Babak Belurs

Selasa, 16 Mei 2023

Renters’ reform must close loopholes for unfair evictions, campaigners say - The Guardian

Tenants and campaigners have warned Michael Gove not to create a “back door” for unfair evictions as private rented sector reforms are unveiled on Wednesday.

The legal overhaul will ban no-fault evictions but strengthen landlords’ rights to throw tenants out for antisocial behaviour.

The secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities will announce the renters’ reform bill affecting 11 million private renters in England.

“Too many renters are living in damp, unsafe, cold homes, powerless to put things right and with the threat of sudden eviction hanging over them,” he will say.

But after lobbying from landlords, he will also “strengthen powers to evict antisocial tenants, broadening the disruptive and harmful activities that can lead to eviction and making it quicker to evict a tenant acting antisocially”, his department said.

It could mean renters being given a two-week notice period for antisocial behaviour evictions and that any behaviour “capable” of “causing nuisance or annoyance” could trigger eviction.

The bill will not, however, limit the frequency with which landlords can hike rents or rent caps. It is expected to outlaw extreme rent increases targeted at pushing tenants out. This will be policed by a new ombudsman for private rented housing and the courts.

It comes four years after the government first promised to ban the 1988 no-fault eviction law, which has had a chilling effect on tenants’ confidence to challenge non-decent homes, of which there are estimated to be 1m in England.

Since that promise was made by Theresa May and repeated in Boris Johnson’s December 2019 Conservative election manifesto, more than 54,000 households in the private rented sector in England have been threatened with a no-fault eviction and almost 17,000 households were evicted by bailiffs.

Gove will say: “Our new laws introduced to parliament today will support the vast majority of responsible landlords who provide quality homes to their tenants, while delivering our manifesto commitment to abolish section 21 no-fault evictions.

“This will ensure that everyone can live somewhere which is decent, safe and secure – a place they’re truly proud to call home.”

Keir Starmer is expected to announce on Wednesday that a Labour government would reform the planning system and “bring back local housing targets”, describing his party as “builders not blockers”.

Labour will become the party of housebuilders, he pledged in an interview with the Times, announcing plans to loosen restrictions on building in the green belt to help boost local housing supply.

The bill looks set to be subject to fierce debate in parliament over definitions of antisocial behaviour and the policing and timing of new decency standards.

Basic decent homes standards, which already apply to social housing, will be introduced, although there is no timetable yet for when landlords should fix issues such as damp, cold and pests.

skip past newsletter promotion

It comes as the private rented sector is in crisis. The number of households renting in England more than doubled between 2001 and 2021, the census showed, and demand for rentals after the pandemic is up 50% on the five-year average – and coincides with a fall in the stock of rental homes, pushing the price of new lets up more than 11% a year in March, according to Zoopla.

Gove will also announce a new right for tenants to ask to live with a pet, which landlords “cannot unreasonably refuse”, and will make it illegal to refuse tenancies to people on benefits or with children.

The London Renters Union said the bill was a “huge step forward for renters forced to live under the threat of ‘no-fault’ eviction” but it said “it will not bring us security in our homes”.

“Landlords could circumnavigate the new eviction ban by using large rent hikes and other ‘back door’ evictions to force unwanted tenants out,” it said.

The housing charity, Shelter, said the bill moved renters “one step closer to fairer, more secure housing”, but cautioned it must be “as strong as possible with every loophole closed so that no renter can be unfairly evicted”.

Toby Lloyd, who was a Downing Street housing adviser when May first pledged the ban on section 21 no-fault evictions, said: “Widening landlords’ ability to gain possession over antisocial behaviour and non-payment of rent must not create another back door route to no fault evictions.”

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, warned that the plan outlined so far “lacks detail” and said that without assurance of repossession powers, “the bill will only exacerbate the rental housing supply crisis many tenants now face”.

The lobby group also called for more staff in the court system to meet what is expected to be an increased workload if antisocial behaviour evictions take off.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjMvbWF5LzE3L3JlbnRlcnMtcmVmb3JtLW11c3QtY2xvc2UtbG9vcGhvbGVzLWZvci11bmZhaXItZXZpY3Rpb25zLWNhbXBhaWduZXJzLXNhedIBeGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjMvbWF5LzE3L3JlbnRlcnMtcmVmb3JtLW11c3QtY2xvc2UtbG9vcGhvbGVzLWZvci11bmZhaXItZXZpY3Rpb25zLWNhbXBhaWduZXJzLXNheQ?oc=5

2023-05-16 23:02:00Z
CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjMvbWF5LzE3L3JlbnRlcnMtcmVmb3JtLW11c3QtY2xvc2UtbG9vcGhvbGVzLWZvci11bmZhaXItZXZpY3Rpb25zLWNhbXBhaWduZXJzLXNhedIBeGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9zb2NpZXR5LzIwMjMvbWF5LzE3L3JlbnRlcnMtcmVmb3JtLW11c3QtY2xvc2UtbG9vcGhvbGVzLWZvci11bmZhaXItZXZpY3Rpb25zLWNhbXBhaWduZXJzLXNheQ

Vauxhall-maker says UK needs to change its Brexit deal - BBC

By Faisal Islam

Economics editor

One of the world's biggest carmakers has called on the government to renegotiate part of the Brexit deal or risk losing parts of its car industry.

Stellantis, which makes Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat had committed to making electric vehicles in the UK.

But it has now said it is no longer able to meet Brexit trade rules on where parts are sourced.

The government is "determined" that the UK will remain competitive in car manufacturing, a spokesperson said.

Stellantis called on the government to come to an agreement with the EU to keep rules as they are until 2027.

It also wants arrangements for manufacturing parts in Serbia and Morocco to be reviewed.

Nissan warns costs must fall to make new electric cars in UK

Just two years ago, the world's fourth biggest car maker said the future of its Ellesmere Port and Luton plants were secure.

But now Stellantis has asked the UK government to renegotiate part of the Brexit deal amid a "threat to our export business and the sustainability of our UK manufacturing operations".

In a submission to a Commons inquiry into electric car production, the firm said its UK investments were based on meeting the strict terms of the post-Brexit free trade deal.

These rules state that from next year, 45% of the value of the electric car should originate in the UK or EU to qualify for trade without tariffs.

Stellantis said it was "now unable to meet these rules of origin" after the surge in raw materials costs during the pandemic and energy crisis.

If the government cannot get an agreement to keep the current rules until 2027, from next year "trade between the UK and EU would be subject to 10% tariffs", it said.

This would make domestic production and exports uncompetitive in comparison to Japan and South Korea, it said.

"To reinforce the sustainability of our manufacturing plants in the UK, the UK must consider its trading arrangements with Europe," Stellantis said.

A government spokesperson said that Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch "has raised this with the EU".

Ms Badenoch "is determined to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing, especially as we transition to electric vehicles," the spokesperson said.

The government has set up a fund to develop the supply chain for electric vehicles, and in the coming months will take "decisive action to ensure future investment in zero emission vehicle manufacturing", the spokesperson added.

'Uncompetitive'

The deal on electric cars and batteries was one of the very last issues settled in Brexit negotiations between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen in 2020.

The Stellantis document warns that uncompetitive electric vehicle costs will mean "manufacturers will not continue to invest" and will "relocate manufacturing operations outside of the UK".

It then lists Ford, and BMW's electric Mini, as well as Honda's investment in the US after closing its UK site in Swindon.

The core problem remains a lack of UK battery plants, and a domestic supply chain that should be being built now, but is being dwarfed by developments elsewhere.

At a time of some uncertainty over UK trading arrangements, now the US, China and the EU are pouring subsidies into this market.

The industry-wide fear is that the UK is missing out on a once-in-a-generation tidal wave of investment around the electrification of cars.

Gigafactory

Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Tesla's Elon Musk, who hinted he might invest in a gigafactory in France.

The owners of the UK's biggest manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover, are currently being wooed by the Spanish government to host a gigafactory that had long been assumed to be being built in the UK.

The Brexit trade agreement allowed a "phase in" of the strict rules on the origin for electric vehicle parts.

The first stage comes in next year, and some in the UK car industry hope that the EU itself may want to renegotiate, if its own manufacturers are struggling to meet the origin requirements.

But the requirements are hard-wired into the UK-EU treaty.

The rules are then due to tighten again in 2027, and insiders believe UK exporters will find it impossible to export cars tariff free at that point, without UK battery production.

Senin, 15 Mei 2023

'A seismic shift': One in five taxpayers face 40% rate by 2027 - with these professions hard hit - Sky News

One in five taxpayers will be paying higher-rate income tax by 2027, in what the Institute for Fiscal Studies describes as a "seismic shift" since the 1990s.

Higher rates of tax were previously thought of as being for the most wealthy, but the six-year freeze in income tax allowances and thresholds that began last month will mean more lower earners are included.

The process is called fiscal drag, and it happens when inflation or income growth moves a taxpayer into a higher tax bracket - increasing tax revenue without the government having to actually raise rates.

The IFS said that by the 2027/28 financial year, more than one in eight nurses, one in six machinists and fitters, one in five electricians and one in four teachers will become higher-rate taxpayers. Almost half of surveyors and legal professionals will also be paying higher rate tax.

Isaac Delestre, a research economist at the IFS, said: "For income tax, the story of the last 30 years has been one of higher-rate tax going from being something reserved for only the very richest, to something that a much larger proportion of adults can expect to encounter."

Mr Delestre said: "Whether or not the scope of these higher rates should be expanded is a political choice as much as an economic one, but achieving it with a freeze leaves the income tax system hostage to the vagaries of inflation - the higher inflation turns out to be, the bigger impact the freeze will have."

In 1991/92, 3.5% of UK adults (1.6 million) paid the 40% higher rate of income tax. By 2022/23, 11% (6.1 million) were paying higher rates, the report said.

The standard personal allowance - the amount someone does not have to pay tax on - is £12,570. Above that amount, a person pays 20% tax until they hit an income of £50,271, when the 40% rate kicks in.

But for the 40% rate to impact the same fraction of people as it did in 1991, the higher rate threshold would need to kick in at nearly £100,000 in 2027/28, the report said.

Scotland's tax bands are different, and the IFS said that it included both those paying the Scottish higher tax rate at 42% and the Scottish top rate at 47% as well as those paying the higher rate of 40% or additional rate of 45% elsewhere in the UK.

A Treasury spokesperson said: "After borrowing hundreds of billions to support the economy during the pandemic and Putin's energy shock, we had to take some difficult decisions to repair the public finances and get debt falling.

"It is vital we stick to this plan to halve inflation this year and get our economy growing again.

"To support working families, we have doubled the tax-free personal allowance, taking three million of the lowest earners out of paying income tax altogether."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Etc2Vpc21pYy1zaGlmdC1vbmUtaW4tZml2ZS10YXhwYXllcnMtZmFjZS00MC1yYXRlLWJ5LTIwMjctd2l0aC10aGVzZS1wcm9mZXNzaW9ucy1oYXJkLWhpdC0xMjg4MTg5MdIBggFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvYS1zZWlzbWljLXNoaWZ0LW9uZS1pbi1maXZlLXRheHBheWVycy1mYWNlLTQwLXJhdGUtYnktMjAyNy13aXRoLXRoZXNlLXByb2Zlc3Npb25zLWhhcmQtaGl0LTEyODgxODkx?oc=5

2023-05-16 01:48:07Z
CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Etc2Vpc21pYy1zaGlmdC1vbmUtaW4tZml2ZS10YXhwYXllcnMtZmFjZS00MC1yYXRlLWJ5LTIwMjctd2l0aC10aGVzZS1wcm9mZXNzaW9ucy1oYXJkLWhpdC0xMjg4MTg5MdIBggFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvYS1zZWlzbWljLXNoaWZ0LW9uZS1pbi1maXZlLXRheHBheWVycy1mYWNlLTQwLXJhdGUtYnktMjAyNy13aXRoLXRoZXNlLXByb2Zlc3Npb25zLWhhcmQtaGl0LTEyODgxODkx

Food industry leaders to meet PM as prices soar - BBC

By Jemma Dempsey

Business reporter, BBC News

Rishi Sunak is to meet with food industry leaders, as soaring prices continue to hit firms and households.

The prime minister will host a "Farm to Fork" summit with delegates from farming, food production and supermarkets on Tuesday.

Farmers and businesses have been hit by rising operating costs, in part caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

They are expected to discuss how the UK can improve the way it produces and sells food, and boost production.

Ahead of the summit, the government unveiled a package of support for farmers, at a time when many have warned their businesses are at risk due to soaring prices.

Some have also argued that supermarkets not giving them a fair deal for certain goods, such as eggs.

Late on Monday, the government set out plans to put greater emphasis on farmers' interests in future trade deals and said it would review horticulture and egg supply chains to "ensure farmers get a fair price for their produce".

It also pledged invest £30m to "unlock new technologies" and make 45,000 visas available again to the horticulture sector next year to recruit fruit and vegetable pickers from overseas.

The government said the measures would "strengthen food security and grow the economy".

"Supporting our farmers and food producers must, and always will be, at the heart of our plans to grow the economy and build a more prosperous country," Mr Sunak said.

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers' Union, welcomed the government's announcement and said they showed "a recognition and an understanding of the strategic importance of British food and farming to the nation".

Rising food prices are one of the main drivers behind the rise in the cost of living.

Consumer group Which? said food inflation in particular remained at "shockingly high levels", with some meat, yoghurt and vegetables cost double what they were this time last year.

Your device may not support this visualisation

The consumer group also found supermarket own-label budget items were up 25% in April compared with the same time last year.

The UK's competition watchdog has launched an investigation of supermarkets over high food prices, but the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers, has said they are "doing all they can to keep food prices as low as possible".

It has previously said there is typically a three to nine-month lag to see price falls reflected in the shops, following falls in wholesale prices.

Ahead of the summit, the BRC called on the government to streamline regulation around recycling, packaging and Brexit to try to bring down prices for consumers.

Karen Betts, Food and Drink Federation chief executive, said the summit risked "being a missed opportunity" to address inflation.

She said the meeting must look at "costly and heavy-handed regulation, post-Brexit labelling requirements, skills shortages and the complexity of border checks, all of which are pushing up costs".

Analysis box by Emma Simpson, business correspondent

We've been hearing for months about the pressures our farmers and growers have been facing, from sky high costs and labour shortages to extreme weather.

Some have had to produce their food at a loss, others have been planting less leading to warnings that farmers are facing an existential crisis.

They want a fairer price for their produce. Meanwhile supermarkets are under increasing pressure to bring food prices down. Something has to give.

Former Sainsbury's boss, Justin King, says we've been through a golden era of cheap food. But getting the balance right is a hard circle for the government to square in a cost of living crisis.

Martin Lines, who farms in South Cambridgeshire and is chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, said business for some farmers was "unsustainable" due to huge cost increases for animal feed and fertiliser.

He said the industry needed a "long-term strategy" and "not just sticking plasters" from the government.

Julian Marks, chief executive Barfoots, where vegetables are grown on 8,500 acres (3,439 hectares) across the south coast of England, said costs have risen by as much as 30% in the last year.

"Home-grown food is a very useful, strategically important thing to have in the world we now live in," he said.

But with profitability halved and national minimum wage costs up 40% in five years, "it's pretty depressing", he added. "We're definitely not able to pass all our costs on," he added.

The business needed about 700 seasonal workers, but Mr Marks said the company had to rely on workers from further afield.

His comments come after the Home Secretary Suella Braverman said there was "no good reason" the UK could not train its own fruit pickers to bring immigration down.

‘Upward pressure’ on immigration

The report admitted that “robust” forecasts could not be made about net migration – the number entering minus the number leaving the UK – but suggested there would be “upward pressure” on immigration and post-pandemic “uncertainty” over whether as many Britons as anticipated would be tempted to emigrate post-Brexit.

It offered two options: the first would be to “pursue actions” to reduce net migration with a “collectively agreed policy change” to achieve that goal by 2024.

It said: “This could include capping some routes, changing thresholds (skills/salary), restricting the rights of dependants, and/or reducing the attractiveness of the graduate visa.”

The second would involve ministers arguing that the UK had “control” over immigration, and was “making choices” to offer safe and legal routes to refugees and support the labour market, universities and NHS.

“A strong narrative will be required to explain the rationale, especially if the labour market begins to contract,” it warned.

Pros and cons of different policies

The report then conducted a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of different policies, based on their impact on numbers and the wider economy.

“Research shows that factors that encourage people to move to the UK (managed migration) are: relative income differentials, networks linking destination and source countries, language skills, proximity between nations,” it said.

“While these persist, there will be strong demand for UK visas.”

Options offered to limit migration include shutting down the two-year graduate visa route, under which foreign students can remain in the UK without working after getting their first degree, and the reintroduction of the requirement for skilled workers to have a degree, rather than the equivalent of A-levels.

On Monday, the Office for National Statistics revealed that migrants are more likely to have degrees than British people.

Fewer than one in three, 31 per cent, British working-age adults born in the UK had higher education qualifications in 2021, according to its analysis of census data. This was in stark contrast to the 44 per cent share of those born outside the UK.

UK residents who were born in Nigeria are more than twice as likely to have higher education qualifications than those who were born in the UK, according to the figures.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRlbGVncmFwaC5jby51ay9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDIzLzA1LzE1L21pbmlzdGVycy13YXJuZWQtbWlsbGlvbi1tb3JlLW1pZ3JhbnRzLWJyaXRhaW4tZWxlY3Rpb24v0gEA?oc=5

2023-05-15 21:50:00Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRlbGVncmFwaC5jby51ay9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDIzLzA1LzE1L21pbmlzdGVycy13YXJuZWQtbWlsbGlvbi1tb3JlLW1pZ3JhbnRzLWJyaXRhaW4tZWxlY3Rpb24v0gEA

Minggu, 14 Mei 2023

Sex abuse victims 'must get specialist support' - BBC

By Jayne McCubbin & Katie Langton

BBC News

Encouraging abuse victims to come forward without a specialist support system in place is "totally irresponsible", campaigners have said.

Their open letter, with 150 signatories including Rape Crisis and Refuge, calls for fully-funded support to be included in the upcoming Victims Bill.

It was written by a woman whose friend helped convict their abusive running coach but then took her own life.

The government says it is improving support for victims at every stage.

The letter's author Charlie Webster and her friend Katie belonged to the same running group in Sheffield as teenagers. But the best friends never shared with each other that that their coach Paul North had sexually abused them over many years.

In 2002, North was jailed for 10 years after Katie and another victim reported him to police. Then aged 18, she had found the strength to give evidence against him in court.

But once North was convicted, Katie's mother Sue said her daughter was abandoned by a criminal justice system that seemed more interested in the offender than the victim.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact the BBC Action Line.

"In a way, she was sacrificed," she told the BBC. "She got let down by the police, by the running club, and she got left hung out to dry."

Katie was offered very little therapeutic support during the court process and nothing over the next 20 years.

"I can't see how she could have been expected to have got over that and just got on with life," Sue added.

While North served just half of his sentence, his victims were left to deal with their ongoing trauma. For Katie, this culminated with her taking her own life at her home in Australia in January this year aged 39. Her mum said she had never got over what had happened.

Charlie and Katie pictured together as teenagers

The Victims and Prisoners Bill, which is aiming to offer improved, legally-defined support to crime victims in England and Wales, is to be debated by MPs in the Commons on Monday.

But campaigners are concerned that a key element is missing - guaranteed funding written into law to provide the specialist support services needed to help these victims recover from their trauma.

Ms Webster and charity Rape Crisis have sent the letter to the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk. Its signatories include other charities like Women's Aid, plus athletes Sebastian Coe and Paula Radcliffe.

In the open letter, Ms Webster shares Katie's story, explaining that her friend had done what society had asked of her.

"She spoke out, she stood tall despite victim blaming and because of her courage, others were saved," she writes. "Katie did her duty to society. But what about Katie? What did the system do to help her? She deserved better."

Ms Webster urges the justice secretary to ensure sufficient multi-year funding is allocated to ensure victims are given access to counselling and emotional support to help them rebuild their lives.

Our Girl Katie - Running From Abuse

A young, talented athlete who was abused by her coach then betrayed by the system.

Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)

The letter says specialist support services are facing unprecedented demand, which it says, coupled with a chronic lack of underfunding, means survivors are waiting many months, even years, for support.

Rape Crisis England and Wales says it has 14,000 survivors on its waiting lists.

Ms Webster adds: "It is irresponsible and dangerous to raise awareness of victims' rights to then leave them unable to access any help or support due."

Jayne Butler, CEO of Rape Crisis, said demand for the charity's services has increased by 38% in the past year, "clearly demonstrating the pressures on specialist services which have been unable to meet demand for a long time".

"I want to see a Victims Bill that gives victims and survivors what Katie and Charlie never had. If the government truly wishes to make a difference with this bill it must provide the funding needed to support it," she added.

In its report about the draft bill, the cross-party Justice Committee said a recurring theme in its inquiry was that victim support services already faced unmanageable referral levels and caseloads.

"We caution that the bill risks raising victims' awareness of their rights only to leave them unable to access them due to the relevant services already working at full capacity," it said.

Labour is calling for the government to make a number of changes to the planned law, including ensuring rape survivors get free legal advice to help reduce the number dropping out of court action.

It also wants the Victims' Commissioner to have more powers to hold the government to account, including by producing an annual report to parliament, and for victims of anti-social behaviour to be covered by the Victims' Code.

The Ministry of Justice told us it commended the bravery of Katie's family and friends in sharing her story.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "Through our new Victims and Prisoners Bill we are improving support for victims at every stage, setting out a clear expectation of the support and information victims should receive from the police and courts.

"This is on top of our commitment to quadrupling funding for victim support services. Last year we awarded £4.5m to charities to fund vital support specifically for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to help ensure victims of this horrific crime get the help they need."

Babak Belurs

Selasa, 16 Mei 2023

Renters’ reform must close loopholes for unfair evictions, campaigners say - The Guardian

Vauxhall-maker says UK needs to change its Brexit deal - BBC

'Uncompetitive'

Gigafactory

Related Topics

Senin, 15 Mei 2023

'A seismic shift': One in five taxpayers face 40% rate by 2027 - with these professions hard hit - Sky News

Food industry leaders to meet PM as prices soar - BBC

Related Topics

Michael Gove: Labour would use EU voters to rig elections - The Times

Million more migrants heading to Britain before next election, ministers warned - The Telegraph

‘Upward pressure’ on immigration

Pros and cons of different policies

Minggu, 14 Mei 2023

Sex abuse victims 'must get specialist support' - BBC

Related Topics

Selasa, 16 Mei 2023

'Uncompetitive'

Gigafactory

Related Topics

Senin, 15 Mei 2023

More from UK

Related Topics

‘Upward pressure’ on immigration

Pros and cons of different policies

Minggu, 14 Mei 2023

Related Topics