6:52 am, March 27, 2023
Sunak to unveil £160m plan to ‘stamp out’ anti-social behaviour
The prime minister said a £160m plan will ‘stamp out’ anti-social behaviour ‘once and for all’ as he pledged more police patrols and swifter punishments for those blighting communities.
Rishi Sunak will use a home counties visit on Monday to announce the UK government’s anti-social behaviour action plan.
Proposal include laughing gas being banned, drug testing of criminals becoming more prevalent, on-the-spot fines for graffiti and fly-tipping will be increased and more money will be ploughed into youth centres as part of a bid to eradicate behaviours spoiling Britain’s neighbourhoods.
Next SNP leader to be named following five-week contest
The next leader of the SNP is set to be chosen following a fiery five-week contest.
Health decretary Humza Yousaf, finance secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan have taken part in around 16 hustings as they competed to replace Nicola Sturgeon.
The frst minister announced in February that she would resign after more than eight years in the job once her successor has been chosen.
Kwasi Kwarteng offered to help fake Korean firm secure Boris Johnson meeting
Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng offered to facilitate setting up a meeting between a fake foreign firm and former prime minister Boris Johnson during a sting interview.
Kwarteng was caught up in a hoax organised by campaign group Led By Donkeys in which he was approached about providing political advice to a bogus company it alleged existed in South Korea.
During the phoney interview with someone claiming to work for the company, the Conservative MP looked to ‘sell’ himself by highlighting his experience serving ‘briefly’ as chancellor and also as a business secretary and energy minister.
PM facing Tory rebellions on small boats legislation ahead of Commons return
Rishi Sunak is facing potential Conservative rebellions over his Illegal Migration Bill as MPs prepare to go through the legislation line by line.
The controversial legislation designed to put a stop to migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats returns to the House of Commons for its committee stage on Monday.
The prime minister is facing objections to the terms of the Bill from two wings of his party, both the liberal and the right.
Public urged to avoid harbour in Dorset after oil leak causes major incident
The public is being urged to avoid using the water and beaches within Poole Harbour in Dorset, south-west England, after an oil leak caused a major incident to be declared.
Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC), who regulate activities on the harbour, said a leak occurred at a pipeline operated by gas company Perenco, under Owers Bay on Sunday.
Perenco, the UK’s largest onshore oil field, said a ‘small’ amount of reservoir fluid (consisting of 85 per cent water and 15 per cent oil) escaped from its pipeline and that, as of late Sunday night, some of it had already been recovered.
Mail publisher’s bid to end court cases over alleged unlawful activity to start
The publisher of the Daily Mail will bring a bid to end High Court claims brought by people including the Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence over alleged unlawful information-gathering at its titles.
The group of high-profile individuals, also including Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish and actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, announced in October they were bringing claims for misuse of private information against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
Their lawyers said at that time the group have ‘become aware of compelling and highly distressing evidence that they have been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy’ by ANL, which is also the publisher of The Mail On Sunday and MailOnline. In a statement announcing the launch of the legal action, released by Hamlins law firm, it was alleged the unlawful acts included hiring private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside cars and homes and the recording of private phone conversations.
Weekend Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Used car dealership’s CCTV captures man stealing VW Tiguan moulding worth hundreds of pounds
- Car dealer faces murder charge after death of pedestrian
- Four men are jailed for life for murdering Jaguar Land Rover worker in drive-by shooting
- Supercar brand BAC to expand in Asia with three more showrooms
- Opinion: People will always want to try before they buy cars – and that’s why the likes of Cazoo are failing
- First Drive: Car Dealer’s James Batchelor puts Jaguar’s F-Type R 75 through its paces
It would be ‘a tragedy’ if John Lewis ownership model changes, says former boss
It would be ‘a tragedy’ if John Lewis changed its ownership model, a former boss has said.
Reports last week suggested the company is considering ending its 100 per cent staff-owned structure, with the partnership’s chairwoman, Sharon White, exploring plans to sell a minority stake in the business to raise cash.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, who was managing director of the retailer until 2016, acknowledged the company’s financial difficulties, but urged the leadership to think about what makes it ‘special’.
Airports set for bumper business rates amid £1.4bn tax rise
Airports, power stations and business headquarters are set to be hit hardest by property tax changes when new valuations come into force next week, according to research.
Revenues from business rates – the property tax on commercial buildings – are expected to rise by £1.4 billion, or 4.9%, to £29.9 billion when the changes take effect from Saturday April 1.
The annual review by real estate advisory firm Altus Group has revealed that a raft of firms will be hit sharply by the increase, which comes after a new revaluation regime was announced last year.
Waylands partners with Ohme for home chargers
Smart-charging company Ohme is the new official charging partner for the Waylands Group.
The deal will see Waylands dealerships recommending Ohme’s Home Pro charger to customers of new and used cars. The charger connects to the National Grid in real time and automatically adjust their charging for drivers to take advantage of all the times of low price charging with off-peak tariffs.
Waylands boss John O’Hanlon said: ‘With EVs and PHEVs accounting for almost 30 per cent of our new car sales, the e-mobility revolution is becoming increasingly important and, together with Ohme, the Waylands Group is at the forefront of that change.’
Weather outlook
A frosty start but turning sunny for most, reports BBC Weather. There will patches of cloud and the odd shower in the south-west.
Tonight will start clear and dry, but cloud will build from the west. Turning showery.
