White paper signals formal end to BBC licence fee April 29, 2022 The government has issued a white paper signalling the formal end of the BBC licence fee. The 42-page document acknowledged “clear challenges on the horizon to the sustainability of the licence fee”, while saying sanctions for not paying the fee were “disproportionate and unfair”. According to the Times, the government said: “We need to consider [...]
City firms pledge to employ ex-offenders as prisons minister calls on bosses to ‘break offending cycle’ April 29, 2022 Business chiefs, including from telecoms giant TalkTalk and construction firm Murphy, have pledged to employ hundreds of ex-offenders. The prisons minister will today urge City bosses to put their weight behind a government scheme to help prisoners back into work upon release. “Getting prison leavers into steady jobs is a win-win. It cuts crime and [...]
Putin to ‘lay the groundwork for an announcement to cover his failure’ and admit Ukraine is a war April 28, 2022 The UK Defence Secretary said this morning that people should not be “too alarmed” by the Russian president’s warning that countries intervening in the Ukraine war will be met with a “lightning-fast” response. Ben Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Vladimir Putin has made similar threats before and was trying to “lay the [...]
Foreign Office confirms a British national has been killed in Ukraine April 28, 2022 The foreign office has confirmed a British national has been killed in Ukraine. The unnamed individual was reported dead on Thursday while a second person is reported missing. According to Sky News, the foreign office said: “We can confirm that a British national has been killed in Ukraine and are supporting their family.” “We are [...]
French firm handling passport application phone lines is called in by UK government over backlog chaos April 28, 2022 The head of a French firm tasked with handling help lines for passport applications has been called in by the UK government over its handling of the backlog chaos. Teleperformance is being urged to answer questions about lengthy delays on the phones and a failure to process applications, after millions of Brits were left in [...]
Labour backs suspension of MP Liam Byrne from Commons over bullying complaints April 28, 2022 Labour has backed the suspension of one of its MPs from the Commons over bullying complaints, following an investigation by a Parliamentary committee Liam Byrne could face two days out of parliament following a probe by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The panel upheld a complaint against the MP by a former member of his [...]
China cuts coal import tariffs in supply security push April 28, 2022 China will cut import tariffs for all types of coal to zero next month, as the country prioritise energy security despite its climate pledges.
Tory MP Jamie Wallis charged over car crash April 28, 2022 Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has been charged for fleeing the scene of a car cash in Wales last year. South Wales Police has charged Wallis with failing to stop, driving without due care and attention, failure to report a road traffic collision and leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position. Wallis came out as the first [...]
It would be ‘silly’ to provide households with more support before price cap update, says Rishi Sunak April 28, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak plays down the prospect of immediate support for households despite mounting pressure on consumers.
UK delays Brexit checks on EU imports for a third time April 28, 2022 The UK has delayed post-Brexit checks on EU food imports for a third time, with the new red tape now set to come in at the end of 2023. Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg made the announcement today, saying it was not the right time to introduce more checks while the Ukraine war was already [...]