Ismael unsure on future of Blackburn quartet
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The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Theft-hit Tesco store locks beer and wine behind the tills to counter ‘rife' shoplifting
A THEFT-hit Tesco Express has put all beer and wine behind the tills. Shoppers must now request all booze, which is locked away with spirits and cigarettes. 2 The move — thought to be a first for a major chain — was brought in to counter 'rife' shoplifting at the store in Brighton. The city council initially tried to stop it selling any alcohol due to crime. But it relented when told that Tesco would take extra security measures. A cashier said: 'Too many people were stealing. It's bad here.' We told last year how some Tesco branches kept doors locked until staff had checked shoppers outside on CCTV. Figures show 516,971 reported shop thefts last year, around one a minute. But the real total is said to be much higher. Tesco has been invited to comment. 2 How business owners are cracking down on shoplifting
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
What is causing the UK jobs gloom and how will voters respond?
Inflation will soon tick up again thanks to rising food and energy prices, some 'domestically generated' pressure in the service sector, and pay settlements. On the other hand, the labour market is showing signs of weakening, with fewer people in work and vacancies down – though unemployment is steady, at 4.7 per cent. We also know that the public finances are under pressure as we approach the Budget. Still, it's not all bad news… Why is the jobs market weakening? It is especially weak in more labour -intensive areas where the effects of the hike in employers' national insurance contributions and the higher minimum wage are being most keenly felt: pubs, restaurants, leisure and hotels. Smaller and medium-sized businesses are nervous about investing while larger players have been badly affected by Trump tariffs and a generally more unsettled world. Global pressure on costs has also stopped the Bank of England cutting interest rates as quickly as once hoped. Behind all this is the more fundamental fact that the UK economy is still stuck in a post-Brexit, low-investment rut. It cannot grow rapidly enough to sustainably satisfy popular demands for improved living standards and better public services without higher taxes. Despite current trends, Britain didn't have either the quality or quantity of workers in the right places. These stubborn shortages push wages up and thus help to keep inflation high. This all means that wages, and demand in the economy generally, need to be suppressed to get inflation back to the two per cent target, even by 2027. In effect, taxes and interest rates have to be high enough to bear down on wage growth, given that there'll be no influx of immigrants to plug the gaps. Not if you're looking for work, but if it shows inflation is coming down then that would be encouraging for the longer term. Is it all down to Brexit? Of course not, but, as in so many ways, it doesn't help being cut off from a ready and flexible supply of variously skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour, sensitive to movements in the labour market and without a clunky visa bureaucracy. Why else are the jobs drying up? Well, those employer NICs didn't help; and neither did the long-term British failure to train its workers. Looking forward, the pressures in the UK's economy will grow with an ageing population and unfavourable dependency ratio – fewer workers paying for the state pensions and care of the older generations. Thus in, say, 1971 only about one in eight of the population was over 65 – about 7.5 million. By 2022, even with a rising overall population, the over-65s comprised 27 per cent of the population, at around 22 million. So we now have fewer workers and more dependents – an even bigger problem if productivity isn't accelerating. What could save us? We could be rescued if cheap artificial intelligence and robotics live up to the hype; they could be transformative. And rejoining the EU would also help. What are the politics of this? Tricky. Britain's recent appetite for cakeism makes it hard for voters to face up to hard choices driven by iron factors such as population movement. Indeed, the distaste for immigration makes the economics of an ageing nation even harder to manage. Assuming the population continues to age, there is a certain built-in trade towards increased support for Reform UK and the Conservatives, at the expense of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Greens. Introducing votes for the (relatively few) 16- and 17-year-olds won't make much difference to this. In such a dynamic, things such as the 'triple lock' on the state pension and paying for social care tend to work in favour of the older cohorts, at the expense of housing and education. Much depends on whether the traditional rule that people tend to drift to the right in their politics as they age will still hold; some have suggested that this behaviour might have weakened. And at any time, an inspirational leader on the centre-left could make old folk vote Labour again.
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Liam Livingstone inspires Birmingham Phoenix to victory over Oval Invincibles
Liam Livingstone was at his buccaneering best as Birmingham Phoenix claimed their first win of The Hundred this year, overcoming defending champions Oval Invincibles by four wickets. Dropped from England's white-ball sides this year, Livingstone delivered a reminder of his enduring class with 69 not out off 27 balls at Edgbaston, including an astonishing takedown of Rashid Khan. Livingstone thumped 26, including three of his five sixes, in Khan's final set, with the vaunted Afghanistan leg-spinner's nought for 59 the worst figures ever recorded in the men's competition. Saqib Mahmood took two wickets in two balls to set up a grandstand finale, but Benny Howell drove for four first up to settle a high-scoring thriller as a pursuit of 181 was reeled in with two deliveries to spare. As well as a special innings from captain Livingstone, Birmingham, who started their campaign by losing to Trent Rockets and Southern Brave, were grateful for 51 from Will Smeed, although England pair Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell were dismissed for single figures as their quiet tournaments continued. The Invincibles, who lost for the first time this year after two successive wins, recovered from 114 for five from 73 balls to get to 180 for eight thanks to Donovan Ferreira's 63 off 29 deliveries. Earlier, Alice Capsey rediscovered some fluency on the big stage as the Invincibles posted their highest women's total en route to their first win of 2025 after downing the Phoenix by 22 runs. Former Australia captain Meg Lanning swiped 36 off 19 balls in a 76-run opening stand with Invincibles skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill (33), laying the foundations for Capsey to capitalise on the fine start. She has struggled for England in the past 12 months, but the 21-year-old's 52 off 29 deliveries was an uplifting return to form in the tournament where she first made a name for herself, aged 16, in 2021. Paige Scholfield added 25 not out off 16 balls as the Invincibles, who began their campaign with losses to London Spirit and Manchester Originals, reached 174 for five, the third best women's score ever. Amanda-Jade Wellington, out for a golden duck, took centre stage in the reply, following up a juggling catch to dismiss Georgia Voll (22) with a no-look underarm back flick to run out Emma Lamb (25). In between the Australian's leg spin did for Marie Kelly and Ellyse Perry, who was looking dangerous on 29 before feathering behind, as the Phoenix charge finished on 152 for six.
