
Bridport-West Bay minibus shuttle pilot set for summer launch
The WB1 service is due to launch on 26 July, running almost every half hour on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings between Bridport town centre and West Bay.Fares have been set at £1 per journey with children and bus pass holders travelling for free.The scheme received a £20,000 grant from the Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body as well as funding from Dorset Council Community Transport.It will have constant "monitoring and evaluation" during the pilot which is set to continue through the autumn and winter, with a revised timetable.Mr Davies-Coates said: "This isn't just about transport - it's about shaping a better, more connected future together."He said on social media that a long-term plan was to have a community-owned electric bus, which would be fully wheelchair accessible.
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Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Reeves 'set to raise taxes' to fund Starmer benefits surrender: PM says he is 'pleased' after Labour revolt forces guarantee that NO-ONE will be stripped of handouts
Keir Starmer insisted he was 'pleased' today after caving into a massive Labour revolt on welfare. The PM claimed he had 'listened' in making major concessions to rebels threatening to kill flagship legislation on health and disability benefits. More than 120 MPs had publicly promised to oppose the plans in a crunch vote on Tuesday. But after frantic negotiations - with Sir Keir personally lobbying backbenchers - a deal was announced after midnight, including guarantees that existing claimants will not lose money. The move looks like it could be enough to prevent a disastrous defeat for the government at second reading, although some critics are still vowing to oppose the measures. However, the change on Personal Independence Payment (Pip) is estimated to wipe up to £2billion off the £5billion savings by the end of the Parliament, and Universal Credit tweaks another £1billion. Rachel Reeves was already struggling to balance the books with the economy stalling and the previous £1.25billion U-turn on winter fuel allowance. Speaking on a visit to Wales this afternoon, Sir Keir said: 'We need to get it right. That's why we've been talking to colleagues and having a constructive discussion. We've now arrived at a package that delivers on the principles with some adjustments, and that's the right reform, and I'm really pleased now that we're able to take this forward.' Challenged to explain how the funding would be found, the premier said: 'Well, the changes still mean we can deliver the reforms that we need, and that's very important, because the system needs to be a system that is fit for the future, and this is fit for the future. 'All colleagues are signed up to that, but having listened, we've made the adjustments. The funding will be set out in the budget in the usual way, as you'd expect later in the year.' Ruth Curtice of the Resolution Foundation think-tank suggested the warned she will not be able to find the money in existing budgets. 'That leaves only extra borrowing - which the Chancellor doesn't have much space for unless she were to change her own fiscal rules - or tax rises,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Asked if that effectively meant there would be tax rises, Ms Curtice said: 'Yeah. Unless the government were to get better news on the economy the next time the OBR does a forecast... but when we look at everything that's happened in the world since they last did that in March our estimate is that they will actually get bad news from the OBR as well.' Sir Keir and Ms Reeves have both insisted that Labour will stick to the manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, VAT or workers' national insurance. The Chancellor has also been adamant that she will not ease her fiscal rules, after borrowing more at the last Budget to splurge on the NHS, public sector pay and infrastructure. But Downing Street did appear to hint at the possibility of a temporary loosening today. Grilled on how the step would be funded, a spokesman said: 'There'll be no permanent increase in borrowing, as is standard. 'We'll set out how this will be funded at the budget, alongside a full economic and fiscal forecast in the autumn, in the usual way.' Asked whether the Government could say there would be no tax rises to pay for the changes, the spokesman said: 'As ever, as is a long-standing principle, tax decisions are set out at fiscal events.' Challenged how the costs would be covered, health minister Stephen Kinnock told Times Radio: 'The full details around what we are laying out, what I've summarised really today, is going to be laid out in Parliament, and then the Chancellor will set out the budget in the autumn the whole of the fiscal position and this will be an important part of that. 'But forgive me, I'm not in a position to set those figures out now. 'I think that is very much the Chancellor's job as we move into the budget in the autumn.' Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said she believed Labour was in 'a good place now' on the welfare Bill. She told broadcasters: 'We have listened to people, we have engaged with them. 'I think we're in a good place now, alongside the huge investments we are putting in to create the jobs that people need in every part of the country, to get waiting lists down in the NHS, to ensure stronger rights at work, but also to make sure there's employment support for those who can work and protections for those who can't.' Asked whether the Government had created a disparity between existing and new claimants, she insisted it was 'very common in the welfare system that there are protections for existing claimants'. 'That's happened before,' she said. Unveiling the concessions overnight, a No10 spokeswoman said: 'We have listened to MPs who support the principle of reform but are worried about the pace of change for those already supported by the system. 'This package will preserve the social security system for those who need it by putting it on a sustainable footing, provide dignity for those unable to work, supports those who can and reduce anxiety for those currently in the system. 'Our reforms are underpinned by Labour values and our determination to deliver the change the country voted for last year.' The Government's original package restricted eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability payment in England, and limited the sickness-related element of universal credit. Existing claimants were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier move that was seen as a bid to head off opposition by aiming to soften the impact of the changes. In her letter, the Work and Pensions Secretary said: 'We recognise the proposed changes have been a source of uncertainty and anxiety. 'We will ensure that all of those currently receiving PIP will stay within the current system. The new eligibility requirements will be implemented from November 2026 for new claims only. 'Secondly, we will adjust the pathway of Universal Credit payment rates to make sure all existing recipients of the UC health element – and any new claimant meeting the severe conditions criteria – have their incomes fully protected in real terms.' She said a ministerial review would ensure the benefit is 'fair and fit for the future' and will be a 'coproduction' with disabled people, organisations which represent them and MPs. 'These important reforms are rooted in Labour values, and we want to get them right,' she said. The change in Pip payments would protect some 370,000 existing claimants who were expected to lose out following reassessment. Tom Waters, an Associate Director at IFS, said: 'These changes more than halve the saving of the package of reforms as a whole, making the Chancellor's already difficult Budget balancing act that much harder. 'The decision is to protect existing health-related benefit claimants from the reforms, thereby making the savings entirely from new claimants to these benefits. 'This will create big differences – thousands of pounds a year, for many years in some cases – between similar people with similar health conditions who happen to have applied at a slightly different time.' If the legislation clears its first hurdle on Tuesday, it will then face a few hours' examination by all MPs the following week – rather than days or weeks in front of a committee tasked with looking at the Bill. The so-called 'reasoned amendment' tabled by Treasury select committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier had argued that disabled people have not been properly consulted and further scrutiny of the changes is needed. She said: 'This is a good deal. It is massive changes to ensure the most vulnerable people are protected… and, crucially, involving disabled people themselves in the design of future benefit changes.' While the concessions look set to reassure some of those who had been leading the rebellion, other MPs remained opposed before the announcement.


Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Jaguar's controversial Type 00 fails to impress on its public debut
British car maker Jaguar unveiled the Type 00 design vision concept in December and it was nothing like what Jaguar fans had ever seen before. After a schedule of high-profile public appearances, the Type 00 has arrived at Goodwood Festival of Speed for its highly anticipated UK public debut. Freda Lewis-Stempel got a first look at it in the flesh. So, here are the five things to know about the Type 00 from our up close and personal observations. Pointers: There are the five things to know about the Type 00 1. It will spearhead Jaguar's decision to be an EV-only brand Caught beneath the avalanche of social media and mainstream news agendas bemoaning Jaguar's rebrand campaign calling it 'woke', is the important point that Jaguar is now an electric-only car brand. Despite being renowned for its iconic engines – the XK in-line six and the V12 to name two of the most famous specimens – Jaguar is one of the first heritage car makers to fully commit to electric models from here on out. After its hiatus period concludes in 2026 (Jaguar stopped selling cars for 12 months in the UK) the four-door GT that follows the Type 00 prototype will be the first of three new premium EV models the British brand brings to market. The electric GT is the spearhead of Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy that will make the Coventry brand fully electric and more upmarket luxury performance brand. The announcement was first made by JLR in 2021, with 2025 the deadline date for the switch. Well, it's stuck to that, and the Type 00 is living proof. 2. The E-Type link means Jaguar's not completely done with heritage If you've got the E-Type in the vault, you'd be silly to not reference it now and then, even if just subtly, because well you can. The E-Type really made Jaguar. It arrived at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show out of nowhere, and was agreed to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Its icon status made Jaguar the manufacturer of desirable and beautiful sports cars. And Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Adrian Mardell says they want the 00 to resurrect that 'same sense of awe that surrounded famed models like the E-Type.' Squint into the sunlight and there's a touch of the E-Type about the Type 00's silhouette and the sweeping fastback roofline. The 00 name represents it being the first car in the new design line-up, and its zero emissions - ergo two zeros - as well as a nod to the old Jaguar's sudden appearance on the scene. 3. It's a digital detox on wheels Lift those butterfly doors and you enter a futuristic take on a spa. It's so light and airy you feel like you should waft your way around the interior at all times, channeling your inner Chrissy Rucker. A travertine stone plinth supports the seats and the center spine that runs the length of the interior. The strikethrough motif makes its way inside onto the dash and behind the seats. Three brass bars frame the cabin and accent against the muted white wool-blend seats and door panels. The brass hasn't been treated so over time they'll change cover - a sort of living Feng Shui we suppose? Ingenious: These 'totem' physical keys can reduce screen use within the car Enhancing the Feng Shui further is the way that the two huge screens fold up into the dash – the digital detox in action – with just essential information displayed on a thin screen at the bottom of the windshield. Adjusting interior features like ambient lighting and screen displays requires you to select a 'totem' physical key, made from brass, travertine and alabaster, from the Type 00's 'prism case' and slot it into the central cubby. Different: Jaguar says its future model will no longer be sold in conventional car showrooms Moving on: The boutique showrooms in which Jaguar's future EV's will be sold will adopt a designer shopping experience Moving on: The boutique showrooms in which Jaguar's future EV's will be sold will adopt a designer shopping experience 4. The Type 00 will not be sold in a traditional showroom Well it is a prototype so not being sold is expected. The production GT however will be. But the Type 00 unveil also comes with Jaguar's promise that, while it's not ditching its current customers and dealers, it is 'reframing the customer relationship'. Jaguar plans to slash its UK dealership network by around 75 per cent from 80 to around 20 concentrated in the most affluent areas - as part of its radical plans to go electric-only in 2026, selling around 60,000 cars a year of its new more expensive line up, say bosses. The first of its curated brand stores will be located in Paris' Golden Triangle, the 8th arrondissement fashion district. We're expecting a designer shopping experience - individual appointments with champagne and amuse-bouche no doubt. This tie-in with fashion, design and the designer mirrors Jaguar unveiling the Type 00 at Art Basel to connect with the younger, creative audience that attends the annual Miami art week. The future: Jaguar has gone for a new marketing campaign 5. Exuberant Modernism is the name of the Jaguar game The four-door GT promises be a 'copy of nothing' - words Jaguar's founding father, Sir William Lyons, memorably first said. At over five meters long and carrying enough metal to rival the Eiffel Tower it certainly is a one-of-one. The long bonnet, broad stance, clean shaved angles, square face and sleek rear haunches and slinky tail give a Rolls-Royce Spectre meets Pink Panther look, especially in the 'Rhodon Rose' (or Miami Pink as it's been redubbed) colourway. Not to mention those 23-inch wheels to beef it up. It teases what the real production GT will be like when it arrives in 2026. The road car is rumored to start from around $180,000 and to have a range of 478 miles from its electric motor. Jaguar bosses admitted they happily courted controversy with the 'exuberant' but polarizing rebranding and marketing campaign, and wanted to get the British brand 'talked about'. The social media ad featured a diverse range of colorfully dressed models on a barren rocky pink alien landscape resembling Mars - but no actual car - with slogans such as: 'create exuberance, 'live vivid', 'delete ordinary'. It was designed to 'shock, surprise and polarize', and to 'divide opinion'.


Times
33 minutes ago
- Times
Rescue of UK's biggest bioethanol plant snags on wrangle over CO2
Talks to rescue Britain's biggest bioethanol plant are on a knife-edge after the government offered only a partial bailout focusing on the production of carbon dioxide used in fizzy drinks and to preserve food. Vivergo, which is owned by FTSE 100 company Associated British Foods (ABF), is set to close in two months unless a taxpayer rescue can be agreed. The bioethanol sector fell victim to last month's US-UK trade deal after it emerged that Sir Keir Starmer had agreed to a last-minute White House request to let American firms ship 1.4 billion litres of ethanol to Britain each year, free of tariffs. • Britain's biggest bioethanol plant will shut without state rescue, says AB Foods Vivergo operates from its refinery near Hull by taking feed wheat and converting it into bioethanol and high-protein animal feed. The liquid is blended with other fuels such as petrol to reduce their carbon footprint. E10 petrol, for instance, is 10 per cent ethanol derived from renewable sources. Bioethanol production generates CO₂ as a byproduct. The gas can be captured and used to put the fizz in drinks such as lager or injected into packaging to preserve food. The Vivergo works, which employs 160 people directly but helps support 12,000 growers and other businesses, does not currently generate or supply food-grade CO₂. The government wants the works to be adapted so that it can, following a series of summer crises when stocks ran low. Paul Kenward, chief executive of ABF Sugar, said: 'We're not asking for an open-ended subsidy — ABF is not a company that builds its model around long-term state support for any of our businesses, from Primark to Twinings. 'What we need is a stable, predictable regulatory environment that gives British bioethanol a fair shot. If you lifted our plant and placed it in Rotterdam, we'd be profitable. Why? Because other countries haven't skewed the market against domestic producers. And they haven't, as appears to have happened via the US-UK trade deal, accidentally handed their domestic market to another country.' The government said officials would engage this week with Vivergo and Teesside-based Ensus, another bioethanol producer that is reviewing its future. It said: 'This is an industry that has been facing significant challenges for some time, which is why officials and ministers have met Ensus and Vivergo consistently over the last few months to understand and seek options to address some of the challenges.' • Hopes fade of deal to cut US tariffs on British steel exports Kenward said: 'So far, the government's focus in these talks has been on a narrow financial due diligence process and one particular by-product of bioethanol production: carbon dioxide. CO₂ matters — it is critical to the UK's food and medical sectors. 'But support based solely on CO₂ risks locking us into a future that looks like the past of the UK steel industry: a long-term subsidy regime without a path to growth or profitability. That's not what we want, and it's not what taxpayers will want either.' He added: 'If the government persists with this approach to the talks, Vivergo will, unquestionably, close.'