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News Round-Up

Sept 26: Pound falls to all-time low; Italy votes for right-wing Meloni; ‘Positive’ meeting between RMT and government

Here are the headlines on Monday, September 26

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Time 6:50 am, September 26, 2022

Pound falls to all-time low

The pound has slumped to its lowest level against the dollar since decimalisation in 1971, after the chancellor hinted more tax cuts would follow those he announced last week.

Sterling fell by more than four per cent to just 1.0327 dollars in early Asia trade before it regained some ground to about 1.05 dollars early on Monday, when the euro also hit a fresh 20-year low amid recession and energy security fears.

Kwasi Kwarteng has previously brushed off questions about the markets’ reaction to his mini-budget – which outlined the biggest programme of tax cuts for 50 years – after it was announced on Friday using more than £70bn of increased borrowing. On Sunday he claimed the cuts ‘favour people right across the income scale’ amid accusations they mainly help the rich.


Italy voters reward Giorgia Meloni’s far-right party, partial results show

Italian voters rewarded Giorgia Meloni’s Eurosceptic party with neo-fascist roots, propelling the country toward what likely would be its first far-right-led government since the Second World War, based on partial results from the election for parliament.

In a victory speech, Meloni struck a moderate tone after projections based on votes counted from some two-thirds of polling stations showed her Brothers of Italy party ahead of other contenders in Sunday’s balloting.

The formation of a ruling coalition, with the help of Meloni’s right-wing and centre-right allies, could take weeks. If Meloni, 45, succeeds, she would be the first woman to hold the country’s premiership.


Russia’s call-up splits EU as Ukraine says it shows weakness

Russia’s rush to mobilise hundreds of thousands of recruits to staunch stinging losses in Ukraine is a tacit acknowledgement that its ‘army is not able to fight,’ Ukraine’s president said on Sunday, as splits sharpened in Europe over whether to welcome or turn away Russians fleeing the call-up.

Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky also said he is bracing for more Russian strikes on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure, as the Kremlin seeks to ramp up the pressure on Ukraine and its Western backers as the weather gets colder.

Zelensky warned that this winter ‘will be very difficult’.

Ofgem should bring down standing charge, energy boss says

Ofgem should help drive down standing charges for energy bill payers around Britain, the head of one of the country’s largest suppliers has said.

Octopus Energy boss Greg Jackson said that many customers cannot understand why standing charges, the part of a bill you pay regardless of how much energy you use, are so high.

It comes after the business said it would knock four per cent off the standing charge for customers whose bills are regulated by the energy price cap.

Gordon Brown ‘nearing completion’ on Labour’s review of UK’s future

A blueprint for the future of the UK being drawn up by former prime minister Gordon Brown will be both a ‘safer’ and ‘more radical’ alternative to Scottish independence, the Labour conference will be told.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray will tell the gathering in Liverpool that Brown’s proposals are ‘nearing completion’, with the document to be launched ‘in the coming months’. It comes after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked the former PM to head up a special commission to look at the future of the UK.

With reports suggesting the proposed reforms will include the abolition of the House of Lords – something Labour has previously raised – the SNP dubbed it ‘Broon’s Brigadoon’, claiming it was a plan that ‘magically emerges from the mists before vanishing as quickly as it appeared’.


Food bank interest surges with 250 per cent increase in online searches: Labour analysis

Interest in food bank services has surged dramatically – with a 250 per cent increase in online searches for ‘food banks near me’ since March 2020, Labour Party analysis shows.

Ahead of his conference party speech, shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth visited the Big Help community group in Liverpool, which provides wrap-around services with food, employment, and debt support.

During his visit, Ashworth revealed Labour’s analysis of Google trends data, which shows searches for ‘food bank near me’ have increased by 250 per cent compared with the first week of March 2020, immediately before the pandemic.

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RMT’s Mick Lynch describes first meeting with transport secretary as ‘positive’

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has described his first meeting with new transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan as a ‘good meeting with a positive attitude’.

Rail strikes are planned for October 1, 5, and 8, threatening travel chaos for passengers.

Just days after stepping into her new role, Trevelyan met Lynch. Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sky News on Sunday, Lynch said that it was a ‘good meeting’, adding: ‘What we need to see from the new secretary of state is the ability to unblock the problems in the dispute.’

College lecturers launch strike action in pay dispute

Thousands of lecturers and other staff will launch a campaign of strike action from Monday in a dispute over pay.

Around 4,000 members of the University and College Union (UCU) at 31 colleges in England will take up to 10 days of strike action over the coming weeks. The union said the level of industrial action being undertaken is ‘unprecedented’ in England.

The union said that since 2009 pay in further education has fallen behind inflation by 35 per cent and the pay gap between school and college teachers stands at around £9,000.

Weather outlook

A windy day for most of the Uk today, reports BBC Weather, with a mixture of sunny spells and showers, particularly in western areas. Cloudier with frequent showers in Scotland and eastern England.

A breezy night but drier for most, however some parts of England and Scotland will be wet.

James Batchelor's avatar

James – or Batch as he’s known – started at Car Dealer in 2010, first as the work experience boy, eventually becoming editor in 2013. He worked for Auto Express as editor-at-large and was the face of Carbuyer’s YouTube reviews. In 2020, he went freelance and now writes for a number of national titles and contributes regularly to Car Dealer. In October 2021 he became Car Dealer's associate editor.



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