Month: January 2025

NHS and Department of Health officials are complacent and “out of ideas” when it comes to transforming the health service for patients, MPs have said. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that while the Government’s ambition for the NHS represents a “golden opportunity”, leaders at the Department of Health and NHS England (NHSE) are not ready to prioritise the shifts needed, instead arguing they are difficult and should take place […]

Sixth form college teachers in England will resume strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay. Around 2,000 National Education Union (NEU) teacher members at 32 non-academised sixth form colleges are due to strike on Wednesday in a fight for a fully funded above-inflation pay increase. A further two days of strike action are due to take place on Thursday and Friday next week. NEU members have staged seven days […]

Rachel Reeves will pledge to “fight” for “growth” and say that Britain “can do so much better” in a major speech, after Cabinet ministers were ordered to ditch policies that could stand in the way of growing the economy. The Chancellor will say that Britain has “fundamental strengths” but has been “held back” and accepted “stagnation” in her address in Oxfordshire on Wednesday. Ms Reeves will also use the speech […]

Healthier food grew more expensive at twice the rate of less healthy options in the UK over the last two years, a study has found. Food that is lower in fat, salt and sugar is now more than twice as expensive per calorie than less healthy products, according to the Food Foundation’s annual Broken Plate report. The most deprived fifth of the population would need to spend 45% of their […]

People made 16 trips to cash machines on average last year, according to data from ATM and cash access network Link. Some £79.5 billion was withdrawn from ATMs connected up to Link’s network in 2024, which was a 1.2% decrease compared with 2023. Across the UK, people over the age of 16 made 915 million cash withdrawals last year – 60 million fewer or a 6.1% reduction compared with 2023. […]

Companies that have switched to a four-day working week have said they have “no regrets”, noting no change in performance while the policy has made it easier to hire people. Kirsten Dean, head of finance at Scottish housing association Melville, told the PA news agency that staff were in “disbelief” when the company trialled the policy in 2023. “They thought it was too good to be true that it had […]

Sir Keir Starmer has faced growing Labour calls to establish a compensation scheme for women affected by state pension age changes after 10 of his MPs supported a proposed law. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was given permission by MPs to introduce the Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme) Bill to the House of Commons for further consideration by 105 votes to zero, majority 105. Mr Flynn’s […]

Wynne Evans has said he will be taking some time out of his radio show and the Strictly Live tour, as well as “other public commitments” to “prioritise my wellbeing”. The Welsh opera singer, who celebrated his 53rd birthday on Monday, was due to take to the stage on Tuesday evening as part of the Strictly Come Dancing live tour stop in Liverpool. He said in a statement: “I’ve agreed […]

Cardiff University has set out proposals to cut 400 jobs and close a number of degree programmes, including nursing and music, because of a funding shortfall. Professor Wendy Larner, vice-chancellor of the university, said it was “no longer an option” to continue as it was without taking difficult decisions. The proposed changes include a reduction of 400 full-time academic staff – 7% of the total workforce. Subjects and programmes in […]