Author: David Pike

Blackouts less likely this winter says National Grid The National Grid has said there is a much lower risk of electricity blackouts this winter, compared to last, thanks to increased generation and the ability to manage demand.  A recent report said this year the UK was “in a different position” and chances of blackouts were almost back to where they were before the energy crisis. A scheme to pay people for cutting electricity use at…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Paper Talk: ‘Hero’ 15-year-old girl stabbed to death saving friend Several of the newspapers cover the stabbing death of a 15-year-old girl who was stabbed on a bus on her way to her private school in Croydon, south London on Wednesday morning. Many of the papers are reporting the girl died trying to help her friend. Girl stabbed on bus in Crydon The Sun says the attack took place…

Schoolgirl, 15, ‘stabbed to death after rejecting flowers from boy she broke up with’ The Metro says Police have arrested a teenage boy after a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death on her way to school in south London this morning. The teenager, a pupil at the Old Palace of John Whitgift School, was allegedly attacked in Wellesley Road outside the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon, after a ‘row over a bag’, at around 8.30am…

Why is there no PMQs today? There will be no Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today as the House of Commons is on recess for party conference season. When is the next PMQs The party conferences mean there won’t be another PMQs for nearly a month. Parliament broke up on Tuesday 19 September ahead of the conferences and will return on Monday 16 October. This means the next PMQs will be on Wednesday 18 October at…

HS2 firm ‘cautious’ about taking future UK projects Mark Reynolds, of Mace Group – one of the construction firms of HS2, has said he would be cautious about taking on future government projects amid doubts over the rail line’s future. There has been speculation over the past few days over whether the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the high-speed rail line could be axed. It comes amid rising costs. Reynolds said it was “very rare”…

GB News suspends Laurence Fox over comments about journalist Ava Evans GB News has suspended its host Laurence Fox – the failed actor turned failed politician, after comments he made about a journalist. During a live discussion with reporter Ava Evans, Fox asked what “self-respecting man” would “climb into bed” with her. He made the comments after Evans said on the BBC that calls for a minister for men “feed into the culture war.” GB…

UPDATED: Girl, 15 stabbed to death in South London A 15 year-old girl has been killed in a stabbing in Croydon, south London, the Metropolitan Police says. She died after being stabbed on a school bus in Croydon this morning (Wednesday, September 27). She was stabbed in the neck, reported a witness. The Met Police have tracked down a teenager who has been arrested. It is believed they were known to each other. Police were…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Paper Talk: Suella Braverman’s ‘Poisonous’ speech Wednesday’s front pages cover a variety of stories. Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s speech in the US made several front pages. Suella Braverman ‘poisonous’ Braverman’s speech, to a think tank in Washington DC, saw her call for changes to international rules on refugees and said that uncontrolled migration was an “existential threat” to the West’s way of life. The Times calls it “one of…

Water firms forced to pay £114m back customers for poor performance Ofwat, the industry regulator, said water firms are “falling short” on performance measures around leakages, supply and reducing pollution.  It said that following a review, water companies have been ordered to pay £114m back to customers, by cutting bills. Ofwat said in its assessment that not one company reached the highest measure of performance.   Dŵr Cymru, Southern, Thames, Anglian, Bristol, South East and Yorkshire…

Scotland schools strike: Thousands of pupils at home as strikes begin A three-day strike by school support staff has begun in Scotland, meaning hundreds of schools will be closed as the strikes will affect 24 of the country’s 32 councils. Thousands of students have been told to stay at home as members of the union UNISON walk out in their row over pay. Last-minute talks, and a renewed offer, failed to halt industrial action from…

Chris Kaba: MoD offers military support after armed Met officers turn in weapons The MoD is offering up soldiers to support armed cops in London following dozens of Met Officers handing over their weapons and standing down from firearms duties.  More than 100 Met cops have turned in permits allowing them to carry weapons, according to a source. There are more than 2,500 armed cops in the Met. Police said the action was being taken…

Lib Dems drop pledge to raise income tax by 1p The Liberal Democrats have dropped plans to put a penny on income tax to invest in the NHS and social care.  Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey told the BBC that people didn’t need more tax rises amid a cost of living crisis. The party has called for a 1p rise in income tax since 1992 – then to fund education promises. They hope it…

Electric car rules could cost carmakers billions New post-Brexit trade rules might cost European electric car makers – around £3.75 billion over the next three years, says The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) which represents the car industry. These rules say that most parts of electric cars made in the EU should come from nearby. But companies on both sides of the Channel feel they’re not ready for this change. This could also mean making…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Paper Talk: Army on standby as Met cops hand in guns in protest Many of Monday’s newspapers report on the news that the Army is on standby after a number of armed Met police officers turned in their weapons in response to a fellow Met cop being charged with the murder of Chris Kaba. Other papers continue their coverage of the government’s reported plans to scrap a leg of…

Met Office issues yellow weather warning as winds could reach 80mph The Metro says A yellow weather warning for strong winds has been issued across large parts of the UK for later this week. The Met Office is expecting wind gusts of 50-60mph inland and 65-80mph in coastal areas. The alert, in place from 10am on Wednesday to 7am on Thursday, is because of ‘a deep area of low pressure expected to approach southwest Ireland’.…

Rishi set to axe HS2 link after ‘out of control’ cost increases by nearly £8,000,000,000 The Metro says Rishi Sunak appears poised to axe the northern arm of the HS2 rail line from Birmingham to Manchester, due to spiralling costs. The Sunday Telegraph reported the potential cost of the high-speed rail scheme – which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said is ‘out of control’ – had increased by £8 billion. The Observer suggested the decision to…

Murder investigation launched after woman found with ‘multiple injuries’ The Metro says a murder investigation has been launched after a woman in her 50s was found with ‘multiple injuries’. Police were called to Redcar Road in Blackpool shortly before 11pm on Thursday to a report of an unexpected death. The victim has been identified as Alison Dodds. Patrols have now been stepped up in the area and police are treating her death as suspicious. FOLLOW…

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Sunday Papers: Tories look to axe HS2 Northern link – the full perspective Many of the Sunday papers report on the uncertainty surrounding the Birmingham to Manchester stretch of the HS2 rail line. Tories axe HS2 The Sunday Telegraph headlines “Axe looms” and reports a Whitehall source as saying an increase in costs has put the scheme on course to wipe out the budget for other transport projects. The…

Labour pledges more watchdog power after Truss mini-budget Labour is making election promises ahead of the next UK general election which could be as soon as May next year. The Labour Party says it’ll hand more powers to Britain’s economic watchdog if it wins the next general election. It comes after the former PM Liz Truss delivered a mini-budget without OBR analysis, which led to market chaos and a fall in the value of the…

Tax cuts ‘virtually impossible’ at present, says Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt has said it will be “virtually impossible” to deliver tax cuts until the UK economy improves. A less gloomy economic outlook and the high cost of living had led to calls for measures to reduce taxes in the Autumn Statement in November. Speaking on LBC, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the country’s high levels of debt left him with some “very difficult decisions.” The UK’s…

Girl receives UK’s first rejection-free kidney from mum An eight-year-old girl has become the first UK child to receive a special type of kidney transplant – one that doesn’t require taking long-term drugs to stop the rejection of the organ. Great Ormond Street Hospital doctors say the breakthrough was made possible by reprogramming her immune system before giving her the new kidney. To do that they used bone marrow stem cells from the donor -…

What is Rumble, the video-sharing platform ‘immune to cancel culture’? The Guardian says Rumble, the video-sharing platform where Russell Brand has 1.4 million followers, may not be a household name but it has grown in popularity – especially among those from the right and “alt-right” – as a place said to be “immune to cancel culture”. Now Brand has had his YouTube channel demonetised after sexual assault allegations, which he denies, the comedian is expected…

MPs ask if Elon Musk ‘personally intervened’ on Russell Brand’s status on X The Independent says Social media site X has been asked by a senior MP if owner Elon Musk, who changed its name from Twitter, “has personally intervened in any decisions on Russell Brand’s status on the platform”. Following rape and sexual assault allegations being made against Brand, online content platforms that host his content including YouTube and podcasting company Acast said that…

Government borrowing rose to £11.6bn in August Newly released official figures show government borrowing was higher than economists had expected in August, having risen to £11.6bn last month, according to the ONS. Borrowing – the difference between spending and tax income – was £3.5bn more than a year earlier and the fourth-highest August borrowing since monthly records began in 1993. Public borrowing had been predicted to stand at £11.1bn last month. However, it still comes…

Rishi Sunak says we’ll hit net zero despite his massive U-turn Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted the UK will still hit net zero by 2050, despite yesterday announcing a major u-turn on the government’s green policies. “I believe in net zero and I want to deliver it,” he tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. On Wednesday Sunak announced the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales is being pushed back from 2030 to…