All posts tagged: minister

Minister Dodges Question On Soaring Bills With Surprise Reply

Minister Dodges Question On Soaring Bills With Surprise Reply

Published by Sam

A minister dismissed a question about how a Labour government will oversee a significant hike in household bills this morning by claiming there are “always” pressures on cost of living. From April 1, gas and electricity bills, council tax, and water bills, are all going to rise. The energy bill for an average household will go up £9.25 a month while water bills will rise by around £11 a month. Council tax is expected to increase by £108 on average per year and TV licences will go up by £5 per year, too. The government’s decision to hike national insurance contributions for employers will also kick in from April 6. So Sky News presenter Wilfred Frost put it to minister Angela Eagle that it was going to be a “tough week” for the Labour government. Frost asked: “Council tax goes up, energy bills are going up, water bills are going up I think at the end of this week, national insurance contributions are going up for businesses. “Tough week for a Labour government to see …

France: Prime Minister convenes key ministers over hijab ban in sports

France: Prime Minister convenes key ministers over hijab ban in sports

Published by Sam

A plan to ban the Hijab in all sports is dividing the French government. On Tuesday, the Prime minister held talks with key cabinet ministers as divisions start to grow. While religious symbols have been banned in schools since 2004, earlier this year the senate voted in favour of a proposal to ban religious clothing in sports due to their role in education. Last summer during the Olympics, France was the ONLY country to ban female athletes from wearing the Hijab. For more, FRANCE 24’s French politics editor, Marc Perelman. Source link

Labour MP ‘deeply regrets’ comments he made on WhatsApp group – after minister sacked for remarks on same chat | UK News

Labour MP ‘deeply regrets’ comments he made on WhatsApp group – after minister sacked for remarks on same chat | UK News

Published by Sam

A Labour MP has said he “deeply regrets” comments he made on a WhatsApp group – a day after health minister Andrew Gwynne was sacked for alleged racist and sexist remarks posted on the same chat. Burnley MP Oliver Ryan is being investigated by the Labour Party over comments which a government source said were “unacceptable and deeply disappointing”. The source told the Press Association: “While a Labour Party investigation is already under way, the chief whip will also be speaking to him and no action is off the table.” X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to …

Delta trust merger given minister greenlight

Delta trust merger given minister greenlight

Published by skeptic

Trust set to become second-biggest in England after receiving government go-ahead Trust set to become second-biggest in England after receiving government go-ahead More from this theme Recent articles Merger plans that would create England’s second biggest MAT have been given the greenlight, after being referred to ministers to rule on. Delta Academies Trust boss Paul Tarn took over Coast and Vale Learning Trust as chief executive in April, following an “in-principle agreement” between the organisations to formally join forces later. The proposals – which will take Delta’s tally from 57 to 63 schools – were due to be decided on by the Department for Education’s Yorkshire and Humber advisory board in December. But it was later revealed in Department for Education papers that the case had instead been escalated to government ministers, without any reason given for why this was done.   Paul Tarn And in a joint statement today, the trusts’ chairs, Steve Hodsman and John Riby, said: “Coast and Vale has embarked on a journey to deliver school improvement. This is the next step …

Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq Resigns

Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq Resigns

Published by Sam

Tulip Siddiq MP was appointed as Economic Secretary to the Treasury last year (Alamy) 2 min read14 January Tulip Siddiq has resigned as economic secretary to the Treasury, saying the controversy over her family finances is becoming a “distraction” from the work of government. Siddiq has been subject to controversy around her financial and property links to her aunt, the deposed former leader of Bangladesh. Earlier this month, she referred herself to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, Sir Laurie Magnus, after it emerged that she owned several London properties associated with people linked to Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Magnus on Tuesday said he had found no breach of the ministerial code and no evidence to suggest that Siddiq had acted improperly. However, he said her handling of the links in question had been “regrettable” given the reputational risks to herself and the government. “I would not advise that this shortcoming should be taken as a breach of the Ministerial Code, but you will want to consider her ongoing responsibilities in the light …

Education Minister refuses to let schools become integrated, defying 80% parent support

Education Minister refuses to let schools become integrated, defying 80% parent support

Published by skeptic

Minister for Education of Northern Ireland Paul Givan | NI Assembly TV Northern Ireland Humanists has expressed deep concern over a decision by Education Minister Paul Givan to reject two North Down schools’ plans to become integrated, ignoring a sizeable majority of parents voting in favour of the proposals. A ballot of parents of children attending Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College found that around 80% supported the proposal to transform to integrated status. A similar ballot held by Rathmore Primary School saw 82% of parents in favour. ‘Transformation’ refers to the legal process where an existing state school – either a ‘maintained’ school (Catholic) or a ‘controlled’ school (de facto Protestant) – changes its status to become an integrated school, following a clear parental wish to do so. Integrated schools bring together children from different backgrounds – Protestant, Catholic, and those of other faiths and beliefs – to learn side by side in a single, inclusive environment. Northern Ireland Humanists has long advocated a single system of education, and campaigns for a fully inclusive …

Minister: MPs Must Be Careful Over Naming Alleged Chinese Spy

Minister: MPs Must Be Careful Over Naming Alleged Chinese Spy

Published by Sam

A minister has called for MPs to “exercise caution” when it comes to naming the alleged Chinese spy who was involved with Prince Andrew. The Duke of York reportedly invited a businessman, who was only as H6 until this afternoon, to Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle, according to The Times. The man, whose identity was protected by a court order, has since been banned from the UK by the government on national security grounds in 2023. The High Court lifted restrictions on his name on Monday, revealing H6 is called Yang Tengbo. The businessman, who also met Theresa May and David Cameron, was described in court as having an “unusual degree of trust” with the Duke of York. But Andrew said last week he had “ceased all contact” with Yang since the concerns were first raised. Reform UK’s MPs were considering using their parliamentary privilege – legal immunity which allow parliamentarians to bring topics into the public domain when speaking in the Commons or in the Lords – to name H6 this …

There’s “Much More To Do” To Combat Misogyny In Schools, Says Minister

There’s “Much More To Do” To Combat Misogyny In Schools, Says Minister

Published by Sam

2 min read27 November The Government has “much more to do” to tackle misogyny in schools, the minister for early education has said. In an interview with The House magazine, Stephen Morgan said that the “escalatory nature” of misogyny means that “education plays a crucial role” in challenging the issue at an early stage. The Labour MP for Portsmouth South was speaking to the magazine as the Government works to fulfil its pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. The education sector has voiced alarm over the growing prevalence of misogyny and incel culture in schools and the impact of influencers such as Andrew Tate.  A Women and Equalities Committee report published last year said that “sexual harassment and sexual violence continues to be a scourge in our schools, with many girls and women feeling powerless”. School staff have also admitted to being targeted by misogynistic behaviour.  A survey by Unison earlier this year found that one in seven school support staff said they had witnessed sexual harassment in school in the last …

UK in AI arms race with Russia as Putin ‘wants destruction’, minister to warn | Science, Climate & Tech News

UK in AI arms race with Russia as Putin ‘wants destruction’, minister to warn | Science, Climate & Tech News

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The UK is in a “new AI arms race” with countries like Russia and North Korea, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will say on Monday.   Minister Pat McFadden will be speaking at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference at Lancaster House, warning the UK and its allies that “cyber war is now a daily reality”. “Be in no doubt: the United Kingdom and others in this room are watching Russia. We know exactly what they are doing, and we are countering their attacks both publicly and behind the scenes,” he will say. “Putin is a man who wants destruction, not peace.” Read more: Russia ready to hit UK with wave of cyber attacks Image: Pat McFadden. Pic: AP In a bid to keep up with adversaries, Mr McFadden will announce a new Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR). “AI is already revolutionising many parts of life – including national security,” he will say. “But as we develop this technology, there’s a danger it could be weaponised against us. Because our adversaries are also …

Labour minister left tongue-tied as Question Time’s Fiona Bruce | Politics | News

Labour minister left tongue-tied as Question Time’s Fiona Bruce | Politics | News

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Squirming Sarah Jones was left tongue-tied as she struggled to name any benefits of Donald Trump returning to the White House. The Minister for Industry, appearing on BBC Question Time, was asked “can you not think of any benefits?” Ms Jones spoke generically about the UK’s relationship with the US, before finally admitting Mr Trump could help end the Middle East crisis. Supporters have argued the President-elect’s fearsome reputation could reign-in Vladimir Putin, Iran and North Korea. During a discussion about any benefits to the UK of a Trump Presidency, Ms Jones said: “The trade between our two countries is about £300billion a year. “If you look at inward investment coming into the UK, we had a big investment summit a few weeks ago, there were some big American firms that are investing in the UK. “Equally, some of our firms go and invest in America. So we have this very strong relationship when it comes to security, when it comes to intelligence sharing.” But Ms Bruce challenged the Labour politician, saying “none of that …