Planning bids for new homes rise in England but building remains low, data suggests

Pritti Mistry,Business reporterand Archie Mitchell Getty Images Households are facing a “truly dismal” increase in living standards after the Budget, the head of an influential think tank has warned as it accused Labour of breaching its manifesto promise. Average disposable income – a measure of people’s earnings after tax – will rise by just 0.5%…

Hundreds of thousands of workers have taken take part in strike action across France on Thursday, after trade unions called for a day of protests against budget cuts. Organisers said one million people turned out, while the interior ministry put that number at 500,000, with 80,000 police officers deployed. Scuffles were reported in the cities…