Category Archives: UK news

Students should be told of university course job prospects, says commission

Posted on by

Social Mobility Commission says students should be informed of ‘earnings implications’ of course choices

Students should be given more details about how the courses they study after leaving school might affect their employment prospects, it has been suggested, as figures show near-record numbers of 18-year-olds applying to university.

A review of research into the employment effects of higher and further education by the government’s Social Mobility Commission showed wide variations in earnings, with some courses failing to boost salaries, while the most lucrative courses for graduates often admitted few students in England from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Continue reading...

Wreck of ship carrying rare ‘ordinary’ crockery wins protection off Kent coast

Posted on by

Unknown patterns found on ceramics from Josephine Willis, which collided with steamer in 1856

The wreck of a mid-19th century sailing ship transporting British people to New Zealand and with a cargo of exceptionally rare ceramics onboard has been listed for protection 167 years after it sank off the Kent coast.

The Josephine Willis wooden packet boat, built in Limehouse and launched in 1854 by HH Willis & Co, foundered four miles (6.4km) south of Folkestone harbour following a collision with the steamer Mangerton on 3 February 1856, with the loss of 70 lives including Captain Edward Canney. The ship lies in two parts on the seabed, 23 metres deep.

Continue reading...

Cross-party MPs shocked by Foreign Office talks with Xinjiang governor

Posted on by

Exclusive: Erkin Tuniyaz ‘played central role’ in persecution of Uyghurs, says inter-parliamentary alliance on China

The Foreign Office has shocked cross-party opponents of the Chinese treatment of Uyghur groups by revealing that it has asked the Xinjiang governor for talks.

MPs belonging to the inter-parliamentary alliance on China (Ipac) called it “incomprehensible” that “anybody within government would think it appropriate to meet with someone who has played a central role in the persecution of Uyghurs – crimes our own parliament has declared to be genocide”.

Continue reading...

PMQs live: Rishi Sunak to face Keir Starmer for first time since cabinet reshuffle

Posted on by

Latest updates: PM, fresh from greeting Zelenskiy at No 10, to face questions from Labour leader and other MPs

Rishi Sunak was at Stansted to welcome President Zelenskiy, he reveals. That explains how they are going to fit in a meeting before PMQs. (See 10.47am.) It is very unusual for a visting leader to be greeted at the airport by the PM. Normally someone more junior is there to do the honours.

To coincide with President Zelenskiy’s visit, the government will today announce further sanctions against Russia, “including the targeting of those who have helped Putin build his personal wealth, and companies who are profiting from the Kremlin’s war machine”. The details are due out later this morning.

Continue reading...

Britain’s biggest gas supplier accused of ‘profiteering’ from energy crisis

Posted on by

Climate campaigners hit out at Norwegian state-owned Equinor’s record £62bn profits as household bills rise

Britain’s biggest gas supplier, the Norwegian state-owned oil company Equinor, has been accused of “profiteering” from the energy crisis and higher household bills after posting record annual earnings of £62bn.

The oil and gas producer said on Wednesday that adjusted profits hit $15.1bn (£12.5bn) in the final three months of last year, bringing total annual profits to $74.9bn, the highest in its 51-year history.

Continue reading...

Brexit Northern Ireland protocol is lawful, supreme court rules

Posted on by

Judges reject legal challenge to UK-EU trade arrangements by group of unionist leaders

The Northern Ireland protocol is lawful, the supreme court has ruled, rejecting a legal challenge to the Brexit arrangements by a group of unionist leaders including the former first ministers the late David Trimble and Arlene Foster.

Five law lords presiding in the highest court in the UK unanimously dismissed the appeal on all three grounds including the claims that the Brexit trading arrangements breached the 1800 Act of Union and the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Continue reading...

‘Once in a lifetime’: Ruth Wilson to star in 24-hour show The Second Woman at Young Vic

Posted on by

Wilson to enact single, seven-minute scene on loop with 100 men to explore gender roles

Ruth Wilson has called a new stage role in which she will perform the same scene repeatedly for 24 hours straight an “extraordinary, once in a lifetime experience”.

The Golden Globe and Olivier award winner will star in the UK premiere of the internationally acclaimed epic The Second Woman at the Young Vic this spring. Playing Virginia, Wilson will enact a single, seven-minute scene on loop, with 100 different men performing opposite her as her lover Marty, one after the other. Most of the men are non-actors who have volunteered for the role.

The Second Woman, a Young Vic & Lift co-production, produced in association with Ruth Wilson, is at the Young Vic, London, 19-20 May.

Continue reading...

New Tory party chair Greg Hands says English local elections will be ‘difficult’

Posted on by

Zahawi’s replacement says party is in good shape but struggles to defend remarks made by his deputy, Lee Anderson

The new Conservative party chair, Greg Hands, has said this year’s local elections in England will be difficult but that the Tories are in “overall good shape”, with Lee Anderson a man of “great integrity” working as his deputy.

Hands, who was promoted to Nadhim Zahawi’s former role in Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle on Tuesday, also said his party would have a “really good story to tell” at next year’s general election.

Continue reading...

FTSE 100 hits fresh all-time high as inflation and recession fears ease

Posted on by

Index rises to 7934.30, pushing it above previous record set on 3 February

The UK’s blue-chip shares index has hit a fresh all-time high, only days after a previous record was set last Friday.

The FTSE 100 index rose by almost 1% on Wednesday morning to hit 7934.30 points, surpassing the former high of 7,906.58 points set on 3 February.

Continue reading...

Man charged over disappearance of girl found in Scottish Borders

Posted on by

Girl was found near Galashiels after search involving divers, a helicopter and mountain rescue team

A 53-year-old man has been charged in connection with the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl who was later found in the Scottish Borders, as police thanked the public for their “huge effort” in helping to find her.

The child was reported missing in Galashiels on Sunday but was found nearby at about 9.30pm on Monday.

Continue reading...

Scottish MP Stewart McDonald fears emails hacked by Russia-linked group

Posted on by

SNP MP for Glasgow South says he is victim of ‘sophisticated and targeted spear phishing’ attack

An SNP MP whose emails were hacked has spoken out because he fears they were stolen by a group linked to Russia and will be published.

Stewart McDonald’s emails were compromised last month after he clicked on a message from a member of his staff on his private MP’s account.

Continue reading...

It’s no teddy bear’s picnic: the football mascot showing how local politics works

Posted on by

Giant teddy bear Bordesley is put in charge of Birmingham city council’s £3bn budget in Stan’s Cafe’s fun new production All Our Money

“It came from a place of … what is the worst idea you could possibly have for a theatre show?” says director James Yarker, as he flicks through a heavily annotated 90-page copy of Birmingham city council’s three-year financial plan.

His latest production, All Our Money, is a 50-minute exploration of the complexities of council budgets, told with the help of 6,000 gold blocks and a football mascot.

Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy to visit UK for first time since Russian invasion

Posted on by

Ukraine president to meet King Charles and address parliament, as Sunak reveals training for Ukrainian jet pilots

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will make his first visit to the UK since the Russian invasion, with Rishi Sunak promising additional military support.

The UK prime minister announced plans to train Ukrainian pilots, paving the way for them to fly sophisticated Nato-standard jets, a request from Zelenskiy.

Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak reshuffle: ‘red wall’ MP Lee Anderson named deputy Tory chair – live updates

Posted on by

Controversial MP appointed as Greg Hands’ deputy; Michelle Donelan becomes minister for science, innovation and technology

This is from TalkTV’s Kate McCann.

“Next hour or so …” We’ll see. Reshuffles often take longer than expected, because all it takes is one minister to say no, or ask for time to think, and then the whole process gets clogged up. There is already some evidence that this one is not going to be quite as quick as originally expected. (See 8.30am.)

Continue reading...

Boris Johnson agreed Brexit protocol knowing it was ‘mess’, says John Major

Posted on by

Johnson’s administration made promises over Northern Ireland deal that it knew were unworkable, former PM tells MPs

  • UK politics live – latest news updates

John Major has launched a scathing attack on Boris Johnson’s handling of Brexit, saying his administration agreed to the Northern Ireland protocol despite knowing it was unworkable.

“That must be the first agreement in history that was signed by people who decided it was useless in the first place,” Major told a Westminster committee on Tuesday.

Continue reading...

David Carrick jailed for life over series of rapes while Met police officer

Posted on by

Carrick, 48, admitted 85 serious offences during 17-year campaign of terror and attacks against women

David Carrick, who believed his position as a Metropolitan police officer made him “untouchable” as he waged a 17-year campaign of terror and attacks against women, has been jailed for life.

The 48-year-old must serve a minimum term of 32 years minus the time he has spent in custody before he can even be considered for release.

Continue reading...

Insulate Britain activist jailed for eight weeks for contempt of court

Posted on by

David Nixon disobeyed judge’s order not to mention climate crisis as motivation during trial over road-blocking protest

An environmental activist has been jailed for eight weeks after disobeying a judge’s instruction not to mention the climate crisis as his motivation during his trial for taking part in a road-blocking protest.

David Nixon, 36, a care worker from Barnsley, was sentenced at Inner London crown court on Tuesday after admitting contempt of court the day before by using his closing address to begin telling a jury about his reasons for protesting.

Continue reading...

David Carrick: serial rapist and former Met police officer sentenced to more than 30 years in prison – as it happened

Posted on by

This live blog is now closed. You can read our full report on the sentencing here:

Here’s more on those comments Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb made earlier to Carrick (see 11.46am). She said:

These convictions represent a spectacular downfall for a man charged with upholding the law and empowered to do so even to the extent of being authorised to bear a firearm in the execution of his duty.

Behind a public appearance of propriety and trustworthiness you took monstrous advantage of women.

Continue reading...

UK to send aid to Turkey and Syria despite budget ‘strain’, says minister

Posted on by

More than 70 rescue specialists and sniffer dogs to help with efforts after thousands killed in earthquake-hit region

UK aid will be sent to Turkey and Syria despite “very considerable strain” on the development budget, the cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell has said, after earthquakes killed thousands in the region.

Mitchell, who as a backbench MP opposed cuts to the aid budget, said there were specific funds allocated for major humanitarian disasters.

Continue reading...