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BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
David Lammy holds Gibraltar talks ahead of potential EU deal
The foreign secretary has visited Gibraltar for talks ahead of a potential post-Brexit deal for the Lammy and Europe Minister Stephen Doughty met Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo and his cabinet on Wednesday, and the three are now heading to Brussels for discussions with EU and Spanish on rules governing the border of Spain and Gibraltar have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020, but an agreement has not yet been reached.A Foreign Office source said that a deal was not yet finalised and that a number of sticking points remained. Writing on X, Picardo said it was "time to try to finalise arrangements for lasting, stable relationship between Gibraltar and the EU/Spain which is safe, secure and beneficial".Announcing the new UK-EU deal last month, Sir Keir Starmer and EU Council President António Costa said that the two were "not very far" from concluding a separate deal on which is a British Overseas Territory, is a 2.6 square mile headland to the south of UK has had sovereignty over Gibraltar since 1713, although this is disputed by Spain, who claim the territory as their territory's status and that of its border with Spain has been a key sticking point and has remained unresolved since estimated 15,000 people cross the Gibraltar-Spain border every day for work and leisure. Currently, Gibraltar residents can cross using residence cards without needing to have their passports stamped. Spanish citizens can cross using a government ID there were concerns this would end with the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit system later this year, causing huge delays at the border. Last month's deal UK-EU deal included confirmation there will be no legal barriers to UK citizens using e-gates, which should mean there won't be a return to passport a separate Gibraltar deal could reportedly make the territory an associate member of the Schengen zone, allowing people to cross freely and see physical border infrastructure opinion in Gibraltar, which has a population of 32,000 according to its government, is in favour of keeping British sovereignty. The most recent referendum, held in 2002, saw almost 99% of voters reject a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Over-60s free travel costs taxpayers £100 MILLION more than fare dodgers
Free public transport for older Londoners is costing taxpayers around £500 million a year - £100 million more than fare dodgers. More than 1.5 million people aged 60 and above currently travel for free on London 's buses, Tubes, trains and trams thanks to two schemes: the 60+ Oyster Card for those aged 60 to 65, and the Freedom pass for those 66 and over. But with costs rapidly rising and many users still working, critics say the benefit is becoming 'difficult' to justify. Transport for London (TFL) is predicated to spend a staggering £135 million on the 60+ Oyster Card alone this year, up from £60 million in 2016 - and the figure is expected to hit £185 million by 2027. Meanwhile, the Freedom Pass costs London's boroughs another £350 million annually and could reach nearly £500 million by the end of the decade, as reported by The Telegraph. The hefty price tag has now sparked debate about whether these schemes are still fair - or sustainable. According to TfL, 60 per cent of those using the 60+ Oyster Card are still in work, and 20 per cent use it to commute. On average, Londoners aged 60 to 64 earn about £42,000 a year - nearly double the income of workers in their early twenties. Critics say this shows the benefit is going to people who don't necessarily need it. Reem Ibrahim, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'It is difficult to justify a system where the wealthiest age group in the country is having their travel funded by taxpayers. We urgently need a targeted approach.' Liz Emerson, chief executive of the research charity International Foundation, called it a 'perfect example of intergenerational unfairness,' with younger workers essentially footing the bill for their older colleagues' commutes. The Freedom Pass scheme is managed by the London boroughs, most of which raised council tax by the maximum 5 per cent this year. The body that it on behalf of the boroughs has warned the the scheme will soon become 'unsustainable.' The 60+ Oyster Card was introduced by then-Mayor Boris Johnson in 2012, and is funded through council tax and the congestion charge. Once users celebrate their 66th birthday, they automatically move onto the Freedom Pass - unless they have a disability, in which case they may qualify earlier. During the pandemic, Mayor Sadiq Khan paused the use of these passes before 9am to save money - a move that generated an extra £15 million in fares. However, he rejected a proposal to gradually raise the age limit for the 60+ card in line with the state pension age. A TfL spokesperson told the Telegraph: 'Both the Mayor and TfL are committed to making public transport in London as accessible, convenient, and affordable as possible. 'We regularly review our range of concessions to ensure that they continue to benefit Londoners, while also remaining affordable for TfL to operate.' It comes as a report released last Wednesday found fare evasion is becoming 'normalised', with train staff telling the inquiry that they are struggling to cope with 'aggressive' passengers who refuse to buy tickets. Travellers are using 'a range of techniques to persistently' underpay or avoid paying and see it as a 'victimless crime ', according to the Office of Road and Rail (ORR). It found fare evasion is a mounting problem now costing taxpayers £400million a year which is resulting in higher fares and less investment cash to improve services.
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mother says Southport project a thank you to ‘community that saved us'
The mother of one of three young girls murdered in Southport hopes a renovation project in the town will serve as a thank you to the 'community that saved us'. Jenni Stancombe, the mother of Elsie Dot Stancombe who was killed alongside Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, was speaking after the Government pledged £5 million for the work at Town Hall gardens. The work will also be funded by £2.5 million each from Sefton Council and the Liverpool City Region, bringing the total investment to £10 million. She told the BBC: 'We hope for Southport, us enabling this will help us to say thank you. Thank you to a community that stood by our side. Thank you to a community that wants to continue our legacy for our girls. Thank you to a community that saved us. 'And we hope we can create a beautiful space that the community can be absolutely part of building with us that will become renowned for how we've reacted to the events of last year.' Sefton Council said the regeneration will create a family-friendly and child-oriented space that will also host open-air performances. The families of the young girls said the project is 'a vision we have all shared for some time, which is rooted in love, resilience and unity'. Plans for the project have been drawn up by Elsie's uncle Chris Long, who said the gardens had become the focal point for the town's grief after the murders in July last year. 'The first point was to see if we could create a town square to enable people to interact and for children to be able to go there and feel safe,' he said. 'There's an element of memorial but it's a regeneration project for Southport and it's to reflect the community in Southport that has come together in solidarity.' Sir Keir Starmer thanked the families for their 'continuing courage and resilience' during a meeting with him and Angela Rayner at Number 10 on Tuesday afternoon. 'We sit here as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, we sit here as human beings with families of our own, and we sit here on behalf of millions of people who would love to see the plans and to say well done for bringing them forward and getting to this point,' he said. He also told them Ms Rayner will 'personally oversee' the implementation of the project. Elsie, Bebe and Alice were murdered by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport . He was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January.
