9 hours agoNew York StateComments Off on Reeves ‘accepted FREE tickets to Sabrina Carpenter concert’ as benefit cuts loom – months after Taylor Swift scandal
RACHEL Reeves bagged free VIP tickets to see pop star Sabrina Carpenter at the O2 Arena, reports claim.
The Chancellor enjoyed luxury hospitality in a corporate box last weekend as Labour rebels are battling against £6bn of looming benefit cuts, according to The i.
GettyChancellor Rachel Reeves is said to have accepted free tickets to Sabrina Carpenter’s London gig[/caption]
The SunSabrina Carpenter at O2 concert[/caption]
The box is owned by AEG – a former client of lobbying firm FTI Consulting, whose past clients include oil, tobacco, and banking giants.
While there’s no suggestion she broke any rules, it comes after a row last year when ministers racked up £23,000 in freebies for Taylor Swift concerts.
The revelation is awkward for the Chancellor as Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is set to announce a crackdown on disability benefits as early as next Tuesday.
While the Chancellor was at the gig, Work and Pensions Committee chair Debbie Abrahams was reportedly conducting a ring-round of Labour MPs to drum up opposition to the plans.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell, a leading figure in the revolt against benefit cuts, told The i: “I thought that this issue had been settled, and ministers would not be accepting free hospitality for personal benefit.
“So to hear of a repeat, should it have occurred, is deeply troubling, not least at a time when many disabled people are worried sick about having their lifeline of support reduced under the ‘Get Britain Working’ reforms.”
A Treasury spokesman said: “All declarations will be made in the usual way.”
First and foremost, I think it’s worth mentioning that sleep is very important to me.
As a result, I’m always experimenting with new ways to improve its quality.
That means I’m well versed in testing any products that might help, such as mattresses, bed bases, duvets, pillows, Oura rings — you name it.
During the three-month testing period, I (unsurprisingly) slept on it almost every night alongside my Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress.
I also dismantled it, reassembled it, and moved it to another room to assess how easy it was to build and handle in terms of weight.
Additionally, I compared it to three other bed bases, evaluating them based on ease of assembly, comfort, and overall quality.
Simba bed review: Quickfire Q&A
How much is a Simba bed frame? Prices start at £429 for a wooden double bed without any storage and go up to £2,549 for an all-singing, all-dancing super king with an electric ottoman. The bed I tested starts at £1,169 and goes up to £2,549.
Who’s a Simba bed frame best for? Those who have double, king, or super king mattress. There aren’t loads of options for single beds, and they tend to be almost as expensive as the double sizes. The divan bases are also pretty high off the ground, which would make them great for anyone with a bad back.
What I loved: The wide range of colour and fabric choices, the customisable storage options, the quality of the bed, and its appearance. It was also easy to assemble, and it comes with a 200-night trial and a 10-year guarantee.
What I didn’t: The price. It’s a lot of money to spend on a bed. However, if you’re going to invest in a piece of furniture it probably makes sense for it to be one you’re going to use for several hours each night.
Simba bed review: The Nitty Gritty
Samples and first Impressions
From left to right: Caramel, Antique White and Vanilla samples
Before placing my order for the bed frame, I ordered some fabric samples from the Simba website.
You can order up to four samples for free; I chose Caramel, Antique White and Vanilla and settled on Antique White.
When the bed was delivered, I opted for the VIP delivery service (£50), which involves the delivery team carrying it to the room of choice, building the bed for you, and removing all the packaging.
Considering how heavy the headboard is, I’d suggest this excellent service to anyone who may struggle to carry such a heavy object up a flight of stairs.
I loved that since my bed was put together for me, all I needed to do was plonk the mattress on top and fill the drawers.
However, it’s also worth mentioning that it took a little while for the bed to be delivered as each one is made to order. It took around a month from ordering to delivery.
My first impression of the bed was how elegant and grand it looked. The velvet material somehow elevated the room, making everything look more expensive.
It screams high quality and I’ve even had a few comments from friends and family on how lovely it looks.
Aside from appearance though, I’ve also been impressed with the quality and comfort of it.
My previous bed was an ottoman, which had a sturdy metal bar that ran down the middle, which I could feel as I slept, and it caused the mattress to arch.
Since switching to the Simba bed frame, the arch in the mattress has evened out slightly, and it’s comfortable to sleep in any position since there’s no longer a bar to contend with.
Bizarrely, I think the bed frame has also made our mattress more comfortable.
I already thought incredibly highly of my Simba Pro mattress, but since switching to the Melrose divan base, it seems to be even softer to sleep on.
As I’d cheated and paid someone to assemble the bed for me in the first instance, I decided to disassemble the bed, move it and reassemble it, to see how easy it was to set up and handle.
It’s by far the easiest bed I’ve ever had to assemble (and I’ve set up a fair few).
The two halves of the divan slot together, and then you simply screw the headboard to the base. Very simple.
Moving it, however, was a different story.
The two halves of the base are pretty light, if not a little awkward to move, but the headboard is extremely heavy.
I’d recommend having two people around to pick it up and move it, although I think even the pair of us would have struggled to get it up the stairs.
I also really love having drawers as opposed to ottoman storage.
While I could store more things in the ottoman, I found that it was hard to find anything under there, and I didn’t fully trust the mechanism not to fail and fall on me.
With the drawers, everything is much easier to find, and I’m far more likely to attempt to search for something as it doesn’t require having to lift the whole bed up to find what I’m looking for.
Lastly, I really like how high the bed is off the ground.
It gives off an air of luxury, but practically it also makes it great for anyone with a bad back, pregnant women, or anyone who might struggle to get up from low levels.
How much is a Simba bed?
There are 19 different styles of Simba bed frames many of which are customisable, which means the prices drastically vary.
The cheapest bed is the Ashdown, which is a rustic wooden bed frame that costs £429 for a double.
The most expensive bed frames are the Didsbury and Melrose, which without any storage cost £1,199 for a double.
However, if you were to order one in super king size in a luxury chenille fabric with an electric ottoman and dark wood feet, it would come to £2,549.
The frame I reviewed was a super king Melrose Bed in Antique White, with four drawers and dark wood legs, which came to £1,649.
However, prices for the Melrose bed start at £1,169 and go up to £2,549 depending on the size, storage type, and materials chosen.
Where to buy a Simba bed base
The only place you can currently purchase a Simba bed from is the Simba website.
Simba bed alternatives
There are a lot of places where you can purchase bed bases online.
For more affordable alternatives, which may vary in quality, you could try Dunlem, Dusk, Get Laid, and Daals.
Simba bed review: The Verdict
I'm a big fan of the Simba bed base.
It looks beautiful and has elevated my bedroom, my mattress, and most importantly, my sleep.
It’s obviously not cheap, and you could certainly find more affordable options, but based on the quality, appearance, and that each bed is made to order, I can see why it’s priced as it is.
If you decide to go ahead and order one, remember that each bed comes with a 200-night trial and a 10-year guarantee, so you’ll be able to return it if you change your mind or if anything goes wrong with it.
If you’re remortgaging and your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) has changed, you’ll get access to better rates than before.
Your LTV will go down if your outstanding mortgage is lower and/or your home’s value is higher.
A change to your credit score or a better salary could also help you access better rates.
And if you’re nearing the end of a fixed deal soon it’s worth looking for new deals now.
You can lock in current deals sometimes up to six months before your current deal ends.
Leaving a fixed deal early will usually come with an early exit fee, so you want to avoid this extra cost.
But depending on the cost and how much you could save by switching versus sticking, it could be worth paying to leave the deal – but compare the costs first.
You can also go to a mortgage broker who can compare a much larger range of deals for you.
Some will charge an extra fee but there are plenty who give advice for free and get paid only on commission from the lender.
You’ll also need to factor in fees for the mortgage, though some have no fees at all.
You can add the fee – sometimes more than £1,000 – to the cost of the mortgage, but be aware that means you’ll pay interest on it and so will cost more in the long term.
9 hours agoNew York StateComments Off on Six Nations in major broadcasting change as BBC loses rights to show England rugby matches
THE Six Nations will remain on ITV and the BBC until 2029 after a new TV deal was agreed.
But the Beeb won’t show ANYEngland matches from the start of next season.
GettyThe Six Nations will remain on ITV and the BBC until 2029[/caption]
GettyBut every England game will be shown on ITV[/caption]
Instead, every England’s men’s match will be broadcast on ITV for the next four years.
That meansSaturday’s potential title-deciding match between Wales and England will bethe last shown on BBC until at least 2030.
England will win the Six Nations if they beat Wales with the bonus point and France fail to beat Scotland, who can both win it all themselves.
A victory without the bonus may also be enough for Steve Borthwick’s side if France fail to win without a try-scoring bonus.
The TV deal, which is said to represent a significant uplift to the existing one of £90 million over four years, will give ITV 10 games per Championship.
That means that ITV will show two matches each weekend, while the BBC will host the other game.
This will include Wales and Scotland home games, as long as England are not involved.
Until now, ITV has had the rights to all England matches at Twickenham.
But the new agreement will see them show ALLEngland games home or away.
The agreement will see ITV pay a larger share of the rights for the matches that attract the biggest audiences.
Nevertheless, the fact the BBC will have no England games is a sign of its increasing struggle to pay for expensive rights, reports The Times.
The Six Nations has performed strongly for the free-to-air channels with audiences often topping four million.
It will also remain free-to-air in Ireland with RTE and Virgin Media sharing the rights.
The women’s Six Nations will remain solely on the BBC until 2029.
Chief Executive of Six Nations Rugby, Tom Harrison said: “The significance of these new and innovative free-to-air partnerships for the Six Nations cannot be overstated.
“By strengthening rugby’s relationships with ITV and BBC, the sport can continue to give as many fans as possible in the UK access to enjoy live coverage of the Six Nations.”
LEGHT DAWNEYNick Ball defence his WBA featherweight title against TJ Doheny on Saturday night[/caption]
LEGHT DAWNEYThe pair took part in a tense final stardown[/caption]
LEGHT DAWNEYSecurity had to stop the 126-pounders from prematurely trading blows[/caption]
And they could very well have prematurely traded blows had it not been for the intervention of security.
Tensions rose between the pair as a fired-up Doheny fired verbal jabs the way of WBA 126lbs titleholder.
Ball wasn’t in the mood to let the Irishman have the final word, saying: “You’re not ready”, before they continued to trade verbal barbs.
Doheny took things to the next level by pushing Ball on the shoulder his WBA strap was draped over.
Ball didn’t take too kindly to the challenger’s antics, returning the favour.
Doheny, 38, fumed at the physical response and made a beeline for the champion before being held back by security.
Footage of the incident went viral on social media and received a slew of comments from boxing fans, one of whom wrote on X: “The speaker always ends badly.”
