
Protests postponed after pharmacy funding boost
The government has agreed a new funding package with pharmacy negotiators in England, leading some pharmacies to call off protests that were planned for later this week.One group representing thousands of local pharmacies was preparing to take action involving cuts to opening hours from Tuesday, but they say that will be delayed while they consider the deal. Others have said the funding package is a "step in the right direction" but it still will not cover all cost increases pharmacies are facing, including a rise in National Insurance.Announcing the deal, ministers said they were working to turn around a "decade of underfunding and neglect".
Community pharmacies have been warning of closures and cutbacks in the face of what they say are unsustainable pressures.Among these are a rising workload, funding which has not kept pace with inflation and the prospect of higher employer National Insurance contributions. And all this as they are expected to help more patients with some conditions to take the pressure off GPs.Government funding for pharmacies in England stood at £2.6bn in 2019/20. But over the next few years that did not go up with inflation. In the current financial year (2024/25) it has been at £2.7bn. The government has now announced a new deal for pharmacies in England, which will see funding rise to £3.1bn next year (2025/26). The deal will also include more mental health support for patients and increased consultations and blood pressure checks. And the deal includes a plan – announced on Sunday – to enable women to get the morning-after pill for free from pharmacies.As part of the deal, the government will also write off £193 million of debt for community pharmacy owners.Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We're working to turn around a decade of underfunding and neglect that has left the sector on the brink of collapse."This package of record investment and reform is a vital first step to getting community pharmacies back on their feet and fit for the future."There was a cautious welcome from representatives of High Street chemists but warnings that the extra funding would not be enough to cover rising costs.Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said the government's announcement was a "welcome step in the right direction" but it "does not alleviate pressures and will not stop closures".Community pharmacies in England are "on life support", she said, adding the rise in National Insurance and business rates makes the situation "even more acute".Another community pharmacy group, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), had announced that protest action would begin on Tuesday.It had previously warned that pharmacists were facing a "financial cliff edge" from 1 April, when many of their costs are due to rise.The NPA advised about 6,000 members in England to start "working to rule" from this date. This was due to involve cutting opening hours to around 40 hours a week – the minimum required under their contracts – and would have meant possible weekend closures. But the organisation says that this will be delayed while it consults members on the new deal.NPA chair Nick Kaye said Monday's announcement was a "step forward". "However, the truth is that because of a decade of neglect it also falls a long way short of the NHS's own estimates of the true cost of providing pharmacy services," he added. The NPA is "ready to work with ministers to close the funding gap, reform the system and deliver the sustainable, stronger pharmacy service that millions of people need so much", he said.
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Reeves gambles on mega £300BN spending splurge including winter benefits & free school meals – but sparks tax hike fears
Ms Reeves pledged to end the use of expensive asylum hotels SHOW US THE MONEY Reeves gambles on mega £300BN spending splurge including winter benefits & free school meals – but sparks tax hike fears RACHEL Reeves today gambled on a £300billion spending spree in a do-or-die bid to drive growth - and revive her shaky Chancellorship. In a clear tack to the Left, she used her Spending Review to defend higher taxes and borrowing to fund the cash shower. Advertisement 2 Rachel Reeves unveiling her Spending Review in the Commons today 2 The Chancellor leaves No11 Downing Street Credit: PA Billions more have been poured into the defence and health budgets - with hundreds of millions also to tackle illegal migration. Ms Reeves pledged to end the use of expensive asylum hotels - that are costing taxpayers £4million a day - before the next election. But it risks infuriating voters who want to see action to stop using them now rather than in four years time. And critics have warned Ms Reeves mega spending blizzard will drive Britain even further into debt and raise the prospect of more tax hikes. Advertisement READ MORE ON POLITICS CHILD'S PLAY Free school meals for half a million for kids confirmed in spending review Laying out her package in the Commons, Ms Reeves said: 'My choices are different. My choices are Labour choices." The Spending Review includes: A pledge to end the use of migrant hotels by the next election Confirmation that nine million pensioners will get the winter fuel allowance this year Free school meals for half a million more children An extra £39billion over the next decade for social housing A £15billion boost to transport to "properly connect" Britain's towns and cities £22billion investment in research and development and £2billion in Artificial Intelligence A £30billion injection in clean energy including £14billion for nuclear energy A rise in departmental budgets by 2.3 per cent a year totalling £190billion more than the Tories The Defence budget hiked to 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027 The Chancellor was heckled by Tory MPs as she claimed to have turned around the economy 'after 14 years of mismanagement and decline'. Earlier Kemi Badenoch tore chunks out of Labour's record of raising taxes on business that have led to job losses. Advertisement Despite widespread fury from bosses, Ms Reeves defended her National Insurance raid as the reason she can splash the cash today. She is using increased taxes to splurge £190billion more than the Tories on day-to-day departmental spending. The Chancellor confirmed departmental budgets will rise by 2.3 per cent a year, slamming past Tory austerity as 'a destructive choice for our society and our economy.' She also doubled down on her decision last year to loosen her fiscal rules to hike borrowing by an extra £113billion to pay for shiny infrastructure projects. Advertisement Tory Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride blasted Ms Reeves spending review as a 'spend now, tax later' fantasy. He said Labour had 'completely lost control' and warned a 'cruel summer' of tax hikes speculation was coming. Her short Chancellorship has been blighted by the winter fuel debacle, fury over tax hikes, angry farmers and rows over welfare spending. A YouGov survey yesterday found just 12 per cent of voters think she is doing a good job. Advertisement Border farce One of her flagship promises was a commitment to scrap the use of hotels for asylum seekers within this Parliament. Slamming the system left behind by the Tories as 'broken,' she said it wasted billions and 'shunted the cost of failure onto local communities.' She confirmed new funding – including from the Transformation Fund – will be used to speed up asylum decisions, ramp up returns, and restore control at the border. An extra £280 million a year by the end of the Spending Review will also go to the new Border Security Command to 'support the integrity of our borders.' Advertisement The Chancellor added: "Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money [were] spent on housing asylum seekers in hotels. 'We won't let that stand.' The Chancellor also unveiled a major hike in defence spending today, raising it to 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027 — up from the previous 2.5 per cent pledge. Cash boosts She confirmed an £11bn boost for the Ministry of Defence and £600m for the UK's intelligence services, calling it essential in an 'age of insecurity.' Advertisement She said: "That investment will deliver not only security, but also renewal." Ms Reeves unveiled a £29bn-a-year increase for the NHS, with day-to-day spending rising by 3 per cent in real terms each year of the Spending Review. She said a strong economy depends on a strong NHS - 'not an insurance-based system,' but one 'free at the point of use.' While Health Secretary Wes Streeting had called for a 4 per cent rise, the Chancellor said 3 per cent was a 'record investment' that would still deliver real change. Advertisement She said: "The National Health Service: Created, by a Labour government. Protected, by a Labour government. And renewed, by this Labour government." She confirmed a £15bn package to 'properly connect' Britain's towns and cities The cash includes upgrades to buses in Rochdale, stations in Merseyside and Middlesbrough, and mass transit in West Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, Birmingham and Stockport. The Chancellor has pledged the "biggest rollout of nuclear power for half a century" - with a £30bn commitment to clean, homegrown energy. Advertisement And she announced £14bn for Sizewell C to power six million homes and create over 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships. Ms Reeves also pledged to deliver Labour's manifesto promise to upgrade millions of homes with energy efficiency improvements — saving families and pensioners up to £600 a year on their bills. 'Corbynist' Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride blasted Ms Reeves her for a 'humiliating U-turn' on winter fuel payments and accused her of paving the way for tax hikes. He mocked the absence of an Office for Budget Responsibility forecast, saying: 'The Chancellor must be delighted she does not have to face a new OBR forecast today, because if she did, she would have to set out how she will fund her humiliating U-turn on winter fuel payments.' Advertisement Sir Mel demanded clarity on tax, asking: 'Can she confirm categorically that there will be no additional borrowing to pay for this chaotic reversal? And if that is the case, how on earth can it be paid for without raising taxes?' He also pressed the Chancellor to guarantee that income tax thresholds won't be frozen at the next Budget — something she previously admitted would 'hurt working people.' And in a final swipe, he warned she may soon be forced to consult the 'Corbynist catalogue' of tax rises put forward by her party's left.


Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Price of a pint rises 15p major pub boss reveals due to Chancellor's tax hike
We reveal why prices have been hiked below Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE boss of a major pub chain has revealed it hiked the price of pints by 15p following a Government tax raid. The chief executive of Fuller's said the group upped the price of a pint of beer after being hit with £8million in extra costs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Simon Emeny has said it upped the price of a pint by 15p in March Credit: PA Simon Emeny, boss at Fuller, Smith and Turner, said the firm bumped up prices at the end of March ahead of an increase in employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage in April. Mr Emeny told the PA news agency that Fuller's had looked to be 'sensitive' with price increases and would keep them "under review" for the rest of the year. It comes after he exclusively told The Sun prices would likely rise by 10p to offset its added costs. The pub chain is one of a number who warned of price rises to tackle higher NICs and wage costs. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) recently said the average price of a pint of beer would surge past £5 for the first time because of cost hikes hitting the sector. The BBPA said the average cost of a pint in the UK is expected to rise by about 21p as a result. Emeny said the pub group could not offset the cost impact of the NIC and minimum wage hikes with just price increases. The group, which has about 5,500 staff, is doubling down on investment in its bars and staff training, to drive sales higher, which it hopes will counter the extra costs. 'Six months down the line and I don't think price increases are the only answer. It has to come through higher sales,' he said. But he said the consumer spending outlook would be sensitive to the interest rate outlook, and whether the Government moved to increase personal taxes. Britain's best beer ranked The comments came as Fuller's posted a 32% jump in underlying pre-tax profits to £27 million for the year to March 29. Like-for-like sales rose 5.2%, and the group said growth had continued into the first 10 weeks of the new financial year, albeit at a more muted rate of 4.2%. It also announced that its chairman of 18 years, Michael Turner, a member of one of the three founding families, will retire at the group's annual general meeting in July, after a 47-year career with the group. He will be replaced by Mr Emeny, who will become executive chairman, the first person to take the role who is not a member of the founding families. Fred Turner will be promoted from retail director to chief operating officer. A number of other founding family members remain on the board, including non-executive directors Sir James Fuller and Richard Fuller. On his final set of full-year figures for the group, the outgoing chairman said it had been an 'excellent' past year. Mr Turner added: 'This strong performance has been achieved despite the business operating in a challenging and, at times volatile, economic environment. 'The geopolitical situation has caused uncertainty in global markets and the decisions made by the Chancellor in her October budget hit the sector hard and reduced confidence in hospitality stocks.' An outspoken critic of the move to raise National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April, Mr Turner said: 'The changes to national insurance contributions took everyone by surprise and I fear it could be terminal for a number of smaller operators in our market." What are employer National Insurance contributions (NICs)? CONSUMER reporter Sam Walker tells you everything you need to know. Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are effectively a tax on businesses used to cover social security benefits like Universal Credit and the state pension. NICs are also paid by workers and the self-employed. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), NICs are the UK's second-biggest tax, expected to bring in around £170billion this financial year. Employers only pay NICs on workers' salaries from a certain threshold. This is currently £9,100 but will drop to £5,000 from April 6. Those of state pension age or older do not have to pay NICs, but employers with workers aged 66 or older have to pay NICs on their earnings. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories


Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
Spending Review 2025: what time is Reeves' announcement?
Big pledges on housing, healthcare, and transport are expected, but questions remain over where cuts may fall 🚆 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rachel Reeves unveils her 2025 spending review today, promising to prioritise 'working people' and drive Britain's economic renewal Big spending boosts are expected to include £30bn for the NHS, £4.5bn for schools, and £39bn for social housing Transport and energy upgrades should also feature heavily, including billions for public transport, nuclear power, and a £3 bus fare cap extension No tax hikes (on income tax, National Insurance, or VAT) are expected, but other departments may face cuts to balance the books Watch live around 12:30pm on Parliament TV, BBC News, Sky News or BBC Parliament Rachel Reeves will today (June 11) unveil her much-anticipated 2025 spending review, pledging to align government priorities with those of 'working people' and spearhead what she is calling 'Britain's renewal.' The Chancellor is expected to focus heavily on boosting core public services and infrastructure while juggling tough monetary constraints – all without raising income tax, National Insurance or VAT. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Reeves will outline day-to-day spending plans for the next three years and capital investment plans stretching into 2029. Here's what's expected to be announced, and how it might impact your money: (Photo: Peter Byrne -) | Getty Images Major spending increases Headline commitments expected to be or already announced include: £30 billion increase in NHS funding – a 2.8% real-terms rise, aimed at tackling record waiting lists and modernising healthcare. £4.5 billion extra for schools, enhancing classroom resources and teacher support. Defence spending rise to 2.5% of GDP, in line with NATO obligations and national security priorities. £39 billion over 10 years for affordable and social housing, nearly doubling annual housing investment to £4 billion by 2029/30. £15.6 billion for public transport in English city regions, supporting tram and bus upgrades outside the capital. £16.7 billion for nuclear energy, most of it going to build the new Sizewell C power plant in Suffolk. £445 million for Welsh rail upgrades, and an extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027. One of the notable omissions in the spending review is the lack of major infrastructure funding for London, and no sign of a tourist levy – a key request from Mayor Sadiq Khan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While the Government promises reform of the Treasury's 'green book' rules – which decide how investment is distributed – the shift is designed to favour regions outside London and the South East. Will there be tax hikes? Despite the expanded spending commitments, Reeves has repeatedly stressed that Labour's 'fiscal rules' remain in place, and that there will be no increases to income tax, National Insurance, or VAT – raising the question of where future savings or revenues will come from. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that real-terms increases to the NHS above 2.5% may mean squeezes elsewhere – particularly for departments like local government, justice, and the Home Office. Although some departments, such as policing, may receive inflation-beating settlements, others are likely to face tightening belts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Additionally, the Government's recent U-turn on winter fuel payments – now extended to pensioners earning up to £35,000 – adds around £1.25 billion to public spending, reducing Reeves' fiscal headroom even further. What it means for you Better public services, particularly in health and education, may mean improvements in access and quality – though not immediately. More affordable housing could ease rental pressure and improve supply, especially for lower-income households. The extended bus fare cap and transport upgrades could mean cheaper and more reliable travel, particularly in city regions outside London. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad No major tax rises (yet) will be a relief for household budgets, though future tax tweaks or spending cuts in other areas remain a possibility. What time is the Spending Review? The Chancellor's speech is expected around 12:30 pm BST, shortly after Prime Minister's Questions, which start at noon in the House of Commons. Major broadcasters, including BBC News and Sky News, will carry live coverage. Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? 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