people, Asians and other ethnic minorities.
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A view from Westminster
Dominic Penna, Political Correspondent
Just one week out from election day, it would take an unprecedented reversal of fortunes to save Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives at the ballot box. And Steve Baker confirming reports he is mulling a Tory leadership bid if he keeps his seat shows even Sunak’s own ministers already have one eye on the post-election battle for the soul of the party.
There was something different last night, however. The Prime Minister was as confident as they come as he had the edge over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in the final head-to-head TV debate. A stump speech in Derbyshire earlier today was bursting with a similar energy.
It is like someone has flicked a switch going into the final week of the campaign. And had Sunak shown this do-or-die mentality sooner, who knows what those polls might be saying now.
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Prince Harry ‘destroyed’ potential evidence, phone hacking case hears
News Group Newspapers is seeking the release of emails, as well as text messages and WhatsApp messages, sent and received by the Duke, and material held on two encrypted hard drives.
The publisher wants access to the many texts sent between the Duke and JR Moehringer, the author who ghostwrote his memoir, Spare – read more here.
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Marine Le Pen | The looming French election poses a threat to global financial stability and the British economy, the Bank of England has warned.
Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo saved by stewards as fan jumps from stands
Cristiano Ronaldo was at the centre of another European Championship security scare after a fan almost landed on him jumping from the stands – watch the full video here.
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