Category Archives: UK news

UK to loosen post-Brexit chemical regulations further

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Experts warn UK’s regulations now lag behind those of the EU and that Britons will be exposed to more toxic chemicals as a result

The government is to loosen EU-derived laws on chemicals in a move experts say will increase the likelihood of toxic substances entering the environment.

Under new plans the government will reduce the “hazard” information that chemical companies must provide to register substances in the UK. The safety information provided about chemicals will be reduced to an “irreducible minimum”, which campaigners say will leave the UK “lagging far behind the EU”.

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Millions of UK households forced to unplug fridge to cope with rising bills

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Families resorting to ‘desperate measures’ and struggling with ‘frightening’ level of hardship amid cost of living crisis

About 2m UK households have been forced to turn off their fridge or freezer to save money as they continue to struggle with what poverty campaigners called a “frightening” level of hardship.

Nearly half of those households said that since May they had to disconnect their fridge or freezer for the first time, a sign the cost of living crisis was still hurting low-income families, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) charity.

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‘Back to the future’: how the papers covered the return of David Cameron

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Rishi Sunak’s decision to bring a more moderate figure to his cabinet and oust Suella Braverman is viewed as likely to set up a clash with the Tory right

The return of former PM David Cameron to government as foreign secretary has evoked surprise for many, shock for some, and anger among MPs on the right of the Tory party. The British papers reflect the full spectrum of reactions.

The Guardian says: “Cameron’s shock return in high-stakes reshuffle”, noting that the political comeback for the now Lord Cameron marks a return to a more centrist team for Rishi Sunak, particularly given the sacking of Suella Braverman as home secretary.

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The Crown actor says events leading to Diana’s death must have been ‘unbearable’

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Elizabeth Debicki has spoken about filming car chase through Paris that led to Diana’s death for final season of royal drama

The actor who played Diana in The Crown said the moments leading up to her death must have been “completely unbearable” after the cast reenacted the car chase through Paris that led to her death for the final season of the divisive royal drama.

The sixth season of The Crown deals with the weeks preceding Diana’s death, as well as the fallout, after a car crash in Paris in August 1997. The first instalment of the season is released on 16 November.

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David Cameron returns; Victoria Atkins promoted to health secretary; Suella Braverman and Thérèse Coffey out – UK reshuffle live

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Former PM will take seat in House of Lords; former Treasury minister moves to health; Braverman replaced as home secretary by James Cleverly

ITV’s Paul Brand says he has had a text with the word “Rejoice” from a Tory MP celebrating the sacking of Suella Braverman.

James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, has been seen going into No 10, PA Media reports.

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White faces generated by AI are more convincing than photos, finds survey

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Photographs were seen as less realistic than computer images but there was no difference with pictures of people of colour

It sounds like a scenario straight out of a Ridley Scott film: technology that not only sounds more “real” than actual humans, but looks more convincing too. Yet it seems that moment has already arrived.

A new study has found people are more likely to think pictures of white faces generated by AI are human than photographs of real individuals.

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What is the Greensill scandal overshadowing David Cameron’s return to cabinet?

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Inquiry found ex-PM had sent dozens of messages to former colleagues asking them to help his then employer

David Cameron’s surprise return to the cabinet as foreign secretary comes just two years after a parliamentary inquiry found he had shown a “significant lack of judgment” over a lobbying campaign for a bank in which he held a personal economic interest.

The former prime minister launched the intensive round of text messages to ministers and high-ranking civil servants at the height of the Covid pandemic on behalf of Greensill Capital, which collapsed the following year.

Nine WhatsApp messages to the then chancellor, Rishi Sunak.

Two WhatsApp messages to Richard Sharp, then adviser to Sunak.

Twelve texts to Sir Tom Scholar, the then permanent secretary to the Treasury.

A dozen texts, emails, phone calls and other messages to the ministers Michael Gove, Matt Hancock, Nadhim Zahawi, John Glen and Jesse Norman.

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Cameron’s comeback explodes Sunak’s ‘change candidate’ claim

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PM clearly hopes to rewrite the narrative with shock appointment, but will it shift the dial with voters?

Just five weeks ago, Rishi Sunak pledged to be the candidate of change, telling activists at the Conservative party conference that he would shake up three decades of political consensus.

Instead, he has brought back David Cameron, the former prime minister who was in charge for six of those 30 years and who, through Brexit, ushered in the biggest schism in British politics for a generation.

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Ofgem plans to cut wind and solar delays by stripping out ‘zombie’ projects

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Regulator aims to reduce backlog as some wind and solar schemes wait up to 15 years to get hooked up

The energy regulator is to introduce rules designed to kick out “zombie” wind and solar farms from the lengthy queue to connect to Great Britain’s electricity grid.

Ofgem hopes to speed up the process of hooking up new energy projects to the electricity network in the face of a backlog that is deterring investment and Britain’s attempts to switch to clean energy.

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Experience makes way for Sunak loyalists as junior ministers quit

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Four ministers with more than 30 years of frontbench time between them resign as PM reshuffles cabinet

Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle has brought the resignation of four notably experienced junior ministers with more than three decades of frontbench time between them, while another departure left the government looking for its 16th housing minister since 2010.

Those who stepped down were Nick Gibb, the veteran schools minister; Jesse Norman, who was at the Department for Transport; Jeremy Quin, the paymaster general; and Will Quince, a junior health minister.

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Archbishop of Canterbury makes ‘moral cry’ for Israel-Hamas ceasefire

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Justin Welby’s call came as British Palestinians with relatives in Gaza demanded a meeting with the prime minister

The archbishop of Canterbury has called for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, saying the scale of civilian deaths and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza could not be “morally justified”.

“The killing must stop,” Justin Welby said, adding that the call for a ceasefire was a “moral cry”.

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Win or lose, supreme court decision on Rwanda policy will be pivotal for Tories

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A victory for the immigration and asylum policy on Wednesday will come with headaches, but a defeat could split the Conservative party

Wednesday marks a potentially pivotal moment in the government’s fortunes when the supreme court rules whether its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful.

The decision could have significant implications not just for immigration and asylum policy, but also for the future direction of Rishi Sunak’s government, and the Conservative party more widely. Here is what could follow from a government win or loss.

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London police investigate videos of potential hate crimes at rallies

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Met and BTP seeking people in footage from Saturday’s marches, in particular at a ‘racially aggravated altercation’ at Waterloo

Police are looking for people seen in pictures and videos featuring antisemitic and Islamophobic language and symbols after Saturday’s pro-Palestinian and far-right marches in London.

Both the Metropolitan police and British Transport Police (BTP) released images on Sunday of individuals they hoped to identify.

The police have asked any members of the public who can identify the woman bearing the antisemitic placard shown in this article to call 101, giving reference 1235186/23. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

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Tributes paid to ‘wonderful’ drama teacher Anna Scher, who has died at 78

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Kathy Burke and Daniel Kaluuya among alumni of her London school, credited with making stars of often working-class students

Tributes have been paid to Anna Scher, an influential drama teacher who taught actors including Kathy Burke, Daniel Kaluuya and Adam Deacon, after the announcement of her death on Sunday, aged 78.

Scher, who had taught children in north London to act for more than 50 years, has been credited with creating numerous stars, and was known for championing people from a working-class background. The Anna Scher Theatre (AST), which started as a drama club in January 1968, has a long list of well-known alumni, including Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Martin Kemp, Natalie Cassidy, Patsy Palmer, Sid Owen, Jake Wood, Reggie Yates and Brooke Kinsella.

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Police say Suella Braverman’s claims of force’s bias ‘a factor’ in attacks on them

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Officers believe claims made before Saturday’s pro-Palestinian march stoked far-right violence

Suella Braverman’s claims of police bias in the days leading up to Saturday’s pro-Palestinian march were a significant factor in “sustained” far-right attacks on members of the force, officers believe.

One police source with close knowledge of the weekend’s events said the intensity of attacks by far-right supporters on police officers in central London was “unprecedented”. Police believe some were in possession of and high on cocaine.

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UK government challenged over ICC inquiry into Israel’s conduct

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Tories reject international criminal court’s right to investigate war with Hamas but Labour wants an inquiry into potential war crimes

The UK government is being challenged over whether it will join Labour in supporting an international criminal court inquiry into potential war crimes committed by Israel, with the shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, calling for all parties to uphold international law.

The ICC prosecutor, Gen Karim Khan, has insisted he has jurisdiction, but under the premiership of Boris Johnson the government said the court had no legal right to interfere.

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Suella Braverman calls for ‘further action’ against pro-Palestine marches

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Home secretary’s rhetoric is dividing Conservative MPs, who are frustrated that Rishi Sunak has not sacked her

Suella Braverman has demanded “further action” against pro-Palestine marches, as centrist Conservative MPs expressed despair at Rishi Sunak’s delay in sacking his rogue home secretary.

One senior backbencher predicted “a lot of noise” from angry colleagues when they return to parliament on Monday, with no signs of imminent action from Sunak after a series of controversies involving Braverman.

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Doctors plan to leave NHS in growing numbers due to burnout, GMC warns

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Workforce report says government strategy to boost staff numbers may have come too late

A growing number of doctors plan to leave the profession due to burnout and dissatisfaction, the General Medical Council has said, highlighting fears that the government’s long-term strategy for the NHS may have come too late.

The GMC’s annual report on the medical workforce said the benefits of measures announced by the government in the NHS long-term workforce plan in June, such as the ambition to create more medical school places, “will only start to be seen a decade from now”.

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BBC faces broad backlash over cuts to local radio output

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Exclusive: Fallout includes anger from listeners, potential legal action and concerns from Ofcom

The BBC is facing a backlash from listeners, concerns from the regulator Ofcom and potential legal action over controversial cuts to its local radio output.

Complaints have been made about the corporation’s decision to share more programmes across its 39 local stations and about the axeing of presenters.

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Nigel Farage spotted in Brisbane just before start of I’m a Celebrity

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Former Ukip leader has reportedly been offered large sum to appear on ITV show, which begins this month

Nigel Farage has been seen at Brisbane airport in Australia, adding to speculation that he will be joining the lineup in this year’s I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!.

The former leader of Ukip and the Brexit party did not confirm when asked whether he was entering the jungle as part of the ITV show, but did tell a reporter that he “might be going in”.

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