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Financial Times - Sunak issues challenges to public sector unions with final offer of 6.5% pay rise

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The Financial Times reports Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced pay rises of between 5% and 7% for public sector workers, insisting no amount of strikes will change his “final offer”. 

The paper suggests Sunak has issued a “challenge to public sector unions” with the government’s pay rise offer, “throwing down the gauntlet” after the prime minister remarked that “no amount of strikes” would change his final offer.

The front page also Germany telling companies they need to be less reliant on China. 

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Adam Hills refuses to ‘add fuel to the fire’ as he weighs in on Huw Edwards BBC scandal

Adam Hills has weighed in on the recent BBC scandal (Picture: BBC/Channel 4)

Addressing the recent BBC scandal on The Last Leg, host Adam Hills weighed in with his thoughts.

It comes after broadcaster Huw Edwards, 61, was named as the BBC star at the heart of allegations originally reported by The Sun.

In a statement from the broadcaster’s wife Vicky Flind on Wednesday night (July 12), it was confirmed that, after a week of speculation, Ewards was the suspended presenter claimed to have paid a young person more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images.

The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that there is no evidence of a crime being committed.

Edwards, 61, is now currently in hospital and ‘receiving in-patient treatment’ for ‘serious mental health issues’.

His wife has said this is where he will stay for ‘the forseeable future’.

Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe provided typical comedic commentary on the reporting of the events (Picture: Channel 4)

After the scandal became national news this week, Hills, 53, began his segment on this week’s Last Leg by explaining: ‘Last weekend, The Sun newspaper ran an article about a BBC presenter who allegedly paid a young person for explicit photos.

‘The Sun say the report was in the public interest, but others say it was reckless, dangerous, and borderline libellous.’

‘There is definitely a story here, but is it a 15-minute segment at the top of the national news?’, he asked.

‘The planet is literally on fire,’ Hills declared.

Comedian and co-star Alex Brooker then chimed in with his comical commentary.

‘The thing that I found interesting was the BBC News department reporting on the BBC News department. Aren’t they all just in the same office?’, he joked.

Huw Edwards is currently receiving in-patient treatment for his mental health (Picture: Getty)

Josh Widdicombe then said: ‘Victoria Derbyshire had to interview Tim Davie, it was basically like she was interviewing her boss.’

Hills added: ‘A lot of you tweeted us about the story.

‘Our opinion is, we don’t need to add more fuel to the fire. Especially while all the facts are still being collected.’

He then encouraged everyone to ‘take a deep breath, a step back, and focus on what’s important.’

‘Because, you tell me what’s bigger news: BBC anchor allegedly pays for sexy pics, or former Prime Minister defies a court order to hand over evidence into an inquiry about how he handled the biggest health crisis of a generation?’, Hills proposed.

‘Yes, Boris Johnson missed the deadline for handing in his phone,’ he stated. ‘Claiming, it’s an old phone and he can’t remember the password.’

Victoria Derbyshire recently interviewed BBC head Tim Davie (Picture: BBC)

Vicky Flind’s statement in full, on behalf of her husband Huw Edwards
‘In light of the recent reporting regarding the “BBC Presenter” I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.

‘I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.

‘Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.

‘The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.

‘Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.

‘In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.

‘I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation.

‘We hope this statement will bring that to an end.’

Indeed, the former PM has said he’s lost the passcode for his old iPhone, meaning he can’t access WhatsApp messages sent during Covid.

It is claimed that the politician stopped using the phone in May 2021 and he cannot recall the password with ‘100% confidence’.

Responding to the presenters’ comments, one Twitter user praised their approach.

‘Great analysis of the Huw Edwards saga by #TheLastLeg’, one person tweeted.

The Last Leg airs Fridays at 10pm on Channel 4 and All4.

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MORE : BBC Newsnight spoken to by broadcaster after staff concern regarding ‘distasteful’ Huw Edwards investigation

MORE : Huw Edwards’ friend refused to believe BBC scandal accusations

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