Labour warns UK has only half the childcare places it needs, as party demands urgent reform to support working parents March 8, 2023 The UK has only half the childcare places it needs, Labour has warned, with one in five providers haveing closed in the last five years. Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to lay out her party’s plans to reform the sector today and has vowed improvements will be her “first priority in government”. “The [...]
UK immigration hits record levels despite labour shortages March 8, 2023 Immigration to the UK has hit record levels, despite labour shortages in key sectors, amid a fresh wave of public positivity towards arrivals. In the year ending in June 2022, long-term immigration into the UK was around 1.1m, up by 435,000 on the previous annual figure. Employment-related migration fell in vital sectors such as hospitality [...]
PMQs sketch: Parliament turns into a school playground March 8, 2023 Rishi Sunak prepares for battle with the ECHR over his plans to tackle the small boats crisis as Keir Starmer fluffs his lines. Jessica Frank-Keyes debriefs on today’s Prime Minister’s Questions. Parliament may resemble the corridors of a minor public school at the best of times, but today there was a distinct school playground vibe to [...]
Met Police short of 1,000 officers as force admits it faces an uphill battle to recruit quality candidates March 8, 2023 The Met Police is set to be short of more than 1,000 officers this year, the force has said, amid an ongoing crisis in public trust and confidence. Officer numbers will be down by around 1,060 less than the target strength of 34,490, the Met Police has told City Hall. It comes as new commissioner [...]
RMT urged to cancel next week’s walkouts after Network Rail action suspended March 8, 2023 Rail union bosses have been urged to cancel next week’s walkouts at train companies after suspending planned industrial action at Network Rail. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents operators, called on the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) to “meet us for urgent talks”. The RMT has been engaged in national rail strikes in [...]
Russian mercenary Wagner Group claim gains in Ukraine stronghold of Bakhmut March 8, 2023 The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military company has claimed his troops have extended their gains in the key Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut as fierce fighting continues. Yevgeny Prigozhin said Wagner troops have taken full control of the eastern part of Bakhmut. He claimed they now control all districts east of the Bakhmutka River that [...]
Migrants arriving on small boats to be detained and removed ‘within weeks’, government says March 7, 2023 Migrants arriving in the UK on small boats from across the Channel will be detained and removed “within weeks”, under stringent new laws set out by the government. Home secretary Suella Braverman unveiled the Illegal Migration Bill in Parliament today, telling MPs there had been a 500 per cent increase in the dangerous journeys in [...]
Almost all London councils set to raise taxes as funding situation becomes ‘unsustainable’ March 7, 2023 More than half of local councils in England are set to make cuts to services while raising council tax by the highest possible amount amid an “unsustainable” funding system. A fifth of London councils say budget cuts will be evident to the public and almost 95 per cent will raise residents’ council tax bills, the [...]
Malware attacks on UK government devices up by 75 per cent, report reveals March 7, 2023 Malware attacks on UK government ‘internet of things’ devices have risen by 75 per cent, a new report has revealed. Attempted attacks on the so-called internet of things (IoT) devices used by UK government facilities and departments jumped from 38,334 in 2021 to 67,324 in 2022, according to a report by US cybersecurity company Sonicwall. [...]
Labour tells Jeremy Hunt to ‘get a move on’ with Solvency II reforms March 7, 2023 Labour has hit out at the government over delays to overhauling EU-era Solvency II rules demanding that it needs to “get a move on”. Shadow city minister Tulip Siddiq called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to reform the rules – which govern the sums of money insurers must hold on their balance sheets to protect themselves [...]