Babak Belurs

Minggu, 07 Agustus 2022

Liz Truss pledges to 'immediately' reverse NI hike in emergency budget as Tory leadership hopefuls clash - Sky News

Liz Truss has pledged to "immediately" cut taxes if she wins the race for Number 10, adding that she would call for an emergency budget and tackle the cost of living crisis by "reversing the rise on National Insurance".

The foreign secretary has also rejected "handouts" to help households through the worse income squeeze in 60 years.

It comes as the Conservative leadership hopefuls have clashed over how best to help households amid the cost of living crisis.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak has branded Ms Truss' tax plans as "simply wrong".

Ms Truss wants to accelerate by six months her plan to scrap the National Insurance hike, implementing the change within days of a September emergency budget instead of waiting until April in line with usual Treasury rules, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

"I would hit the ground running by bringing in an emergency budget, charting a firm course to get our economy growing in order to help fund our public services and NHS," Ms Truss wrote in the newspaper.

"I would use this to immediately tackle the cost of living crisis by cutting taxes, reversing the rise on National Insurance and suspending the green levy on energy bills."

The foreign secretary told reporters during a campaign visit to the West Midlands on Saturday: "Under the plans at present, what we know is Britain is headed for a recession.

"That is not inevitable, but we need to avoid that by making sure our economy is competitive, that we're encouraging businesses to grow and that we are keeping taxes low.

"Having the highest taxes for 70 years is not going to deliver that economic growth, and it's leading our country to a recession."

Meanwhile, her opponent Mr Sunak has hit back and said: "We need to get real about this situation.

"It's simply wrong to rule out further direct support at this time as Liz Truss has done and, what's more, her tax proposals are not going to help very significantly people like pensioners or those on low incomes, who are exactly the kind of families that are going to need help."

Tax cuts could fuel inflation - predicted to top 13%

Earlier this week, in an interview with the Financial Times, Ms Truss insisted she would press ahead with tax cuts, despite claims they would fuel inflation - already forecast to top 13%.

Asked how she intended to help households facing spiralling energy bills this winter, she insisted the answer was tax cuts and supply-side reforms.

Former deputy governor of the Bank of England Charles Bean told Sky News Ms Truss's plans "are not particularly well targeted in terms of dealing with people who are most hit" by the energy price spike.

He added: "The existing package that previous chancellor Rishi Sunak put in place had more conscious targeting towards poorer households and I think it's pretty clear that any fiscal manoeuvre we have at the moment should be primarily directed towards them rather than more broadly."

Tory voters swing behind Truss

Ms Truss has taken a seven-point lead as best prime minister against Mr Sunak (27% to 20%) and a 26-point lead among 2019 Conservative voters (48% to 22%).

Research from Opinium found on all leadership attributes, 2019 Tories are more positive about Ms Truss than two weeks ago and more negative about Mr Sunak.

A third of all voters (34%) think the government should keep taxes and spending on public services about where they are now, while 26% think there should be an increase in both.

Frontrunner denies video leak

Ms Truss has declined to say whether her campaign was involved in the leaking of a video in which Mr Sunak spoke about working to divert funding from deprived urban areas towards more prosperous towns.

The Tory leadership contender was asked during a visit to the West Midlands whether her team had anything to do with leaking her rival's controversial comments.

She told reporters: "I'm running a positive campaign.

"My campaign is about how we unleash the potential of Britain, how we get the economy going in these difficult times, how we get investment into fantastic places like the West Midlands."

Speaking in Southampton after a visit to the Isle of Wight on Saturday, Mr Sunak said he "stand[s] by absolutely" what he said, citing the island as an example of a community that feels it does not get the support it needs under the funding formula.

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2022-08-07 06:56:15Z
1514337165

Sabtu, 06 Agustus 2022

Cost of living crisis: Triple blow to earnings leaves some low-income families £1,600 worse off, even after govt support - Sky News

Some families are up to £1,600 a year worse off because of the cost of living crisis - even after government help is taken into account.

The poorest in society are suffering three major blows to their income in the year to October 2022, according to a report commissioned by former prime minister Gordon Brown.

As well as losing the £20-a-week uplift to Universal Credit, benefits are failing to keep up with inflation - and a jump in the energy price cap is expected this autumn.

Poverty expert Professor Donald Hirsch, who wrote the report, says the package of measures offered by the government falls far short of what low-income households need - and urgent action is required.

His research suggests that an out-of-work couple with two children will miss out on £1,300 a year, with larger households suffering bigger losses.

That's despite working-age households on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits getting £1,200 of additional help - including reductions to energy bills and council tax, as well as £650 direct to their bank account.

The report warns this flat-rate approach disadvantages bigger families, and Mr Brown said: "We are facing a humanitarian crisis that Britain hasn't seen in decades.

"As living costs continue to skyrocket, families on the brink of making ends meet cannot bridge the gap."

He also called on the next prime minister "to ensure that families have enough to live, through this crisis and beyond".

And writing in The Observer, the ex-PM warned a failure to act risks "condemning millions of vulnerable and blameless children and pensioners to a winter of dire poverty".

Mr Brown is urging Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to agree an emergency budget this week - and says time is running out to update the Universal Credit payments system before the next energy price cap hike.

Underlining the urgency of the matter, he also suggested that parliament should be recalled if they fail to do so.

'Living in survival mode'

The report has been endorsed by 56 charities, faith groups and politicians - and also includes the first-hand experiences of those affected by rising bills.

One of them is Lowri, who receives Universal Credit and cares for her father and daughter. Her food and fuel bills have doubled, and she has had to sell her daughter's bike to make ends meet.

She said: "I have spent the last five years living in survival mode, just about surviving each day, worrying about money constantly. I am emotionally and mentally exhausted living like this.

"It is not living, merely existing. There is just no way people can manage to pay all their bills, and all we are doing is existing to pay bills. Terrified is an understatement."

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The projected shortfalls in the report are based on figures drawn at the end of 2022, and there are fears families will be in an even worse financial position when Ofgem, the energy regulator, makes its announcement regarding the rise in the energy price cap.

A government spokesperson said: "We understand that people are struggling with rising prices, which is why we have acted to protect the eight million most vulnerable British families through at least £1,200 of direct payments this year, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.

"Through our £37bn support package we are also saving the typical employee over £330 a year through a tax cut in July, allowing people on Universal Credit to keep £1,000 more of what they earn and cutting fuel duty by 5p, saving a typical family £100."

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2022-08-07 01:32:41Z
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Water companies across the UK 'strongly urged' to enforce hosepipe bans as another heatwave looms - Sky News

Water companies across the UK are being "strongly urged" to enforce a hosepipe ban.

Environment Secretary George Eustice says some local providers "have rightly taken action to mitigate the effects of this prolonged dry weather" - but other utility companies are yet to follow suit.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Eustice warned the "very unusual" mix of record hot weather and low rainfall means suppliers must go further to ensure there's an adequate water supply.

A hosepipe ban has now come into force in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for the first time in 10 years - with restrictions to be rolled out across Sussex, Kent and Pembrokeshire later this month.

Thames Water, which has nine million customers and is the UK's largest water company, has said temporary restrictions may be required unless the public take steps to use water more efficiently.

It has warned that reservoir levels are below normal for this time of year, and supplies will continue to reduce in the months ahead unless London and the Thames Valley receive average or above average rainfall.

Water-saving tips include swapping hoses for watering cans, taking shorter showers, and turning off the taps while brushing teeth.

In the long term, Mr Eustice has said that the government wants English suppliers to reduce the amount of water used per person by 20% without affecting quality of life - driven by a clampdown on leakages.

Stressing that everyone needs to do their part, he wrote: "Saving water is about reducing unnecessary consumption, not restricting essential use.

"There are lots of actions you can take to save water at home and in the garden. Installing a water-saving device in your toilet cistern or checking your household appliances for leaks can save huge amounts of water."

Mr Eustice added that he expects water companies "to step up" - and if they fail to make changes, he "won't hesitate to step in and take further action".

All of this comes as the UK braces itself for another heatwave.

Highs of 28C (82.4F) are expected in parts of the South and South East of England today, with dry weather forecast to continue for up to 10 more days.

Met Office senior meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: "Overall Augusts tend to be a wetter month so it is fairly unusual to have prolonged dry weather over August."

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2022-08-07 03:12:39Z
1509791774

Girl dies after getting into difficulty at Windsor water park - bbc.co.uk

Image of the waterpark, including the lake and obstacle course

An 11-year-old girl has died after getting into difficulty at a water sports and activity park.

Members of the public searched a lake as police were being called to Liquid Leisure Windsor in Datchet, Berkshire, at about 15:55 BST on Saturday.

The girl was found just over an hour later by the emergency services and taken to Wexham Park Hospital.

Thames Valley Police said her death is being treated as unexplained and an investigation has been launched.

Supt Michael Greenwood said: "This has been an extremely traumatic and upsetting incident for all involved."

Several members of the public got into the lake shortly after she got into difficulty "but were unable to locate her", he said.

"I would like to commend them for their courage and bravery."

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and South Central Ambulance Service joined police officers at the site.

The National Police Air Service was also involved in the search.

The girl's next of kin have been informed and they are being supported by officers.

Supt Greenwood, the local policing area commander for Windsor and Maidenhead, offered his "sincere condolences" and requested that the privacy of the girl's family be "respected".

He said: "We are in the early stages of investigating this incident to understand the full circumstances."

Liquid Leisure Windsor describes itself as being home to "Europe's largest aqua park" with activities including wakeboarding, a floating obstacle course, open water swimming and boat rides.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the company said it will be closed on Sunday.

It said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and all those effected by this desperately tragic and upsetting incident."

Liquid Leisure Windsor added it would not be right to comment further while police are in the early stages of an investigation, but it would "continue to fully support and assist them throughout the process".

'Unconditional love'

In her ruling earlier on Friday, taking into account medical evidence, Mrs Justice Theis concluded it was not in Archie's best interests to be moved.

She said: "Archie's best interests must remain at the core of any conclusions reached by this court.

"When considering the wishes of the family, why those wishes are held, the facilities at the hospice, what Archie is likely to have wanted... the risks involved in a transfer... and the increasing fragility of his medical condition, I am satisfied... he should remain at the hospital when treatment is withdrawn."

Mrs Justice Theis also noted Archie's family's "unconditional love and dedication", which she said had been a "golden thread that runs through this case".

"I hope now Archie can be afforded the opportunity for him to die in peaceful circumstances, with the family who meant so much to him as he clearly does to them."

Timeline: How the story unfolded

7 April 2022

Archie is found unconscious by his mother after an incident at their home in Essex. He is taken to Southend Hospital.

8 April

Archie is transferred to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel where he has been treated ever since.

26 April

The NHS trust that runs the Royal London starts High Court proceedings by asking for Archie to undergo brain stem testing.

13 May

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot rules that brain stem testing should be carried out.

16 May

Two specialists try to administer brain stem function tests, but they are unable to as Archie did not respond to a peripheral nerve stimulation test, a precursor to the brain stem test.

25 May

A hearing is held to decide if further MRI scans should be conducted. Archie's parents did not consent on the basis that moving Archie could harm him.

27 May

The court approves further MRI scans, which are carried out on 31 May.

6-8 June

A final hearing is held to hear evidence on whether Archie's life-support treatment should continue.

13 June

The High Court judge rules that Archie is "dead" based on MRI scan results and that treatment could be withdrawn.

Hollie Dance, Archie’s mother, outside the High Court

20 June

The family ask the Court of Appeal to reconsider the case.

29 June

The Court of Appeal says that a new hearing to determine Archie's best interests should take place.

11 July

A new hearing is held in the High Court with evidence given before Mr Justice Hayden.

15 July

Mr Justice Hayden rules that life-support treatment should end, saying continuing it is "futile".

25 July

Three Court of Appeal judges support the High Court ruling that treatment can end.

28 July

The Supreme Court rules out intervening in the case and supports the Court of Appeal ruling.

29 July

The family make an application to the United Nations.

Archie’s mother and father, Paul Battersbee, outside the Royal London Hospital

30 July

A UN Committee writes to the UK government asking for a delay in withdrawing treatment while they consider the case.

31 July

The government asks for an urgent hearing to review the case.

1 August

The Court of Appeal refuses to postpone withdrawal of treatment until the UN can hear the case.

2 August

The Supreme Court refuse the family's application for permission to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling.

3 August

European Court of Human Rights refuses an application from the family to postpone the withdrawal of Archie’s life support.

4 August

Archie's parents make a legal application to move their son to a hospice for end of life care.

5 August

A High Court judge rules that Archie cannot be moved to a hospice for withdrawal of treatment.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk

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2022-08-06 08:11:27Z
1511371699

Jumat, 05 Agustus 2022

Rishi Sunak under fire for claiming he worked to divert money from 'deprived urban areas' when chancellor - Sky News

Rishi Sunak has been accused of "funnelling taxpayers' money to rich Tory shires" after he told party members he had been working to divert funding from "deprived urban areas".

A video obtained by the New Statesman magazine shows the former chancellor telling grassroots Conservatives that he had started changing public funding formulas to ensure other parts of the country receive "the funding they deserve".

In remarks made in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, last week he said: "I managed to start changing the funding formulas, to make sure areas like this are getting the funding they deserve because we inherited a bunch of formulas from Labour that shoved all the funding into deprived urban areas and that needed to be undone.

"I started the work of undoing that."

Politics Hub: Liz Truss acknowledges 'tough winter' and Sunak under fire

Labour MPs have voiced their anger over the comments, with shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy calling them "scandalous".

She has written to the Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark, asking him to investigate the changes Mr Sunak is referring to and what justification was given for them.

She said: "Rishi Sunak is openly boasting that he fixed the rules to funnel taxpayers' money to rich Tory shires.

"This is our money. It should be spent fairly and where it's most needed - not used as a bribe to Tory members. Talk about showing your true colours."

Mr Sunak's campaign did not dispute the video and instead defended its content.

Tory MP Jake Berry, who is chairman of the Northern Research Group of MPs, also condemned the remarks as he attacked Mr Sunak's leadership campaign.

He tweeted: "In public @RishiSunak claims he wants to level up the North, but here, he boasts about trying to funnel vital investment away from deprived areas?

"He says one thing and does another - from putting up taxes to trying to block funding for our armed forces and now levelling up."

And Foreign Office minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said: "This is one of the weirdest - and dumbest - things I've ever heard from a politician."

But speaking to reporters later on Friday, Mr Sunak said he was making the point that "deprivation exists right across our country".

Addressing the video, he said: "Well, I was making the point that deprivation exists right across our country and needs to be addressed.

"And that's why we need to make sure our funding formulas recognise that. And people who need help and extra investment aren't just limited to big urban areas. You find them in towns across the United Kingdom and in rural areas, too.

"And that was the point I was making, that our funding formulas that fail to recognise that are out of date, and they needed changing."

He continued: "It's right that those funding formulas are accurate, that they actually look at the need in different areas, measure that properly and reflect how things have changed from the past.

"And I think that's an entirely sensible thing to be doing, because it's not just big urban areas that require that extra investment.

"It's also people in rural communities, it's also people in towns and that's what we've done, both as a government in the past, what I want to do as prime minister in the future.

"Level up across the country so that no matter where people live, they feel incredible opportunities and pride in the place that they call home."

Allies of Mr Sunak have rallied around the Tory leadership contender.

Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen argued Boris Johnson led the party to electoral victory on a pledge to invest in areas "that have been ignored at the expense of urban cities".

And Richard Holden, the Tory MP for North West Durham, attacked Labour for "dragging investment out of small cities, towns, suburbs, villages" while "splurging" in metropolitan centres.

Defending Mr Sunak he told Sky News: "Rishi Sunak tore up (Treasury orthodoxy) so that places right across from Cornwall to the Cotswolds to County Durham to Cambridgeshire were all basically benefiting from a total change in the rules."

Sky News analysis last year found the majority of Levelling Up funding was going to the most deprived parts of the UK. But many areas in need missed out in the first round.

The remarks come as Mr Sunak tries to make up ground against Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to win the backing of party members who will choose the next prime minister.

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Ms Truss has been consistently ahead in the polls, but last night saw Mr Sunak win over an audience of undecided voters following Sky News' Battle for No 10 programme.

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2022-08-05 17:03:37Z
1523493682

Babak Belurs

Minggu, 07 Agustus 2022

Liz Truss pledges to 'immediately' reverse NI hike in emergency budget as Tory leadership hopefuls clash - Sky News

Sabtu, 06 Agustus 2022

Cost of living crisis: Triple blow to earnings leaves some low-income families £1,600 worse off, even after govt support - Sky News

HOW ARE RISING PRICES AFFECTING YOU?

Water companies across the UK 'strongly urged' to enforce hosepipe bans as another heatwave looms - Sky News

Girl dies after getting into difficulty at Windsor water park - bbc.co.uk

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Sunak vows to crack down on university degrees that do not improve 'earning potential' - Sky News

Archie Battersbee: Family devastated as legal routes exhausted - BBC

'Unconditional love'

Timeline: How the story unfolded

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Rishi Sunak under fire for claiming he worked to divert money from 'deprived urban areas' when chancellor - Sky News

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HOW ARE RISING PRICES AFFECTING YOU?

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Timeline: How the story unfolded

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