Wanderlust

Tag: uk news

  • Jeremy Corbyn aide investigated over Commons pass claim

    Parliament Image copyright PA

    Claims that a Jeremy Corbyn aide has been working in the Labour leader’s Commons office without security clearance are being investigated by the parliamentary authorities.

    Iram Awan, the Labour leader’s private secretary, was reported by the Huffington Post to be routinely working in Parliament on a visitor pass.

    The Commons authorities say this is against the rules.

    Labour said it did not comment on “staffing matters”.

    The Huffington Post claims Ms Awan has for nine months been escorted to Mr Corbyn’s Commons office by other members of his team, who do have security clearance.

    This means she will have passed through airport-style X-ray machines and security checks, like other visitors to the parliamentary estate.

    A Labour source said: “We have not been told that any members of staff have been refused a pass or any reasons for why any pass may not have been granted.”

    A Commons spokesman said: “Visitor passes are for visitors only. They cannot be used to carry out work on the parliamentary estate.”

    The spokesman said they could not comment on individual cases but added an “investigation into an alleged breach of the Parliamentary rules has been launched”.

    The investigation is reported to have been launched after Conservative MP Leo Docherty wrote to the serjeant at arms, Kamal El-Hajji, who is in charge of security at the House of Commons, to request one.

  • PMQs: Corbyn and May on Universal Credit benefit

    Video Corbyn v May on Universal Credit

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  • PMQs: Swire and May on Windrush Report publication date

    Video Where is Windrush report?

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  • Exports risk delay at borders in no-deal Brexit, watchdog warns

    lambs are transported Image copyright Getty Images

    The UK’s lucrative food export industry could be at risk in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a report has warned.

    Food consignments and livestock could be delayed at UK borders if more vets aren’t recruited to process them, the National Audit Office has said.

    Defra said it has expanded its workforce and is preparing for a range of Brexit scenarios.

    But the Committee of Public Accounts chairwoman, Labour’s Meg Hillier, said: “We are rapidly running out of time.”

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is one of the government departments most affected by Brexit.

    But the public spending watchdog has accused it of being unprepared for a no-deal scenario, saying many of its plans were of “poor quality and lack maturity”.

    Stopped at border

    The department has failed to hire enough vets, with the report highlighting that work to “engage publicly with the veterinary market” – due to start in April – had not been authorised by the government by September.

    “Without enough vets, consignments of food could be delayed at the border or prevented from leaving the UK,” the report said.

    More vets are needed to process the export health certificates – used to prove exports comply with animal health standards and regulations – which will increase if there is a no-deal Brexit.

    “Defra will have to introduce a UK equivalent for each of the 1,400 different versions of the current EU certificates, which currently refer to EU law, and agree these with 154 countries in order to continue to export these items,” the report explained.

    The NAO said Defra will not reach agreements with all 154 countries by March 2019, when Britain leave the European union.

    UK firms exporting to countries where agreements are not reached may not be able to do so for a period after Brexit, the report said.

    UK and France fail to agree scallop deal No-deal Brexit ‘disastrous’ for food firms

    Meanwhile, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, is due to set out plans to deliver a “Green Brexit”, in which farmers will be paid for “public goods” such as improving access to the countryside, and taking action to reduce flooding.

    The Agriculture Bill – to be introduced in Parliament later – could also see payments available for farmers to invest in new technologies and methods that boost productivity.

    Subsidies paid out under the Common Agricultural Policy will be phased out over seven years.

    More IT staff

    The NAO report also raised concerns for the fishing and chemical manufacturing industries.

    Amyas Morse, the head of the NAO, said while Defra had “achieved a great deal… gaps remain”.

    Defra said it had already started to build new IT systems and developed new services to replace those currently provided by the EU.

    The department has hired 1,307 more staff for Brexit-related work.

    “Since the report was written, we have continued to reprioritise our resources, expanded our workforce and made further progress on our extensive programme of work focused on preparing for a range of Brexit scenarios,” a Defra spokesperson said.

    “Our work will mean that environmental, welfare, and bio-security standards will continue to be met in a way that supports trade and the smooth flow of goods.”

  • Controversial EU copyright change faces key vote

    A composite image shows the EU flag, with a copyright symbol embedded in the centre of its iconic ring of yellow stars Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The proposed reform has attracted enormous attention and fierce campaigning on both sides

    EU lawmakers are set to vote on a controversial copyright reform that could change how internet companies treat uploaded content from users.

    A version of the proposal was rejected in July after a grassroots campaign, and fierce campaigning on both sides.

    Critics fear the rules are too broad and could affect parodies, remixes, and even links to articles and websites.

    But many musicians, authors, and other creators back the reforms which they view as necessary to support artists.

    Hundreds of changes have been made since the July vote, but opponents say major issues remain.

    What is the controversy?

    The proposed copyright directive is supposed to protect creators by forcing payments to be made to them if their work is copied or linked to online.

    Most of it is not controversial, and the debate is centred around two sections: articles 11 and 13.

    Why Europe’s copyright plan was so controversial Copyright law could put end to net memes

    Article 13 has attracted the most attention, and been labelled an “upload filter” by critics.

    If a user tries to upload copyrighted music, photos, or anything else, it must be checked against a database – and filtered out if it contains copyrighted material.

    Effectively, it makes sites like Facebook and Youtube responsible for what its users upload.

    Skip Twitter post by @EDiMA_EU

    Did you know that memes containing copyrighted images will be blocked by automated filters under the copyright directive? #FixCopyrighthttps://t.co/p92ip1RPBd pic.twitter.com/BH6KzHrW9L

    — EDiMA (@EDiMA_EU) September 6, 2018

    Report

    End of Twitter post by @EDiMA_EU

    But with more than 400 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, no human could do the job – filtering would need to be done automatically by computers.

    Such systems are both expensive and often criticised for being over-zealous and filtering anything that might be copyright-protected.

    For example, some people believe that background music playing in a family video could be filtered out, or that small samples of copyrighted content in a parody or internet meme image could be enough to trigger the automatic filter.

    The possibility has led to such systems being labelled “censorship machines” by some opponents. MEPs behind the directive say such claims are wrong, and have decried what they see as a misinformation campaign.

    The other debated section, article 11, seeks to grant new rights to news outlets and publishers, giving them a slice of revenue from aggregators like Google who link to their content.

    Skip Twitter post by @Senficon

    The amendment by @AxelVossMdEP proves this “mythbuster” wrong: If snippets were not affected, why would his new amendments only allow individual words to accompany a link? If you use more than that, like a headline, you have to pay. https://t.co/kZ7vUTur1A #SaveYourInternet

    — Julia Reda (@Senficon) September 10, 2018

    Report

    End of Twitter post by @Senficon

    But the broad nature of the rules led to fears that even simple hyperlinks or short “snippets” could be costly – potentially affecting a core part of how the world wide web functions.

    Who is for and against?

    Many creative industry associations continue to campaign for the directive to be implemented – including Britain’s record label group BPI and the Society of Authors.

    Supporters say the new rules will protect artists and creators, making it easier for them to earn a living – and that the amendments made since July should assuage concerns.

    Skip Twitter post by @Soc_of_Authors

    Nobody’s hearing about all the good things in the Directive – like the transparency triangle. Authors will get proper accounting of how well their work’s doing, and a proper share of the profits if they do well.

    — Society of Authors (@Soc_of_Authors) September 7, 2018

    Report

    End of Twitter post by @Soc_of_Authors

    Record labels have campaigned for the reform to go ahead, along with music titans like Sir Paul McCartney.

    Ahead of the July vote, some 1,300 musicians declared support for the changes, which would require websites like YouTube or Facebook to detect and delete user uploads of copyrighted music.

    But the divide between those for and against is not entirely clear-cut.

    Musician Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, for example, is in Strasbourg campaigning against the changes, which he believes will actually hurt musicians.

    And while some critics say the changes will hurt small businesses to the benefit of existing internet giants, those same giants – including Facebook and Google – also oppose the directive, which would make them liable for content uploaded by their users.

    What happens next?

    The July vote was defeated 318-278 after thousands of ordinary people contacted their European representatives following a grassroots campaign.

    But under European parliament rules, that meant it would be amended and debated before going for another vote, due on Wednesday.

    More than 250 changes to the original text have been proposed.

    “This vote is our best chance to prevent EU copyright reform from causing lasting harm to the open internet,” MEP Julia Reder said in a blog post criticising many of the proposed changes.

    Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, meanwhile, said the proposal was “so terrible, it can only be called an extinction-level event for the internet as we know it”.

    French MEP Marc Joulaud told the AFP news agency, which also backs the measure: “The feeling of many in parliament is that on Wednesday we decide the life or death of the law.”

    “We can still finish on time if the text passes on Wednesday. This is the last slot,” he said.

  • Brexit: Jaguar boss problems stark warning for jobs and profits

    JLR plant in Solihull Symbol copyright Getty Images

    The boss of the united kingdom’s greatest carmaker has warned the government to get “the correct Brexit” or it might wipe out his firm’s earnings and lead to large job cuts.

    Jaguar Land Rover’s Ralf Speth referred to as the chance of a cliff-facet holiday with the ecu Union as “scary”.

    He was talking at a convention in Birmingham, where Theresa Would Possibly unveiled a £106m “green” vehicle initiative.

    A spokesman for the prime minister stated her Chequers Brexit proposals incorporated protections for the car trade.

    Mr Speth, who has up to now warned of Brexit’s impact on JLR, mentioned that if the “mistaken selections” were taken in the negotiations with Brussels, it will consequence within the “worst of times” for the united kingdom and price the corporate more than £1.2bn a 12 months.

    “Any friction at the border places industry at jeopardy,” he stated at the uk’s first 0 Emission Car Summit.

    “We Are absolutely firmly devoted to the united kingdom, it’s our house. But a troublesome Brexit will value Jaguar Land Rover greater than £1.2bn a 12 months – it’s frightening, wiping our profit, destroying funding within the independent, zero-emissions, we would like to percentage.”

    He mentioned that if negative UNITED KINGDOM productivity worsened after Brexit, he could be pressured to move production to somewhere similar to Poland, the place it was cheaper to make automobiles.

    About 1 / 4 of 1,000,000 people within the UK rely in an instant, or not directly, at the good fortune of his company, Mr Speth said.

    ‘Good deal’

    He also criticised policymakers for putting in place more rules and higher taxes on all diesel cars, while he stated that more recent diesel automobiles produced by JLR had been as green as petrol cars.

    Mrs Would Possibly’s legit spokesman said the government’s Brexit plan would give protection to industries that depend on fast import and export of goods.

    “The Chequers plan contains specific proposals to give protection to jobs within industries like the car trade that rely on just-in-time provide chains.

    “the common rule book would assist be certain that frictionless business with the ecu and might see our automobile sector continue to flourish,” he added.

    The spokesman said the federal government have been “engaged with the automobile industry all over this process… We Are working to safe a good deal and the PM is confident that we will achieve this.”

  • Mark Carney: The ‘film star’ Financial Institution of england governor

    Mark Carney Symbol copyright Getty Photographs Image caption Mark Carney has “star quality and is aware of the best way to use it,” says Scott Reid

    Financial Institution Of Britain governor Mark Carney has stated he’s going to be staying on an extra 12 months after his preliminary term involves an end in 2018, to help oversee the united kingdom’s Brexit negotiations with the european Union.

    Mr Carney’s resolution got here after increasing hypothesis about his future because the head of the Bank Of England.

    Governors are historically appointed for an eight-yr time period, but when Mr Carney took the process in 2013 he first of all signed up for 5 years, with an choice for a further three. He has now said he’s going to stay until June 2019.

    In his letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond, Mr Carney said his move may help “give a contribution to securing an orderly transition to the uk’s new courting with Europe”.

    During the referendum, Mr Carney had come stressed from a few Brexit campaigners for his feedback that vote casting to leave the european could push the uk right into a recession – observed by some as outdoor the governor’s non-political remit.

    Image copyright Getty Photographs Symbol caption Mr Carney has overseen the creation of the Financial Institution’s first polymer banknotes

    Nevertheless, this sparked calls for him to resign.

    Mr Carney “by no means seems to wish to realize the end result of the referendum and get on with it,” said one MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, lately.

    Governor’s role

    Since his arrival three years in the past, Mr Carney has presided over measures designed to spice up the united kingdom economy within the aftermath of the worldwide financial main issue.

    There have been bouts of quantitative easing – pumping cash immediately into the financial system.

    He presented a coverage of “forward guidance” on the Bank, also aimed toward elevating confidence; regardless that simply six months after its implementation in 2013 this wanted a rethink.

    The Bank had in the beginning mentioned it would now not imagine raising rates of interest until the unemployment fee fell to 7% or below.

    But whilst that gave the impression more likely to happen much earlier than expected the Bank altered its stance, pronouncing it would do something about a variety of financial variables as opposed to just the jobless numbers sooner than changing rates.

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Image caption Likened more than once to Hollywood actor George Clooney, Mr Carney has develop into one the united kingdom’s perfect-identified relevant bank governors

    In March 2008, only a month after his appointment, he reduce Canadian rates of interest. This and different measures helped spice up market confidence and enabled Canada to recover from the problem more quickly than some of its peers.

    Likened greater than as soon as to the Hollywood actor George Clooney, ahead of his arrival in the uk Mr Carney was touted as a “rock megastar” banker, a transformation from the usual Bank Of England head.

    “He Is got celebrity quality, and he is aware of methods to use it,” stated fellow Canadian and former govt colleague Scott Reid.

    Mr Carney’s appointment used to be a holiday with tradition in many tactics.

    He had a commercial banking, as well as a public sector historical past – in contrast to his most recent predecessors who had spent their careers throughout the Financial Institution Of England and academia.

    Mr Carney worked for funding banking massive Goldman Sachs in Big Apple prior to returning to Canada to paintings for the country’s Finance Division – after which Canada’s central bank.

    Mark Carney: Occupation highlights

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Born SIXTEEN March 1965: Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada 1988: Graduates from Harvard School 1991-95: Profits a doctorate in economics at Oxford University 1995: Marries economist Diana Fox, whom he met at Oxford. The couple now have 4 children Works at Goldman Sachs in London, Tokyo, The Big Apple and Toronto, emerging to position of managing director 2004-07: Senior place at Canada’s Department of Finance 2008-13: Governor, Financial Institution of Canada 2013-provide: Governor, Bank Of England

    Some Other difference was the size of his pay packet, which was once well above that of his predecessor, Sir Mervyn King.

    His starting annual revenue of £480,000 (plus £144,000 pension allowance) was once £175,000 more than Sir Mervyn gained – and that is the reason not counting his £250,000 annual lodging allowance.

    A ‘sensible banker’

    So what’s it about Mr Carney that separates him from different principal bankers?

    “He Is extremely charismatic,” says Scott Reid. “You go to his speeches and you’ll to find them simply as dry as anyone’s.

    “But it’s the method he does issues, he takes the time to linger on you… and the general public and the press find that very intoxicating.

    “He one of these fetching figure – but let’s not be shy about that. He Is aware of it. He Is shrewd while it comes to his symbol.”

    Symbol copyright Getty Images Image caption Following the united kingdom’s Brexit vote, many in the markets see Mr Carney as certainly one of the few voices of continuity

    Married to an Englishwoman, the 48-12 months-vintage’s postgraduate training was once at Oxford College, where he studied economics.

    His former show all through his Masters stage, economist Peter Oppenheimer, says “he used to be a in most cases vibrant, transatlantic pupil”.

    “That sounds extraordinarily old skool, but he wasn’t the kind of young man who walked round in torn sweaters.”

    Prof Oppenheimer says Mr Carney used to be a fascinating choice to run the Financial Institution Of England. “He wasn’t an insider, he wasn’t an academic economist, and he was a sensible banker of a undeniable type.

    “The really good governors of the submit-2Nd International Battle duration have been individuals with sensible banking revel in, akin to Gordon Richardson and Robin Leigh-Pemberton.

    “They had been the outstanding governors. Extra so than Financial Institution insiders, or individuals with long instructional careers.”

    Marketplace hopes

    It’s been said Mr Carney wanted to stay to help the united kingdom in the course of the challenges of Brexit, and that leaving early might be seen by means of a few of his critics as admitting defeat.

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption Mrs Would Possibly believes Mark Carney is “the appropriate man for the process”

    Crucially, he has the backing of the Prime Minister, Theresa Would Possibly, who believes he’s the fitting person to be Bank Of England governor.

    There could also be the problem of marketplace confidence.

    Following the referendum outcome and all the body of workers adjustments within the Conservative government, many in the markets see Mr Carney as considered one of the few voices of continuity in the united kingdom.

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  • Mark Carney describes ‘toughest day’ as Financial Institution governor

    Mr Carney mentioned he were involved that something might go wrong, without reference to how cautious the Bank’s advanced making plans had been.

    “you could have a plan however you’ve got to put it into place and there’s all the time a little bit of outrage that it may not paintings completely, you haven’t anticipated the whole lot, or that somehow or different it just would possibly not execute the way it’ll,” he explained.

    But within the end, not anything went unsuitable.

    “It surely labored because the whole thing that used to be presupposed to happen, came about,” Mr Carney stated.

    Bake Off and pizza

    Questioned on different problems, the governor mentioned if Scotland become independent it will have to surrender some of its sovereignty if it desired to continue the usage of the pound.

    “If it have been ever an unbiased country and wanted to proceed to percentage the pound sterling – you need to percentage some extent of your sovereignty,” he said.

    He declined to mention if he preferred operating with David Cameron or Theresa Would Possibly as Top Minister.

    “They Are both very professional, incredibly simple to work with, each keen on making the country higher. And that holds for the chancellors that I’ve worked with each here and in Canada,” he mentioned.

    And asked about his favourite TV programme, movie and food, he nominated the good British Bake Off, the 1981 war drama Gallipoli, and pizza.

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  • Labour pledges ‘gig economy’ rights spice up

    John McDonnell Symbol copyright PA

    Labour would extend staff’ rights and “repair the balance of energy within the administrative center”, shadow chancellor John McDonnell is to pledge.

    he’ll promise extra rights for people running within the so-known as gig financial system.

    In his speech to the Trades Union Congress in Manchester, Mr McDonnell will say a “new administrative center atmosphere” will boost productivity.

    The Tories mentioned unemployment is at an all-time low with millions of low-paid employees given a pay upward thrust.

    what is the ‘gig’ economy? Unions call for 4-day working week TUC problems EU referendum caution to May

    BBC political correspondent Iain Watson stated that when a summer of difficult headlines, Labour was once trying to set a extra positive time table on the TUC convention.

    Mr McDonnell is expected to say staff in insecure employment might be given equivalent rights to those in everlasting work, including eligibility for unwell pay.

    “Labour’s programme of place of work reform will repair the steadiness among business enterprise and employee with a vital extension of business union rights, modernising company governance structures and lengthening the opportunity for staff to percentage jointly in the advantages of ownership of their company,” he’ll say.

    “Labour’s common-sense manner will forge a new place of business atmosphere most fitted to meeting the demanding situations of Britain’s ongoing low productiveness and the emerging fourth industrial revolution.”

    he will say zero-hours contracts and the gig financial system – that’s characterized by way of brief-term contracts and versatile hours – have produced “a place of work setting of lack of confidence now not noticed because the thirties”, and he’s going to accuse the Tories of “cumulative legislative assaults on business union freedoms”.

    “The decline of collective bargaining has meant that workers additionally now have little say over the key decisions taken through their employers over the long run of their firms,” he will say.

    Chancellor Philip Hammond hit again, pronouncing: “that is Labour’s document on workers – the ultimate Labour government left over half a million more other people out of work, and each Labour govt leaving place of job with unemployment upper than while it started.”

  • Labour risks ‘Marmite’ standing, Stephen Kinnock claims

    Stephen Kinnock Image copyright Getty Pictures Image caption Stephen Kinnock, who edits the brand new e book, has been a widespread critic of Mr Corbyn

    Labour should undergo “seismic shifts” to reconnect with its traditional supporters and avoid changing into “beside the point”, one in all its MPs says.

    Stephen Kinnock has edited a brand new book with fellow Labour MPs taking off policies they are saying will “bridge the divide” among communities.

    Mr Kinnock says Labour has “basically failed to reinvent itself.”

    The MPs’ proposals cover housing, education, social brotherly love and health.

    Jeremy Corbyn’s workplace declined to comment on the newsletter.

    Speaking at the guide launch, Mr Kinnock – a common critic of the Labour leader – attacked the “hard left” inside the celebration which he claimed did not “consider in Britain”.

    He stated that with out amendment, Labour would turn into a “Marmite, love us or hate us birthday party” which used to be inappropriate to most of the people.

    ‘No campaign’ to drive Labour MPs out Barnier says November deal is possible Commons seat cut proposals printed

    The MPs Emma Reynolds, Dan Jarvis, Anna Turley, Steve Reed and Justin Madders are among folks that have contributed to the guide, entitled “Spirit of britain, Function of Labour”.

    The policies put forward come with adult training price range for people who don’t go to university, executive-funded coaching days for all employees and a decentralised national curriculum for colleges.

    Child boxes, already supplied to potential parents in Scotland, should be offered UNITED KINGDOM-huge to assist improve life possibilities and decrease baby deaths, claims Dan Jarvis MP, who has written a bankruptcy on training.

    He indicates a new National Institute Of Educational And Training Excellence need to be given power to set the college curriculum.

    Among the housing insurance policies prompt by way of the group are restrictions on overseas ownership, an overhaul of the land marketplace and giving local authorities the facility to hurry up building.

    ‘Conspiracy-pushed’

    Labour’s current goal to construct 1,000,000 new houses via 2022 is “practical albeit very formidable,” in line with Emma Reynolds MP.

    She says the executive’s Rent to shop for and Assist to shop for schemes had made the UNITED KINGDOM’s housing downside “worse no longer better” and “helped stoke call for and performed nothing to increase supply”.

    In the e book’s foreword, Mr Kinnock says he hopes the Labour leadership will see the guide as “a set of constructive proposals” which would “dramatically increase our adjustments of forming the following govt”.

    Speaking on the release, he defined a Britain as being in a “dangerously polarised state” and more divided than any time for the reason that 2D International Battle.

    In what seemed to be an assault on Mr Corbyn, Mr Kinnock said a minority within the birthday celebration had a “conspiracy-driven world view”.

    Those other folks, he mentioned, saw Nato as a “warmongering junta” and have been to blame of a “foot-dragging reluctance” to condemn Russia for the Salisbury attack.

    Asked if he thought Mr Corbyn himself believed in Britain, Mr Kinnock said “the jury is out” and defined the celebration chief as being “on a adventure.”

    He brought that Labour’s 2017 basic election end result was once encouraging, however that the birthday party had struggled to win votes in its “communitarian heartlands.”

    “We struggled amongst people who left school at 16, the over 50s and lost to the Tories in seats comparable to Mansfield and Middlesbrough.”

    the outcome verified the desire for Labour to “go back to the first concepts of our basis as a celebration”, he brought.