Home
Britain spent £5.4 billion less than it received in taxes in January, despite support for private customers’ energy bills. Public borrowing so far this financial year is £30.6 billion less than predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The Royal College of Nursing called off next week’s 48-hour strike in England to restart talks with the government. The government recommended offering public sector workers such as judges, policemen, teachers, doctors, nurses and dentists in England and Wales pay rises of 3.5 per cent; the recommendations will be considered by independent pay review bodies.
Supermarkets saw a dearth of tomatoes, attributed to bad weather in Morocco and Spain. Asda rationed lettuces to three per customer and Morrisons said that no one could buy more than two cucumbers even for ready money. Pret A Manger, having offered subscribers up to five drinks a day, said it would stop making smoothies, frappes and milkshakes altogether. International mail services, suspended on 10 January, were reinstated at British post offices, more than a month after Royal Mail was hit by a cyber attack.
Sir Tony Blair and Lord Hague called for everyone in the United Kingdom to have digital identity cards. Efforts by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, to revise the Northern Ireland Protocol were criticised by Jacob Rees-Mogg: ‘I don’t know why so much political capital has been spent on something without getting the DUP and the ERG [European Research Group of Conservative MPs] onside first.’ Boris Johnson, a former prime minister, urged Mr Sunak not to abandon the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill he introduced, which would give the government the power to move unilaterally away from current arrangements. Kate Forbes, 32, a candidate for the leadership of the Scottish National party and a member of the Free Church of Scotland, said: ‘I practise the teachings of most mainstream religions – whether that is Islam, Judaism or Christianity – that marriage is between a man and a woman.’
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in