6:50 am, October 24, 2022
Tory MPs to make their choice for leader after Johnson withdraws
Tory MPs will choose who they want to be their new leader in the first stage of the race for No 10 after Boris Johnson dramatically pulled out of the contest.
The former prime minister claimed he had the nominations needed to make it onto the ballot paper but admitted he could not unite his warring party.
His withdrawal means the contest could be decided by early afternoon on Monday unless both the remaining candidates can get the support of 100 MPs.
NHS recruitment drive for thousands of nurses amid record staff vacancies
The NHS has launched its annual nationwide drive to recruit more nurses as it tries to fill tens of thousands of vacancies across England.
England’s chief nurse Ruth May described the role as a ‘life-changing profession’ where people can make a difference to someone’s life, but the drive comes as NHS staff are preparing for a challenging winter with the combined impact of flu, Covid and record vacancies.
The campaign – called We Are The NHS – spotlights the varied NHS nursing roles on offer and features patients who tell of how nurses helped them towards recovery. NHS England points out that more than six in 10 people are considering a career change over the next year, and nursing degrees offer strong employment prospects.
Fresh strike for BT and Openreach workers amid pay dispute
BT and Openreach workers will stage a fresh strike on Monday in a long-running dispute over pay.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), including 999 call handlers, will walk out for 24 hours following a wave of stoppages in recent weeks.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said his members remained determined to continue with the action, adding: ‘We’re never going to walk away from this.’ The union said BT’s ‘imposed’ pay rise of £1,500 was worth between five per cent and less than three per cent, well below ‘spiralling’ inflation.
Ambulance workers to vote on possible strike over pay
More than 15,000 ambulance workers across 11 trusts in England and Wales start voting on Monday on whether to strike over pay.
Members of the GMB union are being balloted in the coming weeks amid continuing industrial unrest in many sectors of the economy.
NHS workers in other unions, including nurses, are also being asked if they want to take strike action over pay. The GMB said its members were angry over the government’s imposed four per cent pay award, describing it as ‘another massive real terms pay cut’.
Four Just Stop Oil activists arrested over Abbey Road crossing protest
Four Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested for “wilful obstruction” after blocking traffic on London’s Abbey Road.
On Sunday, the climate activists blocked traffic on both carriageways of the North London crossing made famous by The Beatles. The protesters recreated the pose from the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album at the crossing. They then unfurled a poster with the slogan ‘Just Stop Oil’, before blocking traffic by sitting in the middle of the road.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Both carriageways of Abbey Road are now clear of protesters and traffic is flowing again in both directions. Police have arrested four protesters for wilful obstruction of the highway.’
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More than 900,000 drivers risk £1,000 fine over expired licences
More than 900,000 drivers risk a £1,000 fine after failing to renew photocard licences which expired in the past year, an investigation has found.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures obtained by the PA news agency following a Freedom of Information request, show 926,000 people entitled to drive in Britain held cards on September 3 which became out of date in the 12 months to the end of August. That represents two per cent of all drivers.
A small proportion of the 926,000 are likely to have stopped driving without notifying the DVLA.
Second case of bird flu detected in Anglesey
A second case of bird flu has been confirmed in Anglesey.
It comes after the first case was discovered last week. The second case was discovered at a poultry site.
A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been declared around the infected premises to limit the risk of disease spread, the government said. Bird movements and gatherings are restricted within these zones and all holdings that keep birds must be declared, the government added.
Weather outlook
Rain for the far north today, reports BBC Weather, while further south will see sunny spells and showers. A breezy day.
A clear night for most with the chance of the odd shower, and a much calmer night that recently.
