My high-speed bus chase
I couldn't afford to visit then – so when a friend, American Cathy, who's got a second home near me in Provence, offered to buy flights and organise a trip for me and my daughter to visit her in D.C. last month, I accepted. Despite the reassuring neoclassicism of the buildings and monuments – whiter in the sunshine than a new set of dental veneers – there's a frisson of anxiety enveloping the Land of the Free's capital city. A few of Cathy's friends have lost high security-level federal jobs. People I met, while acknowledging that change was necessary, were embarrassed by their President and worried what he'd say or do next.
Cathy works 14-hour days and rarely gets out. On the first evening we asked two well-padded men seated at a waterfront restaurant in Georgetown what the food was like. In heavy accents they said it was good. They told us they were Russian and in town for a meeting 'with your leader'. Afterwards, noticing Cathy's clenched jaw, I said: 'They look more like the Russian football hooligans who rioted before the last England game in Marseille than politicos.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
MPs call for free bus travel for under-22s in England
MPs are calling on the Government to fund free bus travel for people aged under 22 in England. The Transport Select Committee, which made the recommendation, said it would improve young people's access to 'work and skills opportunities' and 'help embed long-term public transport use'. Free bus travel is offered to under-22s in Scotland. People aged 16-21 in Wales are entitled to a one-third discount on fares, and from next month will be able to travel for £1 per journey. Parts of England offer discounted or free bus travel for young people, such as London for 16 and 17-year-olds. People are entitled to free bus travel in England when they reach the state pension age, which is currently 66 but will rise from next year. Bus fares in England for all passengers are capped at £3 until March 2027. In a report on buses, the select committee said: 'England's patchwork of local youth concessions contrasts with national schemes in Scotland and Wales. 'A coherent national approach to ensure fair access across England is essential if the Government is serious about driving economic growth, which depends on removing barriers to education, training, and employment for the next generation.' The report described public transport as a 'major barrier to employment for young people', especially in places with limited services. It added: 'In some areas, transport is restricting opportunity rather than enabling it.' The committee urged the Government to reform the way local bus services are funded, with longer-term settlements. It also called for a national ambition for a minimum level on public transport connectivity. Department for Transport (DfT) figures show the number of bus journeys taken in England outside London fell by 22% from 4.6 billion in 2009 to 3.6 billion in 2024. Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, who chairs the committee, said: 'Those most affected by unreliable or even non-existent buses include the young, who need them to get to school, college, university and their first jobs. 'Denying young people these experiences denies them their life chances. 'We call for a universal, free bus pass for all under-22s to equalise opportunity. 'While the bus fare caps have been beneficial, the Government has yet to spell out a coherent strategy of what they aim to achieve, and whether more targeted options could produce better outcomes. 'While the Government's Bus Services Bill contains positive ideas, the Transport Committee's report says ministers should go further to get bums back on seats.' The Bill, which is going through Parliament, will lead to an overhaul of buses, such as by giving all local transport authorities new powers to run their own services. It will also reduce some of the red tape involved in bus franchising, including reducing the minimum period between local areas taking control of services and being allowed to start operations. A DfT spokesperson said: 'After decades of decline, we're providing a record £1 billion in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country. 'Our landmark Bus Services Bill will protect routes and prevent services from being scrapped, bringing buses back into local control, and will put passengers at the heart of services. 'We have also stepped in to prevent a fare hike for passengers by extending the £3 fare cap until March 2027.'
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Donate-a-phone schemes and tech workshops in line for £9.5m Government backing
Donate-a-phone schemes and computer workshops will receive Government backing worth £9.5 million, as part of a plan to help older people and low-income households access an 'essential for modern life'. The funding will go towards charity and council schemes in an effort to tackle digital exclusion. According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the money will help connect the 1.6 million people who live entirely offline with the online world. 'It is unacceptable that in 2025, millions of people across the UK simply can't access the vast opportunities that technology and the online world offers,' telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant said, adding that 'digital inclusion is an essential for modern life and work, not just something that's nice to have'. Sir Chris also said: 'Making technology widely accessible could be the thing that means a sick patient can speak to a GP remotely, or that helps a young person successfully apply for a job. 'Through this funding we're moving further to empower local leaders and groups nationwide, who are already working tirelessly to get their communities connected and change countless lives for the better.' The Government launched its Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund as part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which also includes an ambition to pilot a device donation scheme, so re-purposed Whitehall laptops will go to people who need them. Older and disabled people, low-income households and jobseekers are among the groups more likely to be digitally excluded, according to the plan.
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The area where parents would pay £81,000 MORE to buy a home near a good school
Parents are willing to pay tens of thousands of pounds extra for a home in the catchment area of a top state school - and Labour's VAT hike on private school fees is driving up competition. According to Santander, parents would pay an average of £45,000 extra to secure a home in the catchment of an Ofsted-rated 'good' school. Almost three in four parents say they would be willing to pay over the odds to live in an area where their children would be prioritised for a place at such a school. On average, parents would be willing to pay 15 per cent more to live within 'good' catchment boundaries, some £44,736 extra on top of the Halifax House price index's average price tag of £298,237. School catchment areas are the geographic areas around a school and children who live in that area are usually considered first when it comes to places. Some 73 per cent are willing to pay a premium to secure a spot in one of these areas - and this has jumped compared to 63 per cent last year as competition heats up for state school spots. Private school fee hike drives up competition Places in top state schools are the latest hot commodity after January's VAT hike of as much as 20 per cent on school fees. VAT had never before been charged on private school payments, but Labour's manifesto revealed it would scrap the exemption for private schools, which previously saw them free of the 20 per cent tax. This came into force in January of this year in a bid to bolster the Treasury's dwindling coffers. And competition for state school spots is only set to get hotter, as 21 per cent of parents say they plan to pull their children out of private schools in the wake of the higher fees. Of this group, some 69 per cent say they would relocate to get their children into the best state school catchments, Santander says. David Morris, head of homes at Santander, says: 'Parents are understandably digging deep into their financial and emotional reserves to give their children a great education. 'There is good news for parents however, as a record number of properties coming to the market, combined with stabilising interest rates and improved affordability, will hopefully help some of them bag an outstanding home in their dream catchment area.' What's the good school premium in YOUR area? London parents willing to pay an extra 15 per cent to buy their home would have to fork out an extra £81,000 on the average house price, bringing the total to £620,901. In the south east it's a £58,239 hike to £446,499, while in the east of England it's a £50,174 jump to £384,668. In the east midlands, parents could pay £36,777 more, in the west midlands it's a £39,040 premium while in the southwest parents are happy stumping up £45,346 more. For the north west the premium works out at £36,344, in Yorkshire and the Humber it's £32,330, while in Northern Ireland it's £32,225. For Scottish homes, a 15 per cent premium is an extra £32,286 while for Welsh homes it's £34,189. The lowest premium is on homes in the north east homes where a 15 per cent premium works out at £26,588, hiking a home's price tag to £203,839. Such is the clamour for a place at a top school, that some parents say they would be willing to pay an extra 25 per cent on top of the average home's price tag. That's an extra £74,559 on the typical property, which hikes the purchase price to £372,796. NOT all state schools have catchment areas Parents should do their research before they decide to move to a particular area, however, as not all state schools have catchment areas. Admissions could instead be based on entrance test results, so it is vital to check the school's criteria. Even if a school does have catchment area, living in one doesn't guarantee a child's place in a school. The school could be oversubscribed, or prioritise applicants within the catchment area based on test scores. Catchment areas can also change, so there's no guarantee if you buy a house now that your child will later be admitted to the school of your choosing. And not only could that derail any plans for younger children to attend that school, it could cause your house price to take a tumble when it's time to sell as demand falters. But the fight for a spot in a hot catchment area is doing more than just squeeze the finances of these parents. One in three parents say the stress of not getting the desired catchment led to them considering home schooling. Meanwhile three in ten parents have lost friends in the fierce competition for a place in a top school and one in six have had sleepless nights. The new research shows families would also be willing to uproot and move an average of 31 miles to bag a place in a top-tier school, which is nine miles further than a year ago. > Are you pulling your child out of private school? Email Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs. That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C. This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit. You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.
