Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

NHS England leaders have responded positively to the £6bn budget increase from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aimed at addressing rising demands, tackling the care backlog, and upgrading outdated IT systems. The budget for 2024/25 will see a £2.5bn increase for day-to-day operations, raising the total to £164.9bn, slightly higher than this year's £163.2bn. Julian Hartley, CEO of NHS Providers, viewed the funding as a temporary relief from financial strains, while Matthew Taylor, chief of the NHS Confederation, felt the amount was insufficient to significantly improve the service. Additionally, £3.4bn over three years is allocated to enhance NHS productivity, with £2bn targeted at modernising inefficient IT systems. This investment is expected to save time and resources, potentially leading to £4bn savings over five years. The budget also includes £430m to improve patient access to care and reduce waiting lists, partially through enhanced use of the NHS App. However, adult social care remains underfunded, causing concern among organisations like the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Age UK. The budget also acknowledged the need for reform in children's residential care, setting aside £165m to curb profiteering. Yet, it falls short in addressing the housing crisis, with no substantial investment for new social homes and a capital gains tax cut that could negatively impact renters.

Germany's ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, has declined to apologise for a leaked call that inadvertently exposed details about British troops in Ukraine. The leak, attributed to Russia, revealed a conversation between Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, head of the German air force, and other officers, discussing sensitive military information. This incident has raised significant security concerns among UK military sources and NATO allies. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz labelled the security breach as "very serious," prompting an investigation in Berlin. Berger, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, indicated that the breach likely resulted from one officer using an unsecured line, describing it as an "individual mistake." Berger criticised former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace's comments about Germany's vulnerability to Russian intelligence, calling them "extremely unhelpful" and a potential trap set by Russia to sow discord among NATO allies. The call, publicised in Russian media, was deemed a "hybrid attack" by Moscow by Berger. He stated that the German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had communicated with allies to clarify Berlin's stance on the incident. Russia has used the leak to claim direct Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Avon and Somerset police have confessed they acted ‘disproportionately’ when stopping pastor Dia Moodley from criticising other religions while street preaching. The notice was issued in 2021, to prevent him from ‘passing comments on any other religion or comparing them to Christianity’. After the police settled damages on the ground of religious discrimination, Moodley said, ‘It isn't for them to decide which religions or worldviews can be free from criticism. When I preach, I am committed to speaking about the good news of Christianity in love, grace, and truth – but that doesn't mean that I will never say something that others may disagree with. The nature of a free and democratic society is that we can speak publicly about our beliefs. Thankfully, I have received some measure of justice after having been wrongfully silenced by authorities. But this creeping culture of censorship is detrimental to all of us in society, whatever we believe, and we must challenge it wherever we see it.’

A motion has been introduced in the Scottish parliament to formally recognise St Giles' Cathedral, a landmark in Edinburgh with a history spanning 900 years. MSP Miles Briggs commended the cathedral for its enduring significance and its efforts to engage people of all backgrounds and faiths. Rev Dr George Whyte, representing St Giles', expressed gratitude for the recognition, emphasising the importance of maintaining a balance between tourism and worship. The motion also highlights the cathedral's role as a centre celebrating Scotland's heritage and culture, attracting 1.5 million visitors annually. It is also a national church, hosting significant events such as state ceremonies. The cathedral's outreach projects aim to foster inclusivity and community cohesion. The motion will be circulated for additional signatures, reflecting widespread support within the parliament.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in his presidential address at General Synod, illuminated the enduring message of faith and resilience amidst global turmoil. He highlighted the pivotal role of faith in navigating through adversity, drawing from the Psalms' portrayal of adversity. Reflecting on global turmoil, from the war in Ukraine to the forgotten conflicts in Myanmar and Sudan, he called for compassionate action. He emphasised the importance of prayerful lament and protest, encouraging believers to find solace in God. Urging his listeners not to fear, and reminding them of God’s faithfulness, he said: ‘God is greater than our fears, our enemies, and our failures. When that is our comfort and peace, then in this world, at this time, off its hinges, we can in all our troubles be truly the church we should be - truly God's Church in God's world.’

For nine years in succession, Labour MP Jess Phillips has read a list of women killed by men in the past twelve months, criticising the lack of attention given to women's safety in Parliament. She expressed weariness with the lack of systemic change, and said the issue seems to matter much less than small boats. The emotional reading of 98 names lasted over five minutes. Phillips credited organisations like Femicide Census for documenting these tragedies and highlighted failures such as the nonexistence of women's safety units within police forces. Her remarks came days after a UN rapporteur urged the Government to do more, stating that the UK’s strategies for tackling violence against women were inadequate. Grim statistics underline the urgency of the issue: a woman is killed by a man in the UK every three days, and one in four women experiences domestic violence. Meanwhile, a damning report issued today has shown how the killer of Sarah Everard should never have been allowed to become a police officer: see

The Metropolitan Police is ‘assessing’ a report of hate speech made against MP Lee Anderson after comments which he made on 23 February. The force said it had received the report after the MP claimed ‘Islamists’ had ‘got control’ of London mayor Sadiq Khan, and he had ‘given away our capital’ to extremists. The Ashfield MP refused to apologise, and was suspended from the Tory party the next day. The prime minister's official spokesman said the language used was ‘wrong’, but added that Rishi Sunak did not believe Mr Anderson was racist. Mr Khan has urged the prime minister to call the remarks racist and Islamophobic. Mr Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman who is now sitting in the House of Commons as an independent, has continued to refuse to apologise and said Mr Sunak made a ‘mistake’ in suspending him. Some of his Conservative colleagues, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, have expressed agreement with his viewpoint.

The Department for Education has issued new guidelines prohibiting children from attending protests during school hours, following accusations that teachers allowed pupils to skip lessons for pro-Palestine rallies. Thousands of students participated in demonstrations against the war in Gaza in November, organised by the Stop the War Coalition (SWC). The Government's guidance, effective from August, explicitly states that leave of absence should not be granted for protest activities during school hours. SWC criticised the new rules as an attack on students' democratic right to protest. However, the Association of School and College Leaders expressed the view that pupils should not miss school for protests but recognised that they might well feel very strongly about the cause about which they are protesting: ‘We feel that these are matters that are best left to the discretion of schools.’

A global study on Covid vaccines has identified small increases in heart, blood, and neurological disorders among recipients. Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca shots were linked to higher risks of certain conditions, including nerve-wasting and brain-swelling disorders. Despite this, the absolute risk remains low, with only 2,000 cases among 13 billion doses administered. Notable findings include a threefold increase in myocarditis and a higher risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Concerns over neurological events following vaccination were outweighed by the significantly higher risk associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, AstraZeneca shots were associated with an increased risk of two types of thrombosis. While the study shows potential risks, it underlines the benefits of vaccinations in preventing Covid-related deaths.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, addressing MPs, has expressed optimism about the UK economy despite a recent shallow recession. He noted 'distinct signs of an upturn’, foreseeing one of the mildest recessions in modern history. The Bank's measures, including fourteen consecutive interest rate hikes, aimed to bring inflation back to 2% to help allow for sustainable growth. The bank’s reluctance to cut interest rates reflects worries over the outlook for inflation later in the year. Bailey cautioned against complacency, citing uncertainties such as energy costs and shipping disruptions. Asked about the timing of cuts in the interest rate, he refused to say when or by how much this might happen: his deputy said this would be based on ‘data not dates’.