New figures from the S&P Global UK Services PMI show employment levels in the services sector have now fallen for eight consecutive months. The longest streak” since the 2008 financial crash aside from the pandemic…
In May, firms stopped replacing staff leavers, triggering a “sustained downturn” in headcount across the industry. Again, the finger is being firmly pointed at Reeves’ tax raid. S&P Global’s Tim Moore said:
“Reduced workloads and pressure on margins from increased payroll costs meant that headcounts remained under close scrutiny. Aside from the pandemic, the current eight-month period of falling employment numbers is the longest streak since 2008–10. Prevailing demand conditions nonetheless remained challenging in May, as signalled by a sustained reduction in total new orders across the service economy. While rising wages were again the most commonly reported factor pushing up input prices.”
Meanwhile, ministers are busy rolling the pitch for yet more tax rises in autumn to fund a flurry of U-turns, including the reintroduction of winter fuel payments for some pensioners “by winter” and a hike in defence spending. This is what Andrew Bailey was talking about when he said yesterday that the ONS’ positive growth figures are not telling the whole story…
Earlier this year Guido revealed the NHS has blown £15.8 million a year since 2020 on translation services to cater for those in the UK who don’t speak English. The situation is no better in the legal system…
Guido can reveal that from 2020 to 2024, HM Courts and Tribunals Service forked out a staggering £42.1 million on translation and interpretation services. The figure has risen every year from £7 million in 2020-202 to £12.7 million in the last financial year. That’s an 80% hike…
HMCT says it doesn’t hold data breaking down the cost by language, though the cost includes sign language interpretation. The figures don’t even count the spending from generous Legal Aid. Sacré bleu…
Starmer’s spokesman was asked at the post-PMQs briefing with journalists whether there was any evidence to substantiate the PM’s false claim that China is opposed to the Chagos deal. None there came…
The spokesman obfuscated at length by saying that the Five Eyes put out a statement in favour (irrelevant), China would “love more impact over that sphere” (accurate, especially now the territory has been handed over), and that the deal “protects UK interests in that region” (still no evidence). That’s because Xi’s regime is obviously pleased that its regional ally now has control over the Chagos archipelago. And has said so…
Starmer was repeatedly needled by a punchy Badenoch at PMQs over the Chagos Surrender and its £30.3 billion price tag. He repeated the line that the base on Diego Garcia was “at risk” due to court cases that do not exist and said an untruth about the deal’s supporters:
“We have secured the long term basis for the base, that has been welcomed by the US, NATO, Australia, New Zealand, India – they are our allies. It has been opposed by our adversaries – Russia, China, and Iran. And into that column we have reform presumably following Putin and the Tories following Reform.”
As Guido revealed last week China has praised the surrender and supplied “massive congratulations” to Mauritius for achieving the sellout and accompanying billions in payments from the UK taxpayer. There is no evidence for China’s opposition to the deal – it has so far only been supportive. Misleading the House…
UPDATE: Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge is on Politics Live to say that when Starmer repeated the false claim that China opposed the surrender deal he was “misleading Parliament”.
Wes Streeting and Labour ministers have been pleading with junior doctors in the BMA to not strike over pay this summer. Meanwhile Unite is raging at the “insultingly low” 3.6% pay offer its NHS staff have got from the government and today said it will ballot them for strike action. Back for more…
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“The Government’s answer is a substandard award that is below inflation and is an insult to NHS staff. This offer does nothing to address low pay in the NHS, which hovers perilously close to the legal minimum. How can this possibly be fair or begin to improve staffing in the NHS?”
NHS workers in England will vote on 16 June, while NHS workers in Wales will vote on 9 June. Summer of discontent inbound…
Speaking to Adam Boulton on Times Radio about kicking the Golders Green suspect, Heidi Alexander said:
“I thought that if I was in the shoes of that police officer, then if I’m honest, given the situation, and the fact that he had a backpack on his back, and they were worried about whether that might go off, I could, if I was a police officer, frankly, I could see myself having taken similar action.”
