6:49 am, August 17, 2022
Truss claim that UK workers need ‘more graft’ are grossly offensive, says Labour
Tory leadership contender Liz Truss’s claim that British workers need to produce ‘more graft’ are ‘grossly offensive’, Labour has said.
Truss can be heard to make the claim in a leaked audio recording obtained by The Guardian. In it, made while Truss was a minister at the Treasury, she can be heard saying: ‘There’s a fundamental issue of British working culture.’
She added there was a ‘slight thing in Britain about wanting the easy answers’, before saying: ‘But actually what needs to happen is more… more graft. It’s not a popular message.’ She also said that productivity was ‘very, very different in London from the rest of the country”, claiming this was “partly a mindset and attitude thing’.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: ‘With wages shrinking thanks to Tory failure to bring inflation under control and years of lacklustre growth, it’s grossly offensive for Liz Truss to effectively brand British workers lazy.’
UK inflation hits 10.1 per cent
The rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation rose to 10.1 per cent in July.
It’s the highest rise for more than 40 years, the Office for National Statistics said.
The figure is up from 9.4 per cent in June.
Infected blood scandal victims handed compensation after decades-long campaign
Thousands of survivors of the infected blood scandal will be given compensation payments of £100,000, the government has announced, but campaigners have said the majority of those affected have been ignored.
Outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson said he wanted the money to be paid to victims and their surviving partners, labelling it the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. Campaigners said the announcement fails to recognise most family members affected by the scandal, who will miss out on this raft of interim payments.
The fiasco resulted in an estimated 2,400 deaths of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
Grant Shapps considering creating 20mph speed limits for cyclists
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has flagged changing road laws so cyclists have to abide by 20mph speed limits or face penalties.
The Welwyn Hatfield MP told the Daily Mail: ‘Particularly where you’ve got 20mph limits on increasing numbers of roads, cyclists can easily exceed those, so I want to make speed limits apply to cyclists.
‘That obviously does then lead you into the question of: “Well, how are you going to recognise the cyclist? Do you need registration plates and insurance? And that sort of thing.” So I’m proposing there should be a review of insurance and how you actually track cyclists who do break the laws.’
Energy bills could hit £5,500 next April, latest dire prediction suggests
The price cap on energy bills might rise even more than previously thought, experts have said in the latest of a series of worsening warnings.
Gas prices spiked again on Monday and unless they drop in the coming months, average households could be facing an annual energy bill of £4,650 from January and £5,456 from April.
Once again it is the worst warning yet from Auxilione, an energy consultancy. It adds nearly £200 to the consultancy’s previous forecast for April.
Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner gains stealthy Blackline specification
Bentley has revealed a new Blackline package for its Flying Spur Mulliner, bringing a more modern look to the luxury model.
Designed to act as a more exclusive version of the Flying Spur, it sits at the top of the range, bringing enhanced luxury and craftsmanship.
As part of the Blackline package, all exterior chrome except for the Bentley winged logo is removed. The lower bumper also gets a black finish, with Bentley customers able to choose further colour options, from lighter finishes to darker shades for a stealthier look.
Inflation figure used for rail fare rises to be released
An inflation figure usually used to determine annual rises in some train fares will be released on Wednesday.
The Office for National Statistics will publish July’s retail prices index (RPI) at 9.30am.
Traditionally, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments have used the figure to set the cap on the following year’s increase in regulated train fares, which include most season tickets on commuter routes. July’s RPI is expected to be around 12 per cent.
Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Wales’s Sinclair Group moves into England after snapping up Shukers
- Polestar 6 two-seater electric sports car to arrive in 2026 with £166k price tag
- Vertu Motors agrees partnership with Britain’s oldest professional basketball team
- Bentley releases fresh teaser image of Batur ahead of debut
- Humphries & Parks joins SsangYong dealer network
American Airlines places deposit on 20 supersonic planes
American Airlines has agreed to buy up to 20 supersonic jets and put down a non-refundable deposit on the planes that are still on the drawing board and years away from flying.
Neither American nor the manufacturer Boom Supersonic would provide financial details on Tuesday, including the size of American’s deposit. American becomes the second US customer for Boom after a similar announcement last year from United Airlines for 15 of the planes, called the Overture.
It has been nearly 20 years since the last supersonic passenger flight by Concorde, the British-French plane that failed to catch on because of the high cost of flights.
Weather outlook
Heavy showers and thunderstorms across the south of the UK today, reports BBC Weather. It’ll be drier with sunshine in the Midlands and further north.
Much the same picture tonight with cloudy and lingering rain for the south, while it’ll be dry with clear spells elsewhere.
