6:29 am, November 7, 2022
Hunt considers £35bn public spending squeeze to balance the books
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is looking at tax rises and spending cuts totalling up to £60bn as he aims to address the black hole in the public finances, it has been reported.
Treasury sources say that up to £35bn of the ‘fiscal tightening’ could come in the form of a reduction in spending, signalling a further squeeze on hard-pressed services.
Ministers must present the key points of the plan to the Office for Budget Responsibility so that it can prepare its economic forecast in time for the autumn statement on November 17.
Further disruption for rail services despite strikes being called off
Rail services will continue to be disrupted today, despite a series of planned strikes being called off.
Passengers are being warned to check with train operators before they travel, with some still expected to run a reduced timetable because of the change coming at such short notice.
Members of the RMT and TSSA were set to stage walkouts in the coming few days in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
UK minister to hold talks with Taiwan aimed at boosting trade
Trade minister Greg Hands will hold talks today in Taiwan aimed at boosting trade and promoting UK expertise in hydrogen and offshore wind, the Department for International Trade has said.
Hands will meet President Tsai Ing-wen and co-host the UK-Taiwan 25th annual Trade Talks in Taipei during his two-day visit – the first in-person trade talks since the pandemic.
Sunak ‘very disappointed’ in Matt Hancock for joining I’m A Celebrity
Rishi Sunak has said he is ‘very disappointed’ in his former Cabinet colleague Matt Hancock for joining I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Speaking on his way to Cop27 in Egypt, the PM said he supported the chief whip’s decision to suspend Hancock from the Conservative party, adding that he wouldn’t have time to watch the ITV show.
The ex-health secretary, who represents West Suffolk, said he decided to enter the jungle to ‘go where the people are’ rather than ‘sit in ivory towers in Westminster’.
UK urges Brussels to end delay to access to EU scientific research
Britain is issuing a fresh appeal to Brussels to end the delay in granting access to EU scientific research as agreed in the post-Brexit trade deal.
In an address to British and European parliamentarians at Westminster, Europe minister Leo Docherty will say that in continuing to deny access to research programmes, the EU is failing to fulfil its part of the agreement.
According to advance extracts of his address, he will say that both sides stand to gain from co-operation on shared challenges, from climate change to to global health and energy security.
Plastic waste ‘still illegally dumped and burned abroad’, MPs told
British plastic waste is still being illegally dumped and burned abroad, contributing to ‘shocking’ and ‘irreversible’ impacts on human health and the environment, MPs have heard.
The cross-party environment, food and rural affairs committee is calling for a blanket ban on UK plastic waste exports by 2027 after finding the ‘dirty trade’ is leaving behind toxic traces on foreign soil linked to cancer, liver disease, skin lesions and abnormal foetus development.
It recommended that sanctions are ‘considerably strengthened’ as waste crime has become a ‘low-risk, high-reward endeavour’, with current punishments ‘insufficient to deter illegal activity’.
Measures to keep all poultry inside to tackle bird flu come into force
Measures to keep all poultry and captive birds indoors in England to prevent the spread of bird flu have come into force.
The national housing measures, which were announced last week and are being introduced from today, are aimed at preventing house birds from interacting with wild birds.
It comes as the UK has been facing its largest outbreak of bird flu, with more than 200 cases confirmed on commercial premises, smallholdings and in pet birds since October last year. Everyone must keep their birds inside, regardless of the type or numbers kept.
Lab-grown blood cells world-first transfusion offers hope
Red blood cells grown in a laboratory have been transfused into a person in a world-first clinical trial.
Scientists say that if proved safe and effective, manufactured blood cells could revolutionise treatments for people with blood disorders such as sickle cell and rare blood types.
Ashley Toye, professor of cell biology at the University of Bristol and director of the NIHR Blood and Transplant Unit in red cell products, said: ‘This challenging and exciting trial is a huge stepping stone for manufacturing blood from stem cells.’
Sunday’s headlines on Car Dealer
- Polestar passes 10,000 UK registrations
- Chorley Group dealership in Blackburn takes delivery of particularly tasty Citroen Ami
- People power really does pay off
Weather outlook
Today will see a cloudy and damp start for most, says BBC Weather, with blustery rain spreading north-eastwards, heavy at times in the west. The south-east will have a few bright spells, though, and it’ll be breezy.
After a wet and windy night with gales, many areas will have a bright and breezy start on Tuesday, with heavy, blustery showers moving in from the south-west across much of the UK. The best of the sunshine will be in eastern England and northern Scotland.
