UK News and Discussions

[wjfox]

I don't even...

[Time_Traveller]

I don't even...

Nor me either, by this if the poll is correct and calculates into votes they would be Labour's opposition after the next general election which makes me cringe and shudder. What would the UK become if this comes true?

[Powers]

I don't even...

It's over.

[weatheriscool]

Pretty much the freedom caucus for the uk in control of the government. You've not seen shit yet is all I'll say.

[wjfox]

Yeah, this is actually quite scary.

I mean, I hate the Tories... but I hate Reform UK even more.

At least the Tories have some moderates and centrists.

Reform UK, however, is entirely hard-right (if not borderline fascist), and contains some absolute lunatics. They were among the loudest voices who pushed for Brexit, the single worst policy decision in our country's history.

[Time_Traveller]

Tories censored for sharing misleading information on social media five times more often than Labour

3 hours Ago

The Conservative Party is almost five times more likely to be censured on social media for sharing false or misleading information online than Labour, new research has claimed.

Top government accounts, including the prime minister, cabinet ministers and the official Conservative Twitter/X feed have accrued almost five times as many community notes as the opposition, a campaign group has said.

A fact-checking feature was made available on Twitter/X in the UK in January last year and allows users to add context or clarifications below posts that contain false or misleading information. Contributors can leave notes on any post and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown.

Research commissioned by pro-European campaign group Best for Britain examined the number of community notes accrued by all members of the cabinet and shadow cabinet, as well as their official party accounts, on Twitter/X.

In total, 73 posts from government party accounts had community notes attached, compared to 15 from official opposition accounts.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 16194.html

Not a surprise here, they have lied to the country for years or maybe decades..

[Time_Traveller]

BBC looks for commercial deals as it faces potential end of licence fee

Mon 25 Mar 2024 00.01 GMT

The BBC is to sign more deals with commercial partners in an effort to shore up its finances, with further cuts to services expected as it faces the potential end of the licence fee.

Tim Davie, the director general, will use a speech on Tuesday to pledge to “secure the future of the BBC” with a range of measures including more aggressively chasing profitable deals, such as the recent partnership with Disney to produce Doctor Who.

Davie will say it is necessary to “radically transform and renew” the BBC, another indication that further changes to the corporation’s output and job losses may be looming. Long-running expensive programmes could be for the chop, while there is a debate over whether the corporation can continue to support dozens of separate TV channels and radio stations at the same time as investing in digital output. Some of the BBC’s previous rounds of financial cuts have been going on for so long that they are likely to overlap with the next round of cuts.

He will acknowledge that the corporation is lagging behind global streaming rivals when it comes to its streaming apps, with the iPlayer homepage lacking the powerful personalisation and recommendation algorithms that power the likes of Netflix. As a result, he will pledge to rebuild all its online products to offer a more personalised service.

Davie will also warn about the effect on British society from losing shared cultural moments and allowing “US and Chinese algorithms” to shape what we consume and squeeze out British dramas: “We are in danger of allowing the UK’s world-class creative industries to be undermined, and diminishing our unique cultural identity and its remarkable influence worldwide.”

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/ ... icence-fee

[Time_Traveller]

Avanti to pay train drivers £600 a shift for overtime

15 hours ago



Train drivers at Avanti West Coast will see their fee for an overtime shift increase to £600 following a deal between the company and union Aslef.

Avanti said it hoped offering more attractive terms to its drivers to work extra shifts would make its services "more reliable and resilient".

The company has faced criticism over cancellations, delays and poor service.

The new rest day working agreement, up from £125, is in addition to a driver's salary.

The deal was struck on Thursday and will come into force on 29 March, remaining in place for 12 months, the BBC has been told.

The Sunday Times, which first reported the story, suggested some drivers could enjoy a salary of up to £100,000 a year, but neither Aslef nor Avanti were able to confirm these figures.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68650114

[Time_Traveller]

China accused of ‘malign’ cyberattack on Electoral Commission ‘after hacking data of 40million voters’

34 minutes ago

China has been accused of a “malign” cyberattack on Britain after it allegedly accessed millions of voters’ personal details during a hack on the election watchdog.

The UK is poised to sanction those believed to be involved in Chinese state-backed interference, after deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden sets out details about the alleged incident later on Monday.

He is expected to tell parliament that Beijing is behind a wave of cyberattacks on the Electoral Commission as well as against 43 MPs and peers, in a major hack which is reported to have begun in August 2021 but was not identified until October 2022.

Nuclear minister Andrew Bowie said the government will “stop at nothing” to protect British democracy.

He told LBC Radio: “The fact is that this government has invested a lot of time, money and effort in ensuring that our cyber security capabilities are at the place they need to be, we’ve increased the powers of our intelligence and security community to be able to deal with these threats.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 18002.html

[Time_Traveller]

At least four judges resign from men-only Garrick Club after backlash

Mon 25 Mar 2024 11.56 GMT

At least four senior judges have resigned from the men-only Garrick Club, the Judicial Office has said, as men in the legal profession come under increasing pressure over their close association with an organisation that has repeatedly blocked attempts to allow women to join.

The office confirmed that the appeal court judge Sir Keith Lindblom and the high court judges Sir Nicholas Cusworth, Sir Nicholas Lavender and Sir Ian Dove had resigned.

A spokesperson added that it was possible more had done so but had not reported such to the Judicial Office, which provides training and human resources advice to the judiciary in England and Wales.

The four judges were among dozens in the legal profession now known to have been members. Their number included a further four appeal court judges, five more high court judges, dozens of serving and retired judges, current and former ministers in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and numerous senior solicitors.

Their resignations followed those of the head of the civil service, Simon Case, and the MI6 chief, Richard Moore. They had faced intense criticism of their decision to join the club in the first place, and their decisions to leave last week placed further pressure on those then retaining membership.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... rrick-club

[Time_Traveller]

Former Tory MP Scott Benton resigns from parliament, triggering by-election

Monday 25 March 2024 15:18, UK



A former Tory MP who was facing the prospect of being removed from his seat by voters has announced he is resigning from parliament - triggering another by-election.

Scott Benton, who represents Blackpool South, said it had been "the honour of a lifetime to represent our wonderful Blackpool community in parliament over the last four years".

"It's with a heavy heart that I have written to the chancellor this morning to tender my resignation as your MP," he said in a post on X.

His resignation will trigger a by-election unless Rishi Sunak calls a general election sooner - something that is unlikely after he ruled out holding an election on May 2 and said he is still aiming for the second half of the year.

Mr Benton, who was elected to the seat in 2019, was facing a recall petition after he was suspended from the Commons for 35 days over his role in a lobbying sting.

https://news.sky.com/story/former-tory- ... n-13101692

[Time_Traveller]

Papa Johns pizza to shut nearly a tenth of UK sites

31 minutes ago

Pizza chain Papa Johns has said it will close nearly a tenth of its UK restaurants - all of which it says are "underperforming".

The closures follow a review of the business which identified sites that were "no longer financially viable".

The chain, which has 450 restaurants plus others in service stations and holiday parks, will close 43 sites but has not said how many jobs will be hit.

Separately, Revolution Bars has said it could sell "all or part of the group".

Its announcement followed reports that said Revolution could shut about 20 bars, or a roughly a quarter of its outlets.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68663844

[Time_Traveller]

Education minister Robert Halfon quits government

15 minutes ago

Robert Halfon has quit his government role as a junior education minister.

The MP for Harlow announced he is stepping down in letter to Rishi Sunak posted on social media site X, and will also be standing down as an MP at the general election.

He is joined by the armed forces minister James Heappey, who has also resigned.

The Conservative MP for Wells, Somerset, announced his intention to quit as an MP earlier this month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68669507

[Time_Traveller]

UK ministers vow to close loopholes in disposable vape ban

Mon 29 Jan 2024 08.25 GMT

UK ministers will aim to stop firms from skirting around an upcoming ban on disposable vapes by eliminating ruses such as attaching charging points to them, the health secretary has said.

The draft legislation, being introduced in parallel with an already announced ban on selling tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, would be put together with the help of experts who would try to anticipate possible loopholes, Victoria Atkins said.

“We will listen very carefully to suggestions that big tobacco and other vaping companies will somehow find a way around this,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“The motivation here is to help ensure that children and young people are not dragged into this addiction to nicotine, which sadly, these vapes can mean for children, young people.”

Questioned about the possibility of vaping firms adding USB charging points to what remained un-refillable and cheap vapes to dodge the ban, Artkins said: “That’s incredibly cynical and it shows, if you like, the battle that the government is prepared to take on.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... -loopholes

More news on this: -

Disposable bans will not work, says vape boss

18 hours ago



Banning disposable vapes will not be "effective", the boss of the UK's largest tobacco firm has told the BBC.

Tadeu Marroco, chief executive of British American Tobacco (BAT), also said raising the smoking age would have "non-intended consequences".

The government plans to outlaw disposable vapes next April as part of the "biggest public health measure in decades".

BAT is the UK's third-largest vape seller.

Sales of disposable vapes - which give a few hundred puffs of nicotine-containing liquid before being thrown away - have skyrocketed in recent years in Britain. It is estimated hundreds of millions are now sold every year, many of them illegal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68656715

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

State pension warning as ex-ministers say retirement age could hit 68 sooner than planned

10:56, 27 Mar 2024

The state pension age could rise to 68 even sooner than originally planned to pay for the triple lock, ex-ministers have warned.

Former Tory MP, now a Tory peer and president of the Resolution Foundation think-tank, Lord Willetts told the i newspaper that “precedent and evidence so far” could likely lead to faster rises in the pension age. Currently, you can claim your state pension from aged 66 and the Government has already planned to increase this to 67 between 2026 and 2028. A further increase to 68 is also scheduled between 2044 and 48.

With the triple lock promise, Lord Willetts said it was "possible that the further increase could be sped up”. It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the triple lock would be in the Tory's upcoming election manifesto and would remain in place throughout the next Parliament if the Conservatives win. Due to these potential changes, people aged 47 to 48 expecting to retire in 2044 at 68 years could have to wait longer for their pension.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/state-pe ... s-32450398

[weatheriscool]

[Powers]

[Time_Traveller]

Laurence Fox barred from London mayor race after forms error

15 minutes ago

Actor Laurence Fox will not be a candidate at the London mayoral elections after failing to fill in the nomination forms properly.

London Elects, which administers the mayoral and London Assembly elections, said the Reclaim Party leader had submitted his nomination papers shortly before the deadline on Wednesday, but they were subsequently found to contain errors that it was then too late to correct.

In now-deleted tweets, Mr Fox said his party had “checked, double checked and then triple checked our nominations” and would appeal against the decision, which he claimed was the result of “political corruption”.

But in an email also tweeted by the actor, election officials said nomination papers from two boroughs did not have the 10 supporters required, while three supporters from other boroughs “could not be reconciled to voter register records”.

The email said Mr Fox’s nomination as a London-wide assembly member candidate was valid, and added his party would be refunded the £20,000 fee and deposit paid for the mayoral nomination, plus another £5,000 Reclaim had overpaid “in error”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 20043.html

[Time_Traveller]

Thames Water boss says bills need to rise by 40%

16 minutes ago

The boss of Thames Water has told the BBC customer bills need to rise by 40% by 2030 to pay for improvements.

"That is the price customers have to pay for the investment in our infrastructure that's needed," he said.

The firm is in a race to find extra cash after its investors said they would not give the struggling water giant more money unless bills rise.

The regulator, whose approval is needed for any price rises, has so far pushed back on substantial bill increases.

Sources close to Ofwat say it plans to "stick to its guns" and won't raise bills to address shareholder problems.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68682198