Brian Wheeler

London

Senior Broadcast Journalist at BBC

BBC News website journalist. Views my own.

Articles

Westminster's tortuous battle with the gender question

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Ben Wright |Brian Wheeler

What is a woman? In recent years it is a question that has caused political punch-ups, party splits and despatch box spats. A complex, emotionally charged and fiercely contested argument around gender, trans rights and women's sex-based rights has often left politicians at Westminster floundering to answer a seemingly straightforward question. Today's Supreme Court ruling may, just may, calm a political row that has produced all sorts of verbal contortions, particularly from Sir Keir Starmer.
Farage clashes with teaching union over 'far right' claim

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Nathan Standley |Brian Wheeler

A row has erupted between Nigel Farage and Britain's biggest teaching union after it branded Reform UK a "racist and far-right" party. National Education Union (NEU) members at their annual conference called for funds to be used to help campaign against Reform UK candidates. The NEU's general secretary, Daniel Kebede, claimed there were "an awful lot of racists who are getting involved in Reform".
An Updated Outlook For Private Equity In 2025

1 week ago | mondaq.com | Louis Lehot |Brian Wheeler

This year is off to a bumpy start in terms of dealmaking. Amultitude of factors, including tariff-a-geddon, supply chaindisruption, stubbornly high long-term interest rates (not comingdown as expected), deregulation (not yet commenced, much lessbearing any fruit), and an increasingly volatile stock market, havetogether summarized in the now ubiquitous term "marketuncertainty" and have slowed the pace of dealmakingsignificantly.
UK takes control of British Steel under emergency powers

1 week ago | lucianne.com | Brian Wheeler

Original ArticlePosted By: sunset, 4/13/2025 3:47:54 AMThe UK government is taking control of Chinese-owned British Steel after emergency legislation was rushed through Parliament in a single day. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told MPs the government's likely next step would be to nationalise the Scunthorpe plant, which employs 2,700 people.
UK seeks emergency powers to take over British Steel

1 week ago | bbc.co.uk | Brian Wheeler

The bill is not being resisted by opposition parties – but the Conservatives said the government should have acted sooner and had made "a total pig's breakfast of this whole arrangement". It has cleared all of its Commons hurdles and is now being debated in the House of Lords, with Royal Assent expected later.
Government rules out 'buy British' media campaign

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Brian Wheeler

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declined to officially back a "Buy British" campaign in response to Donald Trump's tariffs. The PM's spokesman said the UK was "an open-trading nation" and the government was "not going to tell people where they buy their stuff". Chancellor Rachel Reeves told MPs such a campaign would be "inward looking" and was "not the way forward", in response to Liberal Democrat calls to encourage the public to buy more British goods and produce.
Labour election battle bus spending under scrutiny

3 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Labour's election battle bus spending under scrutinyBrian WheelerGetty ImagesThe elections watchdog is examining Labour's spending on Angela Rayner's general election battle bus following Conservative complaints. The Tories claim 24 Labour MPs may have broken the law by not declaring a visit from the battle bus in their election expenses. They are calling on the Electoral Commission to launch a full inquiry into what they say is an abuse of the system to gain an unfair advantage.
Sentencing body rebuffs minister in 'two-tier' row

3 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Sentencing body rebuffs minister in 'two-tier' rowBrian WheelerReutersShabana Mahmood says she is "extremely disappointed" by the decisionThe body advising judges on criminal sentences in England and Wales has refused a request from the justice secretary to change guidance at the centre of a row about "two-tier justice". The Sentencing Council has told judges to review the lives of offenders from ethnic minority and other backgrounds before deciding on punishment.
Minister Darren Jones sorry for comparing benefits to pocket money

4 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Minister sorry for comparing benefits to pocket moneyBrian WheelerBBCTreasury minister Darren Jones has apologised for comparing benefits for disabled people to "pocket money". Jones, who is deputy to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, was defending welfare cuts on the BBC's Politics Live after Wednesday's Spring Statement when he made the gaffe. Government analysis suggests more than 3 million families will on average be £1,720 a year worse off by 2030 due to benefit cuts.
Reeves squeezes benefits as 2025 growth forecast halved

4 weeks ago | bbc.com | Brian Wheeler

Reeves squeezes benefits as 2025 growth forecast halvedBrian WheelerReutersRachel Reeves has squeezed the welfare budget further and boosted defence spending in a Spring Statement aimed at kick-starting the faltering economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) - the government's financial watchdog - halved its growth forecast for this year to 1%.