The Money Saving Expert founder has pulled no punches as he hit out at the government’s Sunday announcement

Martin Lewis has revealed he is clinging to ‘one hope’ after criticising the government in a brutal new update today. The Treasury today, Sunday, September 13, failed to commit to abandoning the threshold freeze for graduates repaying their student loans.

This comes despite mounting pressure to take exactly that step. And Martin Lewis, founder of MSE and a prominent personal finance guru who regularly features on ITV and BBC, has expressed his irritation at the development – while clinging to one glimmer of hope.

Ministers have for months come under fire for their management of repayment conditions for graduates, particularly those holding so-called “plan 2” loans borrowed between September 1 2012 and July 31 2023 in England. At last October’s Budget, then-chancellor Rachel Reeves froze the salary threshold at which graduates begin repaying the loan for three years from 2027.

Graduates are likely to end up financially worse off as a consequence, as the threshold would have otherwise increased in line with inflation. When they were initially introduced in 2010, the plan 2 loan threshold was intended to rise with inflation annually, but it has been frozen on multiple occasions since 2016.

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In a report released in July, the Treasury Committee called on ministers to pledge to reverse the freeze at the next budget this autumn. Now the Government says it “recognises” the cost-of-living pressures that numerous graduates encounter and “understands concerns” about the consequences of repayment terms. But while it said it had not ruled out scrapping the threshold freeze, it has not so far agreed to do that.

“We keep all aspects of the student finance system under review,” the Treasury said. “Decisions on student loan repayment arrangements must be considered alongside wider fiscal priorities, the long-term sustainability of the higher education funding system, and the need to ensure value for money for taxpayers.

“Any significant changes require careful consideration of their impacts on borrowers, taxpayers and public finances. The Government will continue to consider opportunities to ensure the fairness of the student finance system for borrowers, taxpayers and public finances.”

Martin Lewis issues verdict on new Treasury student loan plan

Today, in a post on X, Mr Lewis said: “This is a very disappointing response that does little to help the millions of students already struggling with student loans, after years of degradation of the terms they signed up to, by successive governments.

“Most urgently, it doesn’t address the coming immoral freeze of the Plan 2 repayment threshold, announced by Rachel Reeves, due to start next April.

“That will mean all those on Plan 2 loans will effectively pay more each year. I say it’s immoral because it is a negative retrospective change of terms to loan contracts students, often aged 18, signed up to. No commercial firm would ever be allowed to do that. The only slim hope is that as the freeze was announced in a Budget, it has to be undone in a Budget and therefore they are just waiting for the coming one to do that.

“At the same time, the Government has sadly rejected the Committee’s recommendation that the ‘fairness’ protections that holders of commercial loans get should apply to student loans too – perhaps as it knows some of the ways it behaves would fall foul of those conditions.

“Most frustrating is that back in 2015, I campaigned for this change, and even worked with current Cabinet Minister, Wes Streeting, then a backbencher, to put an amendment in Parliament (it failed). So, it is incredibly frustrating to see a government he is now a part of reject[ing] it. The Government has also rejected shifting the inflation link from RPI to CPI – continuing the unfair pattern that means when the Government raises our costs by inflation it’s often via the higher RPI, but on things where it pays out it’s often linked to the lower CPI measure.

“Of course, I welcome the small crumbs it has given that at least future students will be told in plain English, before they sign up, that the amount they repay can be altered after the event. But let’s be clear: better information for future students will not fix the existing Plan 2 student loan crisis. The repayment threshold needs to rise, interest needs to fall, maintenance support needs uprating, and the whole system requires a fundamental reset.

“As I say, the one hope here as I say is there is they are waiting to reverse the threshold freeze in the budget. The more fuss that is made now the greater chance of that.”

Terms and conditions of student loans

The Government has agreed to make it clearer that the terms and conditions of a student loan can be changed by future governments after the Commons Treasury Committee warned the way the loans have been presented has amounted to mis-selling. Chair of the Treasury Committee Dame Meg Hillier urged the Chancellor John Healey to use the upcoming Budget to “give graduates some much-needed breathing space”.

Dame Meg said: “The commitment to right a historical wrong by updating the information so that prospective students are properly informed before taking out a massive loan is an important step forward.

“Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t help graduates who are angry that they didn’t receive the same service and are now facing punitive repayment terms on a loan which keeps growing. And they are juggling that stress with other huge pressures like trying to get on the housing ladder and save for a pension. I say it again, we must give young people a fair chance.

“Importantly, the Treasury has not ruled out reversing the threshold freeze but instead says the whole student finance system is under review.

“I recognise that finances are tight but I continue to urge the Chancellor to look at this again. I sincerely hope he will use his upcoming budget to give graduates some much-needed breathing space.”

Interest on plan 2 loans is applied at the retail price index (RPI) inflation rate plus up to 3%, determined by a graduate’s earnings. The interest rate has been capped at 6% since the start of September to shield graduates from surging inflation during the war in Iran.

Many graduates have discovered that despite years of payments, their debt balance has either increased or remained static due to the impact of inflation.

Police in Turkey have detained 47 people in a series of raids on gay bars and the homes of LGBTQ+ activists, officials say.

Raids took place in 12 provinces over the weekend as part of a campaign dubbed “My Family is Safe” that the Turkish government says has been designed to protect family values.

One of the targets of the operation was LGBTQ+ association Kaos GL.

Same-sex marriage is not recognised in Turkey, with growing pressure on gay couples. Human rights groups in Turkey have accused the government of using the campaign to target the LGBTQ+ community.

Officers detained 26 people and seized drugs, digital equipment, smuggled alcohol and a firearm during the raids, according to the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office.

In a separate statement, the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office said another 21 people had been detained as part of an investigation into Kaos GL.

The organisation said 50 activists had been detained, more than 10 taken after police raids on their homes.

It said that authorities had blocked several websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ organisations.

According to the group, authorities have accused Kaos GL of making “obscenity” in online posts that are available to children and had demanded the shutting down of the Kaos GL X account, as well as those of around 15 other LGBTQ+ organisations.

Same-sex relations are not an offence in Turkey but homophobia is common, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing LGBTQ people as “perverts” responsible for the falling birth rate.

As part of “My Family is Safe”, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek says legal proceedings have been started against more than 160 people and a number of organisations and companies across the country.

Gurlek did not say how many people had been taken into custody, but said the raids came in the context of the “Decade of the Family” campaign.

However, the Turkish Human Rights Association says the Turkish government has been using the campaign to target the LGBTQ+ community in recent years.

“The real name of this operation is not ‘My Family is Safe’; it is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society,” the organisation said on X.

The prime minister said he was “very happy” with his finish time of under two hours – 01.57 – and was raising money for North East charity Changing Lives, which he visited last month to launch a national drive to end rough sleeping.

“You see the causes people are running for, all pulling together for the bigger cause,” Burnham said. “It’s just a day that reminds you how good this country is when it’s together like this.

“This part of the world, it doesn’t half shine on a day like this. The warmth of the people comes out – the people in the race with you, the people on the sidelines.”

As always, runners donned a variety of costumes in the bid to raise funds for good causes. Among them were nuns, horses and a pair of ovaries.

Big Brother UK has suffered heart-breaking losses over the years, here we remember the beloved housemates who passed away too young

Over more than 26 years, Big Brother has given us some of the most talked-about moments in British television history.

But behind the diary room confessionals, the late-night arguments and the tearful evictions, the show’s story is also one of profound human connection and, at times, devastating loss.

As the much-loved competition returns to ITV tonight at 9pm for its 23rd series overall, with presenters AJ Odudu and Will Best back at the helm, a new group of housemates prepare to step through those famous doors.

Before they do, we take a moment to remember the former contestants who lit up our screens and left an enduring mark on the show’s history, those who passed away far too soon.

Jade Goody

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Long before the phrase “reality star” became commonplace, there was Jade Goody. She first appeared in Big Brother’s third series, and from the moment she walked into the house, she was impossible to ignore. Funny, unpredictable and utterly authentic, she became one of the most beloved housemates the show has ever seen.

Her fame only grew after she left, with appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Loose Women and Eggheads helping to cement her status as a genuine household name. She returned to the Celebrity edition in 2007, five years after her debut, before heading to India in August 2008 to take part in Big Boss, the country’s own adaptation of the format.

But her world soon changed forever. Jade was diagnosed with cervical cancer and was forced to withdraw from the show. She faced the illness with a courage that inspired millions, and her openness about her diagnosis is widely credited with prompting a surge in cervical cancer screening across the UK. She passed away at her home on 22 March 2009. She was just 27 years old.

Nikki Grahame

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Nikki Grahame became memorable after her appearance on Big Brother’s seventh series in 2006. She is best remembered for her now-legendary catchphrase “Who is she?”

After leaving the house, she headlined her own E4 series, Princess Nikki, in which she tackled a range of demanding jobs, from refuse collection to deep sea fishing and waste management roles. She was fearless on screen, but off it she fought a long and painful private battle with anorexia.

In early 2021, Nikki suffered a relapse. Her loved ones launched a public fundraising campaign to help cover the costs of her treatment, and fans rallied around her in. Sadly, she passed away from anorexia-related complications on 9 April 2021, shortly after being discharged from hospital. She was only 38.

Ben Duncan

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Ben Duncan was, by all accounts, someone who made every room brighter simply by being in it. A London-born socialite who had studied at the University of St Andrews alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton, he brought that easy charm and warmth to the Big Brother house when he appeared in series 11, reports OK!.

He tragically died in October 2025 after falling seven floors from the rooftop of The Trafalgar St. James hotel in London. He was just 45 years old.

Fellow former housemate Glyn Wise, who appeared in series seven, paid a heartfelt tribute on X, formerly Twitter. “While filming a Big Brother tribute to mark the end of its run on Channel 4, I met Ben and he was such a joy to be around. Rest in peace buddy xx,” he wrote in part.

Sophia Brown

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Some housemates need only a matter of days to leave a lasting impression. Sophia Brown entered the Big Brother house during its 10th series in 2009 and stayed for just nine days, she moved viewers deeply with her openness about living with Lupus.

Rather than shying away from her diagnosis, she spoke candidly about how the autoimmune condition had shaped her outlook, giving her an unshakeable positivity and zest for life that radiated through the screen.

She departed the house early but never left the hearts of those who had watched her. Sophia tragically died in 2012, aged just 30.

Big Brother returns to ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm tonight (Sunday, September 13).

By DAVID CHURCHILL

Published: 15:15 BST, 13 September 2026 | Updated: 15:17 BST, 13 September 2026

Some Manchester United fans have been threatened with having their season tickets revoked after allegedly breaking the club’s ticketing terms and conditions. On Tuesday, a large number of supporters received emails from the club to say their accounts had been temporarily restricted. In those cases, United claimed that they “identified sustained activity” associated with the accounts.

The email asked fans to respond by confirming every device regularly used to access their account, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers.

Read more here>>>

By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 14:35 BST, 13 September 2026 | Updated: 14:57 BST, 13 September 2026

Boris Johnson was reportedly aboard a special train that was abruptly evacuated after a Russian drone attack near the Ukrainian border with Poland.

The former British prime minister was travelling back towards Poland after attending a major security conference in Kyiv when the train stopped at around 5am amid a drone alert.

Passengers in part of the train were woken by conductors and temporarily evacuated as drones were detected near the railway line, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel.

Mr Johnson is understood to have escaped unharmed, with an all-clear given shortly afterwards when no further drones were detected.

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The incident came after another train travelling on the Kyiv-Warsaw route was struck by a Russian drone near the Polish border.

The locomotive was hit but, according to Ukrainian railway authorities, nobody was injured. The train was carrying 206 people, who were seen running in fear after the attack.

There was no indication that the privately chartered train carrying Mr Johnson was itself hit.

It was also carrying Günter Sautter, one of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s closest foreign and security-policy advisers, as well as security advisers from Britain, France and Italy, German MPs, diplomats and academics.

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The incident came as another train travelling on the Kyiv-Warsaw route was struck by a Russian drone near the Polish border

The locomotive was hit but, according to Ukrainian railway authorities, nobody was injured. The train was carrying 206 people, who were seen running in fear after the attack

Boris Johnson (aboe on a recent visit to Ukraine) was reportedly aboard a train hit by a Russian drone near the Polish border today

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Mr Johnson and the other officials had been in Kyiv for the 2026 annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy, an international security conference where Western officials held discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government about possible peace negotiations with Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said a Russian drone had also struck the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing, one of the country’s most important links with the European Union.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show trucks on fire at the crossing, while Ukrainian media reported that a petrol station had also been hit. There were no immediate reports of casualties and the Polish military confirmed the attack.

The attack came just two kilometres from the Polish border, according to Ukrainian railway officials, raising concerns about Russian strikes reaching increasingly close to NATO territory.

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Russian drones have increasingly targeted Ukrainian rail infrastructure, with Ukrainian Railways accusing Moscow of carrying out systematic attacks on the network.

The state-owned operator said its monitoring centre and staff were ‘on high alert’ following nationwide attacks, warning passengers of possible evacuations, delays and diversions.

Robin Wagener, a Green Party member of the German Bundestag who was also aboard the special train, described the attack as a dangerous escalation.

‘These drone attacks are blind terror against Ukrainian civilians and a dangerous escalation in Putin’s war,’ Wagener told Der Spiegel.

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Mr Johnson and the other officials had been in Kyiv for the 2026 annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy, an international security conference where Western officials held discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government about possible peace negotiations with Russia

The MP said he believed the strikes were also intended as a warning to countries supporting Ukraine.

‘Russia is becoming increasingly unscrupulous and is playing with fire right on the border of the European Union and NATO; we must finally put a clear stop to this terror,’ Wagener demanded.

The attack came as Russia launched a major wave of strikes across Ukraine, with Ukrainian authorities reporting hundreds of drones being used overnight. A separate Russian drone attack on the Kyiv-Warsaw line also damaged a passenger train near the Yahodyn crossing but caused no casualties.

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The railway route is regularly used by foreign dignitaries travelling between Ukraine and Poland, making the incident particularly sensitive as European governments step up their support for Kyiv.

Russian attacks near the Polish frontier have also prompted heightened concern in Warsaw, with Polish authorities activating defensive measures following the latest strikes.

Forensics are combing the home on Harestones Road in Armadale.

Police are hunting a gunman after a man was found dead at a house in West Lothian.

Police and emergency services descended on Harestones Road in Armadale shortly before midday on Saturday following reports of an injured man.

A 35-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin are aware.

A short time later a car was found on fire nearby in the Netherhouses area. It is understood to be linked to the shooting.

Forensic officers have been pictured at the scene where the victim was discovered. Detectives were spotted in the garden area of the property, taking bags of evidence away from the residential street.

Police said enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of both incidents.

They confirmed a line of inquiry is that a firearm may have been involved in the incident.

Detective Superintendent Michelle Findlay, of the Major Investigations Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died in this incident.

“Officers remain in the area and anyone with concerns or any information can approach them or call us on 101, quoting incident number 1361 of Saturday, September 12, 2026.”

Pauline Stafford MSP for Bathgate, said she is “deeply concerned” about the incident, adding: “My thoughts are with the family and all of those affected. While investigations are at an early stage I would encourage anyone with information to share it with the Police.”

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The European Union entry-exit system (EES) has caused repeated delays for Brits at major EU airports this year

British holidaymakers heading abroad may finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief over the widely-criticised EES system. The scheme forces non-EU residents to queue at special machines in airports before gaining entry to 29 nations within the so-called Schengen area – essentially the majority of the European Union.

However, there have been persistent reports of lengthy delays – some stretching to as long as four hours. A new report in the Sunday Times now reveals that the European Union has shelved the controversial entry-exit system (EES) across at least nine countries.

Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Greece and Switzerland are all understood to have been granted permission to postpone full implementation of EES. The newspaper reports that there appears to be no deadline by which these countries must adopt the scheme, which has already sparked widespread reports of enormous queues at European airports this summer in destinations such as Mallorca, Faro, the Canary Islands and Milan.

The scheme has faced fierce criticism from Ryanair and others. The European Union describes the Entry/Exit System (EES) as an automated IT system designed to register non-EU nationals travelling on short stays each time they cross the external borders of participating European countries.

Following years of postponements, the system was rolled out from October 2025, with full implementation originally anticipated by the following April. However, faced with the prospect of significant border queues due to software failures, officials granted countries a 150-day grace period during which they could drop the checks to avoid travel chaos.

That rule ended on September 6. The EU previously insisted there would be no extension.

Yet the Sunday Times reports that at least nine Schengen countries are understood to have told the European Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the EES, that they would not enforce the new controls in full until the technology and systems were working correctly.

They have informally been allowed to do so with no time limits apparently in place to adopt the system, it is being reported. One of the main purposes of the system is to track whether non-EU citizens have spent more than their permitted 90 days in the bloc in a rolling 180-day period.

Social media has been awash with debate about the scheme. One post on Reddit saw a traveller say: “They made a mess of it. Seems many basic things like it is hit and miss on the document scanning but also things like people walk up with hats and headphones and the machine doesn’t tell them to remove them, and organisational things like if the machine errors the traveller has to back out and has no where to go.

“The right way to do this would have been progressive: start by getting some people eg 5% going through the machine lane, everyone else through normal.

“The vendor observes problems, fixes them, once machine working well, increase to 10%, then 20% and so on.” Another person said: “The general lack of functionality of so many IT systems across the EU is kind of astonishing.”

A third added: “It’s worse than that. There isn’t even consistent protocol/IT support within a single EU airport.”

Another put it more simply, saying: “I just miss having stamps.”

‘People are missing their flights’

Nadia, from Greater Manchester, told the Guardian in August she had made two trips to Schengen areas this summer. A trip to Tenerife in June was “quite straightforward”, but her experience in July at Frankfurt airport where she was picking up a connecting flight home, was much less so.

“The queue there was ridiculously long, and there was very limited information,” she says. “People were wandering around trying to work out where they needed to go.

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“I’m very well travelled and pretty confident, but even I was slightly unsure and was thinking, is there some other queue I should be joining? There was no one nearby to check with without losing your place.”

Eventually, her passport was checked. “He didn’t actually take fingerprints then,” says Nadia, who is a solicitor. “I think the queue was so long they decided to dispense with that.

“It’s the efficiency of the system I question and the fact that individual member states’ systems do not talk to one another. They shouldn’t need to get information again if you have already gone through. It’s pretty shambolic, and I think people missing their flights because of it is just not acceptable, especially when there’s no recourse; it’s not your fault.”

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has repeatedly complained about EES. Speaking earlier this year, he said: “There’s a bit of Brexit in this too. Here, you voted for Brexit – f***ing join the queue.”

Developer Gleeson Regeneration Limited submitted the plans for farmland south of Alford Road and west of Kilton Lane to Redcar and Cleveland Council last year.

Members of the council’s regulatory committee followed a recommendation from a council officer who deemed the development acceptable in planning terms, also declaring: “The proposal is considered to provide a suitably designed, scaled and orientated development which would not pose any significant effect upon the character of the wider area”.

It will consist of 14 two bedroom semi detached, 50 three bedroom semi detached and 23 four bedroom detached properties.

A typical Gleeson Homes street scene. Picture/credit: Acer Architectural Ltd/Gleeson Homes. Free for use for all LDRS partners.

A new access route will be provided from Kilton Lane for vehicles with a pedestrian access proposed linking to Landsdowne Road to the north west of the site. 

Fifteen objection letters were received by the council from members of the public.

Meanwhile, Skelton and Brotton Parish Council raised a number of issues stating there was a lack of local facilities, the visual impact on the surrounding area and a loss of green space, among several grounds for objection.

The council’s development engineers, in their assessment, said a number of amenities were a ten minute walk away, while the nearest bus stop, on Alford Road, was a quarter of a mile away.

In relation to a transport assessment and travel plan prepared on behalf of the developer they concluded: “It has been demonstrated that the site does offer legitimate means of sustainable transport connectivity in accordance with local and national transport planning policy.”

Brotton ward councillor Graham Cutler described a potential knock-on effect on the A174 Kilton Lane roundabout suggesting improvement measures were needed due to an increase in traffic using the busy route, although this was deemed outside the scope of the development.

The predicted travel demand in terms of vehicles was 46 arrivals and departures in the morning peak each day and 45 in the evening peak, and said not to pose an adverse impact on road networks.

The development engineers advised that a T-junction providing access onto Kilton Lane would be sufficient to cater for the proposal with suitable visibility splays, and had no significant highway safety concerns.

Financial contributions have been agreed in relation to school provision, the local NHS, and leisure in order to address the demand generated by the proposal, a report said, amounting to more than £300,000.

Nine of the homes planned will also be in the ‘affordable’ category.

A design and access statement accompanying the application promised an “attractive and high quality environment” for householders occupying the new properties.

Much of the debate at the decision meeting centred on the pedestrian access planned to Landsdowne Road with concerns that it could be used as a “cut through” for bikers carrying out criminal activities.

A resident claimed it could “totally ruin” the peace and security of those living in existing properties.

Brotton councillor Barry Hunt said: “It will be used by bikes and for anti-social behaviour, delivering drugs.

“People will be terrorised.”

Chris Dodds, representing the applicant, said he understood the feeling expressed, but the pedestrian route would support access into the local centre in Brotton.

He said it would “narrow in as you get further up” with a barrier to restrict bikes and motorbikes.

Nonetheless, one committee member asked if the planned footpath could be removed entirely from the plans, but the council’s development services manager Claire Griffiths said it encouraged and maintained connectivity.

The council was also described as owning a section of land to the north, falling outside of the development boundary, which it could choose to remove access to in order to control any problem with anti-social behaviour.

The site of the proposed housing, along with further adjoining parcels of land, was previously allocated for residential development in the council’s Local Plan, being considered suitable for up to 270 homes that should be “well integrated with the existing built up area” and completed by 2032.