weatheriscool wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2024 2:36 pm
James Cleverly has therefore been eliminated.
A man who joked about spiking his wife's drink with Rohypnol, a date rape drug, just hours after the government announced new measures to combat drink spiking.
And called the Stockton North constituency a "shithole" in response to a question in the House of Commons.
More workers to get sick pay and parental leave rights
10 October 2024, 00:03 BST
Millions of people will be able to get sick pay from the first day they are ill and claim unpaid parental leave as soon as they start a job, in a major overhaul of workers' rights.
However, certain measures in the Employment Rights Bill have been criticised for being watered down or delayed.
Most of the planned changes will not take effect for two years following a period of consultation.
The government said the bill marked the "biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation", but business groups are concerned about how the changes will work in practice.
The government is seeking to be pro-worker and pro-business and striking that balance means that much of the detail is still to be decided.
Tory centrists refuse to back Jenrick or Badenoch as MPs leave them disenfranchised
2 hours ago
The leading centrist group on the left of the Tory party has announced it will not endorse either of the hard-right candidates put forward by Conservative MPs in the race to become leader.
The Tory Reform Group (TRG), which is in its 50th year, issued a statement after former home secretary James Cleverly was shockingly eliminated from the contest on Wednesday.
It leaves two right-wing candidates Robert Jenrick, who wants the UK to leave the European Convention of Human Rights, and Kemi Badenoch, who has been a leading voice in the so-called culture wars, including on trans issues.
The TRG statement read: “Unfortunately, we have been consistently disappointed by the lack of engagement from the two candidates chosen by MPs.
"Both have used rhetoric and focused on issues which are far and away from the party at its best, let alone the One Nation values we cherish and uphold."
P&O Ferries pull £1bn UK investment after Labour’s ‘cowboy’ attack
11 minutes ago
Keir Starmer’s goal of turning Britain around with a surge in economic growth has suffered a major blow after a £1 billion investment was pulled because of a ministerial blunder.
On the eve of Sir Keir’s much-hyped investment summit - which he and chancellor Rachel Reeves have pinned their hopes on kickstarting a new era of growth - Dubai-based DP World has pulled out of a £1 billion planned investment in its London Gateway container port.
The major port and logistics firm has scrapped its investment in the key London shipping facility after deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and transport secretary Louise Haigh were critical of the company when the deputy prime minister introduced her new workers rights package.
In particular, it is understood that DP World objected to Ms Haigh calling them a “cowboy operator” and using an interview with ITV to threaten a boycott of the company.
However, as a blame game erupted it is being claimed that Downing Street signed off the offending press release and friends of Ms Haigh have pointed out that almost every member of the cabinet has attacked P&O over the last two years for firing and rehiring 800 employees. The issue became a major cause in the trade union drive to bring in new workers rights and protections which were announced this week.
P&O Ferries owner's £1bn investment in UK will go ahead despite transport secretary calling for boycott of shipping firm
Saturday 12 October 2024 18:34, UK
A £1bn investment in Britain by port operator DP World will go ahead as planned, after a frantic effort by ministers and diplomats to repair relations following a row with the Dubai-owned multinational that threatened to overshadow a crucial investment summit.
On Friday, Sky News revealed that the planned investment was under review and that DP World's chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, had cancelled plans to attend the summit, following criticism by ministers of P&O Ferries, a subsidiary company.
On Wednesday, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh described P&O Ferries, which summarily sacked 800 seafarers in March 2022, as a "rogue operator" and called for a consumer boycott.
Her comments caused considerable offence to DP World's leadership as it prepared to sign-off of the £1bn investment in London Gateway container port, timed to coincide with the summit.
In an attempt to salvage the situation Sir Keir Starmer slapped down Ms Haigh, saying the government did not share her views, and officials from Downing Street and the Foreign Office are understood to have been involved in efforts to repair relations.
Reeves hints at rise in employer national insurance despite claims it breaches manifesto
Mon 14 Oct 2024 19.07 BST
Rachel Reeves has dropped her strongest hint yet that she is planning to raise employer national insurance contributions in the budget, prompting accusations Labour is about to break a manifesto promise.
The chancellor used the government’s international investment summit at London’s Guildhall on Monday to warn of tax rises to come in this month’s announcement, insisting that business would understand the need for fiscal stability.
After days of rumours that Reeves is planning to increase employer national insurance contributions, the chancellor refused to rule out doing so, adding that executives would understand the need for such decisions.
“We will stick to the commitments we made in our manifesto,” she said. “But you know there is a £22bn black hole over and above anything we knew about going into the election that we need to fill, and that’s not just a one year, that persists throughout the forecast period.
“So we are going to need to sort of close that gap between what government is spending and bringing in through tax receipts. But we are going to be a government that sticks to our manifesto commitments, including that one [on not raising taxes on working people].”
Water industry ownership should be decided by citizens’ assembly, new bill says
Wed 16 Oct 2024 05.00 BST
The future ownership of the water industry should be decided by a citizens’ assembly to remove decision-making from boardrooms and impose democracy on the sector, a private member’s bill is to argue.
Labour MP Clive Lewis, who in the past has called for water to be put back into public ownership, will introduce his bill on the future of water ownership and management later today.
Lewis said he wanted to create an open conversation in parliament and involve the public in water management through a citizens’ assembly as well as push the debate beyond “simplistic and unhelpful narratives of privatisation v nationalisation”.
Lewis’s bill says the conversation about future ownership of water must be held openly. He said: “This bill puts the conversation about the future management of water where it should be – in the hands of parliament and the public.
“This is a conversation that must take place in broad daylight, not behind the closed doors of boardrooms or through opaque industry lobbying. Water belongs to all of us, so how it is managed is a question of economic democracy. This should not be difficult for any government to grasp.”
UK inflation falls below 2% for first time since 2021 in boost to Rachel Reeves
Wed 16 Oct 2024 09.54 BST
Inflation in the UK has fallen to its lowest level in three and a half years, giving a pre-budget boost to Rachel Reeves as expectations grow for the Bank of England to cut interest rates.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the consumer prices index dropped sharply to 1.7%, down from 2.2% in August, in a bigger fall than anticipated in financial markets, driven by lower air fares and petrol prices.
It is the first time headline inflation has dropped below the central bank’s 2% target since April 2021, giving positive news to the chancellor before her set-piece tax and spending event in two weeks’ time.
Reeves has said Labour’s first budget since 2010 will focus on three key objectives: protecting household incomes, repairing public services, and fixing the foundations of the economy with investment in infrastructure. The chancellor has said low and stable inflation is key to her first goal.
The pound fell against the US dollar and the euro on international currency markets, while UK government borrowing costs fell in anticipation of the Bank cutting interest rates.
A Glimpse Into London's Future: What Big Things Are On The Horizon For The Capital?
Last Updated 10 September 2024
We may not be able to see into London's distant future, but certain major happenings lie just over the horizon. Here's a glimpse into the London of the near future.
Business owners look to leave UK if Budget contains capital gains tax hike
October 18, 2024 1:00 pm
The UK could lose a “sizeable number” of business owners if taxes are raised in Labour’s first Budget, the Chancellor has been warned.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of 500 business owners with turnovers of £5m upwards said they would consider moving their business abroad if tax changes on 30 October were clearly unfavourable, according to professional services firm Evelyn Partners.
Labour has ruled out increasing the main rate of corporation tax above 25 per cent and has pledged to freeze headline rates of VAT, income tax and national insurance (NI) contributions for “working people”.
But speculation is rife that other taxes that directly affect decision making for business owners – mainly increasing capital gains tax (CGT) rates and curtailing Business Relief, which can help reduce inheritance tax (IHT) – will be adversely changed in the Budget.
Toby Tallon, tax partner at Evelyn Partners, said he has seen an influx of queries from business owners who are anxious about what any potential tax changes could mean for them personally and their businesses, with some mulling the option of becoming non-resident.
New ‘buy now, pay later’ rules to protect UK consumers won’t come until 2026
October 18, 2024 5:30 am
Millions of consumers who use buy now, pay later (bnpl) services are to get better protections under new rules proposed by the government.
BNPL products allow shoppers to spread the cost of purchases over time, but the sector is unregulated and borrowers do not enjoy some of the legal protections provided by other consumer credit products. Critics say the products can lead to people taking too much debt and getting into financial difficulties.
Firms such as Klarna and Clearpay have seen demand surge by allowing customers to spread out the cost of purchases. Worldwide buy now, pay later (BNPL) transactions are predicted to increase by nearly $450bn (£345bn) by 2026. During the pandemic the alternative payment method is estimated to have grown almost 400 per cent.
Now the government is proposing to bring companies offering the services under the supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ensure consumers receive clear information, avoid unaffordable borrowing and have strong rights when issues arise.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq said: “Our approach will give shoppers access to the key protections provided by other forms of credit while providing the sector with the certainty it needs to innovate and grow.”
Labour to reinstate Phase 2a of HS2 following Sunak cuts
2024-10-18 09:26
abour is set to reinstate Phase 2a of HS2 after the beleaguered rail project got scaled back under the previous administration.
Reports in LBC suggest the rail line, which is also likely to run into central London rather than terminating at Old Oak Common in west London, will now reach Crewe in the northwest after being cut short by RIshi Sunak.
Insiders close to the project say ministers have re-evaluated the cost-benefit analysis of HS2 and decided the railway should go beyond Birmingham.
LBC reported that the prime minister had held private discussions at Labour Party conference and a formal announcement was planned for 2025.
It also reported that Phase 2a would be delivered by a private consortium, according to its sources, and the government was preparing an “imminent” decision regarding the reinstatement of the line to its central London terminus at Euston.
Doors to ‘gold-plated Narnia’ set to close for hereditary peers
2024-10-16 10:08
The end of hereditary peers has moved a step closer after a draft law that would remove them from the House of Lords passed to its next stage.
There are currently 92 seats for hereditary peers who have inherited their titles from their families, but those look set to be scrapped after Labour made a commitment in its general election manifesto.
Introducing the bill on its second outing, Constitutional Affairs Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said it was a change that was “long overdue”.
“It isn’t right that what was a temporary arrangement in 1999 should last any longer,” the minister said.
He said it was “indefeasible for people to sit in our legislature as an act of birth” and it was “important that our second chamber represents modern Britain”.
NHS set to receive 4% budget rise but health chiefs say it may not be enough
Fri 18 Oct 2024 18.17 BST
The NHS is set to get an inflation-busting 4% rise in its budget next year but health chiefs have said it may not allow them to cut waiting lists for another 18 months, the Guardian has learned.
The health service is on course to be one of the big winners in Rachel Reeves’s spending review on 30 October if it gets a proposed 4% real-terms uplift from the Treasury.
This could translate to a cash injection of about £7bn for the health budget in England, while other ministerial departments are facing much tougher settlements with some likely to have to cut capital spending.
Nevertheless, NHS chiefs are privately raising the alarm over the plans, saying the increased funding may not be enough to deliver Labour’s key pledge of cutting the huge care backlog and adding millions of extra appointments.
One Whitehall source said it would only allow them to “stand still” on waiting lists, rather than make progress with reducing them.
Full medical records, tests results and letters from doctors will all be available in the NHS App under plans for a digital revolution in the health service in England.
Ministers hope the changes - part of new 10-year strategy for the NHS in England - will overhaul the way patients interact with the health service in the same way apps have changed the way we bank.
Currently the NHS App is limited because patients records are held locally by a patient's GP and any hospitals they visit - and not all parts of the health service interact with the app.
But the government said it was pushing ahead with plans to create a single patient record.
Campaigners have raised concerns about data protection, but ministers say they are “absolutely committed” to protecting confidential medical information.
Drinking water shortage could hit UK homes in 15 years, minister warns
1 hour ago
The UK risks suffering a shortage of drinking water by the mid-2030s, a Labour cabinet minister has warned.
Environment secretary Steve Reed said without investment in the country’s creaking infrastructure, the system could run into crisis.
His warning came as it emerged that water companies want to raise bills by 84 per cent by 2030. Mr Reed described the proposed price hikes as "eye-watering" - but said the issue was not one for ministers.
He told LBC Radio: “We're all facing a shortage of water within a decade and a half if we don't act now.”
Ministers have launched the biggest review of the water industry for almost four decades, after a series of scandals involving sewage dumping in Britain’s lakes and rivers.
Commonwealth leaders to defy UK on slavery reparations
24 October 2024, 05:54 BST
Commonwealth heads of government are preparing to defy the United Kingdom and agree plans to examine reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade, the BBC has learned.
Downing Street insists the issue is not on the agenda for the summit of 56 Commonwealth countries, which begins in the Pacific island nation of Samoa on Friday.
But diplomatic sources said officials were negotiating an agreement to conduct further research and begin a “meaningful conversation” about an issue which could potentially leave the UK owing billions of pounds in reparations.
Frederick Mitchell, foreign minister of the Bahamas, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “Once you broach the subject it may take a while for people to come around but come around they will."
Reparatory justice for slavery can come in many forms, including financial reparations, debt relief, an official apology, educational programmes, building museums, economic support, and public health assistance.
The sale of single-use disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales from June next year, the government has confirmed.
Ministers in England said the move, first announced in January by the previous government but not enacted before the general election, is intended to protect children's health and prevent environmental damage.
The government said it had worked closely with the devolved nations and they would "align coming into force dates" on bans, with Wales already confirming it will follow suit.
Vaping industry leaders have warned the move could fuel a rise in illegal sales of the products.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9% of the British public now buying and using the products.
No 10 blocking outdoor smoking ban amid hospitality opposition
Fri 25 Oct 2024 00.05 BST
Downing Street is blocking moves to include a ban on smoking outdoors in the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes bill amid fierce opposition by the hospitality trade.
No 10 officials privately believe that banning people from lighting up in pub gardens is “an unserious” policy and is not backed by good evidence showing that it harms non-smokers.
Differences of opinion in government about an outdoor ban, and uncertainty about the potential risks of pressing ahead with it, lie behind the delayed publication of its long-promised landmark bill. It will make the UK the world’s first country to progressively raise the age at which people can buy tobacco until no one can do so legally.
Keir Starmer has insisted that he is ready to face down critics of his drive to eradicate smoking because action is needed to reduce the 80,000 annual death toll from Britain’s biggest killer.
But No 10 was said to be “spooked” by strongly worded warnings that job losses and pub closures will result if smoking in some outdoor settings is outlawed, despite the prime minister’s repeated insistence that “nanny state” jibes will not stop him taking robust action to improve public health.
Planned ban on smoking in pub gardens ‘set to be ditched by No 10’ after hospitality rebellion.
11 hours ago
Sir Keir Starmer is set to drop a proposed ban on smoking in pub and restaurant gardens, it’s been reported.
Smokers will still be barred from lighting up outside hospitals and schools, under plans first outlined in the summer.
But the government will axe the idea of including pubs and racecourses in the outdoors smoking ban, according to The Sun.
It’s thought ministers reconsidered their plans in the light of outrage from pub landlords and hospitality chiefs, who warned customers would be deterred and their futures threatened.
In late August, when the idea first emerged, the prime minister said action was needed to reduce the burden of smoking-related disease on the NHS and the taxpayer.
