logo
Reeves makes surprise appearance with PM after tears in Parliament

Reeves makes surprise appearance with PM after tears in Parliament

BBC News3 days ago
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has made a surprise appearance alongside Sir Keir Starmer, one day after she was seen crying at Prime Minister's Questions.Helping to unveil the government's 10-year plan for the NHS, she was smiling and embraced the prime minister as they jointly set out the government's 10-year plan for the NHS. The pound plummeted and government borrowing costs rose after the incident in Parliament on Wednesday, when Sir Keir initially failed to guarantee that Reeves would keep her job.The fall was partially reversed after Sir Keir insisted he was "in lockstep" with his chancellor, who he said would be in her job "for a very long time to come".
In a bid to put on a united front, the chancellor joined Sir Keir and Health Secretary Wes Streeting at a hospital in East London to launch plans for new neighbourhood health centres.Sir Keir praised his chancellor, telling the audience that decisions made by Reeves had allowed the government to "invest record amounts in the NHS".Asked if he had been aware that his chancellor had been crying next to him in the House of Commons, Sir Keir said he "hadn't appreciated what was happening" as he was "literally up and down" answering questions.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

76 trainees rejected after first being admitted to Garda College
76 trainees rejected after first being admitted to Garda College

BreakingNews.ie

time28 minutes ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

76 trainees rejected after first being admitted to Garda College

Seventy-six trainees were rejected after first being admitted to the Garda College in the past year. It comes following a change to the rules after backlogs, which allowed applicants to be admitted to the Garda College in Templemore while their vetting was still ongoing. Advertisement The change was made as some applicants had been left waiting months, or even years, to hear back regarding their vetting. The 76 trainees were "deemed unsuccessful" for "Vetting, Medical, Physical Competence Test and Drug test". Following a Freedom of Information request, a Garda statement issued to read: "Upon receipt, your request was forwarded to the Appointments section of An Garda Síochána who have advised that 76 Garda Trainee applicants were deemed unsuccessful in the past year for the following reasons Vetting, Medical, Physical Competence Test and Drug test." The system was changed in response to efforts to boost Garda numbers, which saw 2024 applicants admitted while their vetting is still ongoing. Advertisement Candidates from the 2022 and 2023 competitions who were left waiting months, and in some cases years, to find out if they were admitted have previously spoken to about their experience. One candidate who withdrew from the process said they feel Garda management is "making a total mockery of all candidates still waiting from 2022 and 2023". The Government has committed to recruiting 5,000 new gardaí over the next five years. Speaking after new members of An Garda Síochána were sworn in in January, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said: "My focus is on ensuring Ireland is a safer place for everyone. Making sure that An Garda Síochána is at full strength is a core part of that. This Government has made a commitment, and we will recruit at least 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years."

A wealth tax will only make the Chancellor's problems worse
A wealth tax will only make the Chancellor's problems worse

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

A wealth tax will only make the Chancellor's problems worse

Rachel Reeves's tears during Prime Minister's Questions pushed up the 10-year UK gilt yield from 4.51pc to 4.66pc in a matter of minutes. Whatever the explanation for the Chancellor's House of Commons meltdown, global investors weren't impressed – imposing a £1bn-plus increase in the annual interest bill on the UK's £2.6 trillion stock of national debt Ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary snuffles, there had clearly been tensions between Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Chancellor and Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall have spent weeks trying to sell reforms to Labour MPs, designed to save around £5bn a year in sickness and disability welfare payments by 2030. No one was talking about actually cutting the welfare bill under this heading. Spending on sickness and disability benefits was set to rise from £65bn in 2023-24 to £101bn by 2029-30, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). This huge 55pc increase is driven by an expected surge in Personal Independence Payments (Pip) to some 4.2m working-age adults, around one in eight of the work force. The Labour leadership's attempts to tighten benefit eligibility rules were designed to lower that annual bill to £96bn by 2030 – still a huge 48pc increase from when Labour took office last July. But Starmer bottled even these feeble reforms. Faced with Labour backbenchers outraged at any slowdown in the growth of state largesse, the Prime Minister caved – blowing another £5bn hole in Reeves's budget. Labour insiders now admit the party's attempted welfare reform will save 'more or less no money'.

Labour-run council faces legal action over trans pedestrian crossing
Labour-run council faces legal action over trans pedestrian crossing

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

Labour-run council faces legal action over trans pedestrian crossing

A Labour-run London council is facing legal action after installing a set of controversial road crossings in the colours of the transgender pride flag. Camden council installed the painted blue, pink and white crossings nearly four years ago in Bloomsbury in a bid to 'help celebrate transgender awareness ' and to act 'as a reminder of the rich LGBT+ history in Camden.' But Camden resident Blessing Olubanjo is now threatening to bring a legal challenge to have the four crossings at Tavistock Place and Marchmont Street removed or redesigned, because she claims it 'constitutes unlawful political messaging.' The 57-year-old claims the installations, which cost £10,464 in taxpayers' money, constitute a violation of political neutrality laws under the Local Government Act 1986, as well as an infringement of freedom of belief and expression under the Human Rights Act 1998. The NHS administrator, who is an Evangelical Christian, told The Telegraph: 'I brought this case because I believe in fairness, freedom of belief, and the proper role of public institutions. 'As a Christian and a taxpayer, I should not be made to feel excluded or marginalised by political symbols in public spaces. 'This crossing sends a message that only one viewpoint is welcome, and that's not right in a truly democratic society. 'I'm standing up not just for myself, but for everyone who feels silenced or sidelined by discredited, harmful activism forced on the public by ideologically captured local authorities.' Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, who is supporting Ms Olubanjo, added: 'Not only is this crossing a matter of public safety and Christian freedom, it's about the misuse of public resources for political campaigning. 'The crossing is a visual endorsement of a contested ideology, installed by a public authority in breach of its legal duties. 'This is not the role of local government. Public spaces should be able to be used by everyone, not to advance divisive agendas that alienate people of faith and those who hold to biological reality. 'The Council needs to remove or redesign the crossing and apologise to its residents and local businesses.' At the time the plans were announced in Autumn 2021, the Royal National Institute for the Blind also told the council that colourful designs at crossings could cause confusion to the blind and pose safety risks to those with poor vision trying to cross the busy street. Transport for London's Independent Disability Advisory Group also said people with learning disabilities or dementia may struggle to identify the crossing. They also warned that people with sensory sensitivity could struggle with colourful crossings, which could cause anxiety, especially for people on the autistic spectrum. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at human rights charity Sex Matters, said there was no 'conceivable justification' for the crossings to be in place after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex.' The women's rights campaigner added to The Telegraph: 'The trans flag crossings in Camden are not only a safety issue for the blind, disabled and elderly, but a costly exercise in celebrating a flag that represents unforgivable medical harms done to gender-distressed children in the name of 'progress'.' The crossing is also located in the same borough as the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, which ran the UK's only gender identity development service for children. The youth gender clinic at the Tavistock and Portman centre closed early last year, ahead of plans to open regional hubs across England and Wales as part of recommendations made in the Cass Report. However, the council has insisted that the crossing had no relation to the gender clinic. Camden Council said they reject the claims in Ms Olubanjo's legal letter. A spokesman added: 'Camden is 'no place for hate' and we have a strong and continuing history of respect and support for everyone in our borough. We fight discrimination in all its forms, and this includes being an ally to our trans residents. 'These crossings are a visual statement to help celebrate transgender awareness and act as a reminder of the rich LGBTQ+ history and daily life in the Bloomsbury area and across Camden.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store