More strikes in the new year as train drivers to walk out on 5 January December 20, 2022 Britain will need to brace for extra disruption in the new year as train drivers at 15 companies have announced they will strike on 5 January. Members of the union Aslef will down tools as part of a long-standing dispute over salaries, impacting services at the likes of Avanti West Coast, Govia Thameslink and London [...]
Explainer-in-brief: High Court gives the green light to the Rwanda asylum plan December 20, 2022 Yesterday, the High Court ruled that the controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was legal. But the judges also said that the Home Office had failed to properly consider the circumstances of the eight people it was trying to deport back in June, and invited the department to consider them once more. The [...]
Ofcom should regulate Netflix, says Rishi Sunak after Harry-Meghan row December 19, 2022 Rishi Sunak has proposed a change in law that would bring online streaming services like Netflix under Ofcom regulations. The Media Bill announced by the Boris Johnson government in May 2022 first suggested giving Ofcom regulation over streaming companies based overseas. Sunak has affirmed that there will be no change in this agenda. Currently, viewers [...]
Brexit: European nurses don’t want to work for NHS, report suggests December 19, 2022 Brexit-induced migratory hurdles and poor wages have made Britain an unattractive destination for Europe's nurses.
Number 10: Rishi Sunak ‘deeply regrets’ Christmas strikes December 19, 2022 Rishi Sunak “deeply regrets” the strikes disrupting the Christmas period but will not bend on public sector pay demands, Number 10 has said. Sunak’s official spokesman today said it is “still in the gift of the unions to step back and reconsider the approach” as Britain suffers from a series of December strikes. Up to [...]
Hunt confirms full fat budget and OBR forecast on 15 March 2023 December 19, 2022 The government will deliver a full fat budget on 15 March next year, chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed today. The announcement will be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of the government’s tax and spending plans on the public finances by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Last month, Hunt delivered what was in effect [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Ambulance strikes add further pressure on a strained system December 19, 2022 Amidst the chaos of the strikes rocking Britain, ambulance workers will join the walkouts this week, in what is expected to be the most disruptive wave of strikes so far. They will take place this Wednesday and again on the 28th of December. Health bosses have defined these strikes as the biggest danger to patients. [...]
The Labour Party has yet to find a compelling answer to the winter of strikes December 19, 2022 What we’re witnessing now reads like something from the political history section of an A-level history book. Welcome the widespread strikes, including in the public sector, a government struggling to manage a difficult economy, a charismatic union boss and a prime minister conscious of approaching elections but still hoping for an upswing in his fortunes. [...]
Rishi Sunak to extend energy bill support for all businesses December 18, 2022 All British businesses are set to benefit from an extension of the government’s energy support package for up to 12 months. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to sign-off on the extension, however it is expected that most businesses will be given a smaller discount on their energy bills from April. The Sunday Times reports [...]
Sunak bins Truss’s Energy Supply Taskforce after just three months December 18, 2022 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has scrapped a taskforce launched by his predecessor to shore up the UK’s energy security by striking a series of long-term deals with gas suppliers. The Energy Supply Taskforce, announced by Liz Truss towards the beginning of her short tenure in No 10 as part of a package of measures to [...]