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Democrats put economy and affordability at center of final campaign push

With one week until Election Day, the final push is on. President Trump is making a swing through Texas, a state Republicans have long counted on, but where Democrats see an opportunity to make gains. With voters pointing to the cost of everyday necessities, the economy is looming large in the final week of the campaign. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Moreno snipes at El-Sayed over ‘used car salesman’ jab at Rogers video

27 October 2026 at 17:31
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) tussled Monday and Tuesday over a campaign advertisement the sitting senator made with the Democrat’s GOP challenger, Rep. Mike Rogers. Moreno, who was elected in 2024, appeared in a video alongside Rogers posted to the social platform X Monday, pushing for Michiganders to support…

Democrats hold 8-point advantage 1 week before midterms: Survey

27 October 2026 at 13:37
Democrats have an 8-point lead over Republicans in the final week before the midterm elections, according to a new survey released Tuesday. The Marist Poll, conducted alongside NPR and PBS News, found voters favor Democrats over Republicans by 52-44 precent. Independents also prefer Democrats over the GOP, with 52 percent saying so. Another 39 percent…

Labour faces accusations of breaking manifesto pledge over minimum wage for young people – as it happened

27 October 2026 at 16:42

Greens say Labour has ‘no respect for young people’ amid reports chancellor will pause equalisation of minimum wage for under-21s with that paid to older workers

Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, has not contested reports saying that, in the budget tomorrow, John Healey, the chancellor, will pause the process of equalising the lower national minimum wage paid to people under the age of 21 with the more generous national living wage that applies to older workers.

In an interview on the BBC this morning, Reynolds was asked to respond to a story suggesting the equalisation process has been put on hold because of concerns about youth unemployment.

John Healey will announce plans to increase the minimum wage by nearly 4% but slow the rise for young people after warnings that they are being priced out of jobs.

The Times has been told that the national living wage, which applies to those aged 21 and over, is expected to rise from £12.71 to around £13.20 – an increase of 3.9%.

The manifesto pledge on equalisation still applies, but it was always clear it would happen over time and we would take into account, as the minimum wage uprating each year always does, the relative strength of the labour market and other pressures …

Of course, you want not just good wages, but good work. And the way this has always been done – it is a balance of making sure the pressures on the labour market are taken into account. That is the approach you will see confirmed [in the budget].

Anyone doing a day’s work, needs to be paid the same rate for the same job. A young person’s rent and food bill is no less because they are young, so they need to receive the same wage.

Healey and Burnham are now breaking a manifesto pledge to young people that even Starmer managed to keep. Labour have no respect for young people, who appear to just be there for cheap labour for the wealthy and their corporate donors.

[It] wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but I wouldn’t ban anybody from doing so … I don’t want us to get into a world of cancel culture.

I’m not going to have run a party where we say you can’t talk about that person or that person. We have to be sensible about vetting. And we are.

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© Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

© Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

© Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Raskin says oil companies will face consequences for importing Russian diesel

27 October 2026 at 01:49
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, said oil companies will face repercussions if they import Russian diesel, comments that come shortly after President Trump announced a diesel deal with Moscow. In a Monday letter addressed to energy companies, Raskin said oil companies are going to “be held accountable” if…

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