6:54 am, November 6, 2022
UK nurses vote to strike in first ever national action
Nurses across the UK have voted to strike in the first ever national action over a pay dispute.
The strike ballot among more than 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing was the biggest ever in the union’s 106-year history.
Its general secretary Pat Cullen said: ‘Our strike action will be as much for patients as it is for nurses – we have their support in doing this.’
Sunak announces extra bank holiday to mark King’s coronation
The Government has proclaimed an additional bank holiday to mark the coronation of the King next year.
Downing Street said the holiday will fall on Monday May 8 following the coronation at Westminster Abbey two days earlier on Saturday May 6. It will take place across the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that – as was the case with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 – it will be an opportunity for families and communities across the country to come together to celebrate.
Williamson faces inquiry over abusive messages to Tory chief whip
Cabinet Office minister Sir Gavin Williamson is facing an investigation over a series of abusive and threatening messages sent to the then Tory chief whip complaining he had been excluded from the Queen’s funeral.
Sir Gavin, who was a backbencher at the time, accused Wendy Morton of using the death of the monarch to ‘punish’ senior MPs who were out of favour with Liz Truss’s government.
The exchange of messages, obtained by The Sunday Times, concluded with him saying: ‘Well let’s see how many more times you f*** us all over. There is a price for everything.’
Twitter launches $7.99 per month blue tick subscription
Twitter has launched a subscription service allowing users to buy blue-tick verification for a monthly fee of $7.99 (£7) in a major change under its new owner, Elon Musk.
The system was designed to help users identify authentic and influential users on the platform, including government figures, sports stars, entertainment figures, journalists and major brands and organisations.
But in an update to Apple iOS devices on Saturday, the social media company said any users who ‘sign up now’ to its premium ‘Twitter Blue’ service for $7.99 a month will get a blue tick.
Dover firebombing declared terrorist incident
The firebombing of an immigration processing centre in Dover has been declared a terrorist incident after police found evidence the attack was motivated by an extreme right-wing ideology.
Andrew Leak, 66, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, is believed to have killed himself at a nearby petrol station after throwing two or three ‘crude’ incendiary devices at the Western Jet Foil site, in Kent, last Sunday.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said on Saturday the attack is believed to have been ‘motivated by a terrorist ideology’.
Saturday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Motor finance firms urged to learn good and bad lessons from pandemic to help borrowers during cost-of-living squeeze
- The Car Group buys former Vauxhall site for second showroom
- Audi becomes latest carmaker to react to supply chain issues as firm pauses sales of its largest hybrid SUVs
Reversal of national insurance hike comes into effect
The cancellation of the 1.25 percentage point rise in national insurance has come into effect today.
The rise was introduced by Boris Johnson’s government, with Rishi Sunak as chancellor, in April and reversed by former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in his infamous mini-budget last month.
Its scrapping is one of few economic policies introduced by Liz Truss and Mr Kwarteng that was not axed by Jeremy Hunt and has stayed in place with Mr Sunak as Prime Minister.
Keyless car theft gang jailed after targeting Heathrow Airport car park
A gang that stole almost £3m worth of high-end vehicles has been jailed after targeting Heathrow Airport car park.
Some 72 cars, including Range Rovers, BMWs and Mercedes, were stolen across London and the South East over a 10-month period between December 2019 and October 2020.
The gang targeted cars with keyless technology on residential streets, driveways and dealership forecourts, using a device to programme a new digital key in just seconds which allowed them to gain entry and drive off.
Sunak to tell world leaders there must be no ‘backsliding’ on climate change
Rishi Sunak will urge world leaders to move ‘further and faster’ in transitioning away from damaging fossil fuels as he pledges to make the UK a ‘clean energy superpower’.
The Prime Minister travels to Egypt on Sunday ahead of the Cop27 international climate change summit with a warning that tackling global warming is ‘fundamental’ to future prosperity and security.
In his address on Monday, he will argue the ‘shock’ to the oil and gas markets caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underlines the need to move to cheaper, cleaner and safer sources of energy.
Thousands join central London protest to demand general election
Thousands of people have joined a demonstration calling for a general election amid the worsening cost-of-living crisis.
A coalition of trade unions and community organisations are taking part in the ‘Britain is Broken’ protest in central London, which was organised by the People’s Assembly.
Demonstrators marched in the rain from Embankment to Trafalgar Square, where a rally is being held with speakers including Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union.
Weather outlook…
Today, variable cloud, sunny spells and scattered showers for many, locally heavy and thundery. Cloudier in the south-east with longer spells of rain in places, but these clearing by evening, the BBC reports.
Tonight will be dry with clear spells for most in the east. Patchy cloud and showers in the west and for the southern coast, but turning overcast and breezy in the west later with spells of rain.
Tomorrow will see cloud and spells of rain spread eastwards, turning dull and damp for most. The south-east may see some sunny spells develop at times, though. Windy, with local gales in in the west.
