Benefits reform is like fight for women's equality, says Liz Kendall
Liz Kendall said she was 'listening' to concerns raised by backbenchers, hinting she was open to concessions on the implementation of reforms. But she refused to back down on the principle of cost-cutting, saying Britain could not afford a system where one in ten working age adults is on at least one sickness benefits and spending is still rising.
Kendall argued there was 'nothing Labour' about ducking what she described as an economic and social crisis, pointing out that sickness benefit spending has risen by £20 billion a year since the
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Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EU is 'blocking Britain's bid to join Mediterranean trade zone' despite Keir Starmer's 'reset' with Brussels
The EU is unwilling to allow Britain to join a pan-European trade zone despite Sir Keir Starmer 's efforts to 'reset' the UK's relations with Brussels, it has emerged. The Government recently published a trade strategy that hailed membership of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) as an 'opportunity' for the UK. Ministers said they would 'consider the benefits' of joining the PEM as part of efforts to boost British exports. The PEM allows for tariff-free trade of some goods from across dozens of countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. But, according to the Financial Times, the European Commission has made clear to Britain that it would not currently support UK membership of the PEM. EU officials said Brussels bosses had decided that the UK joining the PEM was not currently in the bloc's interests, the newspaper reported. The EU is said to fear it would increase the risk of products unfairly qualifying for low-tariff access to the bloc. It comes despite Sir Keir and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently striking a 'reset' deal following a UK-EU summit in London. The Government recently published a trade strategy that hailed membership of the PEM as an 'opportunity' for the UK The agreement, signed in May, covered fishing, trade, defence and energy and represented the biggest change in Britain's relations with the bloc since Brexit. Although the PEM is not exclusively an EU arrangement, trade experts said Britain would need EU co-operation to join because it would require a rewriting of the post-Brexit trade deal. Sam Lowe, trade lead at consultancy Flint Global, said: 'For it to be meaningful for the UK, the EU would need to agree to incorporate the PEM rules of origin into the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. 'This gives the EU de facto blocking powers.' David Henig, a former UK trade negotiator now at the ECIPE think-tank, said: 'The EU isn't united on the importance of the UK reset and issues like PEM can easily be caught up in this even though technically straightforward. 'The UK Government is going to have to work hard in London and Brussels to build momentum.' Although they have left the door open to joining the PEM, the Prime Minister has repeatedly ruled out rejoining the EU's single market or customs union. A Government spokesperson said: 'This Government has secured a new agreement with the EU to support British businesses and jobs and put more money in people's pockets. 'We have also published a new Trade Strategy setting out how we will boost trade further. 'We aren't going to provide a running commentary on our ongoing discussions with the EU.'
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
This Morning star reveals terrifying moment she blacked out on boozy night out as she sends warning to fans
THIS Morning star Ashley James has revealed the frightful moment she blacked out on a boozy night out - and feared she had been spiked. The 38-year-old says she feels very lucky because she wasn't mugged or sexually assaulted, but is now extra careful with her drinks on nights out. 6 6 Ashley, who is working alongside Spike Aware UK and CounterSpike in a bid to educate people on the issue, tells us: 'When I went to my brother's university, and I went out with him and his friends, it's the first time that I'd ever completely blacked out. "When I woke up I was in my brother's halls with my brother. 'I'd been sick everywhere and I actually didn't remember anything that happened. But luckily I was with my brother and his friends. 'They teased me that I couldn't handle my drink because I was the younger sister that had gone to visit my brother, but I didn't feel like that. 'My reaction and how sick I was, was not in proportion to what I drank in that situation.' She continues: 'Had it happened now, my brother or me or his friends could have tested my drinks. 'If I had been spiked, there was no mugging or sexual assault. But the next person might not be so lucky, because I imagine a lot of these people that try to spike people's drinks don't just do it once - and if they fail, they don't stop doing it.' Like many people, Ashley didn't tell anyone about her concerns - according to a new survey by CounterSpike only 11% of spiking victims reported it to the police. Now, Ashley is helping to promote SpikeStixx - a spiking test kit that enables people to test their drinks on a night out and get instant results. 'It's literally the same size as my lipstick, so you can put it in your bag, no matter how tiny and impractical your bag is - as mine always is,' says Ashley. 'Ever since I started going out properly, spiking's always been that sort of invisible threat or thing that we have to worry about.' DJ and TV star Ashley first rose to fame during her short stint on Made In Chelsea - she now uses her voice to talk about what's important to her. She often speaks out about double standards for men and women - and refuses to cover up her boobs because other people choose to hypersexualize them. 'I definitely feel like I've got to a point where I realise that there shouldn't be a moral attachment to the clothes that we wear, ' she tells us. 'And actually, we see that, even if you're looking at spiking. But any form of sexual violence, it doesn't just happen because of what we wear. 'I find specifically, the hypersexualization of boobs quite frustrating. I don't deserve to be judged and especially not my morals or sexuality questioned based on my body." She adds: 'I certainly don't think that my body is any more shameful than anyone else's and I think time and time again, we see that it doesn't matter what we wear. 'People are spiking drinks, not because of what we're wearing. People are hurting and killing women, not because of the clothes that they are wearing. It's because those people are bad people who want to harm women.' Despite any concerns Ashley might have on a night out, the mum-of-two is planning to keep on partying for a long time to come. She says: 'I love socialising. I'm such an extrovert and I'm a DJ as well. So I'm always out and about in various different environments where there's drinks. 'I love being around friends. I've got a really good group of mum friends. I've got a really good group of friends in the industry and I feel like I'll never slow down - I'm just a bit more tired.' 6 6 6 6
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Myleene Klass issues warning to others after she rescued her baby girl who choked on £2 decoration
LOOSE Women star Myleene Klass has opened up about the moment her daughter, Hero, turned blue and collapsed after choking. Speaking on the We're Not Getting Any Younger podcast this week, the 47-year-old presenter said the horrific incident left her 'hysterical.' 6 6 The mum-of-three who shares daughters Ava and Hero with ex-husband Graham Quinn, and son Apollo with partner Simon Motson - said the choking scare happened when Hero, now 13, was a baby. "She choked on one of those dayglo stars you stick on the ceiling,' the ex Hear'Say star recalled. She credits her first aid training with saving her daughter's life - and now refuses to keep the decorations, sold for as little as £2 a pack, anywhere in the house. Asked whether the star had fallen from the ceiling, Myleene clarified: 'She found it. She was so little, she couldn't even speak.' "Not just because she was choking, she physically couldn't communicate what had happened.' Describing the moment she realised something was wrong, Myleene said her daughter 'stumbled' into the kitchen, "holding her throat", while she was doing the washing up. "Her face had gone blue and then she just dropped to the floor. It was the longest five minutes of my life," she explained. When someone is choking, it means that the oxygen supply to the lungs is obstructed, the first aiders explained. This in turn cuts off the supply of oxygen to the brain. The lack of oxygen to the brain has widespread ramifications for the rest of the body, which become more serious with every minute. Children First Aid: Choking If your child doesn't receive oxygen to their brain for one to four minutes, they'll lose consciousness, according to Headway, a brain injury charity. After three minutes, the neurons in their brain will get damaged. Permanent brain damage becomes much more likely after four minutes of your tot not being able to breathe. After 10 minutes, a child could slip into a coma and lasting brain damage becomes almost inevitable if their brain is still alive. Survival becomes almost impossible after 15 minutes. This is why it's imperative that parents learn choking first aid. 6 6 Using her first aid knowlegde, Myleene sprung into action. 'I turned her upside down, well, not literally, but she was small enough that I could lay her across my forearm," she said. "I gave her a firm back blow and eventually she vomited it up,' she added. "Then she just toddled off as if nothing had happened. I was left a complete wreck.' Your sign to get trained Myleene's first aid training also helped her save her other daughter, Ava, during a choking incident when she was a tween. Both "terrfiying" experiences drove her to earn a more professional qualification with St John Ambulance, she said. In a post she shared on Instagram in June of herself doing the training and wearing the first aid uniform, she wrote: "The only thing worse would have been not knowing what to do. "I had done first aid, but now I wanted to learn it to a more sort of professional level," she explained on the podast. "This might be your sign to get first aid trained." she added. 6 6 According to the NHS, choking is common in young children, especially during play or mealtimes. This is because they often explore objects by putting them in their mouths. Parents are advised to keep small items out of reach, cut food into small pieces, and familiarise themselves with first aid techniques. What to do if your child chokes IF your child chokes, don't panic and freeze immediately. The NHS says if the child is coughing, encourage them to continue as they may be able to bring the object up. Don't leave them alone while this is happening. But if their coughing is silent, they can't breathe properly or they don't bring anything up, get help immediately. Use back blows on your tot if they're still conscious. First aiders at St John Ambulance give the following advice based on the child's age. Baby Slap it out: Lay the baby face down along your thigh and support their head Give five back blows between their shoulder blades Turn them over and check their mouth each time 2. Squeeze it out: Turn the baby over, face upwards, supported along your thigh Put two fingers in the centre of their chest just below the nipple line; push downwards to give up to five sharp chest thrusts Check the mouth each time 3. If the item does not dislodge, call 999 or 112 for emergency help Take the baby with you to call Repeat the steps 1 and 2 until help arrives Start CPR if the baby becomes unresponsive (unconscious) Child 1. Cough it out Encourage the casualty to keep coughing, if they can 2. Slap it out Lean them forwards, supporting them with one hand Give five sharp back blows between the shoulder blades Check their mouth each time but do not put your fingers in their mouth 3. Squeeze it out Stand behind them with your arms around their waist, with one clenched fist between their belly button and the bottom of their chest Grasp the fist in the other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards, giving up to five abdominal thrusts Check their mouth each time
