No value for money from the office created by Rachel Reeves
T hink of three projects most in need of a value-for-money test and this trio are hard to beat: that blank cheque on wheels known as HS2; the Sizewell C nuke, nicely located on a Suffolk flood plain; and the Royal Navy's Dreadnought-class submarines, the biggest defence project presently under way.
So how's this for a turn-up from the Office for Value for Money (OVfM)? It won't be reviewing any of them. No, as its chairman David Goldstone has just told the National Audit Office (NAO) chief, Gareth Davies, over five pages of total blather: 'In line with our principle not to duplicate the work of others we did not review HS2, Sizewell C and Dreadnought, as they are already subject to extensive [scrutiny]'.
How convenient is that? Among her budget triumphs, the OVfM was invented by Rachel Reeves to 'root out waste and inefficiency' and 'help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending'.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Coalition of the willing to reconvene ‘in weeks' as UK pushes Russian oil cap
Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky will convene a meeting of the so-called 'coalition of the willing' in the coming weeks, Downing Street said as the UK pushed for allies to tighten the oil price cap on Russia. The Prime Minister on Tuesday announced a series of measures aimed at ramping up pressure on Vladimir Putin as he continues to resist calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Sir Keir said he 'strongly' believes that restrictions on the price of Russian crude oil should be strengthened to deplete its energy revenues. He also dismissed suggestions that plans, led by Britain and France, for a 'coalition of the willing' to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine were dead in the water as progress towards a potential truce stalls. In a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president on the sidelines of the leaders' conference on Tuesday, the two leaders 'agreed to drive forward the next stage of military support', Number 10 said. 'Their meeting followed an extensive session with wider partners, focused on maintaining momentum to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,' the readout said. 'The Prime Minister and president agreed to drive forward the next stage of military support – adding that a strong Ukraine is essential to guarantee peace in the long term. 'They agreed to convene the next coalition of the willing meeting in the coming weeks. 'They also discussed ramping up the economic pressure on Putin, with the Prime Minister updating the president on the new sanctions announced by the United Kingdom today. 'They agreed there should be no place to hide for those who fund Putin's war machine.' Mr Zelensky said they had agreed that 'to force Russia to end this war, coordinated sanctions by all G7 countries are needed against their energy and banking sectors, shadow fleet, and military-industrial complex'. Britain announced sanctions on 20 Russian oil tankers as well as measures to tighten the net around companies managing the vessels, with Downing Street saying the UK would also seek to 'move with partners' to tighten the energy price cap. A wider package of measures which Sir Keir suggested would be forthcoming from leaders gathered at the summit in the Canadian Rockies is yet to materialise after splits opened up in the approach to Russia on Monday. Instead, Mark Carney, prime minister of G7 host country Canada, said in a closing statement that leaders were 'resolute in exploring all options to maximise pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions'. Mr Carney also said Ottawa would give 2 billion Canadian dollars in aid to Kyiv. Allies face an uphill struggle to lower the cap from the existing rate of 60 dollars per barrel after Donald Trump signalled his reluctance to impose further measures on Moscow. The US president suggested he wanted to wait to 'see whether or not a deal is done' with Ukraine before targeting the Kremlin with further action. Speaking to reporters with him in Kananaskis, Sir Keir was asked if tightening the oil price cap would be possible without the backing of Washington. 'Obviously today we're going to focus on Ukraine,' Sir Keir said. 'We've got President (Volodymyr) Zelensky coming in. We're putting in extra sanctions today, including sanctions on the shadow fleet. 'Others will be doing, similar actions in coming days. And so that does ramp up the pressure. 'On the oil price, obviously, we're still looking at how we're going to make that work. But I strongly believe that we have to put those sanctions in place. We're having those discussions with President Zelensky today.' Talks to broker a possible peace in Ukraine have stalled as Moscow continues to pound the country with missile and drone attacks and holds out on US-backed proposals for an unconditional truce. Meanwhile, the UK and France have been leading efforts to assemble a so-called 'coalition of the willing' made up of nations prepared to send peacekeeping troops to Kyiv to enforce a potential ceasefire. Asked whether those plans were dead in the water, Sir Keir told reporters: 'On the coalition of the willing, no, not at all. That is obviously intended to answer the question, how do you ensure that if a deal is reached, a deal is kept so it's a lasting deal? 'Because the concern, has always been, that there have been deals, if you like, before, Putin has then subsequently breached them. 'So how do you stop that happening again? And the military planning is still going on, as you would expect, so that, when the time comes, we're ready to act.' At the top of meeting with Sir Keir on the fringes of the summit, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra was 'willing to consider' joining the coalition 'if we can get some advance in peace'. The leader first said he would be open to such a move in March. Mr Zelensky attended the G7 conference in Kananaskis, along with leaders from Canada, the US, France, Italy, Japan, Germany and Britain. As well as sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet, Britain has also targeted two UK residents – Vladimir Pristoupa and Olech Tkacz – who the Government said had operated 'a shadowy network of shell companies' aiding Moscow. The branch of the Russian defence ministry leading the country's underwater intelligence gathering operations, known as Gugi, has also been sanctioned. Sir Keir said: 'These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin's war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine. 'We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws. 'The threat posed by Russia cannot be underestimated, so I'm determined to take every step necessary to protect our national security and keep our country safe and secure.'
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Battle to convince MPs to back benefit cuts to more than three million households
Why you can trust Sky News Plans for cuts to benefits which will impact more than three million households will be published today - as the government faces a battle to convince dozens of Labour MPs to back them. Liz Kendall, the welfare secretary, has set out proposals to cut £5bn from the welfare budget - which she has said is "unsustainable" and "trapping people in welfare dependency". Disabled people claiming PIP, the personal independence payment which helps people - some of them working - with the increased costs of daily living, face having their awards reviewed from the end of next year. An estimated 800,000 current and future PIP recipients will lose an average of £4,500 a year, according to a government assessment. 1:40 The government also intends to freeze the health element of Universal Credit, claimed by more than two million people, at £97 a week during this parliament, and cut the rate to £50 for new claimants. Under pressure from Labour MPs concerned particularly that changes to PIP will drive families into poverty, Ms Kendall will announce new protections in the bill today. Sky News understands they include a 13-week transition period for those losing PIP; a higher rate of Universal Credit for people with the most serious conditions; and a commitment that disabled people who take a job will not immediately lose their benefits. Some 40 Labour MPs have signed a letter refusing to support the cuts; and dozens of others have concerns, including ministers. 3:06 Ms Kendall is determined to press ahead, and has said the number of new PIP claimants has doubled since 2019 - at 34,000, up from 15,000. Ministers say 90% of current claimants will not lose their benefits; and that many people will be better off - with the total welfare bill set to continue to rise over this parliament. To keep the benefit, claimants must score a minimum of four points out of eight on one of the daily living criteria. Ministers say claimants with the most serious conditions, who cannot work, will not face constant reassessments. A £1bn programme is proposed, intended to give disabled people who can work tailored support to find jobs. Some Labour MPs have angrily opposed the reforms - which will be voted on later this month. Last night in a parliamentary debate, Labour MP for Poole Neil Duncan-Jordan disputed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures. He said: "We already know that PIP is an underclaimed benefit. The increase in claims is a symptom of declining public health and increased financial hardship disabled people are facing. "We have the same proportion of people on working-age benefits as in 2015. This is not an economic necessity, it's a political choice." Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York, called the proposals "devastating ". She said: "We must change direction and not proceed with these cuts." Disability groups say they fear an increase in suicides and mental health conditions. The government's own assessment forecast an extra 250,000 people could be pushed into poverty - including 50,000 children. It did not include the impact of people moving into work. Ms Kendall was urged by MPs on the Commons Work and Pensions committee to delay the reforms, to carry out an impact assessment, but wrote back to the committee saying the reforms were too urgent to delay - and that MPs would be able to amend the legislation.
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
UK economic growth downgraded due to tariffs and cost hikes
Rising costs are set to cause 'weak' business investment and weigh on the Government's ambitions to accelerate growth in the UK economy, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said. The influential trade body's latest economic forecast indicated that the UK economy is on track to grow by 1.2% this year. It had previously predicted a rise of 1.6%. It also downgraded its growth forecast for 2026 from 1.5% to 1% for the year. The CBI highlighted that the UK has seen strong growth over the start of the year, rising by 0.7% in the first three months of 2025. But it suggested underlying activity 'remains sluggish' due to persistently weak demand and gloomy sentiment among businesses. It added that higher employment costs linked to the autumn budget, including rises to national insurance contributions and the increased national minimum wage, have impacted firms. It said this has fed into higher pricing and reduced capital expenditure and hiring among many firms. Meanwhile, higher US tariffs from President Trump's administration have also created headwinds for exports to the US and hindered investment from multinational companies in the UK. It comes after Donald Trump and the Prime Minister finalised a US-UK deal intended to slash trade barriers on goods from both countries while at the G7 summit in Canada earlier this week. Louise Hellem, chief economist at the CBI, said: 'Our latest economic forecast underlines the challenges facing businesses and the wider economy as they're buffeted by domestic and global headwinds. 'The unpredictable global outlook combined with rising employment costs, gloomy business sentiment, and subdued investment intentions means it's more important than ever that government pulls all the levers it can to set the UK on a path to sustainable growth. 'With GDP (gross domestic product) set to remain modest in 2026, there is an important opportunity for the government to fire up the growth agenda in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy. 'With the cumulative burden of increased costs being felt by firms across the economy, it is vital the Industrial Strategy helps drive a thriving environment for all businesses.'
