Bin strikes in Scotland have started in 13 more local authorities after councils and unions failed to reach a pay agreement. The “international embarrassment” that is the bin strike in the middle of Edinburgh’s famed festival is only half way through its period of industrial action, and will continue until August 30. Scotland’s governing SNP […]
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Criminal barristers in England and Wales have voted to go on an all-out strike and victims’ advocates said the historic action is “entirely the government’s fault”. Already log-jammed courts will face even further stress when barristers begin their indefinite, uninterrupted strike on September 5 – the same day the next prime minister will be announced. […]
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Labour is extending its lead over the Conservative party and is now perceived as being less extreme and more economically competent than the Tories. Sir Keir Starmer’s party has taken a 15% lead over the Tories, according to the latest YouGov poll which puts the Tories on 28% – a 2% fall in a week […]
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Beachgoers in England and Wales have been warned to stay out of the water, not because of sharks but for something else beginning with ‘sh’. Pollution alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency after sewage was discharged on more than 50 beaches on Britain’s west, south and east coasts, including popular leisure spots. An […]
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UK energy suppliers are preparing to “wargame” emergency plans to avert blackouts this winter with warnings that low gas supplies could see power stations shut off. Government officials and sources at two power stations say they have been asked to review their plans to deal with threats of dangerously low supplies in order to prevent […]
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A number of factors are contributing to an upsurge in homeless figures. Private landlords have been issuing eviction notices to tenants many of whom are struggling to pay rent after pandemic payments ceased. The homelessness crisis may also be worsening, because landlords are asking tenants to leave before the government’s renters’ reform bill becomes law. […]
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Gordon Brown is demanding an emergency budget to address the “financial timebomb” that “will explode” in October and leave half of the UK’s population in fuel poverty, causing “a humanitarian crisis”. The former Labour prime minister said Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak must agree an emergency budget this week otherwise “parliament should be […]
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The Bank of England has raised interest rates by 0.5% to 1.75% and given a bleak warning that the UK faces a lengthy recession that will hit millions of the most vulnerable people hardest. UK interest rates are now at the highest level since January 2009 and today’s 0.5% hike is the steepest in 27 […]
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UK Parliament has ditched its TikTok account and deleted all content just a week after it launched, following China’s decision to sanction some MPs and peers. Downing Street and all UK politicians have been urged to do the same because of concerns over the app’s links to China. The @ukparliament account on TikTok was closed […]
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Home secretary Priti Patel will use the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham “as diplomatic cover” in her attempts to reach Rwanda-style deals with more African countries. A Home Office source said the Games “provide a platform for initial discussion” and meetings with delegations from Nigeria, Botswana, The Gambia and other countries are set to take place, […]
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