Category Archives: UK news

UK to reconsider decision to deny Waspi women pension payouts

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Millions born in 1950s lost out because of government failings over changes to state retirement age, campaigners say

Millions of “Waspi women” have been given fresh hope that they might receive compensation after the UK government announced it would revisit a decision to deny them payouts.

As many as 3.6 million women born in the 1950s are said to have lost out because of government failings in the way changes to the state pension age were made, prompting the Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign to launch in 2015.

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Men with family stuck in Gaza say lack of action from UK government is breach of human rights

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Two fathers in Britain enlist law firm to get government to follow through on evacuation promises made months ago

The British government is facing legal action over its lack of action to help evacuate families in Gaza after committing to do so months ago.

Two families have argued that the government’s failure to act is unlawful and in breach of their family’s human rights. They are among a number of separated families to which the government has failed to keep its evacuation promise, according to the law firm Leigh Day, which is representing them.

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NHS staff who visit patients at home say St George’s flags can mean ‘no-go zones’

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Black and Asian staff left feeling ‘deliberately intimidated’, according to chief executive of one NHS trust

NHS staff who care for patients in their own homes fear some areas have become “no-go zones” for them because of the presence of St George’s flags, health leaders have said.

Black and Asian staff have been left feeling “deliberately intimidated” as a result of the flags that were put up in many parts of England during the summer, according to the chief executive of one NHS trust in England, who asked to remain anonymous.

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UK retail sales growth slows as shoppers await Black Friday and budget

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Industry body says shoppers are waiting for discount day, as Barclays reports falling consumer confidence

Retailers suffered the slowest sales growth since May last month as shoppers were cautious in the run-up to expected budget tax rises and held out for Black Friday discounts.

Sales rose 1.6% in October, a step down from 2.3% the month before, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) trade body and the advisory group KPMG.

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Councillors in England face suspensions for misconduct as part of government overhaul

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Local authorities to be given powers to suspend rule-breaking officials and to withhold allowances

Mayors and councillors in England face suspensions of up to six months for serious misconduct and repeated rule breaches as the government seeks to overhaul standards in local government.

Under plans unveiled on Tuesday, local authorities will be handed powers to suspend rule-breaking councillors and mayors, including those found guilty of bullying and assault, and to withhold their allowances.

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Second man deported under ‘one in, one out’ scheme returns to UK on small boat

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Man was detected as one of 94 people who had been removed from Britain under UK-France treaty

A second person who was removed to France under the government’s “one in, one out” deal has returned to the UK, the Home Office has confirmed.

The unnamed man arrived back in the UK after joining nearly 400 people who crossed the Channel in small boats on Sunday.

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No link between paracetamol in pregnancy and autism or ADHD in children, review finds

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Wide-ranging review finds no convincing connection after Trump said women should ‘fight like hell’ to avoid painkiller

A wide-ranging review into paracetamol use by pregnant women has found no convincing link between the common painkiller and the chances of children being diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

Publication of the work was fast-tracked to provide prospective mothers and their doctors with reliable information after the Trump administration urged pregnant women to avoid paracetamol – also known as acetaminophen or Tylenol – claiming it was contributing to rising rates of autism.

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Will Tim Davie’s resignation be enough to restore public trust in the BBC?

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Senior insiders admit concern about big editorial errors and fear attacks are part of ongoing campaign to undermine the broadcaster

There is a joke regularly deployed by BBC staff that “deputy heads must roll” over big mistakes because they rarely appear to have any impact on those at the top of the organisation. That all changed on Sunday, when Tim Davie and Deborah Turness both quit their jobs.

Davie oversaw no shortage of scandals during his five years as director general – in recent months these included rows over a Gaza documentary and Glastonbury coverage – and was nicknamed “Teflon Tim” by BBC insiders because nothing seemed to stick.

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‘I have to take ultimate responsibility’: Tim Davie’s BBC resignation statement

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Full text of director general’s note to staff and the resignation statement from head of news Deborah Turness

Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, and the head of BBC News have resigned after a former adviser to the corporation accused it of “serious and systemic” bias in its coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights.

This afternoon Davie sent the following note to staff:

Dear all,

I wanted to let you know that I have decided to leave the BBC after 20 years. This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days.

Dear all,

I have never been more proud of the work that you do every day. You really are the best of the best.

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Tim Davie expected to resign as BBC director general

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Corporation has faced accusations of ‘serious and systemic’ bias in its reporting

Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, is expected to resign after a former adviser to the corporation accused it of “serious and systemic” bias in its coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights.

In a shock move, the Guardian understands that Davie is to imminently announce his departure. It comes with the BBC preparing to apologise for the way the broadcaster edited a Donald Trump speech.

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Last Christmas, you gave us first class: Royal Mail turns Scrooge with gift to staff of second-class stamps

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Switch comes amid first festive season since Daniel Křetínský’s takeover of parent company IDS

Royal Mail says that it has “delivered Christmas” for more than 500 years, but this year many workers have been left feeling less than festive after the company downgraded a small gift to workers to second class.

The postal service, which traces its history back to the appointment of a “master of the posts” by Henry VIII in 1516, has given workers a collection of 50 Christmas stamps to recognise their work over the busiest time of year. In previous years, including in 2024, workers have received a book of 50 or 100 first-class stamps, but that has quietly been switched to second class this year.

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Bad Bridgets podcast about crime among Irish women in US inspires film

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Margot Robbie’s company to make movie based on Northern Ireland academics’ stories of poverty and prison

It started as a trawl of dusty archives for an academic project about female Irish emigrants in Canada and the US by two history professors, a worthy but perhaps niche topic for research.

The subjects, after all, were human flotsam from Ireland’s diaspora whose existence was often barely recorded, let alone remembered.

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Bar Council calls for legal aid for all family court cases involving domestic abuse

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Only 15% of families are eligible for legal aid which has led to huge swathes of UK becoming ‘legal advice deserts’, body says

The Bar Council has called for all family court cases involving domestic abuse to be brought within the scope of legal aid for both parties, and for means testing to be scrapped for alleged victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

In a new policy paper, the body, which represents all 18,000 barristers in England and Wales, has set out a package of recommendations to improve the ability of the family justice system.

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Review to look at role of mental health issues in UK youth unemployment

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Former health secretary Alan Milburn’s review is exploring reasons for rising inactivity among young people

The role of mental health issues and disability in youth unemployment will be examined by the former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn as part of a review looking into rising inactivity among Britain’s young people.

Nearly a million people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training, often described with the acronym Neets. Milburn will look at ways to avoid people becoming trapped as Neets and the findings will be published in the summer.

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Groundbreaking British Museum show set to challenge samurai myths

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Exclusive: Exhibition will reveal complex reality, featuring women and artistic creations, beyond armour-clad warriors

A groundbreaking samurai exhibition that promises to challenge “everything we think we know about Japan’s warrior elite” spanning a millennium of myth and reality is to open at the British Museum next year.

Titled Samurai, the blockbuster exhibition will reveal a world beyond armour-clad warriors and epic duels, as popularised by the noble, katana-wielding heroes of Akira Kurosawa’s classic action films and PlayStation’s hit video games.

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Britain sends RAF specialists to help Belgium combat disruptive drones

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Incursions halted flights at Brussels and Liège airports last week with Russia said to be the most likely culprit

Britain is deploying Royal Air Force specialists to help Belgium counter drone threats to the country’s airports after disruptive sightings last week that some politicians blamed on Russia.

Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the UK’s armed forces, said the British military would provide “our people, our equipment” to help Belgium, though he was careful to say “we don’t yet know” the origin of the drones seen last week.

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British Asian families urged to share stories of ‘greatest generation’ who fought for Britain

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Half of UK public unaware of contribution made by 2.5m British Asian members of armed forces who served in second world war

British Asian families are being urged to record the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain for “future generations” as data reveals half the British public don’t know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war.

The My Family Legacy project, backed by the Royal British Legion, is building an online archive of Asian veterans’ experiences to raise awareness of the shared histories and sacrifices of Britain’s diverse communities.

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Royal College of Psychiatrists faces member backlash over Qatar partnership

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More than 150 psychiatrists sign letter condemning contract to host exams in country with well-documented human rights abuses

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is facing a backlash from members over a controversial partnership with Qatar’s state healthcare provider.

The college has signed a contract with the state-owned Hamad Medical Corporation to host international exams in Doha, enabling psychiatrists from across the Middle East and beyond to apply for membership.

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‘Environmental catastrophe’ fears as millions of plastic beads wash up on Camber Sands

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MP asks for explanation from Southern Water amid concerns the spill could have dire impact on rare sea life

Southern Water is investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads washed up on Camber Sands beach, risking an “environmental catastrophe”.

The biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, the local MP has said, with fears rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises and seals, could ingest them and die.

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UK to announce plans to emulate stringent Danish immigration system

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Shabana Mahmood’s proposals draw scorn from some Labour MPs, while others want government to go further

• Why does the UK want to copy Denmark?

Shabana Mahmood is to announce changes to the UK’s immigration rules modelled on the Danish system, largely seen as among the most stringent in Europe, the Guardian understands.

Last month, the home secretary dispatched officials to Denmark to study its border control and asylum policies. Denmark’s tighter rules on family reunions and restricting some refugees to a temporary stay are among the policies being looked at.

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