Portrait of the week: Budget leaks, prisoners released and Israel kills Hamas leader

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Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was expected to freeze tax thresholds in the Budget on 30 October, to swell government income as more working people were brought into higher tax bands. Before Labour formed a government, she had said that the Conservatives, by freezing tax thresholds, were ‘picking the pockets of working people’. Weeks of speculation on the Budget were encouraged by leaks and by constant questioning of ministers about how Labour would keep to its manifesto undertaking not to raise taxes on ‘working people’ by increasing income tax, national insurance or VAT. The International Monetary Fund raised its growth forecast for the United Kingdom to 1.1 per cent this year, compared with the 0.7 per cent it forecast three months ago. Government borrowing rose last month to £16.6 billion, against the £15.1 billion it had predicted. HSBC is dividing its operations into eastern and western markets.

The government released 1,100 more prisoners early, in a scheme to ease overcrowding in jails in England and Wales. Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, announced a sentencing review led by the Conservatives’ former justice secretary David Gauke. It was disclosed that Chris Kaba, the man shot dead by a police firearms officer in Streatham, south London, on 5 September 2022, had shot a man in both legs at the Oval Space nightclub in Hackney six days earlier. Sgt Martyn Blake was acquitted of murder this week after a trial in which the jury knew nothing of Kaba’s criminal career. The Serious Fraud Office investigated the building of a hotel and conference centre in Birmingham by the Unite union, using £112 million of its members’ money; the complex has since been valued at £29 million.

The most effective drug for Alzheimer’s disease, donanemab, will not be issued by the National Health Service because of its cost. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, will vote against legalising assisted suicide because of worries about the state of palliative care. A man died when the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth train ran into the stationary Machynlleth to Shrewsbury train. In the seven days to 21 October, 695 migrants in small boats arrived in England. A baby died when a boat carrying 66 people capsized off Wissant in the Pas-de-Calais region. An 11-year-old from Cardiff was unable to take part in lessons as she had no smartphone to use in class.

Abroad

Israel killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas who had been the architect of the attacks against Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel intensified its strikes against Hamas in north Gaza, and attacked sites associated with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel said that beneath Al Sahel Hospital in Beirut millions of dollars in cash and gold were kept in a hidden Hezbollah bunker. Amos Hochstein, the special envoy to the Middle East of President Joe Biden of America, flew to Beirut seeking a negotiated end to the war in Lebanon ‘as soon as possible’. Classified documents were spread around showing an assessment by the United States of plans by Israel to attack Iran.

The first 1,500 North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia to fight against Ukraine, according to South Korea. In a referendum, Moldova approved changes to its constitution committing it to join the EU by 50.46 per cent; on the same day Maia Sandu, the incumbent pro-EU president won the first round of presidential elections by 41 per cent to 26 per cent for her closest rival. EU membership also figured in campaigning for the elections in Georgia due on 26 October. President Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria invited the incumbent Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, and the leader of the conservative People’s party to form a government, even though the biggest vote, at 29 per cent, had gone to the right-wing Freedom party.

Donald Trump’s campaign for the US presidency complained to the Federal Election Commission about ‘blatant foreign interference’ by British Labour party activists campaigning for Kamala Harris in America. Cubans suffered days of power cuts. During a ceremony at the Parliament House in Canberra, Lidia Thorpe, an Aboriginal Australian senator, shouted at the King: ‘This is not your land, you are not my King.’ Thousands in Sydney turned to greet the royal visitors. Mike Jeffries, 80, the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, and his British partner, Matthew Smith, 61, were arrested and charged with sex trafficking of men.     CSH