'Times have changed, you should try and get out more'
Women just as likely to have torn jeans, tattoos and swear
SCOTT Marmion in his letter to The Press regarding the Supreme Court's decision on the definition of a woman states that a woman is someone that anyone in the street could tell in seconds flat.
Perhaps that was the case years ago when woman were more likely to wear flowery dresses, white stiletto heels, and drink Babycham.
Now they're just as likely to have torn jeans, arms covered in tattoos, drink pints and swear like troopers.
Times have changed Scott, you should try and get out a bit more often.
D M Deamer,
Penleys Grove Street,
Monkgate,
York
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Congratulations to Children's Services in York
AT a time of such much negative news about the work that councils do it was brilliant to read about the recent Outstanding Ofsted judgement for the City of York Children's Services Department.
The transformation since the change of leadership at staff and political level is very impressive, in particular the proactive approach to recruiting a full team of permanent social workers has been crucial to this progress.
There are many who are sadly cynical about the difference politicians can make to the lives of people but here we have a clear example that proves the cynic wrong. Congratulations to the staff team and Councillor Webb in leading this work. York's vulnerable children are very grateful.---
Why Conclave should choose a younger Pope
WITH the really sad news of the death of Pope Francis, obviously a conclave will have to be convened to elect the next Pope.
It would be quite nice to see a younger person in the role.
I'm not talking about a half-witted teenager but someone, say in their late thirties or early forties.
But also someone who is worldly wise with a bit of nous.
This would give this person ample time to achieve something, (dare I say it - miraculous) in the religious world and in the actual world.
Something worthwhile.---
Another great week for Labour
WHAT another great week for Labour and the Change they promised Britain.
First, we saw £200m invested to recruit 3,000 neighbourhood police and PCSOs in the next year which will put 13,000 bobbies back on the beat.
Second, £38 million was provided to roll out 319 new zero emission buses across England.
Third, we had the announcement that a new world class Universal theme park is coming to Bedford. Thus boosting our economy by an estimated £50 billion and creating 28,000 jobs.
Fourth, Labour backed the British car industry in the face of global economic headwinds. This was on top of the £2.3bn to boost car manufacturing recently.
Fifth, it was confirmed that 1,503 GPs have been recruited since October 1.
Sixth, we saw Labour publicly back the South Yorkshire Mayor's plan to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Seventh, we had the announcement that more than 100,000 extra patients have been treated on time, 80,000 more people have had cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days, and that NHS waiting lists have fallen for six months in a row.
And eighth, not only did our Labour Government host the second meeting of the Steel Council with a commitment to British steelmaking including energy cost relief for businesses expected to be worth over £300m in 2025 but we also saw the government pass emergency legislation to give the Business Secretary the power and control necessary to do everything possible to protect the steel industry and steel jobs.
Promises made by Labour and yet again promises kept.
---
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Washington's Supreme Court slashes public defender caseload limits
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'The crisis in the provision of indigent criminal defense services throughout our state requires action now,' Stephens wrote for the majority. Monday's decision is a potential game-changer in the state's effort to shore up a beleaguered public defense system that struggles to provide timely, equitable and effective counsel. 'It's a bold move. I didn't expect justices to go this far,' said Larry Jefferson, director of the state's Office of Public Defense. Jefferson warned justices 18 months ago the system was on the 'verge of collapse' as cases piled up, trials backed up and over-stressed attorneys retired or resigned to work in higher-paying, less stressful jobs. He appealed to the justices for help. 'This is one of the first times that public defenders have been listened to,' Jefferson said. Some counties have had to release those accused of crimes due to the lack of available defense counsel. 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'The demand for that power is expected to at least double by 2050. That's why we need all the clean, home-grown sources that we can to meet the demands we face. New nuclear is a crucial source of firm, baseload power.' The money is in addition to the £3.6bn pledged by the previous Conservative government. It means Sizewell C is to receive a total of £17.8bn in public money between 2022 and 2029, with more to follow. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor is set to confirm the funding at the GMB Congress later on Tuesday ahead of the Government's spending review. Ms Reeves is to hand out £300bn more in public spending than was proposed by the Tories, following a record £40bn tax raid last year. The NHS is expected to receive an additional £30bn, meaning it will be among the biggest winners. An extra £113bn is also earmarked for infrastructure projects. However, day-to-day spending will be squeezed, with a real terms rise of 1.2pc in the next three years – down from 2.5pc in the last two years. 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Nuclear power is seen as increasingly vital to protect Britain's power grids after the shutdowns of all its coal-fired power stations and the looming closures of many of the nation's 35 or so large gas-fired power stations. Such traditional 'thermal' power stations generate electricity by making steam that spins turbines. The rotating masses of metal are vital to stabilise the voltage and frequency of the power supplied to the grid – which is highly sensitive to even tiny fluctuations. In the UK, however, nuclear has always proved to be far more expensive than other sources of electricity. This is why, despite the UK opening the world's first commercial nuclear power station in the 1950s, no new nuclear plant has opened in the UK since 1995, with all of the existing fleet except Sizewell B likely to be phased out by the early 2030s. Energy analyst Kathryn Porter warned the UK was committing itself to an outdated and expensive reactor design at Sizewell C. She said: 'It's hard to imagine a 'golden age' of nuclear power with EDF's outdated and troubled reactor design. EDF in France is already looking to the next generation – building another of these older versions is a retrograde step. 'It's also highly unlikely that Sizewell C would be built faster than Hinkley given the lengthening of supply chains.' The costs for Hinkley Point C, under construction in Somerset, have risen from around £20bn to at least £42bn with some experts warning the final bill will come close to £50bn when it starts operating around 2031. Such unpredictable construction costs have made it difficult for the Government to find any companies willing to invest in Sizewell C. EDF, the French state energy company which is building Hinkley, has progressively reduced its stake in Sizewell C leaving the Government holding 84pc. Officials have been seeking foreign state investment including from the United Arab Emirates. Mr Miliband still refuses to divulge the estimated final cost of Sizewell C and negotiations with prospective partners are thought to still be under way. The best estimates to date suggest the power station will cost about £40bn. The money will come initially from the Treasury but it and other investors will recover the construction costs via a new levy, known as the Regulated Asset Base, to be added to consumer and business energy bills. The Government has claimed that this will initially cost only £12 per household per year, but experts say this would raise far less than needed – so the amounts are likely to increase, driving up energy bills. Andrew Bowie, Conservative shadow energy spokesman, said nuclear power offered a reliable and continuous source of electricity essential to balance the intermittency of renewables like wind and solar. 'We need to move to a lower-carbon electricity system that includes wind and solar. 'But we do not have the electricity storage capacity needed for times when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. Nuclear will give us reliable baseload electricity to stabilise the system.' Richard Tice, Reform's energy spokesman, was also broadly supportive but criticised Mr Miliband for delays around commissioning SMRs as well. 'We need to accelerate our nuclear plans, but why is the Government being so slow to progress cheaper SMRs that can be delivered faster?' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
