Rayner pushes higher wages for 18-year-olds as Labour woos young
The Low Pay Commission will be tasked with setting out a path to lift the minimum wage for young workers to the full adult rate. Ms Rayner said the policy showed Labour was delivering on its promise to 'make low pay a thing of the past'.
However, bosses warned that Labour was already taxing jobs for young people 'out of existence', with businesses already reeling from a £25bn National Insurance raid last autumn.
Kate Nicholls, the chairman of UKHospitality, said another jump in the minimum wage for young adults would risk destroying even more of their jobs instead of helping workers.
'We understand the Government's objective of fair pay, but you can only have fair pay if you have got a job that actually pays,' she said. 'At the moment, those jobs are being taxed out of existence due to changes in the NIC [National Insurance contributions] rate.'
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BBC News
3 minutes ago
- BBC News
Call to vet YouTube ads like regular TV to stop scams
Ads on YouTube should be vetted like those on traditional TV to protect users from content such as scams, promotion of diet pills and fake celebrity endorsements, the Lib Dems have said. The party wants more YouTube ads to be screened for potentially harmful content before they appear on the platform and for media regulator Ofcom to issue fines. Last week, Ofcom's annual report found that YouTube had overtaken ITV to become the UK's second most-watched media service behind the BBC. Google, which owns YouTube, has said it strives to support an "advertising ecosystem that's trustworthy and transparent for users". Currently, most ads broadcast on TV and Radio are pre-approved by industry bodies Clearcast and Radio Central before being aired, which is not the case for those that appear on YouTube. The Liberal Democrats argue this means "online, irresponsible advertising can too often proliferate before any intervention to review it or take it down".Max Wilkinson MP, a culture spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: "It's clearly not right that a platform now more watched than almost any traditional broadcaster is still operating under a 'lighter touch' advertising regime. "Regulations need to catch up with the reality of how people are watching content and unscrupulous advertisers must not be allowed to use loopholes to exploit people.""We cannot allow a two-tier system where traditional broadcasters face robust scrutiny, while a digital giant like YouTube is allowed to mark its own homework."It's time for the regulator to treat YouTube adverts much more like TV and radio adverts, to protect UK consumers from misleading or harmful content. The government needs to act now."The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) monitors TV, radio and online adverts and handles complaints after they have been ASA spokesman said: "The scam ads that the Liberal Democrats are highlighting are fraudulent and tackling them falls to Ofcom under the Online Safety Act, which is designed to hold platforms to account for tackling and deterring fraud on their services. "We readily support Ofcom's efforts to carry out this work and will continue to and play a disruptor role by reporting them and working with platforms to have them removed."Earlier this year, the ASA said that in 2024 it received 1,691 reports of potential scam ads online, 177 of which were flagged to online platforms. It said the biggest scam trends included using AI to create deepfake videos of celebrities, politicians or members of the Royal Family endorsing their products. One scam ad sent to the ASA depicted King Charles recommending a cryptocurrency investment. Users of YouTube can report ads they believe violate Google's ad policies. The policies include banning promotion of counterfeit goods, dangerous products such as recreational drugs and hacking allows some advertising of cryptocurrency services, but says the promoter must comply with local laws for the country where the ad is being targeted. According to Google, it removed 411.7 million UK ads in 2024 and suspended 1.1 million ad accounts. Under the Online Safety Act, online services are required to assess the risk of users being harmed by illegal content - including looking at the risks of fraud. The law also gives Ofcom powers to oversee how services are protecting users from tackling fraudulent watchdog has said it is consulting on a fraudulent advertising code of practice, which will become enforceable once approved by Parliament.
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Best home security system without subscription
Finding the best home security system without a subscription is a priority for many homeowners who don't want to be tied into ongoing fees after the initial purchase. Paying hundreds of pounds for a full home security system is often only part of the story, since many companies charge a monthly or annual fee to make use of every feature. These fees often cover the cost of cloud video storage, making your home security camera and video doorbell recordings available online. Some companies also lock extra functionality, like battery and cellular backup systems, or facial recognition powered by AI, behind a paywall. Security specialists like Simplisafe and Verisure use your monthly payment to fund professional monitoring services. But what if you don't want to pay a monthly subscription fee for your home security system? You'll miss out on some of the features mentioned above, but in return you get an alarm and home security system that works without any ongoing costs. There are several companies – including Eufy, Blink, Yale and TP-Link – that sell security systems with no monthly fee. They often make cloud storage available as an optional extra, but since video recordings are recorded locally, on the system itself, the subscription is exactly that: optional. Why pay for a home security subscription? Before we get to the options for best home security system without a subscription, it's worth reminding ourselves why some systems demand a monthly or annual fee to unlock full functionality. Ring is perhaps the best-known example, since even its simplest video doorbells and security cameras require a subscription to work properly. Without paying the fee, Ring's cameras and doorbells don't store any video footage. They still stream live to the Ring app – so you can see who's at the door when they press the button. But past events can't be accessed, so you won't be able to see what motion triggered your security camera while you were asleep. Ring's alarm kit also requires a subscription to enable its cellular and battery-backup systems, which keep the system online during a broadband outage or power cut. Other systems, like those from Simplisafe and Verisure, charge a fee for cloud video storage, as well as for access to their 24/7 professional monitoring services. This is where trained agents respond to your alarm, make contact with you, and, if necessary, call emergency services. Best home security systems without a subscription At the time of writing, in mid-2025, my favourite home security system without a subscription is made by Eufy. This is because Eufy's security cameras and video doorbells all record footage locally, either to the device's own integrated storage, a microSD card, or to the company's HomeBase, which acts as a central hub with expandable storage. Eufy's third-generation HomeBase also adds artificial intelligence to your compatible cameras and doorbell, which helps your security system recognise friendly faces (like your family members) and not alert you when they're spotted. Cloud storage is offered by Eufy, priced from £3.99 to £12.99 a month, but it's purely optional. All other features are included in the up-front price of the hardware. It's a similar case with Yale, whose security system also works without a subscription. The Yale Smart Alarm kit is simpler than some rivals, with a fairly basic smartphone app. But it comes from a trusted brand and, unlike most other systems, includes a wireless external siren for mounting on an outside wall. The system can be expanded with more sensors, motion detectors and cameras, and a key benefit is how the devices have a 1km (0.62 mile) wireless range – far greater than that of Yale's rivals. Like Eufy, Yale offers an optional subscription. Called Secure Plan, this costs £9 a month and adds cellular backup to the alarm system, where it uses the mobile phone network to stay online if your broadband goes off. The plan also unlocks a system where up to three emergency contacts receive an automated call when your alarm is triggered; although, they are not contacted by a human, as with professionally monitored systems. Subscribing opens up cloud storage for Yale's cameras, too, and enables an AI-powered system for differentiating between the motion of people, pets, vehicles and package deliveries. Granted, it's a good-value package (and you get six months' free with some purchases), but Yale's system uses local storage by default, so paying the fee isn't strictly necessary. Without it, you still have a fully functional security system. Blink is another security system that runs without a subscription, but here things work a little differently. Blink cameras on their own require a cloud storage subscription, since they don't save footage locally. However, this changes if you also buy the Blink Sync Module 2, which costs £40 (or is often bundled with cameras for a discount) and acts as a hub for connecting multiple cameras and a doorbell. It also has a microSD card slot, into which you can fit up to 256GB of local storage – and avoid paying the monthly fee for saving footage in the cloud. Blink plans start at just £2.50 a month and unlock extra features, like improved live streaming, video sharing, photo capture and cloud storage, but paying isn't a necessity like it is with Ring, the other Amazon-owned security company. The pros and cons of not paying for a home security subscription Pros: Avoid ongoing costs (which also often increase over time) You control your recordings; no uploading to third-party servers Reduced feeling of being locked into a product ecosystem Keeps things simple, avoiding superfluous features Cons: No professional monitoring Misses out on extra functionality Limits your hardware choices Removes cellular backup (where available) Is paying a home security system subscription worth it? This depends on your budget and your security requirements. If all you want is a video doorbell on the front door and a security camera keeping an eye on your garden or drive, you'll be fine installing the devices and having them save footage locally. This even works if you want to build a larger system – perhaps even a whole home security platform with cameras, door sensors, sirens and motion detectors – if your primary goal is to be alerted to motion, then have that motion recorded. In this scenario, a subscription for extra features might not be worth it to you, especially if you pick Eufy products that have their own on-board storage and artificial intelligence. Subscriptions become worthwhile if you want more than these basics. If you want cloud storage, then paying a subscription is the only option, since companies don't offer this service for free. Similarly, if you want cellular backup for your Yale system, AI smarts from Blink, video storage from Ring or professional monitoring from Simplisafe and Verisure, then a subscription could be worth it.
Reuters
33 minutes ago
- Reuters
New Zealand labour market remains soft, adds to rate-cut expectation
WELLINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - New Zealand's jobless rate rose slightly in the second quarter as the labour market remained soft, supporting the view that the central bank will proceed with a flagged 25 basis-point interest cut at its August policy meeting. The jobless rate reached 5.2% for April-June from 5.1% three months prior while employment fell 0.1%, Statistics New Zealand data showed on Wednesday. The labour force participation rate - which includes workers either employed or actively looking for work - fell to 70.5% from 70.7%, its lowest since the first quarter of 2021. The jobless rate compared with the 5.3% average of analyst estimates compiled by Reuters and matched the central bank's forecast. Following the data release, the New Zealand dollar was steady at US$0.5899 and the chance of an August 20 rate cut reached 88%. After a strong start to 2025, the economy's momentum looks to be slowing and the outlook remains incredibly uncertain, senior economist Mark Smith at ASB Bank said in a client note. "With the trajectory for medium-term inflation well within the (central bank's) 1-3% target range, further monetary easing looks appropriate to support the labour market and broader New Zealand economy," Smith said. Since August 2024, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has cut its cash rate by 225 basis points to support an economy which sank into recession last year. The economy showed signs of improvement with gross domestic product increasing 0.8% in the first quarter. Last month, the central bank held the cash rate steady at 3.25% to assess the impact of trade ruction and a slight acceleration in inflation but indicated a further cut was likely in August. Wednesday's data indicated the economy continues to operate with a considerable degree of excess capacity which could slow the rate of inflation, said ANZ senior economist Miles Workman in a note. This data and the possibility that firms could start to shed excess labour over the second half of this year "means we think the RBNZ will over time start putting more weight on downside medium-term inflation risks," Workman said. Statistics New Zealand said wage growth increased in the second quarter with its private-sector labour cost index excluding overtime recording a 0.6% lift, compared with 0.4% in the prior quarter and in line with forecasts. Seasonally adjusted private-sector wages increased 2.2%.
