6:35 am, May 3, 2023
Probe into Sue Gray’s Labour role paused after her refusal to co-operate
A government probe into partygate investigator Sue Gray’s switch to a senior Labour role has been paused after she refused to co-operate.
Some Tories reacted angrily after an update into her departure from her high-ranking Whitehall position to become Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff did not say whether she had broken rules, as had been suggested by several reports.
Others criticised the government’s statement as a ‘political stunt’, as allies defended Gray for prioritising a separate review by the anti-corruption watchdog. In a written statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said the government will ‘consider next steps’ after Gray ‘chose not to’ speak to the investigation.
Man held by police after ‘shotgun cartridges thrown into Buckingham Palace’
A man is being questioned by police after suspected shotgun cartridges were thrown into the grounds of Buckingham Palace, days before the King’s coronation.
The suspect was detained at about 7pm on Tuesday after he approached the palace’s gates in central London and threw a number of items, the Metropolitan Police said.
He is being held on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after a knife was found, the force said.
MP: Give ministers power to overturn controversial London transport plans
Proposals to allow ministers to review and overturn ‘controversial’ transport schemes introduced by the mayor of London will be raised in Parliament on Wednesday.
Conservative former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers said the government should have the power to intervene when there are ‘very serious concerns’ about decisions relating to transport and air quality.
Labour mayor Sadiq Khan’s intention to expand London’s ultra low emission zone (Ulez) has come under fire with a High Court judge last month deciding five Conservative-led councils could challenge the plan.
Majority of schools in England closed to some pupils during teacher strikes
The majority of schools in England were forced to shut their doors to some pupils as tens of thousands of teachers went on strike, data suggests.
More than half of state schools in England restricted access to pupils or were fully closed during walkouts by teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU), according to Department for Education (DfE) data.
Pupils and parents faced more disruption on Tuesday as teachers returned to picket lines in the latest strike in a long-running pay row.
Protesters who block roads to face 12 months behind bars from Wednesday
Protesters who block roads will face up to 12 months behind bars from Wednesday as new criminal offences for disruptive demonstrations come into force.
The measures in the Public Order Act, which received royal assent on Tuesday, will give police the powers to stop disruption at major sporting and cultural events this summer in England and Wales, the Home Office said.
A new offence of ‘interfering with key national infrastructure’ such as oil refineries, airports and railways could carry a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Drivers face being fined ‘unfairly’ for using yellow box junctions – report
Drivers risk unfair fines for using most yellow box junctions which councils want enforcement powers over, according to a new report.
Problems with the boxes include poor visibility and being too large, research commissioned by the RAC found. It said to avoid inadvertently breaking the rules, drivers must be able to clearly see boxes and where they end.
In England outside London, only police forces have the power to punish motorists over their use of yellow box junctions.
Ocado shareholders rebel over bumper pay and bonuses for bosses
Over 30 per cent of Ocado shareholders revolted against bumper bonuses and pay for bosses at the online retail giant.
The group handed chief executive officer Tim Steiner a pay packet of around £2m for 2022 despite Ocado’s losses ballooning to £501m over the year and its share price falling by more than 50 per cent.
Steiner, who also co-founder of the firm, received a £755,000 salary for the year and an annual bonus payment of £1.19m, alongside other benefits such as pension. The firm’s five top directors receiving almost £7m between them.
Co-op doubles paid leave for bereaved staff in ‘market-leading’ policy
The Co-op has doubled the length of paid leave available for bereaved staff in what is says is a market-leading policy for the retail sector.
The convenience chain – and the UK’s largest funeral provider – said its 57,000 employees can take up to 10 days paid leave when someone close to them dies or is seriously ill, up from five. The new policy also gives managers flexibility to give staff more days of paid leave if they think it is needed.
It comes after energy provider Ovo Energy announced a new policy earlier this year giving staff unlimited and fully paid compassionate leave, including for any kind of pregnancy-related loss such as miscarriage.
Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Peter Waddell delighted at ‘mega’ opening weekend for sixth used car supermarket
- H.R. Owen’s new £30m showroom hosts launch of 311mph Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster
- Sales of new and used cars expected to boom in 2023, new predictions reveal
- Stock levels dropped for franchised dealers last month as March’s plate change fails to boost part-exchanges
- Family-run Peugeot dealer celebrates major landmark as it passes 50 years in business
Listen to the latest Car Dealer Podcast
Car Dealer podcast chats to Money Guided’s Dermot Kelleher who confirms the company is in talks with dealer groups over cost-of-living help for employees
Unvaccinated UK travellers can enter US from next week
Travellers who have not had coronavirus vaccinations will be permitted to enter the US from next week.
The White House announced that its requirement for arrivals by air to prove their vaccination status will be dropped from May 12.
In November 2021, the US relaxed its coronavirus border rules to permit visitors from countries such as the UK as long as they were vaccinated. That requirement will be dropped at the end of the day on May 11, when the US ‘Covid-19 public health emergency’ ends, according to the White House.
Alpine aims for Pikes Peak glory with new A110 racer
Alpine will attempt to tackle the famous Pikes Peak hillclimb for the first time in a new specially-prepared version of its A110 sports car.
To take on the challenge, the French firm has created a specially equipped version of the A110, incorporating a number of tweaks and changes that should help it tackle all 156 corners of the course.
Called ‘the most extreme A110 to date’, the model incorporates extended splitters alongside deflectors on the ends of the spoiler that aim to increase downforce. There’s also an inlet on the roof which forces air into the engine, helping it to produce ‘nearly 500 horsepower’, according to Alpine. Plus, weight-saving measures have meant that the racer weighs just 950kg.
Weather outlook
Cloudy with patchy rain for the north today, reports BBC Weather, while the south will see high cloud and sunny spells. Temperatures of up to 17 degrees celsius expected.
Rain will be mostly confined to far northern Scotland and clear elsewhere tonight, although by dawn the south-west will see light rain.
