Covid should be a distant memory but the fallout still infuriates
We are now nearly half a decade on from the first Covid lockdown being lifted, when we were allowed tentatively to go out for a meal, a haircut or church service — as long as you didn't sing. God, it was all so weird.
Today is 1,766 days since driving tests were resumed. Understandably there was a backlog and everyone understood that waiting times might increase. According to the AA, at the end of 2019 (pre-Covid) the average wait time for a driving test in London and the southeast was seven weeks. Once lockdown was lifted, it jumped to ten weeks and by summer 2022, after another lockdown, it had crept up to 12 weeks.
So, what is it now? Back to normal, right? No,
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Sky News
10 minutes ago
- Sky News
Charities welcome half a million more children being eligible for free school meals
Charities and school leaders have welcomed free school meals being opened up to more than half a million extra children. The government has announced it will make children in all households on universal credit in England eligible for free school meals from September 2026. Parents will be nearly £500 better off each year because of the change, the Department for Education said. Currently, only pupils from households with an income of less than £7,400 a year are eligible for free school meals, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty do not have access to them. The latest figures, from January 2024, show 2.1m children were eligible for free school meals - 24.6% of all pupils in England. The government has not said how it will fund another 500,000 children's school meals. It also claimed the eligibility expansion would lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty, but did not provide details of how. Charities broadly welcomed the change, with The Children's Society calling it a "practical, compassionate step that will make a real difference". Chief executive Mark Russell said it is a move his charity has been pushing for and would lift thousands of children out of hunger and help ease the pressure on households struggling to make ends meet. The Child Poverty Action Group said it was "fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families". "We hope this is a sign of what's to come in autumn's child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK," Kate Anstey, head of education policy, said. School leaders' union NAHT welcomed the change but asked for the government to introduce "auto-enrolment so no child entitled to a free meal misses out". NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman added: "It's vital that this positive extension of free school meals is backed up by other tangible measures which help lift even more children out of poverty when the government's child poverty taskforce reports back later this year." 2:37 At the end of May, the government delayed publishing its child poverty strategy until the autumn over Treasury concerns about the cost implications of ending the two-child limit on universal credit, which is expected to be part of the strategy. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pushed Sir Keir Starmer on whether he will lift it at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday after the PM last week said the government "will look at" scrapping it, in his strongest indication yet that he will. On the free school meals announcement, Sir Keir said: "Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. "My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. "This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed." Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called it a "giant step" towards ending child poverty.
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Campaigners fight to save 120-year-old tree from ‘irrational' local council
Campaigners are fighting to save a 120-year-old London Plane tree which the local council is threatening to bring down after a lengthy legal battle. Haringey Council in North London has said the tree on Oakfield Road, Stroud Green, must be removed because it has caused damage to properties nearby. A notification on the felling from the council said 'the tree has contributed to tree root damage to the adjacent properties. Pruning was unsuccessful, and movement of the properties has continued'. Residents now have until 17 June to respond to the notice. Annette Elder, solicitor and member of Haringey Tree Protectors, said the decision from the council was 'completely irrational'. 'Mature trees like the Oakfield plane are vital in urban areas—for cooling, biodiversity, air quality, and residents' wellbeing,' she told The Independent. 'It makes no sense to remove them without robust evidence that they are causing active harm.' The council said the trees have caused subsidence in nearby properties. Subsidence occurs when the foundations of a home become unbalanced due to the ground sinking. This can move walls and floors from their original groundwork and cause severe damage. Trees can cause subsidence when its roots grow into clay soil and take up enough moisture, which causes the soil to dry out and shrink. Ms Elder told The Independent claimed that the owners of the two houses affected by the subsidence have reached agreements with their insurance companies to pay for repairs on the house, so there was no need to fell the trees. 'There's no clear evidence that the tree poses a real or immediate threat—especially once underpinning takes place,' Ms Elder added. 'Even Haringey's own Tree and Woodland Plan states that trees should not be removed or pruned solely because of a potential or perceived future subsidence risk. 'We believe this is a completely irrational decision. 'If you follow this logic, almost every street tree in the area could be considered a risk. Are we going to fell them all?' Ms Elder said there are reportedly around 200 active insurance claims in the borough relating to potential tree-related subsidence. 'Subsidence is a wider issue—climate change, increased heat, and flooding all contribute to greater soil movement, particularly in clay areas,' she said. 'It's precisely because of climate change that councils, including Haringey, have pledged to increase canopy cover.' A Haringey Council spokesperson said: 'We are currently consulting on a proposal to remove the tree. 'The court ruled in 2024 that a previous decision by the council to remove the tree was lawful and has refused permission to bring an appeal against this. We are undertaking a further consultation in view of new statutory requirements that have come into force since that decision. 'Our proposal is based on consideration of the evidence submitted on behalf of the owners of the properties. 'We will carefully consider all the feedback we receive, including any new information or changes of circumstances, before coming to a final decision on the future of the tree.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Pro garden designer reveals 69p hack that will kill green flies without using any nasty chemicals to harm your plants
IF your garden is looking a bit of a mess and you want to ensure it looks fresh, you've come to the right place. It turns out that there's a nightmare pest that may be living in your garden - and it could be the reason why your grass and plants are ruined. 2 2 Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap. But while there's no need to be alarmed, it's best to identify the problem as soon as possible - and luckily, a gardening whizz has come to rescue with a wallet-friendly solution. Speaking on her podcast, The Ins & Outs, Pollyanna Wilkison responded to a listener who had written into the show how to banish the common pest from their birch tree. The gardening designer said: ''We're getting a lot of questions about how to get rid of aphids and it's a tricky one. ''Because on the one side, I want to say to you aphids are actually amazing forage for loads of really important insects - ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitoid wasps all eat aphids. ''They will be eaten by these guys if you leave them alone.'' However, if you're dealing with ''an absolute infestation'', there's something you can use - and it's already in your kitchen. According to Pollyanna, green-fingered Brits can use washing-up liquid - which you can snap up for around 65p from your local s upermarket. The £14.50 Wickes buy people are swearing by to get rid of weeds on their driveway for GOOD She explained in the podcast: ''The best thing you can do is put some washing-up liquid in a spray bottle and spray everything. ''That's not going to hurt anything. ''Whatever they breathe through, it blocks it and then they die.'' Keep pests out all summer IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know. Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay. Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent. Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents. Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass. ''We're not here for the pesticides - the washing-up liquid will do it absolutely fine.'' The gardening whizz also recently shared the common decoration she hates - hanging baskets. 'Hate them. I effing hate hanging baskets. 'And the reason I hate them is much the same reason that I hate small pots.' She shared the first reason for this is that she doesn't think they are 'very attractive as a vessel.' Pollyanna explained on the episode: 'You can tend to see the plastic inside because it's got a plastic liner, because otherwise, obviously the water is going to go through. 'And I don't like seeing plastic in the garden. 'And also the body of soil that a hanging basket holds - unless it's those amazing ones outside the Ritz, which are just the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen, but those are the sides of a beach ball - it's just, it's this tiny little dish of mud.'
