Witnesses testifying at the Covid inquiry this week have pointed to the UK’s lack of preparedness, Brexit, austerity, and racism as the weaknesses leading to an inadequate response to the pandemic. Several experts said the UK had prepared for a deadly flu outbreak rather than a pandemic like coronavirus. They also accused the government of […]
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Conservative MPs fear the mortgage rate time bomb will cost them the next election because their government is blind to the impact of the “interest rate catastrophe”. The cost of mortgages have surged following successive interest rate rises and the Bank of England is predicted to hike them even higher this week – from 4.5% […]
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The 72-hour strike by junior doctors demanding pay restoration to 2008-2009 levels began this morning at 7 am. The previous strike in April translated into the cancellation of nearly 200,000 appointments, with this walkout likely to have a similar impact on patients. Almost all routine procedures will face disruption. NHS England’s medical director told the […]
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On Wednesday, the government defeated a Labour measure in the House of Commons, which would have seen the release of documents relating to the decision-making process on the controversial Teesworks investigation. Instead of an enquiry by the National Audit Office (NAO), as called for by Labour and some Tory MPs, the government has tasked, what […]
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Rail strikes have crippled services and disrupted events and holiday plans across Britain as 12,000 train drivers continue their industrial action today (June 3) over pay and conditions. The RMT union claims the strikes, which began last June, have so far cost the UK economy £5 billion – far more than a settlement would have […]
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Weak demand for UK-manufactured goods has led to a further contraction in manufacturing output for the tenth month in a row. The UK manufacturing slump means fewer new orders, scarcer employment opportunities, and reduced activity overall. The highly anticipated S&P Global/ CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI survey revealed a drop to 47.1 in May, down from […]
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The government has until 4pm today (June 1) to hand over Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry or face a court battle. Head of the inquiry Baroness Hallett, a former judge, has warned of legal action if all of the documents – including Johnson’s WhatsApp messages, notebooks and official diaries are not […]
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Labout has announced it will stop issuing any new oil and gas drilling licences if it wins the next general election. Sir Keir Starmer’s government would instead invest heavily in renewable sources – wind, solar hydro – and nuclear power “to invest in the green jobs of the future ”, reduce bills and “create a […]
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Ministers, MPs and retail bosses have warned Rishi Sunak that his plans for voluntary food price caps will lead to shortages on shelves and “not make a jot difference” to prices. Government ministers are also part of a growing backlash against the proposal to ask supermarkets and retailers to agree maximum prices for basic items […]
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England’s most polluting water company is handing more than £300 million to shareholders despite profits slumping by more than 25%. It comes a day after Severn Trent announced it was paying its shareholders an increased dividend of £261 million. Earlier this month the Financial Times reported that Britain’s privatised water and sewage companies paid £1.4 billion […]
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