Babak Belurs

Jumat, 24 November 2023

Labour unlikely to meet its £28bn green pledge at all - BBC

By Peter Saull

BBC political correspondent

It is unlikely a Labour government will be able to meet its ambition to spend £28bn a year on green initiatives, a source close to Sir Keir Starmer has told the BBC.

Labour announced the flagship policy at its annual conference in 2021.

But in June shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves watered the pledge down, saying the figure would not be reached until 2027.

Now, it is understood the figure will probably not be reached at all.

A senior source in the Labour leader's office said that was because of the state of the public finances. They stressed that Labour's fiscal rules were more important than any policy.

The Conservatives have previously warned of the alleged dangers of the policy - claiming extra borrowing could increase interest rates and mortgage costs.

During the Labour party conference in Brighton two years ago, Ms Reeves announced her ambition to be the UK's first "green" chancellor.

She unveiled Labour's Green Prosperity Plan, explaining money would go on offshore wind farms, planting trees and developing batteries. She added it would be funded by borrowing.

But in June Ms Reeves said she took the decision to scale back the Green Prosperity Plan as a result of the poor state of the economy.

"No plan can be built that is not a rock of economic and fiscal responsibility," Ms Reeves told BBC Radio 4's Today programme at the time.

She added. "I will never play fast and loose with the public finances."

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Five months on, there are major doubts at the top of the Labour party about the prospect of ever hitting that level of investment due to the state of the public finances.

This is because the party's fiscal rules - which include a promise to get debt falling within five years - are viewed as the "North Star"; more important than any policy, according to the senior Labour source who spoke to the BBC.

Another Labour source told the Telegraph: "The fiscal rule matters more, and that will dictate how much is in the green prosperity fund."

Labour is determined to paint itself as the party of economic credibility - even if it means tempering one of the central planks of its programme for government.

'Wolf warrior diplomacy'

But he told the BBC the world had changed since he was prime minister.

"China has become much more aggressive, much more assertive, over the Uighurs, over Hong Kong, the 'wolf warrior' diplomacy," he said.

"And so that's why security and protection is such an important part of our policy.

"We also need to align more carefully with our allies to make sure we can counter any malign threats coming from China. So, it is a realistic hard headed policy."

But he defended his previous policy in Downing Street that sought a new "golden era" in Sino-UK relations.

He said: "When I became prime minister, the greatest need was for Britain to grow again, trade again, with exports to help our businesses around the world.

"I loaded up planes, I took them to India, I took them to China, I took them to Africa to get the economy moving again."

And the government, he said, should still deal with Beijing today.

"Engaging China is one part of the approach we need to take," he said.

"Not least, because China is a fifth of humanity. We're not going to solve challenges like climate change, unless we engage.

"And hopefully I can be a part of that."

avid Cameron with Chinese President Xi Jinping at The Plough Inn at Cadsden in Princes Risborough, near to Cameron's country retreat at Chequers

Lord Cameron also risked angering pro-Brexit Tory MPs by saying Britain should engage more closely with the European Union on foreign, defence and security policy.

He said Britain had decided not to be a member of the EU but had to be "a friend, a neighbour and the best possible partner" and the UK had to make that work.

"When you look at the engagement in Ukraine, that probably is the best example of how it's worked," he said.

"There's no doubt that Britain is the leading European power in helping Ukraine.

"I heard that over and over again from the president downwards. But we're doing that in partnership with our European colleagues.

"So, I think we can make friend, neighbour and partner work. And I'm determined to do so."

Supporting Sunak

Even in his first few days back in office, Lord Cameron has been a strong advocate for boosting Britain's international development policy.

But he suggested he would not push for a return to the target of spending 0.7% of national income on foreign aid.

"I took this job accepting collective Cabinet responsibility," he said.

Lord Cameron gave his "100% support" to the government's Rwanda migration policy, saying "we have to do what it takes to break the model of the people smugglers".

He said: "What I'm absolutely ready to do is to support the government's policy and 100% because we have got to stop the boats.

"And I don't say this glibly. I know that there's nothing more destructive to a country's immigration system and immigration policy than large scale, very visible illegal migration.

"And that is what we have. That's what we got to stop.

"Now the number of small boat crossings is down by a third. But we have to do whatever it takes to break the model of the people's workers."

Asked if he was willing to countenance pulling Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, he ignored the question and said: "I'm very happy to say I 100% support the government policy and whatever it takes."

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David Cameron

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2023-11-24 19:21:21Z
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No other country would prosecute someone trying to save lives, says Met chief as crash officer cleared - The Telegraph

The decision to prosecute an armed officer who crashed while racing to the scene of a terrorist attack in London has been described as “appalling” by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

Sir Mark Rowley said no other country in the world would haul one of its most highly trained officers before the courts for bravely trying to preserve life, calling for the system of accountability to be urgently reviewed.

His comments came after a jury at Southwark Crown Court cleared Pc Paul Fisher of dangerous driving following a six-day trial.

The 46-year-old firearms officer had been responding to a stabbing spree by terrorist Sudesh Amman in Streatham, south London, in February 2020 when he lost control of his unmarked BMW X5 and hit two other cars and a wall.

Pc Paul Fisher was responding to the stabbing spree when he lost control of his unmarked BMW X5 and hit two other cars and a wall

It took almost four years for the case to come to court, but Mr Fisher was cleared by a jury after five hours of deliberations.

Amman, who was under surveillance by counter-terrorism police, stabbed two members of the public with a knife he grabbed from a hardware store. Little over a minute later, he was shot dead by armed undercover officers.

Mr Fisher had been on a surveillance operation with two other armed officers at the time of the crash, in which two members of the public suffered minor injuries.

While he admitted letting people down with the “split-second error”, he vehemently denied dangerous driving. Kevin Baumber, his barrister, said: “The last thing intended was any kind of harm at all. Not all collisions are crimes.”

In a statement issued after the verdict, Sir Mark said: “If an officer makes honest mistakes under the most immense pressure while rushing to a live terrorist incident, it cannot be right this is dealt with by a criminal trial nearly four years later. That’s why the treatment of this brave officer by the systems of accountability is appalling.

“No other country in the world would haul one of its most highly trained officers before a court for responding to one of the most serious incidents we can deal with and doing their utmost to preserve life.

“The driving errors made by Pc Fisher were made under the most intense pressure while trying to protect members of the public from a terrorist. The right answer would have been a rapid review of this incident, warnings, re-training and testing. Instead, there have been almost four years of stress.

“I routinely hear from officers who avoid pursuits or indeed even being trained because they know their split-second, pressured decisions will be unpicked over many years. This case further undermines the confidence of all officers using their powers to keep the public safe.

“The system has to change. The alternative is colleagues becoming more scared of an imbalanced and disproportionate system than they are of facing terrorists and criminals intent on attacking communities.”

Armed officers at the scene of the Streatham attack in 2020 Credit: Metropolitan Police

Sir Mark said that officers “fully expect to be held accountable for their actions, but they need to know the system holding them to account will be swift, fair, competent, and recognise the split-second decisions made every single day. The current set-up clearly fails those tests”.

He said he was “very grateful the Home Office and Attorney General are conducting a thorough review to find a more appropriate balance for accountability. We will continue to support their officials in any way possible through this process”.

Following the verdict, Ken Marsh, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “Frankly this case should never have got to court.

“It’s perverse that a police officer doing the job the public would expect – namely courageously heading towards the danger of a terrorist attack – could find themselves in the dock with their career on the line.

“Let’s remember our colleagues put their lives in danger that day to protect the public. It is what we do. The public will rightly be appalled that brave police officers responding to a terrorist attack can be treated in such a manner.

“We must do better, or we risk a society where police officers will be left questioning whether they should head towards that danger. That potential hesitation – caused by the hindsight brigade – will cost lives.

“That can’t be right. We now ask that Pc Paul Fisher is allowed to carry on his career and do the job the public expect of him.”

A CPS spokesman said: “The CPS does not decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence – we make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for the court to consider.

“In this case, we decided it was appropriate for a court to consider one charge of dangerous driving. The jury found the defendant not guilty and we respect its verdict.”

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2023-11-24 15:45:00Z
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Sunak faces Tory backlash as net migration to UK hits record high - The Guardian

Rishi Sunak is facing a backlash from his own ministers after figures revealed that legal migration to the UK is at an all-time high.

The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, is understood to be pushing for a five-point migration plan that includes proposals to ban foreign social care workers from bringing in any dependants and a cap on the total number of NHS and social care visas.

Other cabinet ministers are said to be demanding a crackdown on visas for overseas workers relocating to the UK to work for the NHS or in the care sector, while the Daily Telegraph says Conservative MPs are demanding “immediate and massive” action.

Official figures published on Thursday showed net migration – the difference between people legally arriving in the country and those emigrating – peaking at 745,000 in the year to December 2022, which was a record high according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data places migration levels at three times higher than before Brexit.

Jenrick’s plan is said to include proposals to scrap the shortage occupation list, a programme that allows foreign workers to be paid 20% below the going rate in roles where there is a shortage of skilled workers.

The government’s migration advisory committee has already recommended the abolition of the list amid fears it is being used to bring cheap foreign labour into the UK.

Calls to curb the number of foreign workers in the NHS and social care are likely to be met with resistance by health officials amid chronic staff shortages across the health and care sector.

ONS data for the year to June 2023 shows a lower net migration figure of 672,000. Though this was a year-on-year increase of 65,000, it has led to speculation that net migration may be on a downward trend, though the ONS said it was too early to tell.

The increase in net migration in the year to June 2023 was driven by an increase in people and their families arriving for work, notably in NHS and social care roles.

There were 322,000 work-related visas issued for this period, up from 198,000 in the year to June 2022. Nearly two-thirds of work visas went to Indian, Nigerian and Zimbabwean nationals, suggesting non-EU workers are replacing EU workers in sectors of the economy that are struggling to recruit staff since Brexit.

The backbench Tory MP Suella Braverman, who was home secretary for a year before she was sacked earlier this month, said on social media: “Today’s record numbers are a slap in the face to the British public who have voted to control and reduce migration at every opportunity. We must act now to reduce migration to sustainable levels. Brexit gave us the tools. It’s time to use them.”

Braverman’s successor as home secretary, James Cleverly, told the Times: “This figure is not showing a significant increase from last year’s figures and is largely in line with our immigration statistics.”

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2023-11-24 08:04:00Z
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Kamis, 23 November 2023

Sunak under pressure as net migration to UK hits record 745,000 - Financial Times

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2023-11-23 17:33:22Z
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Reading fire: Crane operator rescues worker next to burning high-rise - BBC

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By Katie Waple & Charlotte Andrews

BBC News

A crane operator has rescued a worker from a roof close to a burning building.

Firefighters were called to the Station Hill development in Reading, which has since been cordoned off, at 11:40 GMT.

Video footage from social media shows a person being lifted by a crane from the roof of a building, prompting applause from a crowd below.

Crane operator Glen Edwards said it had been a "very close call" due to swirling winds.

"I looked out my left-hand window and saw a guy standing on the corner of the building," said the 65-year-old, from Egham, Surrey.

"I'd only just seen him and someone said 'can you get the cage on', so that was it, I got the cage on and got it over to him the best I could.

"I tried to put the cage down between him and the flames, but I was hampered by the wind swirling around there.

"But I got the cage down and I managed to get him in there."

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The blaze, which created a huge amount of black smoke, has now been been put out by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Group Manager Chris Hearn said during the incident another person was also rescued using a crane.

South Central Ambulance Service said two people were taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, but neither case was severe.

Live updates: Fire at development in central Reading

Local residents and businesses were urged to avoid the area, stay indoors and to keep windows closed.

More than 50 firefighters attended the blaze, along with the air ambulance and an incident command unit.

Tom Canning, who was on his way to a meeting, and said there were crowds of people watching the fire from below.

He said: "I worked out as I walked closer to my office that it was the new development on Station Hill - it looked horrific, just massive plumes of black smoke.

"The crane operator was just incredibly brave to rescue that worker."

Steve Reynolds works in a building 100 yards away from where the fire started.

He said: "I saw a black cloud go up and a ball of flames happen and all of a sudden I could see there was a guy trapped on the corner.

"There were bits of glass falling off the side of the building and he was completely exposed up there.

"Then all of a sudden a crane came out from the left with a carriage on it and they lowered it down… and he gets in and they pull him away.

"There was a massive cheer from all the workers on the ground. It was pretty terrifying."

Peter, who runs a local café, said the fire was "really quite dramatic - thick billowing smoke and lots of flames".

"We immediately got rid of all our customers - that's all we could think to do," he said.

Aaron, who was a bystander, said it was the "most devastating thing" he had seen in his life.

"I thought the flames and smoke were going to break the glass," he added.

Another witness said: "I was in the next door building, there was a guy standing up there, luckily the crane came in just in time.

"He was coughing [when he came down], from the smoke.

"When he got inside the crane and the crane put him down everyone was clapping.

"The crane operator was very fast. He was still in the crane while the building was on fire."

Redwood Consulting, on behalf of the Station Hill redevelopment project, said: "We activated our fire emergency plans immediately, the emergency services were notified and are currently on site.

"The safety of those on site and the wider public is always our first priority, and the site has been evacuated as a result."

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.

Babak Belurs

Jumat, 24 November 2023

Labour unlikely to meet its £28bn green pledge at all - BBC

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Related Topics

Lord Cameron says UK must engage with China - BBC

'Wolf warrior diplomacy'

Supporting Sunak

Related Topics

No other country would prosecute someone trying to save lives, says Met chief as crash officer cleared - The Telegraph

Sunak faces Tory backlash as net migration to UK hits record high - The Guardian

Kamis, 23 November 2023