Almost half of people in Britain live in areas where economic growth does not translate into a better quality of life with a stark North-South divide in the spending power of households, a new report finds. Researchers at consultancy firm PwC said every region the north of England, midlands and Wales had a lower spending power than the country's average, with London and the South East comfortably above. The findings come as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to tackle the cost of living and regional inequalities in order to boost living standards. But questions remain over the new PM's economic policies with surges in UK government borrowing costs set to impact public spending choices. The report released on Thursday said the equivalent of 12.5 million households - 46% - lived in parts of the country where economic growth, often seen through increased business investment and job opportunities, were not leading to better living standards.

Starmer could have scrapped child benefit cap last year - why did he wait? I can't remember when I last heard Sir Keir Starmer sounding so passionate. The prime minister's critics regularly lambast him for what they see as robotic or emotion-free communication, but you could not accuse him of that as we spoke on a post-Budget visit to a community centre in Rugby, Warwickshire. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his tone. I have repeatedly said that I want my government to drive down child poverty.