Agreed, let the downfall of the Tories commence and let her gibber until the local and national elections.wjfox wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 3:05 pm
Indeed. You'd think she'd be keeping a low profile, and doing a bit of self-reflection, after wiping £30 billion from our economy and having such an embarrassingly short tenure. But instead she has doubled-down on her insane rhetoric.
Actually, maybe this is a good thing. The more she talks, the less likely people are to vote Conservative.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-6836832040 minutes ago
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sir Lindsay Hoyle's decision to depart from convention during a debate on the Gaza conflict was "very concerning".
The Commons Speaker is facing pressure to quit, after chaotic scenes in Parliament and acrimonious debate.
Sir Lindsay has apologised for giving MPs a vote on a Labour amendment during an SNP debate on Gaza, but said he had done it to ensure MPs' safety.
The SNP are calling for a vote on Sir Lindsay's future.
Mr Sunak called Sir Lindsay's decision "very concerning because the usual ways in which Parliament works were changed".
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ncies-cutsFri 23 Feb 2024 15.45 GMT
Nationwide building society has put more than 300 people’s jobs at risk in the lender’s third round of cuts over the past 12 months as bosses push ahead with a major restructuring plan.
A letter sent to staff by Nationwide’s employee union, and seen by the Guardian, explains that the latest redundancies will affect workers across its retail service, customer resolutions, support and retail-risk divisions.
The changes will put 305 people at risk of redundancy, and ultimately lead to about 125 job cuts, in a move that is meant to “align operations to where customer needs are greatest, provide greater clarity of roles, and simpler reporting lines”, the letter said.
It appears to be part of a drip-feeding of bad news for Nationwide’s almost 13,000-strong workforce, and takes total job losses over the past year to nearly 800. That includes the 200 staff who lost their jobs as part of redundancies announced shortly before the Christmas holidays, and 450 last spring.
In December, its chief executive, Debbie Crosbie, also rescinded a “work anywhere” policy launched under her predecessor, Joe Garner, during the Covid pandemic. The changes, introduced last month, mean that staff have to be in the office for at least 40% of their contract – two days a week for a full-time employee.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-683808538 hours ago
The sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland could be banned by 1 April next year.
It follows a UK-wide consultation last year, with the date agreed by the devolved governments and Westminster.
The draft legislation - which is open for consultation until 8 March - is being taken forward in Scotland using powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The age limit for buying tobacco would also change under UK government plans.
Separate legislation has been introduced by each nation on banning the sale and supply of single-use vapes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-683926212 minutes ago
The former Tory deputy chairman has been suspended from the party after "refusing to apologise" for comments aimed at Sadiq Khan.
Lee Anderson told GB News on Friday "Islamists" had "got control" of the mayor of London.
Mr Khan described the remarks as "pouring fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred".
Losing the Tory whip essentially expels Mr Anderson from his party in Parliament.
Pressure had been mounting on Rishi Sunak to take action over the comments from the Ashfield MP after Mr Khan criticised a "deafening silence" from the prime minister and his Cabinet.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-6839382211 hours ago
The RMT Union has announced it will be supporting former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the next general election.
Mr Corbyn is the independent MP for Islington North - a seat he has held since 1983.
Last year, the 74-year-old was banned from standing for Labour, having been suspended from the parliamentary party over an antisemitism row in 2020.
RMT leader Mick Lynch said the union would back Mr Corbyn should he run for his seat again as an independent.
"We will support all sorts of people in this election, because we're not affiliated," Mr Lynch told the War on Want conference.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-683965591 hour ago
The deputy prime minister has declined to say whether Lee Anderson's comments were Islamophobic and said the MP would have kept his job had he apologised.
On Saturday Mr Anderson was suspended as a Conservative MP after refusing to apologise for saying London Mayor Sadiq Khan is controlled by "Islamists".
Oliver Dowden told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Mr Anderson was not "intending to be Islamophobic".
Mr Anderson's comments have been widely condemned.
Speaking to GB News on Friday, Mr Anderson, who presents on the channel, said: "I don't actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they've got control of Khan and they've got control of London… He's actually given our capital city away to his mates.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 04516.html4 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.screendaily.com/news/bbc-st ... 42.article1 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.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-684513332 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://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/202 ... y-retailerMarch 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://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-684663832 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.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 06560.html1 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...”
