Ringmer dairy farm 'struggling' with grass feed shortage
"We've already started using our winter feed because that's all we can do, we have to feed them," she said."We get our extra sileage from the West Country - at the moment it's £25 a bale plus an extra £10 a bale to haul it here and we use about six bales a day, but come the winter when they're in all the time it will be a lot more than that."It's going to be an expensive winter this year."
Kate Hobden, a herdsperson at Downsview, said: "We milk about 100 [cows] and we calve all year round. It would have been 120-150 but less is better, we can do them better and the lack of feed is a massive thing."Every farmer is struggling with that at the moment." The farm also credits its diversification into in-house ice cream production for saving the business. "If we didn't do the ice cream, we wouldn't be here", Ms Farnes said.
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The Guardian
10 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Staff at UK's top AI institute complain to watchdog about its internal culture
Staff at the UK's leading artificial intelligence institute have raised concerns about the organisation's governance and internal culture in a whistleblowing complaint to the charity watchdog. The Alan Turing Institute (ATI), a registered charity with substantial state funding, is under government pressure to overhaul its strategic focus and leadership after an intervention last month from the technology secretary, Peter Kyle. In a complaint to the Charity Commission, a group of current ATI staff raise eight points of concern and say the institute is in danger of collapse due to government threats over its funding. The complaint alleges that the board of trustees, chaired by the former Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr, has failed to fulfil core legal duties such as providing strategic direction and ensuring accountability, with staff alleging a letter of no confidence was delivered last year and not acted upon. A spokesperson for ATI said the Charity Commission had not been in touch with the institute about any complaints that may have been sent to the organisation. They added that a whistleblower complaint had been filed last year to the government's UK Research and Innovation body, which funds ATI, and a subsequent independent investigation found no concerns. The complaint comes after ATI, which is undergoing a restructuring, notified about 50 staff – or approximately 10% of its workforce – that they were at risk of redundancy. It claims ATI's funding is at risk, citing 'privately raised concerns' from unnamed industry partners, while warning that Kyle has made clear that future government support is contingent on improved delivery and leadership change. In a letter to Gurr this month, Kyle called for a switch in focus to defence and national security at ATI, as well as leadership changes. While the letter stated ATI should 'continue to receive the funding needed to implement reforms', it said its 'longer-term funding arrangement' could be reviewed next year. The complaint claims there has been no internal or external accountability for how ATI funds have been used. It alleges there is an internal culture of 'fear, exclusion, and defensiveness'. It also alleges the board has not provided adequate oversight of a series of senior leadership departures under the chief executive, Jean Innes, nor of senior leadership appointments, and that ATI's credibility with 'staff, funders, partners, and the wider public has been significantly undermined', as shown by the letter of no confidence and Kyle's intervention. The Guardian has also learned that ATI is shutting projects related to online safety, tackling the housing crisis and reducing health inequality as part of its restructuring, which is resulting in the closure or mothballing of multiple strands of research. The restructuring has triggered internal upheaval at ATI, with more than 90 staff sending a letter to the board last year warning that cost cuts were putting the organisation's reputation at risk. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Among the projects slated for closure are work on developing AI systems to detect online harms, producing AI tools that can help policymakers tackle issues such as inequality and affordability in the housing market and measuring the impact in health inequality of major policy decisions like lockdowns. Other projects expected to close include an AI-based analysis of how the government and media interact. A project looking at social bias in AI outcomes will also be dropped. Projects being paused include a study into how AI might affect human rights and democracy, as well as research into creating a global approach to AI ethics. A spokesperson for ATI said: 'We're shaping a new phase for the Turing, and this requires substantial organisational change to ensure we deliver on the promise and unique role of the UK's national institute for data science and AI. As we move forward, we're focused on delivering real-world impact across society's biggest challenges, including responding to the national need to double down on our work in defence, national security and sovereign capabilities.' A Charity Commission spokesperson said the organisation could not confirm or deny whether it had received a complaint, in order to protect the identity of any whistleblowers.
Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is at least doing something at Man Utd
The four new signings of Manchester United's £200m summer so far were sent out to receive the blessing of Old Trafford before kick-off, although presumably someone has explained to Benjamin Sesko and the rest that the real reckoning will come next week. It is on Sunday against Arsenal that further protests are planned against the United ownership, although on this occasion with a greater focus on Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos' minority-share, majority-influence shareholder. The first home game of the season is usually when optimism peaks – and the extensive statement from The 1958 group certainly spelt out that not everyone feels that way. The 'Jim Can't Fix This' banners could yet be dropped on grounds of taste but the sentiment of the original missive has remained. Nevertheless, since that edict was launched, United have signed Sesko and taken the year's spending on fees to £243m. At €85m [£73.7m] he has been another significant investment and during Saturday's presentations before the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, he came out last from the Old Trafford tunnel – as if this were the main gift under the Christmas tree. For now, at least, the rest will be over to Amorim and the players. Perhaps the season-ticket holders who have been moved from their seats in the South Stand and other disgruntled parties will unleash their fury on Ratcliffe regardless. Although whatever the mediocrity of a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, that was not the prevailing mood among a crowd of 65,103 for the last pre-season game, many of them attracted by the discount tickets and not Old Trafford regulars. Sesko will surely have to be ready for the Arsenal game and United will need him to hit the ground running. Indeed, the same can be said for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the other two senior signings of the new quartet. Ratcliffe and Ineos have delivered the budget for a new attack. They opened the new £50m Carrington training ground on Friday, delivered on budget and on time. They have not solved every problem but, after a shaky 18 months, they have at least made a start. The Glazers had 20 years to rebuild Carrington, as it was overtaken in the 2000s by developments at Chelsea, and later Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. Ineos can say, at the very least, it has delivered swiftly on that promise. Ratcliffe's attendance or otherwise at the game always tends to be a late decision from the British billionaire, thus there is no guarantee he will be in his seat on Sunday. He may feel that his response thus far this summer to those who might question the commitment has already been made. There will be those fans who will be steadfast in their belief that Ratcliffe had to remove the Glazers entirely to gain their full support. But there will be many in the crowd who will see that some serious investment has been made. Come Sunday against Arsenal, Amorim's players will need to demonstrate that they have come together effectively over a full week of training. Sesko, once Mikel Arteta's preferred choice to be his No 9, will surely start. Amorim began this game with Mason Mount as a false nine between Mbeumo and Cunha. Once again he overlooked Rasmus Hojlund, the attacking signing of two years ago, and later did not even seem to consider him an option in his analysis of the game. 'We struggle without a reference as a striker,' Amorim said. 'We have a new player [Sesko] so we will see.' There was, once again, a strong corporate feel to the afternoon. The front-of-shirt sponsor Snapdragon had provided a trophy for the day so, as well as the corporate guests taking penalties at half-time, they also demanded the players do so after the game finished 1-1. United had conceded a soft goal early on, scored by the Swiss midfielder Simon Sohm. The equaliser was an own goal from the German Robin Gosens. For much of the afternoon, Mbeumo looked United's best player. His left-footed crosses from the right are delivered with dip and pace. That said, it would be hard to argue that there was much cohesiveness about United. They continue to look vulnerable in defence and one assumes that, if Casemiro starts against Arsenal, he will struggle against their midfield. United did at least convert all their penalties, with substitute Kobbie Mainoo scoring the fifth after Fabiano Parisi had his saved. Amorim has a clear week of training left and says that he has still not decided on his team for the Arsenal game. Although it is hard to imagine one that does not feature Sesko, Mbeumo and Cunha – with the hope that they can carry whatever goodwill there is for as long as possible.
Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The Bank of England has left Britain open to speculative attack
On Thursday, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) lowered the UK's main benchmark interest rate from 4.25pc to 4pc. This headline borrowing cost has now been cut five times since last August, falling incrementally from its post-Covid peak of 5.25pc. Had I been one of the nine MPC members, I'd have voted to hold the Bank's interest rate where it was. This cut was a significant error, further damaging the UK's policymaking credibility. I fear it will come back to bite us. Yes, the decision was close – the committee was split five-to-four. With the economy stalled, political and media pressure to try boosting growth via cheaper borrowing was intense. Kudos to MPC members who held firm. But this rate cut was so off-beam, so difficult to justify, that the strong impression has been created, again, that the MPC as a whole, far from being a highly-expert body collectively committed to keeping inflation as close to the 2pc target as possible, is dominated by careerist operatives ultimately serving their political masters. After the Covid pandemic, the MPC made countless errors throughout 2021, waiting far too long to raise rates, oblivious to looming price pressures. Inflation subsequently hit a 30-year high, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with related energy-price fall-out then pushing prices even higher. UK inflation, again, is high and is rising. The consumer price index (CPI) increased 3.6pc during the year to June, up from 3.4pc the previous month. Headline CPI inflation has been consistently way above 2pc since last October – and shows no sign of falling soon. The National Institute for Economic and Social Research reckons inflation will rise even more over the coming months, remaining well above 2pc throughout 2026 – driven by food, utility and transport prices. Even the Bank of England just upped its forecast, saying CPI growth will hit 4pc this autumn. Yet the MPC cut rates regardless. So why can't I find a single compelling reason in the minutes of the MPC's latest deliberations why the majority of members think price pressure will ease anytime soon, let alone fast enough to justify dropping rates, when headline inflation, on the Bank's own figures, it's about to be double the official target. Wage growth remains elevated at 5pc-plus, which will keep driving inflation. Trade tensions and other global supply chain issues pose further upside risks. Stand-offs in the Middle East and Russia/Ukraine remain highly unpredictable. We could yet endure spikes in the price of oil, gas, grain and/or fertiliser, the soaring costs of which saw inflation peak at over 11pc in the autumn of 2022. Yes, the UK economy is slowing – but the traditional view that MPC rate cuts energize household spending via lower mortgage rates is outdated. Depleted home-ownership among young adults means just a third of households have a mortgage these days – and around 90pc of those are on fixed rates. Any immediate consumption boost will be marginal. Anyway, the MPC's job is to focus on inflation. There is no 'dual mandate' to target both prices and output, as at the US Federal Reserve. That's because the pound, unlike the dollar, isn't the world's reserve currency. Since mid-June, in fact, as data showing GDP contractions in both April and May has emerged, sterling has dropped around 1.5pc against the dollar and 2.5pc against the euro. Thursday's rate cut could soon weaken the pound more, pushing up inflation via higher import prices – an ongoing danger in the UK, now a heavy net-importer of both energy and food. Following the MPC's announcement last week, the Labour party put a graph on social media showing incremental rises in the Bank of England's policy rate during 2022 and into 2023 'under the Tories', compared to five rate cuts 'with Labour' since the party took office in July 2024. 'Speaks for itself' was the headline. It certainly does – illustrating a woeful lack of judgement regarding economic policymaking. The Bank of England is supposed to be independent – and at a time when the UK's monetary policy regime is under extreme scrutiny, with financial markets already furrowing their collective brow as to why the central bank of a nation with easily the highest inflation in the G7 is cutting rates, it is deeply damaging for the Government to then claim credit for the Bank's rate cuts. On top of that, a major reason inflation remains high is the Government's own policies. Labour's higher employer national insurance contributions and above-inflation minimum wage increases have sent business costs soaring – which are being largely passed on to consumers. Far from borrowing costs coming down under Labour, as the party claims on social media, the interest rates that really count – those dictated by financial markets – have been moving entirely in the opposite direction. The UK's 30-year gilt yield was 5.32pc on Tuesday, prior to the MPC's announcement. At the time of writing, it is 5.43pc – significantly higher, despite the Bank's cut. Since last July, Government borrowing costs have gone through the roof, even though the Bank's 'policy' rate has been moved entirely in the opposite direction – a sign of growing financial instability. So the MPC's unjustified rate cut, far from lowering economy-wide borrowing costs, has pushed them up further, as financial markets sense panic amongst policymakers and dismiss official claims inflation will soon be subdued. Over the coming months, as Labour's fiscal management falls to pieces, with spending and borrowing spinning even further out of control, yields will almost certainly rise even more. And as these market rates and the Bank's policy rate continue to move against each other, the gap between them getting wider, that signals trouble, making our sovereign debt and currency more vulnerable to speculative attack.
