Author: britishbulletin.com

A Yorkshire couple who scooped £1.4million in the National Lottery have spent decades spreading festive joy while dressed as Father Christmas and his helper.Elaine and Rob Leason hit the jackpot in July 2005 when Elaine’s Tesco work syndicate shared an £18.2million prize pot. Among the first things Elaine bought with her winnings was a high-quality Santa costume for Rob, ready for the following Christmas season.The pair, who describe themselves as Christmas enthusiasts, have dedicated their time since the win to charitable causes, regularly donning their festive outfits to hand out presents across their local area. The Leasons’ charitable efforts stretch…

Sarah Pochin has questioned why Labour chose to quietly announce changes to the family farm tax just days before Christmas, describing the move as “ill thought through”.The Reform UK MP said farmers had endured more than a year of anxiety and uncertainty, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of failing to understand the pressure the policy placed on working family farms.Mrs Pochin told GB News: “Well, it’s interesting about what is being slipped out two or three days before Christmas, isn’t it? “I mean, on the subject of the farmers, they’ve had 14 months of anxiety and huge stress. I’ve had my…

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A quarter of a century after Equitable Life collapsed owing £4.1billion to policyholders, victims say they are still waiting for full compensation.The mutual life assurance firm, founded in 1762, was once entrusted with more than £30billion in savers’ money.Equitable Life closed in December 2000 after being unable to meet guaranteed bonus payments on pension products.Its failure triggered years of investigations into regulatory failures and Government oversight.In 2010, then-chancellor George Osborne announced a £1.5billion compensation scheme for affected policyholders.At the time, Mr Osborne said: “A balance had to be struck between being fair to policyholders and fair to taxpayers.”The Parliamentary Ombudsman…

Russell Brand charged with further rape and sexual assault offences as police investigation continues`; const adSlotHtmlSkyRight = “; const targetParentSky = document.querySelector(‘.sky–ad__container’); if (targetParentSky) { targetParentSky.insertAdjacentHTML(‘beforeend’, adSlotHtmlSkyLeft); targetParentSky.insertAdjacentHTML(‘beforeend’, adSlotHtmlSkyRight); } } else { // console.log(“Inder 3 – skys not showing because user is member”); } `; targetParentBillboard.insertAdjacentHTML(‘beforeend’, adBillboard); } `; return trendingDiv; }

PA MediaAn investigation is to be carried out into whether Angela Constance misled parliamentScotland’s justice secretary Angela Constance is to be investigated over whether she breached the ministerial code in her remarks about a grooming gangs expert.Constance has recently been accused of misrepresenting Prof Alexis Jay’s position on public inquiries into child sexual abuse and exploitation, and of misleading parliament as a result.The SNP minister told parliament Prof Jay did not support further inquiries, though Prof Jay later clarified her remarks did not refer to inquiries in Scotland.Constance survived a vote of no confidence at Holyrood last week after opponents…

Cormac Izuchukwu and James Hume are set to feature in Ulster’s United Rugby Championship game against Connacht at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday (17:30 GMT).The URC fixture is the second of three games in a row against Irish provinces for Ulster, with Richie Murphy’s side coming into the game after back-to-back defeats against Cardiff and Leinster. Ireland lock Izuchukwu has not played since early October and returns to the squad alongside Hume, who missed the interprovincial derby defeat at Aviva Stadium after scoring a try in the Challenge Cup match against Cardiff.Nathan Doak is a doubt because of a calf problem…

Libraries across Cornwall and Hampshire have been forced to pull children’s books from their shelves after discovering a website link printed inside was directing young readers to dangerous and inappropriate material.The Humphrey’s Tiny Tales series by Betty G Birney, a beloved chapter book featuring a classroom hamster’s adventures, contained a web address that no longer belongs to the publisher.Instead, the website link now leads to malicious phishing sites and even pornographic content with no age restrictions.Publisher Faber & Faber confirmed the website rotates through different suspicious pages each time it is accessed, with various security services flagging it as dangerous.Faber…

Rachel Reeves has come under fire over plans which leave electric car drivers hit by new taxes, with experts warning the move risks putting people off switching to cleaner vehicles.The Chancellor is pressing ahead with a pay-per-mile tax on electric vehicles, due to come into force in April 2028, which would charge drivers based on how far they travel rather than how much fuel they use.The proposal, known as the new electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), is designed to replace falling fuel duty revenues as more drivers move away from petrol and diesel cars. Treasury forecasts suggest the scheme will…

Zara Tindall, the Olympic silver medallist and world champion equestrian, is set to compete against Argentine polo star Nacho Figueras in a charity match next month at the 2026 Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo & Showjumping day on Queensland’s Gold Coast.The 44-year-old royal, who boasts decades of riding experience, will face a formidable opponent in Mr Figueras, who has been likened to Sir David Beckham within the polo world.The match forms part of the Magic Millions equestrian and auction extravaganza, which Zara and her husband Mike Tindall attend annually.The daughter of Princess Anne has served as an ambassador for the…