UK News

The Government's Universal Credit reform was "overly ambitious", "took risks to try to meet the short timescale" and "suffered from weak management". So concludes a report by the financial watchdog, the National Audit Office into the implementation of one of the Coalition's high profile welfare reform policies.

The National Audit Office has concluded that the Department for Work and Pensions has not achieved value for money in its early implementation of Universal Credit. It says that the Department is not yet able to assess the value of the systems it spent over £300 million to...

Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating an alleged fraud surrounding the sale of tickets for Tomorrowland 2013 – an electronic music festival held in Belgium. Two women aged 50 and 21 from Tavistock have been arrested on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation and are currently on police bail until February 2014. Enquiries are still ongoing at this time and due to the complexity of the case, the investigation is expected to take several months before all enquiries have come to a conclusion. DC Glenn Harrop, the officer leading the investigation said: “We believe there are potentially...

Wonga has announced record profits of £62.5m amid growing controversy surrounding pay day lenders.

The firm lent over £1.2bn last year after a significant rise in money lending in the recession approving on average more than 10,400 loans a day.

The industry, which is worth around £2bn in the UK, has recently seen an increased spend on advertising as more companies compete for business.

Wonga chief executive Errol Damelin, who received a bonus of £756,000 this year, has defended his business saying it lends responsibly and turns down two thirds of the loans applied...

Exeter City Council has been named as a good practice case study in Bill Grimsey’s review of the High Street.

The review, which is relased amidst a clash between Mr Grimsey and TV retail expert Mary Portas over the future of the High Street, recommends that more local authorities form strategy teams like Exeter City Council.

Cllr Rosie Denham, Lead Councillor for Economy and Culture, said: "In Exeter we have our eyes very much focussed on the future of our High Street and the City Centre in general. In fact, the High Street is probably in the strongest position it has been...