New pension scheme to ‘inject innovation’ into the industry August 1, 2022 A brand new vehicle to help Brits save for retirement launches today in what is being billed by ministers as “an injection of innovation” into the pension regime. Collective defined contribution pensions (CDC) will provide an alternative to defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, Britain’s two main retirement saving programmes. CDCs are [...]
Sunak’s pledge to fine NHS no-shows slammed by British Medical Association July 31, 2022 The British Medical Association (BMA) has today hit back at Rishi Sunak’s pledge to issue £10 fines to patients for missed GP appointments. The trade association said charging patients was not the answer to tackling the NHS backlog, and that it is “terribly disappointing that the candidates standing to be the next prime minister seem [...]
Russia ramps up pressure on Europe as it halts flows into another EU country July 31, 2022 Latvia is the latest European country to be cut off from Gazprom's gas flows, as Russia puts more pressure on Europe this winter.
Severing business ties with China risks weighing on UK economy, says CBI boss July 30, 2022 Severing ties with Chinese business risks weighing on the UK’s cost of living crisis, the boss of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has cautioned today. Worsening relations between Beijing and the West has piled scrutiny onto Chinese businesses and investments, including the move in 2020 to remove Shenzhen-based Huawei from UK 5G infrastructure, and [...]
US and Japan to split semiconductor research amid national security concerns July 30, 2022 The US and Japan have inked an agreement to set up a shared research centre for next-generation semiconductors, as supply of the in-demand tech becomes increasingly tied to national security. At a meeting in Washington on Friday, Japanese trade and foreign ministers Koichi Hagiuda and Yoshimasa Hayashi, with US secretary of state Antony Blinken and [...]
Developers warned: House-building in three West London boroughs stalled until 2030 over lack of power July 29, 2022 Developers in three West London boroughs have been warned they may not have electricity capacity for new homes until 2030. The Greater London Assembly (GLA) wrote to developers in Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow this week, airing concerns about “availability of electricity capacity” which could stall new homes. It said power companies were warning developers “electricity [...]
29m UK households to get £400 in instalments between October and March to help with energy bills July 29, 2022 As millions worry about the prospect of eye-watering energy bills this winter, the government has revealed how its £400 discount will be implemented. 29m households will receive a non-repayable sum of at least £400 over the course of six months as part of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The initiative, which will be administered by [...]
Yet another ‘housing policy’ designed mainly to frustrate housebuilding July 28, 2022 Pictured in an olive, recently waxed Barbour jacket in front of rolling green hills, Rishi Sunak looked every bit the country gentleman in pictures posted to his social media accounts yesterday. The reason? A commitment to protect the green belt. “We’ve seen too many examples of local councils circumventing the views of residents by taking [...]
Biden administration: 75,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured in Ukraine war so far July 28, 2022 Up to half the troops Russia has committed to the war in Ukraine have been killed or injured, according to classified information from the White House. Joe Biden’s administration officials told House lawmakers that 75,000 Russians have been killed or wounded during the ongoing war in Ukraine. Neither Russia or Ukraine have released official figures [...]
Martin Lewis begs Sunak and Truss to ‘sit down together and make a decision on soaring energy bills’ July 28, 2022 Martin Lewis has urged Tory leadership hopefuls to take action on eye-watering energy prices and “forestall the mental damage” debts will cause. The consumer champion who founded MoneySavingExpert.com said the situation with energy bills is reaching a “desperate” stage, and will impact on millions of households. He also warned the situation needed to be solved [...]