6:55 am, February 2, 2023
Teachers could be forced to tell heads they plan to strike under reported change
The law could reportedly be changed to force teachers to inform head teachers if they plan to strike.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan admitted that she was surprised to learn that teachers are not legally bound to let their bosses know whether they planned to turn up to class during industrial action. She said it was ‘unreasonable’ for teachers to fail to announce their intentions to walk out.
The Daily Mail, quoting a government source, said ministers could choose to ‘act’ and change the law in a bid to give schools time to put contingency plans in place on strike days. The source is said to have referenced the policy in France, saying striking teachers are required by law to give schools 48 hours’ notice if they intend to picket.
Interest rates set to rise to 4% as Bank prepares for ‘shallow’ recession
The Bank of England is expected to push interest rates higher on Thursday for the 10th time in a row. But some experts think the Bank is heading towards the end of its cycle of rate hikes, bringing some potential relief to strained borrowers.
Markets expect the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) to raise interest rates to four per cent on Thursday, from the current rate of 3.5 per cent.
It is likely to be a split vote, with some members of the nine-person MPC opting for a smaller hike to 3.75 per cent, or no increase at all. But the tide could be set to turn imminently, with some economists suggesting the decision will mark the penultimate base rate rise.
Rail passengers warned of continued disruption in aftermath of strike action
Rail passengers have been warned to expect continued disruption to their journeys in the aftermath of Wednesday’s strike action and ahead of Friday’s walkouts.
Commuters have been warned by operators to expect ‘significantly reduced train services’ across all three days and advised to check ahead of taking a journey.
Train driver members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) staged industrial action on Wednesday and will take to picket lines again on Friday in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
British Gas no longer applying for warrants to fit prepayment meters
British Gas has announced it will stop applying for court warrants to enter customers’ homes and fit prepayment meters following reports they had been forced on ‘vulnerable’ customers.
Energy companies can obtain court warrants which give them legal rights to enter people’s homes and fit prepayment meters if customers have not paid their bills. Customers must then top up to continue receiving gas supplies, and if they fail to do so they risk their heating being cut off.
The Times reported that British Gas sends debt collectors to ‘break into’ people’s homes and ‘force-fit’ pay-as-you-go meters – even when customers are known to have ‘extreme vulnerabilities’.
Petition calling for fair pay for nursing staff signed by 100,000 people
A petition signed by 100,000 members of the public, nursing staff and patients will be delivered to 10 Downing Street on Thursday calling on the prime minister to pay nursing staff fairly.
As Rishi Sunak marks his 100th day in office, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will highlight official NHS data showing the additional pressures the NHS is facing.
Despite promising to make the NHS one of his top priorities, the college says the PM is yet to even begin to solve the crisis in NHS, adding that in the next 100 days he must start by paying nursing staff fairly to solve the huge workforce vacancies ‘engulfing’ health and care services.
Household water bills in England and Wales to rise by 7.5% from April
Households in England and Wales will see the largest increase to their water bills in almost 20 years from April when they rise to an average £448 a year.
Industry body Water UK said the 7.5 per cent increase would see customers pay around £1.23 per day on average – an increase of 8p per day or an average £31 more on last year’s charges.
Consumer groups warned the rise could prove the tipping point for the one in five customers already struggling to pay. But Water UK argued that water bills remained lower in real terms than they were a decade ago and said this year’s increase reflected higher energy costs, with water firms using around two per cent of the nation’s electricity.
Wednesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Used car dealer Cazoo terminates customers’ subscription contracts early
- Car Dealer Investigations: Is Motorway set to be the next motor trade giant?
- Stoneacre sees 2022 profit increase but reveals some franchises could disappear
- Car dealers need to be on the ball to keep sales moving in a challenging 2023
- Snows Motor Group hits £60,000 fundraising target to mark 60th anniversary
- Citygate Automotive takes over ex-Perrys Ford site to open Kia dealership
- US car dealerships can now display their stock listings within Google
- Clive Brook Volvo sells both dealerships to family-run Ray Chapman Motors as MD retires
- Coffee and eggshells among bizarre materials that could make car interiors more eco-friendly
- Business insolvencies leap to 13-year high, new figures show
‘2.3m UK households missed an essential payment in January’
Some 2.3m UK households missed an essential payment last month, up from 1.9m in December, figures suggest.
However the figure for January – when missed payments for mortgage, rent, loans, credit cards and other bills typically peak – is similar to those from the past two years, according to the Which? Consumer Insight Tracker.
The monthly poll of approximately 2,000 people found that six in 10 (59 per cent) made at least one financial adjustment such as cutting back on essentials, selling items, or dipping into savings in the last month to cover essential spending – a significant increase on the 49 per cent last January. However it is lower than the peak of 65 per cent who made adjustments in September.
Range Rover Velar updated for 2023
Land Rover has revealed an updated version of its stylish Range Rover Velar, benefiting from a raft of new technology and a revised plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The P400e hybrid model has now been updated further and boasts a larger 19.2kWh battery, up from 13.6kWh, which allows it to travel for up to 40 miles on electricity, placing it in a lower company car tax bracket than before. The P400e can also now rapid-charge at 50kW, substantially reducing charging times to 30 minutes for an 80 per cent charge.
There also design tweaks which include a new grille and new front and rear LED lights, while the interior receives a new curved 11.4-inch touchscreen and deletes the previous car’s second touchscreen, giving the interior a more minimalist look.
Weather outlook
Heavy rain for north-west Scotland today, reports BBC Weather. Cloudy elsewhere with the south-east of England having the best of the weather with clear, bright spells.
Rain will continue in northern and western Scotland tonight, clearing by the morning. Mostly dry elsewhere.
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