UK News and Discussions

[wjfox]

[Time_Traveller]

Rochdale by-election result live: George Galloway wins by 5,700 votes after Labour fiasco over Gaza

4 minutes ago

George Galloway has won the Rochdale by-election following a bizarre campaign dominated by the war in Gaza.

The former Labour politician and Celebrity Big Brother contestant took 12,335 votes and becomes the only MP for the Workers Party of Britain, which Mr Galloway founded in 2019. The party’s number 1 pledge is to “end imperialist wars” and withdraw from Nato.

There was an extraordinarily strong performance from local business owner David Tully, who stood as an independent and said he wanted to be a “breath of fresh air” in the contest. He came second to Mr Galloway with more than 6,600 votes.

Rochdale was held by Labour for the past seven years, but the party withdrew support from its candidate Azhar Ali over his suggestion Israel was complicit in the massacre of its own people on 7 October. The decision came too late to change ballot papers, meaning the party effectively had no candidate. He received 2,402 votes.

The by-election was called after the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd in January.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 04516.html

[firestar464]

Based on a read of his Wikipedia page, bro seems a little out there in terms of his foreign policy. Furthermore I don't think he represents the area well because FPTP splitting.

[wjfox]

^ George Galloway is a pretty extreme left-winger.

It'll be interesting to see how this victory affects Labour/Starmer's policy on Gaza.

[Time_Traveller]

BBC Studios buys ITV’s stake in streamer BritBox International for £255m

1 MARCH 2024

BBC Studios has bought out ITV’s 50% interest in streamer BritBox International in a deal worth £255m.

The landmark move gives BBC Studios sole ownership of the previously joint venture platform, which has a subscriber base of around 3.8m across the various territories it operates.

After the transaction has completed it will provide net proceeds including loan repayments and accrued dividends of around £235m after tax to ITV.

BBC Studios will move BritBox International into its global media and streaming division to sit alongside other direct-to-consumer propositions including factual streamer BBC Select. The move will see current global chief executive Reemah Sakaan exiting the company. New leadership plans are in place to ensure a smooth transition and will be announced shortly, BBC Studios said.

Sakaan has been an important part of the company since the start, and for the past three years has overseen the venture’s accelerated growth, creative success and expansion.

https://www.screendaily.com/news/bbc-st ... 42.article

[Time_Traveller]

We must face down extremists undermining democracy, says Rishi Sunak

2 minutes ago

The UK must face down extremists trying to "deliberately" undermine the country's "multi-faith democracy", Rishi Sunak has warned.

The PM said Islamists and the far-right were "two sides of the same extremist coin" who loathed Britain.

He also expressed concern about the regular protests taking place in response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Mr Sunak spoke at a lectern outside No 10, a set up usually reserved for big announcements such as elections.

However, he did not set out details of any new policies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68451333

[Time_Traveller]

Asda announces record £150m investment to become highest paying UK grocery retailer

March 1, 2024 07:00am

Asda has today announced proposals for a record £150m investment in its retail pay offer to become the highest paying UK grocery retailer as it opens its landmark 1,000th UK store.

Today’s announcement will see an 8.4% increase for hourly-paid store colleagues, with rates rising to £12.04 from 1st July**. Rates for inside the M25 will rise to £13.21.

This follows a 10% increase for hourly-paid retail roles during 2023, and a 28% total increase in retail pay since the acquisition of Asda by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital completed in 2021 – with a total investment of almost £415m.

The new proposed rates of pay will exceed the Government’s National Living Wage and the current Real Living Wage and London Living Wage recommended by the Living Wage Foundation, are set to apply to colleagues in Asda Retail and in Asda Express, subject to ballot. Usdaw, the trade union that negotiates with Asda on retail pay in Northern Ireland and in Asda Express, is recommending members accept the rates in a ballot that closes on 15th March. The outcome of the ballot together with confirmation of the pay rate increase for colleagues who have joined the business from former EG Group sites will be confirmed on 18 March.

The supermarket’s record investment is set to boost hourly pay rates for more than 120,000 colleagues, as Asda today opens its 1000th store – Asda Express in Stevenage – marking a significant milestone in the business achieving its commitment of becoming the second largest grocery retailer in the UK through its focus on convenience complementing its existing store estate.

https://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/202 ... y-retailer

This literally shames the other retail supermarkets.

[wjfox]

Tory peer calls for £10,000 ‘citizens inheritance’ for all 30-year-olds

Sat 2 Mar 2024 07.00 GMT

Ministers should hand all 30-year-olds a £10,000 “citizens inheritance” amid fears a £1.5tn wealth transfer to millennials will deepen inequalities, a Conservative peer has urged.

David Willetts, who leads the Intergenerational Centre thinktank, called for the next government to implement a major new policy to spread wealth in Britain.

It comes as research showed parents whose assets have been boosted by soaring property prices and final salary pensions are poised to bequeath millennial children about £150,000 each on average.

While annual inheritance transfers are forecast to rise by a third to £145bn by 2033, one in 10 millennials are still set to get nothing. By contrast, the top 10% will get more than £500,000 each and many much more, analysis for the Guardian by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found.

A separate analysis, by the estate agent Knight Frank, this week claimed that over the next two decades, $90tn of assets – mostly driven by rising house prices – will move between the silent generation and baby boomer and millennials in the US alone. This would make affluent millennials “the richest generation in history”.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -year-olds

[Time_Traveller]

Rwanda flights bill begins tricky House of Lords stage

2 minutes ago

The government's attempts to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda will be voted on by the House of Lords later.

There will be votes on this afternoon and this evening, and again on Wednesday - almost two years after ministers first announced the plan to send some migrants to east Africa.

The government has promised that the first flights to Rwanda will happen "in the spring".

You might recall the controversy over the idea back in January, when the former Conservative deputy chairman Lee Anderson was one of three Tories to resign, as around 60 of Rishi Sunak's MPs defied him.

Since then, the legislative digestive process has been gurgling on in the House of Lords, and will now lead to some votes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68466383

[Time_Traveller]

Tory MP Paul Scully resigns after warning of ‘no-go areas’ in London and Birmingham

1 hour ago

Tory MP Paul Scully has announced he is stepping down at the next general election after comments he made about “no go” areas in London and Birmingham were met with uproar.

Mr Scully evoked ire after he said that parts of Tower Hamlets and Birmingham Sparkhill were “no go areas” due to people “abusing” their own religion.

The former minister has now announced his resignation. Posting on social media site X, Mr Scully said:

“I have told my local association that I won’t be contesting the next General Election. Over the last nine years it’s been a privilege to represent in Parliament, the area which I called home for 35 years”

He added: “Fuelled by division, the party has lost its way and needs to get a clear focus which I hope the budget can start to provide. It needs a vision beyond crisis management which can appeal to a wider section of the electorate including younger people...”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 06560.html