Farewell to TV’s cockney casanova - page 3 California’s British Accent ™ - Since 1984 Saturday, March 6, 2021 • Number 1877 Always Free Meghan: I won’t stay silent! n Duchess fires back at claims she may have bullied Palace staff The Duchess of Sussex has said Buckingham Palace could not expect her and Prince Harry to be silent if it was “perpetuating falsehoods about us”. In a clip of Oprah all of this time, we would Winfrey’s interview with still just be silent if there the couple, Meghan had is an active role that been asked how she felt The Firm is playing in about the palace hearing perpetuating falsehoods her “speak your truth about us.” today”. The Duke and Duchess Meghan also said: “If of Sussex quit their roles that comes with risk of as senior working royals losing things, I mean... in March 2020, and now there is a lot that has live in California. been lost already.” A report in the Buckingham Palace is Times newspaper on investigating claims the Wednesday claimed duchess bullied royal the duchess faced a staff. complaint made in The allegations of October 2018, while the bullying levelled at duke and duchess were Meghan were published living at Kensington after the interview with Palace after their STORM CLOUDS BREWING: Oprah’s interview with the couple airs on Sunday night Oprah was recorded. marriage in May of that year. circumstances outlined by Meghan and Prince an example for doing could have her voice complaint A leaked email sent in the article. Harry. what is right and doing and could do things her The interview with from a staff member, “The Royal Household A statement issued by what is good.” way,” she told Radio 5 Oprah, which will air in which was published has had a Dignity at Meghan’s spokesman Author Anna Live. the US on Sunday and by the newspaper, Work policy in place in response to the Pasternak - who wrote But Rachel C. Boyle, in the UK on Monday, alleges that Meghan for a number of years newspaper’s story a book on Princess head of interdisciplinary is expected to detail drove two personal and does not and will said: “The duchess is Diana - said she thought studies at Leeds Beckett Harry and Meghan’s assistants out of the not tolerate bullying saddened by this latest “the whole issue stems University, said the short period as working household. The report or harassment in the attack on her character, to when Meghan first Oprah interview was royals together before claims she undermined workplace.” particularly as someone entered the Royal “absolutely the right they stepped down for a the confidence of a third who has been the target Family”. thing to do at this point”. life in the US. member of staff. investigation of bullying herself and “I think she was “I feel like Meghan In the 30-second teaser In a statement later, Past and present is deeply committed to naïve, she didn’t has not been given the clip released by CBS, Buckingham Palace - royal employees are to supporting those who really understand the opportunity to defend Oprah asks the duchess: which is responsible be invited to speak in have experienced pain monarchy or ‘The Firm’ herself or to respond to “How do you feel about for the hiring of royal confidence about their and trauma. as she rightly puts it, any of the claims that the palace hearing you staff - said it was experiences of working “She is determined and the constricts of have previously been speak your truth today?” “clearly very concerned for Meghan as part of to continue her work royal power. She was made about her in the Meghan replies: “I about allegations in the the investigation. building compassion naive to think that she media, in a space that don’t know how they Times” and its HR team The bullying around the world and could modernize the allows her to express could expect that, after would look into the allegations are denied will keep striving to set monarchy, that she herself.” News from Britain 2-4 • Stargazing 5 • Puzzles 5 • Brits in LA 8 • Meet a Member 9, • Sport 15-16 Page 2 The british Weekly, Sat. March 6 , 2021 News From Britain Sunak unveils huge tax hike n Highest rates for 50 years on the way as Chancellor aims to plug huge deficit following pandemic Rishi Sunak will raise not be popular” but the don’t think it would it was reduced when the taxes to the highest alternative was “doing be right or straight to economy stabilised. But level since the 1960s as nothing” and leaving the ignore holes in our public we have a larger state he attempts to repair debt problem to future finances and let them be and a smaller economy.” Britain’s finances generations. someone else’s problem He added that it was after spending an “I know the British to fix, which is why we’ve “very plausible” that “unimaginable” £352 people don’t like tax come up with a plan. The interest rates could rise in billion in response to the rises, nor do I,” he changes don’t come into the near future and that pandemic. told a Downing Street effect straight away and even a 1 per cent increase Unveiling the spring press conference. “But I protect public services would put government 2021 Budget the chancellor also know they dislike and working people.” debt up by £20 billion. announced that from 2023 dishonesty even more. He added: “Freezing Paul Johnson, head of corporation tax would That’s why I’ve been personal tax thresholds is the Institute for Fiscal rise from 19 to 25 per cent honest about the problem a progressive way to raise Studies, said that taxes for the most profitable we have and our plan to money. I think crucially were now likely to be at companies, raising nearly fix it.” what people need to their highest sustained £50 billion over the next understand is that no level in history. “This five years. ‘many years’ one’s take-home pay that time expect the tax He said that the basic rate Sunak said that it will they have today is affected burden to stay high,” he and higher rate income be the job of “many” or lowered by this policy. said. “We are in a new “I know the British people don’t like tax rises, tax thresholds would be governments to pay What it does do is remove phase of UK economic nor do I.” - Chancellor Rishi Sunak frozen from next year, back the £352 billion of the incremental benefit history.” raising an additional £19.2 coronavirus spending. that they might have The Resolution anyone earning above a year by 2025 because billion. “The shock that experienced in future as Foundation, another £53,685 would see their of the freeze in the The move, described coronavirus has done to inflation fed through to think tank, said that tax bills rise by up to £853 thresholds. as a stealth tax, will drag our economy has been their wages.” more than one million significant and …this people into paying the won’t be fixed overnight,” ‘tax burden’ higher rate of income tax he told BBC Breakfast. The Office for Budget and 1.3 million into the “It will be the work of Responsibility (OBR) basic rate. The wealthiest many years, decades and said that the tax burden fifth of households will governments to fully pay would rise to 35 per cent pay an average of £826 all that money back. But of GDP, the highest level more a year, while lower it is important that we get since Roy Jenkins was the earning households will our borrowing and debt Labour chancellor in the pay an extra £56. under control so it stops late 1960s. It represented The chancellor also froze going up even after we’ve the biggest net tax rise the lifetime allowance for recovered.” since 1993. pension savings along The chancellor also Richard Hughes, with the thresholds for defended the looming tax chairman of the OBR, inheritance tax, capital hikes on a post-budget said: “It’s a tax burden we gains tax and VAT, raising visit to Teesside, one of the haven’t seen in the recent a further £2.5 billion. main beneficiaries of this past and even when it Sunak acknowledged week’s announcements. was at that level it was not that the tax rises “might He told Sky News: “I sustained for very long - 171 Pier Ave. Ste. 121 • Santa Monica CA 90405 Heart surgery for Philip Tel: (310) 452 2621 • Fax: (310) 314-7653 The Duke of Edinburgh at St Bartholomew’s coronary artery after [email protected] www.british-weekly.com • Twitter/BritishWeekly has undergone successful hospital. being admitted to surgery for a pre- “His Royal Highness Papworth hospital in Managing Editor: Neil Fletcher existing heart condition, will remain in hospital Cambridgeshire over Deputy Editor: Nick Stark Buckingham Palace has for treatment, rest and the Christmas period Contributing Writers: Sean Borg, Alan Darby Drake, said. recuperation for a number following chest pains. John Hiscock, Eileen Lee, , Rick Parcell, Anne Shaw, Nick Prince Philip, 99, of days.” He was visited in King Stark, Craig Bobby Young is being treated at St Philip has spent more Edward VII’s Hospital Showbusiness Editor: Sean Borg Bartholomew’s hospital than two weeks in hospital on 20 February by Prince Advertising Manager: Mark Devlin in central London, after since first being admitted Charles, who made a 200- Legal Notices and DBAs: Mirelle Woolf being transferred there on to the private King mile round trip and stayed Distribution: Mirelle Woolf, Mercedes Grey Monday.