UK retailers welcome two billion pound funding for police
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined a more than two billion pound increase in police spending as part of the government's latest two trillion pound Spending Review. Reeves outlined the plans during a speech on June 11, in which she said the funding reflected a 2.3 percent per year increase in police spending power 'to protect our people, our homes and our streets'.
The funding also backs the government's 'Plan for Change' initiative, which aims to put 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles within England and Wales.
The uptick in financing was welcomed by director of business and regulation at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Tom Ironside, who noted that the organisation supported the plans outlined by Reeves, particularly 'with the huge rise in retail theft and the continued impact of violence and abuse on retail colleagues".
Ironside did call on the chancellor, however, to funnel additional policing resources into directly addressing these issues, 'with over 2,000 incidents every day, and shoplifting, which costs retailers and their customers over four billion pounds a year'.
Elsewhere, Ironside said the BRC further welcomed Reeves' plans to increase funding for skills and training, given that retail was 'one of the biggest spenders on upskilling its workforce'. He added that the organisation looks forward to seeing more detail on the planned Skills & Growth Levy.
Reeves announced a 1.2 billion pound 'record investment' for skills a year, which she said would support 'over a million young people into training and apprenticeships'. 'We've seen growing businesses eager to recruit, look elsewhere. Potential wasted and enterprise frustrated,' she added.
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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises to 'change the future' in Wales visit
Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises to 'change the future' in Wales visit Ms Reeves was visiting Wales in the wake of her decision to allocate Wales £445m for rail projects in her multi-year spending review this week Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits Taffs Well Metro/ Train depot (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Rachel Reeves has defended her government's spending decisions and funding for Welsh rail projects, saying that her government "can change the future" of Welsh rail. The chancellor spoke to WalesOnline as she visited Taffs Well rail depot following her announcement of £445m of funding for Welsh rail projects in Wednesday's spending review. The money will fund a series of much-needed rail projects in Wales, including five more mainline train stations to give tens of thousands of people an alternative to travelling by car. But experts have described the funding as "underwhelming" and have raised concerns that it is not enough to address the historic underfunding, which Ms Reeves herself has recognised. We asked the chancellor, with Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens alongside her, about why that figure was just £445m, whether Wales was being treated unfairly, why she hadn't committed to any of long-term projects and the all-important Railways Bill which is due before Parliament later this year. WalesOnline has been campaigning to end the historic underfunding of the rail network in Wales, which has seen the nation consistently given far less funding per resident for rail infrastructure for generations when compared to England. Article continues below (Image: Marc White / WalesOnline ) Before our interview, Ms Reeves was taken on a tour of the £100m Transport for Wales depot in Taffs Well, just outside Cardiff. While she may be one of the most powerful people in UK politics, she still had to wear an orange high-vis and hard hat along with safety shoes and goggles as she had a look around. She got a first-hand look at the brand-new electric tram-trains which are undergoing testing before they are eventually rolled out on the Core Valleys lines. Ms Reeves sat in the driver's seat of one of the new trains - with Ms Stevens at her side, as she fiddled with the buttons. Ms Reeves asked what new trains actually do and listens as she is told that as well as creating jobs, it is hoped that the new tram-trains will mean quicker and more frequent journeys for those in the south Wales valleys. She also met with apprentices on their last day before they qualify and joked that it's good that if something happens on the trains they use to commute, they can help to fix them, although she is sure "nothing will go wrong". Rachel Reeves with Jo Stevens , Secretary of State for Wales (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The £445m announced in the spending review is made up of £300m to start work on several projects including five new stations around Cardiff and Newport, and a series of improvement works including at Cardiff West junction measures to improve capacity in north Wales at Padeswood Sidings. Another £48m is going to the Welsh Government to spend on the Core Valleys Lines. And a further £97m will be allocated to develop projects over ten years. When pushed on whether there was more to be done to address the historic underfunding of Welsh rail compared with the rest of the UK, Ms Reeves simply said: "We can't change the past but we can change the future." She added that the funding that Wales has seen so far is a "far cry from what we had when we had a Conservative Government in the UK that wasn't prioritising Wales, wasn't standing up for Wales and wasn't working with the Labour Government here in Wales." Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits the Transport for Wales depot in Taffs Well (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) She defended her government and its spending, saying it was delivering "record" funding for Wales. Ms Stevens also quickly jumped in to describe the effect that the nearly half a billion pounds investment is set to have as "transformational". Here is the interview with Rachel Reeves in full: Rachel Reeves defended her government's spending and said that they "can change the future" of Welsh rail. (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Q: I imagine you're here today after the spending review and the announcement of £445 million going towards Welsh rail. Is there a reason why that figure is just £445 million and can you give any more detail on what that's going to be spent on? RR: Yes, I'm in Wales today after a significant investment into Wales at the Spending Review - a Labour government in the UK working with a Labour Government here in Wales to deliver on the people's priorities. The money, the £445 million, a big investment in railways in Wales, will improve the Core Valleys line, deliver those five Burns stations from the Burns review in full and make improvements with the Cardiff West Junction and Padeswood sidings as well as the level crossing improvements in North Wales to increase the frequency of the trains, to reduce the journey times and to invest in better infrastructure for the people of Wales. Rachel Reeves and Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Q: On that figure, experts have said that perhaps double that would be needed to catch up with the historic injustice that I think you've recognised in terms of Welsh rail. So do you think this number provides the opportunity for Wales to be treated fairly or is there still, as experts are saying, a long way to go to ensure that Welsh rail catches up with the rest of the UK? RR: We can't change the past but we can change the future. Labour has not been in government in the UK for 14 years but in our first budget, and now in our first multi-year spending review, we're putting significant investment into Wales - the record and biggest settlement since devolution for the Welsh government, the investment in rail but also the £118m investment in coal tip safety, which is what the Welsh government asked for - we as a UK Labour government are delivering that. As a result of the devolution settlement we made last year for the Welsh Government, we've also seen NHS waiting lists fall for four months in a row. That's a far cry from what we had when we had a Conservative Government in the UK that wasn't prioritising Wales, wasn't standing up for Wales and wasn't working with the Labour Government here in Wales. The Treasury is providing £300m for five new stations around Cardiff and Newport between 2026 and 2030, and a series of improvement works including measures to improve capacity in north Wales. Another £48m is going on the South Wales Metro. Welsh Transport Secretary Ken Skates has said that almost £100m will be allocated to develop projects over ten years. Q: There's been long-term, multi-billion-pound investments announced for the north of England. Is there a reason why there's maybe less of a commitment for Welsh rail projects? RR: We only came into office last year and in our first budget we provided a record settlement for Wales and we have then followed that up with an even bigger settlement in the multi-year spending review and on top of that direct investment here in Wales both in rail and in coal tip safety. We are working closely with Jo and the team at the Welsh office and are also working closely with the Welsh Government in Cardiff. We're delivering on the priorities of the people in Wales with this substantial investment which is going to improve journey times, with more reliable services and a big boost for people wanting to access good jobs, paying decent wages at the investment zones and in the major cities. WalesOnline's campaign for fair funding For generations, Wales' rail network has been starved of investment. We've been left with a rail network that is outdated and not fit for the nation's needs. There is no good reason why more money should be spent per resident in England on rail infrastructure than in Wales. We have far less electrified track than England and fewer modern services. We've been campaigning since the start of the year to raise awareness of the two massive opportunities Keir Starmer's government has this year to act. We wanted to put pressure on politicians to do something about it. You can help put pressure on him to do use this historic opportunity by signing WalesOnline's petition on the UK government website calling for fair rail funding for Wales. Very simply, we want people in England and Wales to be treated the same when it comes to rail. We've now had the results of the first of those two massive opportunities. Thanks to the pressure from the Welsh Government, Welsh Labour MPs, opposition parties and ourselves, Rachel Reeves has promised Wales nearly half a billion pounds for rail. There are arguments over whether this in itself is enough, what it will be spent on and what time period it is being spent over. But it is undeniably good news that work can start on some much needed projects. These include five new train stations on the south Wales mainline. Later on in the year, Mr Starmer's government is planning a major bit of rail legislation that will be a once-in-a-generation chance to put in place a mechanism to guarantee fairness in perpetuity. Read more about this here. There are arguments about how this should be done but widespread agreement that things must change. One academic told WalesOnline the Wales always comes at the bottom of the pile and will continue to unless there is full devolution. Another told us there was no appetite in either Cardiff Bay or Westminster for devolution and this lack of ambition was repeating the biggest mistake the Welsh Government had ever made. There are fears that unless there is full devolution, Wales will suffer every time the UK government cuts spending but protects major projects in England, as is happening right now. However the Welsh Government believes fair funding can be delivered without full devolution, which is does not want. And the head of a passenger body told us he didn't care who got the money as long as they did a good job with it, adding more cash could make a huge difference. Article continues below JS: It's going to be transformational. You're talking about nearly half a billion pounds being invested with most of it over the space of three to four years. We'll be going as fast as we can to deliver these projects in a way that will transform people's lives. They will see change on their doorstep just like here in Taffs Well people are seeing change from the investment into the core Valleys lines and investment into new trains. We're going to get people around Wales quicker, more often. Going into new jobs, meeting friends and family, our tourism destinations, this is going to make such a difference. Q: In terms of the Railways Bill coming later this year, what would you like see in that to ensure Wales gets the investment it needs, going forward? JS: Well the Chancellor has just announced a significant historic investment this week. Part of that money will be going on to developing further projects after the period of the spending review so that tells you about our commitment to Wales. As I say, we're delivering as quickly as we can, as fast as we can, as widespread as we can and people can look forward to seeing the benefits of a Labour government in Westminster working with the Welsh Labour government to make those infrastructure changes in Wales. We've had very little for the last 14 years, this week we started to make a difference.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major change to ID rules on cigarettes & vapes sparks fears hundreds of shops across UK will be forced to close
The retailers have written to Business Secretary demanding more support for independent stores UP IN SMOKE Major change to ID rules on cigarettes & vapes sparks fears hundreds of shops across UK will be forced to close HUNDREDS of retailers fear they could go out of business over enforcing age bans on smoking and vape sales. Campaigning shopkeeper Paul Cheema says new laws could be the "final straw" as they deal with aggressive customers when asked for identification. Advertisement 5 Disposable vaping devices are seen for sale in a shop on May 30, 2023 in Manchester, England Credit: Getty 5 Campaigning shopkeeper Paul Cheema Credit: ACS / Association of Convenience Stores 5 Boy holding vapes Credit: Getty The move comes after the hard-pressed firms are already dealing with a hike in rising business rates and feel shoplifting in their stores is going unpunished. He has joined forces with 700 fellow shopkeepers amid fears asking for ID could lead to more violence in the shops. On-the-spot fines of £200 will be handed out by trading standards inspectors for selling tobacco, vape and nicotine products to underage customers. Anyone born after January 1, 2009 will not be able to buy tobacco as Ministers aim for the first smoke-free generation. Advertisement read more in uk news SNATCH FEARS Chilling moment creep tries to drag teen girl away in kidnap bid at station The retailers have written to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds demanding more support for independent stores. Mr Cheema said: "The proposed laws will do nothing to stop the illicit trade, but will put us in the firing line when enforcement falls on shop staff. It'll be the final straw. "We all want to protect young people from smoking. "But badly thought-through laws won't do that – they'll just drive more sales underground, where nobody checks ID. Advertisement "We're not asking for handouts. We're asking to be heard. The government is piling pressure on our sector from every direction:" "I've seen the government move mountains to protect 2,700 jobs in the steel industry – and rightly so. Police raid largest spice vapes operation after kids were left hospitalised "But there are 445,000 jobs in UK convenience stores, and we're being ignored." "Local shops like mine are part of the fabric of British life. We're open early, open late, and we're there for people when no one else is. Advertisement "But there comes a point where enough is enough." There are also fears that adults will go to illicit stores to buy tobacco which will reduce the income for smaller stores. Tobacco sales account for 15 per cent of the sales with six million people who see smoking as a way of life. A government spokesperson said: "Small businesses are the lifeblood of our high streets, and our Plan for Change will help ensure they thrive. Advertisement "We're taking tough action on shoplifters, and worked with retailers to help them get ready for the ban on single use vapes.' 5 Recycling electronic cigarettes. Vapor sticks, e-cigarettes on light background. Credit: Getty
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Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
Why there's plenty to like in Rachel Reeves' Spending Review for Edinburgh - but housing is the crunch point
The Chancellor's Spending Review announcements should be welcomed, writes Edinburgh City Council leader Jane Megaher. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... There was a lot to welcome in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spending Review statement. The single biggest injection into housing by the UK government for 50 years promises to transform social housing and living standards for tens of thousands of people across Britian – and there's no reason this shouldn't be replicated here in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With £52 billion promised in devolved budgets, the Chancellor has outlined the largest ever grant for Scotland. An exceptional opportunity, surely, for the Scottish Government to tackle our nation's shameful statistics on poverty and homelessness at long last, providing every Scot with the safe, warm home and life chances they deserve. Around £4bn over the next decade in extra funding for housing is expected to be provided to the Scottish Government as a result of the Spending Review – and with the Finance Secretary preparing to unveil her own spending plans on June 25, we're making the case loudly and clearly that this investment should be passed on in full to our cities and regions. Looking out across Edinburgh from Calton Hill | Adobe In Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland, where the housing emergency is most keenly felt, we know all too well the financial challenges of building enough homes to keep up with economic growth and demand. Add to that the fact that we have the fastest growing population in Scotland, accounting for 84 per cent of Scotland's predicted population growth over the next eight years, the challenge facing us could not be clearer. With Rachel Reeves committing £39bn towards affordable housing down south, the Scottish Government must follow suit and put much-needed homes at the heart of its own investment plans. As former US President Jimmy Carter famously said, 'decent housing is not just a wish, it is a human right'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The creation of the Cabinet Secretary for Housing portfolio is a positive step with Mairi McAllan MSP in this new role. Addressing the national housing emergency and accommodating the population growth in the Edinburgh City Region must be a priority and I look forward to working constructively with her to tackle these challenges. Another positive from Wednesday's announcement was confirmation from the Chancellor that she would commit up to £750 million for a next generation 'Exascale super-computer' to be housed at the University of Edinburgh. This will be a national asset supporting countless jobs and investment in the sciences and academia, cementing the region's role as a powerhouse for life sciences, technology and invention. Given Edinburgh's long-standing innovation capabilities, it is fantastic that we will be able to reap the associated economic, social and environmental benefits. On top of this, £410m will be shared across the devolved nations for a Local Innovation Partnership Fund and it makes great sense for our City Region to lead on this in Scotland. From artificial intelligence to data and robotics, this money could unlock a huge amount of investment building on the successful projects we've already delivered, including the National Robotarium, the Usher Institute and Easter Bush, which is now the global location of 'Agritech' excellence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Chancellor has delivered her part. For the good of the Scottish economy, I now call upon the Scottish Government to pass on these additional funds in full and to prioritise investment in Edinburgh and the wider city region.
