Latest news with #LookingForGrowth
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Majority of Brits say UK ‘is in decline' and fear civil unrest as bombshell poll reveals people feel poor and hopeless
THE UK is 'in decline' and could erupt in political violence, most Brits think according to a bombshell poll. The findings paint a grim picture of modern Britain - revealing that people feel poor, do not trust politicians and have little hope for the future. 1 Some 68 per cent of Brits say the country is 'in decline' while 65 per cent say it is 'already broken'. And 76 per cent are worried about the potential for political violence, according to the survey by pollsters Merlin Strategy for the political movement Looking for Growth (LFG). Dr Lawrence Newport, co-founder of LFG, said: 'Voters are not just feeling crushed economically, they are now fearful that political violence could ensue if the Government does not reverse the country's decline. 'When a system stops delivering and people stop believing, things break. That's where we are now.' The worrying results come as Ballymena in Northern Ireland has been engulfed in days of violent riots which have left dozens of police injured. They were sparked by protests against two boys of Romanian descent accused of raping a local girl turned violent. Last year, Southport erupted into riots after cops refused to give details of the teenage boy who stabbed girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class. Reform UK voters are most gloomy about their country, with 81 per cent saying Britain is 'broken'. But half of all Labour voters also think this. The cost of living crisis is fuelling the fire, with four in 10 adults saying they feel poorer since Covid. Pollster and Founder of Merlin Strategy Scarlett Maguire said: 'The public are in despair at the state of the country. 'These findings underline the bleak mood amongst the British public and the lack of trust in politicians to turn things around.'
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Blow for Labour as more voters think Net Zero has made them worse off than improved living standards, damning poll finds
MORE voters think Net Zero has made them worse off rather than improving living standards, polling shows. Some 38 per cent say they have been negatively affected by Sir Keir Starmer's green rules. 1 Just 21 per cent think their lives have improved, with 34 per cent saying it has not made a difference, Merlin Strategies found. In a blow to the PM, a fifth of Labour supporters say their lives are worse. Reform and Tory voters are the most likely to say Net Zero has lowered their living standards. Among the policies are a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales and plans to decarbonise the electricity grid but critics say this will lead to huge bills. Lawrence Newport, of the Looking For Growth think tank, said: 'If the Government doesn't start to secure our energy grid, voters will punish them.' The Department for Net Zero said: 'We'll reach Net Zero in a way that treads lightly on people's lives.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watch: Londoners remove graffiti from Tube in swipe at Sadiq Khan
Credit: X/ @isnit0 A group of Londoners have filmed themselves removing graffiti from inside tube trains in a swipe at Sadiq Khan. The group, founded Joe Reeve, a 28-year-old Londoner, say they are 'doing what Sadiq Khan can't' by cleaning up Bakerloo Line carriages. It comes after Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, confronted fare dodgers on the tube in a video which has been viewed millions of times on X. Mr Reeve said: 'I take the Bakerloo line every morning and I see someone push past the barrier. 'Then when I get down to the Tube, every single carriage is full of graffiti. It feels like no one is doing anything to make the city better,' he told the London Standard. Mr Reeve is the co-founder of political lobbying group Looking For Growth, which says it was founded to challenge 'high energy costs, excessive bureaucracy, and a Government that has lost its ambition'. Mr Reeve, who was wearing a hi-vis vest with the slogan 'Doing what Sadiq Khant', was joined by Tom Harwood, a GB News presenter. Mr Harwood posted on X: 'I'm absolutely sick of seeing endless disgusting graffiti on the tube.' In a video, he added: 'We have been wiping away, swiping away, with eco-friendly graffiti remover… 'A couple of guys with cheap graffiti remover can make it look slightly less terrible. You can too!' The Bakerloo Line has the oldest passenger trains in regular scheduled use in the whole of the UK. Its 1972 Mark 2 stock trains are now 53 years old, well beyond their design lifespan of 40 years. The original 1972 Mark 1 trains were used on the Northern Line, but were withdrawn in the mid-1990s when faster and more spacious rolling stock was introduced. Although TfL wants to order replacement trains from German company Siemens, doing so is estimated to cost around £1.9 billion. Rail magazine reported earlier this year that even that price could soar because it is based on adding trains to an existing order with Siemens for new Piccadilly Line stock. If that order is fully delivered before a decision is made about the Bakerloo, the production line would have to be restarted. TfL was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
08-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Watch: Londoners remove graffiti from Tube in swipe at Sadiq Khan
A group of Londoners have filmed themselves removing graffiti from inside tube trains in a swipe at Sadiq Khan. The group, founded Joe Reeve, a 28-year-old Londoner, say they are 'doing what Sadiq Khan can't' by cleaning up Bakerloo Line carriages. It comes after Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, confronted fare dodgers on the tube in a video which has been viewed millions of times on X. Mr Reeve said: 'I take the Bakerloo line every morning and I see someone push past the barrier. 'Then when I get down to the Tube, every single carriage is full of graffiti. It feels like no one is doing anything to make the city better,' he told the London Standard. Mr Reeve is the co-founder of political lobbying group Looking For Growth, which says it was founded to challenge 'high energy costs, excessive bureaucracy, and a Government that has lost its ambition'. Mr Reeve, who was wearing a hi-vis vest with the slogan 'Doing what Sadiq Khant', was joined by Tom Harwood, a GB News presenter. Mr Harwood posted on X: 'I'm absolutely sick of seeing endless disgusting graffiti on the tube.' In a video, he added: 'We have been wiping away, swiping away, with eco-friendly graffiti remover… 'A couple of guys with cheap graffiti remover can make it look slightly less terrible. You can too!' The Bakerloo Line has the oldest passenger trains in regular scheduled use in the whole of the UK. Its 1972 Mark 2 stock trains are now 53 years old, well beyond their design lifespan of 40 years. The original 1972 Mark 1 trains were used on the Northern Line, but were withdrawn in the mid-1990s when faster and more spacious rolling stock was introduced. Although TfL wants to order replacement trains from German company Siemens, doing so is estimated to cost around £1.9 billion. Rail magazine reported earlier this year that even that price could soar because it is based on adding trains to an existing order with Siemens for new Piccadilly Line stock. If that order is fully delivered before a decision is made about the Bakerloo, the production line would have to be restarted.
