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A HUGE boost for building more home was announced in today’s spending review by Rachel Reeves.

The Chancellor today unveiled a £39billion 10-year plan to build more social and affordable housing across the UK, alongside a new rent policy for social housing starting in 2026.

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Rachel Reeves has announced £39billion in funding[/caption]

The multi-billion pound investment will be distributed among local authorities, private developers, and housing associations to help deliver 1.5million new homes and address the housing crisis.

This funding is a major increase compared to the previous affordable housing programme, which allocated £11.5billion over five years (2021–2026), or £2.3billion annually.

By the end of this Parliament, the government plans to almost double yearly spending on affordable housing to £4 billion by 2029/30.

The £113billion increase in capital spending announced today will be funded through extra borrowing, made possible by changes to fiscal rules earlier this year.

Reeves told MPs: “I am proud to announce the biggest cash injection into social and affordable housing in 50 years.

“A new Affordable Homes Programme – in which I am investing £39bn over the next decade.

“Direct government funding that will support housebuilding… …especially for social rent.”

A government source added: “We’re turning the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis in this country with the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation, delivering on our commitment to get Britain building.”

What’s happening to social rents?

The government is also introducing a ten-year plan for social housing rents starting in 2026.

This policy will allow housing providers to raise rents by inflation plus 1% (CPI+1%) each year, helping them secure funding to invest in building new homes and maintaining existing ones.

At the same time, a consultation will soon be launched to explore how to make rent levels fairer across social housing.

This plan aims to balance investment in housing with protecting social housing tenants from excessive rent increases.

The previous Conservative governments made similar promises of long-term rent hike formulas in the early 2010s but often failed to follow through.

For example, David Cameron‘s coalition set a 10-year rent settlement in 2012 based on the retail price index plus 0.5%.

However, then-Chancellor George Osborne later imposed four years of below-inflation increases to reduce housing benefit costs.

More recently, Johnson’s government announced a five-year settlement of CPI plus 1% in 2020 but had to cap rent increases at 7% due to a surge in inflation.

Most social housing tenants receive full housing benefits from the government, meaning taxpayers often fund any social rent increases.

However, around 30% of social tenants pay full rent and will be hit by future increases in full because they’re not eligible for support.

There are around four million households currently living in rented social housing.

That means 1.2million households will face future bill hikes with the new 10-year formula.

However, the exact amount your rent will increase will depend on where you live and how big your property is.

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THE boss of a major pub chain has revealed it hiked the price of pints by 15p following a Government tax raid.

The chief executive of Fuller’s said the group upped the price of a pint of beer after being hit with £8million in extra costs.

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Simon Emeny has said it upped the price of a pint by 15p in March[/caption]

Simon Emeny, boss at Fuller, Smith and Turner, said the firm bumped up prices at the end of March ahead of an increase in employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage in April.

Mr Emeny told the PA news agency that Fuller’s had looked to be “sensitive” with price increases and would keep them “under review” for the rest of the year.

It comes after he exclusively told The Sun prices would likely rise by 10p to offset its added costs.

The pub chain is one of a number who warned of price rises to tackle higher NICs and wage costs.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) recently said the average price of a pint of beer would surge past £5 for the first time because of cost hikes hitting the sector.

The BBPA said the average cost of a pint in the UK is expected to rise by about 21p as a result.

Emeny said the pub group could not offset the cost impact of the NIC and minimum wage hikes with just price increases.

The group, which has about 5,500 staff, is doubling down on investment in its bars and staff training, to drive sales higher, which it hopes will counter the extra costs.

“Six months down the line and I don’t think price increases are the only answer. It has to come through higher sales,” he said.

But he said the consumer spending outlook would be sensitive to the interest rate outlook, and whether the Government moved to increase personal taxes.

The comments came as Fuller’s posted a 32% jump in underlying pre-tax profits to £27 million for the year to March 29.

Like-for-like sales rose 5.2%, and the group said growth had continued into the first 10 weeks of the new financial year, albeit at a more muted rate of 4.2%.

It also announced that its chairman of 18 years, Michael Turner, a member of one of the three founding families, will retire at the group’s annual general meeting in July, after a 47-year career with the group.

He will be replaced by Mr Emeny, who will become executive chairman, the first person to take the role who is not a member of the founding families.

Fred Turner will be promoted from retail director to chief operating officer.

A number of other founding family members remain on the board, including non-executive directors Sir James Fuller and Richard Fuller.

On his final set of full-year figures for the group, the outgoing chairman said it had been an “excellent” past year.

Mr Turner added: “This strong performance has been achieved despite the business operating in a challenging and, at times volatile, economic environment.

“The geopolitical situation has caused uncertainty in global markets and the decisions made by the Chancellor in her October budget hit the sector hard and reduced confidence in hospitality stocks.”

An outspoken critic of the move to raise National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April, Mr Turner said: “The changes to national insurance contributions took everyone by surprise and I fear it could be terminal for a number of smaller operators in our market.”

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DARTS legend Raymond van Barneveld has been granted permission to join the World Seniors Tour.

The 58-year-old has been named as the final wildcard for the 2025 Champion of Champions.

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Raymond van Barneveld is a wildcard for the WST’s 2025 Champion of Champions[/caption]

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The 58-year-old still competes on the PDC tour[/caption]

Barney will take on 11 other legends of the sport at the tournament in Portsmouth on June 29.

The Dutch icon currently holds a PDC Tour Card.

He was given special permission by the PDC to appear in the event later this month.

Van Barneveld began his darts pro career way back in 1987.

He started in the BDO, winning four world titles before joining the PDC in 2006.

Barney added the PDC crown a year later, cementing his place as a legend of the sport.

The Dutchman still plays on the Tour, but his last major televised final came in the 2018 Masters.

He will go up against stars including Simon Whitlock, Steve Beaton and Mervyn King in Portsmouth.

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Van Barneveld said: “I am looking forward to playing in this event.

“The sport has always loved big characters, and World Seniors Darts have brought them back, with most still playing to a high standard.

“They have a loyal crowd, and the popularity for the Seniors seems to grow and grow.

“I’m looking forward to catching up with the old faces of the sport, especially from my BDO era.

“I’m not coming over to Portsmouth thinking this will be easy.

“I will be giving my full respect to all of the players involved, and I will be preparing hard for this tournament”.

“To have the likes of Simon Whitlock, Steve Beaton and Mervyn King, who have not long come off the Professional Tour, and then Seniors World Champions like John [Henderson], Robert [Thornton], and Ross [Montgomery] also playing, it’s going to be a real battle out there to take the title”.

THE hosts of the Love Island podcast have slammed Ben after his ‘horror story’ comment to Shakira.

In last night’s episode, which marked the second instalment of the all-new summer series, Ben Holbrough, 23, was seen chatting to American bombshell Toni about Shakira Khan, 22.

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Love Island podcast host and former Islander Indiyah spoke about Ben’s comments in today’s podcast[/caption]

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Co-host and fellow former Islander Amy also commented on Ben[/caption]

Speaking to 24-year-old Antonia Laites, Ben said he “humbled” Shakira in a previous conversation.

He added that she “needed that”, leaving Toni replying with “I don’t want to talk about her” before changing the subject.

This comes after Toni stole Ben, who was previously coupled up with Shakira, who was then left single and vulnerable.

And now, amid calls for his axe, podcast hosts of Love Island: The Morning After, have slammed Ben’s behaviour.

Indiyah Polak, Sam Thompson, and Amy Hart all host the podcast.

Indiyah spoke about the moment Ben said he had “humbled” Shakira when she said: “You always hear these horror stories of guys wishing these things on women like ‘oh yeah she needs to be humbled’.

“But you never see it in real life,” she added.

Indiyah went on to add: “I don’t know what it is [about] Shakira [that] Ben feels threatened by.

“But he seems to not like Shakira’s confidence… it rattles him.”

Amy then weighed in and said: “The only thing that Shakira did to Ben was throw herself into the relationship and try to make it work.”

Fans watching Love Island last night were also quick to weigh in on Ben’s problematic comment about humbling Shakira.

Taking to X, one person said: “Shakira needed to be humbled????? on day one?!! get ben OUT OF THIS VILLA!”

A second penned: “Nah Shakira and any other girl needs to run from Ben if he’s cocky enough to say a woman he just met needs to be ‘humbled.’ Scary tbh.”

While a third wrote: “Ben saying Shakira needed to be humbled and he’s known her for three hours, he’s a weirdo he needs to leave already.”

A fourth then said: “humble my queen shakira??? smh kick off this ben guy.”

Then, sharing the video of Ben bragging about “humbling” Shakira, someone else wrote: “Ben wanted to gossip about Shakira but Toni said miss me with that bs, very annoying lad.

“Shakira didn’t even do anything to him.”

Although Shakira was vulnerable because of Toni’s arrival into the villa, it was not her who left on Tuesday night.

As a result of Toni’s arrival in the villa, Sophie Lee was savagely dumped from Love Island.

Just 24 hours after she had arrived, 29-year-old Sophie was made to repack her bags and leave the villa.

Shakira was given one day to find a connection with another guy after being left single by Ben, otherwise she would have been dumped from the island.

Unfortunately for Sophie, the brunette managed to turn Harry Cooksley‘s head and picked him to recouple with.

Her decision left Sophie single and she was sent home.

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The first dumping took place on Tuesday night[/caption]

The iconic Australian burger chain has revealed it will overhaul its bun selection in favour of healthier options in a “world first”.

‘This new purpose-built Melbourne headquarters is a major investment in the future of Australian media.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has officially opened Seven’s brand new, state-of-the-art Melbourne headquarters in one of the CBD’s hottest locations.

A BUDGET buy can instantly level up your outdoor space this summer.

Lidl shoppers can elevate their garden with a splash of colour that lasts until autumn.

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Hanging baskets can help to add colour to your outdoor space all summer long (stock image)[/caption]

Placing this middle aisle buy by your front door can elevate the look of your home.

The shop’s Large Hanging Planters are available for just £7.99 from Thursday, June 12.

They include a wide variety of flowers, including Sutera, Lobelia, Calibrachoa, Petunia, and Verbena.

And if these plants aren’t enough to brighten up your space, you can also choose from a variety of colour options for the basket.

Shoppers can opt for purple, pink, red, purple, or white baskets.

The pot itself is fully UV resistant, making it perfect for placing outdoors all summer long.

These hanging baskets measure around 29 centimetres to 35 centimetres.

As well as adding a splash of colour to your space, they can also help level up your garden’s privacy.

According to the experts at Monrovia, you can use staggered hanging planters to create a natural separation from the outside world.

Placing the baskets at different levels can provide a more natural barrier for your outdoor space.

“It creates the sense of separation without shouting ‘keep out,'” the pros explained.

They also highlighted the importance of taking care of your planters, recommending regular watering in hot weather.

Or you can opt for a more classic privacy product to shield your garden from public view.

Amazon also has a £14 privacy buy that is described as “perfect” for summer.

Another privacy fence is also available from Amazon, for just £5.

B&Q has an affordable privacy fence currently on sale, and you can put it up yourself.

And a £10 B&M product adds inches to your fence, elevating your garden’s privacy.

You can also add a stylish touch to your privacy fence with another B&M buy.

A £3 buy from B&M is can also help to add privacy to your garden this summer.

And its not just fences that can help give you privacy in your garden, one B&M item can help shield you from nosy neighbours and the sun.

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The Large Hanging Planters will be available from the Lidl middle aisle for just £7.99[/caption]

A HOUSE which featured in a classic 90s sitcom seems inconspicuous in a sleepy town – but do you recognise it?

Clue: The main character insisted her name was pronounced ‘Bouqet‘.

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Homes featured in Keeping Up Appearances were filmed in Binley Woods in Coventry[/caption]

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Dame Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket and Clive Swift as Richard Bucket[/caption]

An unassuming house was seen by millions on the iconic comedy Keeping Up Appearances.

The property is situated in Binley Woods, Coventry, and featured regularly on the BBC1 comedy.

The show followed shameless social climber Hyacinth Bucket, who was played by Dame Patricia Routledge, now 96.

Hyacinth was accompanied by her henpecked husband Richard, played by late acting legend Clive Smith.

Next door to the Buckets lived upper-middle class characters Elizabeth, and her brother Emmet, with whom Hyacinth competed against.

The show was written by Roy Clarke, who also penned Open All Hours, and ran between 1990 and 1995.

It easily ranks as one of the UK’s most treasured vintage comedies, and has been sold almost 1,000 times to overseas broadcasters.

And the property where Elizabeth and Emet lived still remains, having gone on the market for £495,000 in 2019.

The four bedroom detached house’s exterior was visible to viewers of the show.

Annabel Dixon, writing on property website Zoopla said: “Hyacinth was often name-dropping her sister Violet, who ‘had a Mercedes, swimming pool, sauna and room for a pony.’

“So the grande dame would surely approve of this unusual opportunity to snap up the home of her twitchy neighbours, Elizabeth and Emmett.

“Its features include a landscaped garden, heated swimming pool, hot tub and wooden summer house.’

The real life owner of the house where the Buckets lived in the show, Rosemary Healey, has lived in the property for 47 years.

She told CoventryLive what it’s like living in a house which was part of a cult classic: “I’ve been here for 45 years and I was at work when the BBC first came round to ask about filming at my home.

“My son answered the door and told me they would come back the next day, which they did.

“They had contacted estate agents in the city looking for a property to film as Hyacinth’s home.

“Mine was chosen because, before we had the extension, you could talk door-to-door with my next door neighbour.”

The show may be 35 years old, but Mrs Healy says this doesn’t stop fans coming to pay a visit to the property.

“We get lots of people coming to take photos and occasionally get people knocking on the door,” she said.

“It’s never been a problem though.”

While the Binley Wood houses were used for external shots, most of the indoor scenes were filmed in a studio in London.

Nearby Warwickshire town Leamington Spa was also used for some filming.

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Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Geoffry Hughes, Judy Cornwell & Mary Miller in Keeping Up Appearances[/caption]

KYLE WALKER may have had a shocker against Senegal – but he is now just four caps away from completing England’s perfect centurion XI.

The Manchester City veteran struggled badly on his 96th cap in Tuesday’s 3-1 friendly defeat at the City Ground, which was our first-ever loss to an African nation.

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Kyle Walker is on the verge of the England hundred club[/caption]

It left many fans wondering if he will even make it to a 97th cap, let alone 100, although Thomas Tuchel’s comments afterwards will have reassured the 35-year-old.

And should he manage to dust himself down and convince the German of giving him the quartet needed to reach a century, he will be the eleventh player in Three Lions history to make it to triple figures.

And in a coincidental twist of fate, if Walker does hit 100 then he would be the final piece in the jigsaw to complete a tonne-up team.

In goal is our nation’s record appearance-maker Peter Shilton on 125 games.

Walker would take the right-back slot, with former Arsenal and Chelsea star Ashley Cole at left-back on 107.

In central defence, World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore (108) lines up alongside Billy Wright.

The latter was a one-club man for Wolves just after the war and became the first player in world football to reach 100 caps for his country, ending on 105 in 1959.

Playing out wide left in a 4-4-2 formation is the late Sir Bobby Charlton, who netted a stunning 49 goals in 106 caps, winning our only World Cup in 1966.

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Bobby Moore would play centre-back after leading England to World Cup glory in 1966[/caption]

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Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard would partner each other in central midfield[/caption]

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Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane lead the line[/caption]

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On the right wing is ex-captain David Beckham, who The Sun exclusively revealed will be knighted in the King’s upcoming Birthday Honours List, on 115.

In the middle is Steven Gerrard (114) and Frank Lampard (106), trying to ignore the old debate of whether they could actually play together as a midfield pairing.

Up top are our two greatest goalscorers – and arguably two best strikers, though Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Jimmy Greaves may have something to say about that.

Harry Kane leads the line, having blasted an astonishing 73 goals in 107 caps, with his latest of each coming against the Senegalese.

Wayne Rooney, whose goals record Kane surpassed two years ago, completes the awesome line-up thanks to 53 goals in 120 caps.

Only three England bosses made it to 100 games in charge, including the first two, Walter Winterbottom (139), Sir Alf Ramsey (113) and, years later, Sir Gareth Southgate (102).

Walker, 35, is desperate to make it to 100 caps.

After winning his 80th in a 2-0 win over Malta in November 2023, he said: “That’s one of my big objectives.

“There are very few players that are in that bracket and have made it to the 100 club.

“If I can do that I’ll be over the moon and delighted from when I first started in 2011 when I got my first call-up under (Fabio) Capello.”

Walker could complete his century before the year is out, with England having six World Cup qualifiers between September and October.

But given the level of competition at full-back, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James and Tino Livramento, and Walker seemingly having no future at City, it is by no means a given he will do it.

Walker also seems in limbo club-wise, with City not taking him to the Club World Cup and a return to AC Milan, where he spent the second half of the season on loan, looking off the cards.

Tuchel feels the treble-winner’s lack of recent action contributed to his dire display against the Senegalese where his touch was rusty and he looked uncharacteristically slow.

But the former Chelsea boss remains a huge fan of Walker, which will give the full-back confidence his century dream can be realised.

Asked why Walker deserved to play against Senegal in his post-match press conference, Tuchel said: “Because it counts also what he did in the first camp.

“His first two matches were good. He was a regular player at Milan and then broke his elbow.

“Once we saw him in camp, he trained at the highest level, I felt him very composed, very proud to be in the camp.

“He took responsibility, he helped everyone out and pushed the standards and levels. I think he deserved to play.

“I see the lack of rhythm, clearly, the lack of rhythm in misjudgements and duels and anticipation, of course.

“That is also maybe the nature of a June camp and a player who does not have every minute in his legs lately and has struggled to come back because of injury and the contract situation when he was just on loan.”

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Thomas Tuchel has backed Kyle Walker despite his poor performance against Senegal[/caption]