6:55 am, January 18, 2023
Thousands of nurses go on strike across England
Thousands of nurses across England are going on strike as a bitter pay dispute with the government continues but the health secretary has warned ‘unaffordable’ wage rises ‘will mean cutting patient care’.
Nursing staff from more than 55 NHS trusts will take part in industrial action on Wednesday and Thursday following two days of action in December.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced that two further, bigger strikes will be held next month, while the GMB union is expected to announce further ambulance worker strike dates on Wednesday afternoon.
Inflation set to ease back further thanks to steep fall in fuel prices
Falling fuel prices are expected to have helped UK inflation ease back again last month as Wednesday’s official figures are set to offer further signs that the peak of the cost of living crisis has passed.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is set to show the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation falling to 10.5 per cent last month from 10.7 per cent in November, according to most economists.
It is thought that sharp drops in the prices at petrol pumps is behind the expected decline, which would mark the second month in a row that the rate of inflation has dropped back. CPI has eased since the eye-watering 41-year high of 11.1 per cent seen in October, when soaring energy bills pushed up the cost of living.
Unions to meet education secretary after teachers vote to strike over pay
Union leaders are due to meet the education secretary for talks in a bid to avert seven days of strike action over teachers’ pay.
Gillian Keegan has said she will work with head teachers to make sure schools are open for as many children as possible, but admitted she cannot guarantee there will be no closures.
Some parents have voiced concerns about having to arrange childcare on strike days and the possible financial impact of having to take days off work, according to Mumsnet.
Church of England ‘to refuse to back change to allow same-sex marriages’
The Church of England’s bishops have reportedly refused to back a change that would allow priests to marry same-sex couples.
The bishops met on Tuesday to finalise recommendations after five years of consultation and debate on the Church’s position on sexuality, according to the BBC.
The broadcaster said it spoke with several bishops present at the meeting who said the Church teaching that Holy Matrimony exists only between one man and one woman would not change nor be put to a vote at the General Synod next month. Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013, but the Church did not change its teaching when the law changed.
UK needs £5.8bn boost for energy efficiency to cut soaring bills – report
The average home could save £500 a year on bills under the new price cap from April with good insulation and heat pumps, a report has said.
But research from think tank IPPR warns that public investment in energy efficiency and low-carbon heating is falling short of what is needed to meet climate goals to cut gas demand and emissions – and slash household costs.
The report calls for planned investment earmarked for after 2025 to be brought forward to the next two years to plug a £5.8bn funding gap. IPPR analysis says that an estimated £12.7bn of public funding is needed to boost home insulation by 2025 – but there is a shortfall in spending of at least £2.4bn. It also warns that £5.1bn of public spending is needed in electric heat pumps, which replace gas boilers to provide hot water and heating, but there the funding gap is £3.4bn.
Basic groceries up by 30 per cent as supermarket trust plummets – Which?
The price of basic groceries such as butter, milk and cheese went up 30 per cent year-on-year at some supermarkets in December, new figures show.
While overall food and drink inflation reached 15 per cent in December across the eight major supermarkets, butters and spreads rose by an ‘astonishing’ 29.4 per cent, according to tracking by watchdog Which?
Milk was 26.3 per cent more expensive than a year before, while cheese (22.3 per cent), bakery items (19.5 per cent), water (18.6 per cent) and savoury pies, pastries and quiches (18.5 per cent) also saw higher-than-average price increases. The worst individual price hike on a food item across all the supermarkets was Quaker Oat So Simple Simply Apple (8x33g) at Asda, which increased 188 per cent from £1 on average in December 2021 to an average of £2.88 in December 2022.
Which?’s latest Consumer Insight survey also shows that trust in supermarkets is plummeting, from positive 67 in May 2021 to positive 42 now.
Corvette E-Ray revealed as firm’s first electrified model
American sports car firm Corvette has revealed the E-Ray as its first electrified model.
Unveiled 70 years after the original Corvette made its debut, the E-Ray adopts a hybrid set-up with the sole purpose of boosting performance. Pairing the existing car’s 6.2-litre V8 engine with an electric motor in the front axle, the combined total output equates to 646bhp – a sharp increase over the 490bhp offered by the regular Corvette C8.
A small 1.9kWh battery is adopted, and the E-Ray is a regular hybrid that doesn’t need plugging in. Corvette says it can travel at up to 45mph when in ‘Stealth Mode’. Corvette says this is designed for ‘quietly exiting a neighbourhood’. There are six driver modes available, each adjusting the level of electrical assistance.
Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Creditors of failed Carzam likely to get nothing back – including founders owed more than £12m
- Manager awarded £38,000 after winning unfair dismissal case against car dealership that fired him via text
- Britishvolt enters administration and hundreds of employees are made redundant with immediate effect
- BCA to close Upper Heyford Vehicle Preparation Centre
- Tesla’s bold price drop will spark EV price war as other car makers try to keep up
- Hendy Group to open new Nissan dealership in West Sussex
- Land Rover dominates list of used cars that make dealers the most profit as top 10 revealed
- Vertu boss tells of profound effect on staff after woman and child killed following collision outside dealership
- Inchcape expands Asia-Pacific business with CATS Motors joint venture
- Tesla’s bold price drop will spark EV price war as other car makers try to keep up
BBC apologises after porn prank targets Match Of The Day
The BBC has apologised after pornographic noises were transmitted during live coverage of the FA Cup clash between Wolves and Liverpool on Tuesday evening.
Presenter Gary Lineker revealed the loud moaning noises were caused by a hidden mobile phone “taped to the back of the set”.
A BBC spokesperson said on Twitter: ‘We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening. We are investigating how this happened.’
Weather outlook
A cold day in store for the whole of the UK, reports BBC Weather. Snow showers for northern and western parts and eastern coastal areas. Bright and clear elsewhere.
Clear and dry for most although cloud and snow showers will push into north-western parts.
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