
Do not force British pension funds to buy UK assets, Aviva warns
Dame Amanda Blanc said on Thursday that she did not believe such an order was 'the right thing' or 'a necessary strategy because we do think that pension providers are already willing to invest in the UK and are already, as we have proven, doing so'.
She said the government would need to consider the 'unintended consequences' and that there was a 'chain of people who need to change behaviour', not just pension funds. These included employee benefit consultants, employees and workers.
• Pension funds could be forced to
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Rhyl Journal
7 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Trump visit is in the public interest, says Chancellor
Mr Trump is due to touch down in Scotland on Friday evening ahead of a four-day visit, during which he will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney. His meeting with Sir Keir is seen as a chance to refine the UK-US trade deal which came into force last month. Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Rolls-Royce factory near Glasgow Airport on Friday morning, the Chancellor talked up the importance of the visit. 'It's in Britain's national interest to have strong relations with the US administration and as a result of both that long-term special relationship, but actually more importantly, the work that our Prime Minister Keir Starmer has done in building that relationship with President Trump has meant that we were the first country in the world to secure a trade deal,' she said. 'That has a tangible benefit for people here in Scotland, whether it is people working in the Scotch whisky industry or people working in the defence sector like here at Rolls-Royce, that trade deal means lower tariffs than any country in the world on things that we send to the US.' Ms Reeves dodged a question relating to senior ministers – including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Scottish Secretary Ian Murray – supporting a motion when in opposition in 2019 calling for the president's first state visit to be cancelled and accusing him of 'misogynism, racism and xenophobia'. Mr Trump is expected to visit both of his golf clubs in Scotland – in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire – during the visit, which has been described as 'private' by the White House, before leaving on Tuesday. His presence is likely to spark protests across the country, with Police Scotland being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. In a carefully worded statement ahead of the visit, Mr Swinney said the focus it will bring to Scotland will allow people to have their voice heard on issues including 'war and peace, justice and democracy'. Mr Swinney added: 'As First Minister it is my responsibility to advance our interests, raise global and humanitarian issues of significant importance, including the unimaginable suffering we are witnessing in Gaza, and ensure Scotland's voice is heard at the highest levels of government across the world. 'That is exactly what I will do when I meet with President Trump during his time in Scotland.' The First Minister said Scotland is a 'proud democratic nation' that 'stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world'. He also urged those seeking to protest to do so peacefully. 'I am confident the vast majority of people protesting will do Scotland proud and demonstrate as they should – peacefully and lawfully,' Mr Swinney said. 'I am also confident that Scotland's police service can handle the challenge of keeping all our communities safe and, as they must, in maintaining the appropriate security any US president requires. 'This weekend is a landmark moment in our relationship with the United States, and I am certain it will be remembered for Scotland showing the world the very best of itself.'


Telegraph
7 minutes ago
- Telegraph
David Amess's widow claims ‘cover-up' over Prevent failures
The widow of murdered MP Sir David Amess has accused the Government of a 'cover-up' following a review into the Prevent programme's handling of the case. In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, Lady Julia Amess described the review as an 'insult to Sir David's memory' and said that questions about the case can only be answered 'by way of a public inquiry'. The Amess family instructed lawyers to scrutinise Independent Prevent Commissioner Lord Anderson KC's report, with lawyers criticising how 'too much investigation ... has been conducted behind closed doors'. Hudgell Solicitors said 'too many doors have been closed when challenging questions have been raised' – highlighting that only one counter-terrorism case officer with first-hand experience of killer Ali Harbi Ali's Prevent referral was spoken to as part of the review. Ali was referred to Prevent seven years before the Islamic State fanatic stabbed the veteran MP at his constituency surgery in Essex in October 2021. He was sentenced to a whole-life order the following year. Lord Anderson's report said 'intensive' efforts have been made to improve processes within Prevent, but the 'jury is out' on some of the changes. It also said Ali was described as a ' great person ' by a counter-terrorism case officer shortly before his case was dropped by Prevent. Ms Cooper previously wrote to the Amess family, in which she said she realised the 'seriousness' of the failings in Sir David's case and that she hoped the family found Lord Anderson's report to be 'thorough and considered'. But in her letter to Ms Cooper, Lady Amess said: 'I have to say that, once again, my family has been disrespected and insulted by the Government. 'Your letter implies that you have our best interests at heart – which could not be further from the truth.' 'Whole sorry saga is a cover-up' Lady Amess continued: 'As you and the Prime Minister requested, we met with Lord Anderson during the review process. From my point of view, it was a very pleasant meeting with a man who was given a job to do and would do it to the best of his ability. 'However, it was absolutely clear to me at the time that he would be unable to give the answers we are seeking. 'He did not have the authority to 'dig below the surface' and find out exactly what happened, who is responsible for the failings (it appears there are several unidentified people) and what will be done to somehow ease the pain and suffering we are still experiencing because the truth is not being told. 'One can only conclude that this whole sorry saga is a cover-up.' She added: 'We should have been taken under the wing of the Government, cared for sympathetically and shown a little compassion. Instead, we have been treated disgracefully. 'It is an insult to Sir David's memory and, as I said during our meeting, I will fight until my dying day for my husband, our children and their children.' 'Deeply unsatisfactory' Solicitor Neil Hudgell said answers to the Amess family's questions regarding Ali's referral to Prevent 'remain deeply unsatisfactory'. He said: 'Far too much investigation into Sir David's murder and the interactions between Prevent and Ali Harbi Ali has been conducted behind closed doors, and too many doors have been closed when challenging questions have been raised in search of accountability and transparency. 'Lord Anderson did not interview any other member of the Prevent panel, which dealt with the Ali case, other than the one counter-terrorism case officer, who only consented to being interviewed on strict conditions. 'Even the coroner declined to engage with Lord Anderson, citing judicial independence. 'Answers to important questions with regard to his referral, the lack of proper intervention, follow-up sessions and review remain deeply unsatisfactory.' He added: 'A statutory public inquiry is needed as only this forum can compel witnesses to appear and give evidence under oath, and be questioned as to what was known, and why decisions were made.'


ITV News
37 minutes ago
- ITV News
Signs come down for Manchester's Clean Air Zone after three years
Work has begun to take down hundreds of Clean Air Zone signs as the controversial scheme is "finally put to bed". The divisive project across Greater Manchester has cost more the Government more than £100m, after they instructed local leaders to bring down nitrogen dioxide levels in 2017. More than 1,300 signs were installed across Greater Manchester, warning motorists of daily charges on certain vehicles. But in early 2022, the scheme was paused due to public backlash. Since then, the Clean Air Zone signs have been covered with stickers saying "under review". In January 2025, the Government approved plans from local leaders to meet government clean air targets, arguing that rising costs would stop drivers upgrading their vehicles. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now confirmed that work has begun to take the signs down. In a report, transport bosses said that 'the release of funds' for councils to remove or repurpose the signs, has been approved. Clean air campaigners criticised the decision to scrap the scheme, claiming that it is contributing to an 'epidemic' of serious lung problems and respiratory illnesses, but Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham insists charging motorists would not have helped. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has welcomed the signs coming down, saying that the scheme is "finally being put to bed". Robert Downes, FSB's development manager in Greater Manchester, said: "While we've known the CAZ was all but dead and buried quite some time ago, it's symbolic and definitive to learn that plans are now in motion to bring down the signage. "Despite all the effort we put in to opposing the CAZ it was, ironically, the signs going up in the first place that triggered the massive reaction from both the business community and the wider public when they woke up to the huge financial implications of what was being proposed. "You only now have to look around the country to see other city regions who rushed ahead with similar schemes to see how they have hammered businesses, many of whom have been forced to close because of the unavoidable costs. "While it may have taken local decision makers a while to come around, it's always better late than never." The Clean Air Zone would have seen taxis, vans, lorries and buses that don't meet emissions standards charged up to £60 a day. Under the new "investment-led" approach, there will no charges. Instead, the government has allowed Greater Manchester to spend £86m on a series of other initiatives including grants to upgrade vehicles and measures to reduce traffic around the city centre. The lion's share of this funding will go towards zero emission and cleaner diesel buses which transport bosses say is already helping. More than 300 electric buses are now in use across Greater Manchester's Bee Network with plans to fully electrify the fleet by 2030. TfGM says this has contributed to air pollution dropping again in 2024. However, 38 places still had illegal levels of nitrogen council leader Eamonn O'Brien, who is the Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester, said: "We've always been focused on doing what's right for Greater Manchester, and by accelerating investment in our public transport network, we're showing that it's possible to improve air quality faster than if a charging Clean Air Zone had been introduced. "Investment in the Bee Network is enabling more people to choose cleaner, greener ways to get around – like public transport and walking or cycling – instead of driving. "As we deliver our Clean Air Plan alongside the Bee Network, with support from the government, we'll roll out the UK's first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by the end of the decade and improve the air we all breathe for generations to come."