6:49 am, March 8, 2023
RMT union suspends all strike action for Network Rail workers after pay offer
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union has suspended all industrial action for Network Rail workers after receiving a new pay offer.
In a statement on Tuesday the union said: ‘The RMT National Executive Committee has taken the decision to suspend all industrial action on Network Rail following receipt of a new offer from the employer.’
Union members working at Network Rail were due to strike next on March 16.
Sunak to face MPs after unveiling law to stop migrant Channel crossings
Rishi Sunak will face MPs for the first time since detailing plans for fresh laws to curb Channel crossings.
The prime minister will go head to head with Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday after Labour described the proposed policy as a ‘con’ that was no more likely to be successful than prior Tory efforts to tackle the migration crisis.
Sunak could be challenged over how the legislation will work in practice and how it might stand up to anticipated legal challenges.
1922 chairman Sir Graham Brady latest Tory to announce exit at next election
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, has announced he will stand down at the next general election.
As chairman of the committee since 2010, he has overseen the election of party leaders and prime ministers from Theresa May to Rishi Sunak – as well as no-confidence votes in May and Boris Johnson.
The MP for Altrincham and Sale West in Greater Manchester said in a statement that his time in Parliament had been an ‘immense privilege’ as he announced he was bringing ‘this fascinating and fulfilling chapter of my life to a close’.
Gary Lineker to be ‘spoken to’ after criticism of ‘cruel’ Home Office policy
Gary Lineker will reportedly be given a talking-to by the BBC following a social media post in which he appeared to compare Home Office policy to Nazi Germany.
The Match Of The Day host will be ‘reminded of his responsibilities on social media’ by the corporation following a tweet reply he sent on Tuesday, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Lineker commented on a Twitter video put out by home secretary Suella Braverman, in which she unveiled government plans to stop migrant boats crossing the Channel.
Police forces under investigation for response to missing car crash victims
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into two police forces over the search for missing victims of a deadly car crash in Cardiff amid allegations they did not take matters seriously.
Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision, while Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, remain in a critical condition after a Volkswagen Tiguan they were in left the A48(M) in Cardiff and hit trees in the St Mellons area of the city.
Officers believe the car was involved in a collision and left the road some time later, but further investigations are needed to establish an exact time.
Call for energy social tariff cash payments for poorest households
Consumer groups have called for an energy social tariff in the form of cash payments for the poorest households ahead of what they warn could be a decade of high bills.
Citizens Advice said payments of up to £1,500 are now an ‘essential’ long-term solution for millions of fuel-poor households, both now and during what could be a decade of record prices.
The call for targeted financial support by next year has the backing of a coalition of consumer and energy bodies including Martin Lewis and Energy UK and is part of a new report commissioned by Citizens Advice following nine months of consultation with industry and the public.
Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Exclusive: Leaked Cazoo briefing doc confirms used car dealer is closing sites and slashing jobs
- Cazoo announces former Car Shop CEO Jonathan Dunkley will join as its COO
- Updated: Is this used car dealer fake? List of known car dealer scams and how to spot them
- Snows Motor Group managers prove that the auto trade is no longer only for men
- Revealed: The used car prices that went up the most last month
- VW predicts rise in revenue to £293.5bn as supply chains expected to improve
- Technology to support agency sales ‘doesn’t actually exist’, ATG boss Tim Smith tells Car Dealer
- Streaming ticket gives access to this week’s Car Dealer Live event from afar
- Revealed: The top 10 fastest-selling used cars on Motors.co.uk in February
Efforts to recoup billions in wrongly claimed furlough cash ‘woeful’, claim MPs
Efforts to recover the £2.3bn of taxpayer cash wrongly paid to employers claiming Covid furlough support for staff who continued to work has been ‘woeful’ and will fail to deter potential future criminals, MPs have warned.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the government has had little success recouping the cash, while it blasted the decision to wind up the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce without having recovered the money, saying it put taxpayer cash at risk.
In its report on Covid employment support, the cross-party committee said HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) was too slow to tackle problems in the design of the support schemes launched at the height of the pandemic, which saw some of those in genuine need miss out, while others were able to fraudulently and incorrectly claim.
Hyundai launches new Kona Electric with 304-mile range
Hyundai has revealed new details about its radical new Kona Electric, which gains a longer range and raft of new technology.
While revealed just before Christmas 2022, Hyundai released minimal details about its new second-generation crossover at the time. This new model gets a radical look compared to the previous Kona, with an angular design clearly inspired by that of the Tucson. Key styling details include a full LED front light bar that runs across the width of the bonnet, as well as various ‘parametric’ hidden lights.
Hyundai has tweaked the powertrains in the Kona too, with a choice of a ‘Standard Range’ and ‘Long Range’ model, which are equipped with 48.4kWh and 65.4kWh batteries respectively, with Hyundai promising a range of 304 miles with the latter. The Kona is expected to go on sale in the spring, with prices and specifications to be announced closer to that time. Full story here
Weather outlook
Further outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow will push across Wales, and central and southern England, reports BBC Weather. The north will see brighter skies, but further north into Scotland will have scattered snow showers. Highs of three degrees celsius.
Snow will clear tonight leaving a mostly dry night. Rain will push into the south-west by dawn.
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