6:47 am, November 27, 2022
Nurses tell health secretary it’s ‘pay negotiations or nothing’ to avert strikes
The Royal College of Nursing has told the health secretary it is negotiations on pay ‘or nothing’ after he urged the union to return for talks about working conditions to avert strikes.
Steve Barclay on Saturday continued his refusal to discuss pay as nurses prepare to strike on December 15 and 20 unless they get a 19 per cent rise.
He wrote to the RCN urging its representatives to ‘come back to the table’ for talks, but the RCN’s general secretary Pat Cullen swiftly responded with a letter saying she would only be returning for pay talks after members voted heavily in favour of industrial action.
Online Safety Bill to criminalise encouraging self-harm
The Online Safety Bill is to be updated to criminalise the encouragement of self-harm, the government has said.
Culture secretary Michelle Donelan said the update would create a new offence that would target communications that encourage someone to physically harm themselves, making it illegal to do so, and bringing it in line with communications that encourage suicide – which are already illegal.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the changes to the Online Safety Bill had been influenced by the case of Molly Russell, the 14-year-old who ended her own life in November 2017 after viewing social media content linked to depression, self-harm and suicide.
Rishi Sunak’s net-zero tsar latest Tory MP to announce exit plan
Rishi Sunak’s net-zero tsar Chris Skidmore has become the latest in a steady stream of Conservative MPs to announce they will not be running again for parliament.
The former minister said he would not be fighting to find another constituency when expected boundary changes abolish his Kingswood constituency.
Skidmore, 41, is the ninth Tory to detail their exit plans as the party struggles to recover from dire performance in opinion polling. On Friday levelling-up minister and rising star in the Conservative Party Dehenna Davison said she would not be standing again in the former Labour stronghold of Bishop Auckland.
Indyref2 ruling will take Yes movement to new heights, claims SNP depute leader
The Supreme Court ruling on independence will see the Yes movement reach ‘new heights’ – not shut down the debate, the SNP’s depute leader has said.
The party had hoped to hold a vote on the constitutional issue in October 2023, however the court’s judgment that the Scottish parliament needs Westminster approval for a legal referendum has put the brakes on the date.
Keith Brown, who has served as the SNP’s depute since 2018, said the ruling will only intensify the demand for independence.
William and Kate in tribute as ‘inspirational’ rugby star Doddie Weir dies at 52
The Prince and Princess of Wales have praised Doddie Weir as an ‘inspiration’ as the rugby great died aged 52 after suffering motor neurone disease.
The former Scotland international was diagnosed with MND in December 2016 and went on to found research charity the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (MNDF).
His family announced the death of the ‘beloved husband and father’ in a statement issued through the Scottish Rugby Union on Saturday, describing him as ‘an inspirational force of nature’.
Hyundai to rebuild legendary Pony Coupe Concept
Hyundai has announced that it will rebuild the iconic Pony Coupe Concept originally created for the 1974 Turin Motor Show.
Working with Italian design firm GFG Style, the rebuilt concept looks set for a full reveal in the spring.
GFG Style is headed up by father and son founders Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro, the former of which helped to create the original concept back in 1974. At the time, Hyundai contacted Giugiaro with a proposition to design the firm’s first independent model. Giugiaro was commissioned to create blueprints and build five concepts, one of which was a coupe, but the car remained an ‘unfinished dream’.
Saturday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
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Weather outlook
A day of rain for most of the UK today, reports BBC Weather. Showers and strong winds in the north-west will push into western areas, while in the south-east, rain and cloud will linger.
Rain will continue in the south-east and scattered showers for western areas.
