Latest news with #KirstyO'Connor
Economist
2 days ago
- Business
- Economist
Blighty newsletter: Fiscal choices, big and small
Photograph: Kirsty O'Connor/Treasury The defence review suggests that Britain could soon wield tactical nuclear bombs An age of endless discovery To see the future of social care, come to England's Black Country Concerns over a case involving the burning of a Koran Sir Jon Cunliffe wants to regulate water companies like banks At 'Elvis Evolution', the king of rock 'n' roll ain't dead
Glasgow Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Thousands of civil servants to leave London as Government cuts costs
Under plans announced on Wednesday, the Government will cut the number of civil servants working in London by 12,000 and shift jobs to a series of new regional 'campuses' across the country. The changes will also see 11 Government office buildings in London close, including one of its largest Westminster sites, in a move expected to save £94 million a year by 2032. Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the Government was 'taking more decision-making out of Whitehall and moving it closer to communities all across the UK'. Government departments will be expected to submit plans for relocating staff, including senior civil servants, as part of the spending review due to be completed on June 11. The Ministry of Justice's headquarters on Petty France, one of the largest government offices in the capital, is set to close (Kirsty O'Connor/PA) The move will see two new major 'campuses' created, one in Manchester focused on digital innovation and AI and another in Aberdeen on energy. Manchester is already home to major offices of the science and culture departments, while Aberdeen houses the new Great British Energy headquarters. Other roles will be created in Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Darlington, Newcastle and Tyneside, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and York, with the changes expected to bring £729 million to the local economy by 2030. Among the offices being closed in London is 102 Petty France, one of the largest Government offices in the capital and home to around 7,000 civil servants in the Ministry of Justice, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, Crown Prosecution Service and the Government Legal Department. The Government will also close 39 Victoria Street, which has been home to the Department of Health and Social Care since the end of 2017. Pat McFadden said the changes were part of plans to 'radically reform' the British state (Ryan Jenkinson/PA) Mr McFadden said: 'By relocating thousands of Civil Service roles, we will not only save taxpayers money, we will make this Government one that better reflects the country it serves. 'We will also be making sure that Government jobs support economic growth throughout the country. 'As we radically reform the state, we are going to make it much easier for talented people everywhere to join the Civil Service and help us rebuild Britain.' Around 80% of civil servants – more than 400,000 people – already work outside London, but the most senior mandarins tend to be based in the capital. Under Wednesday's proposals, half of senior civil service roles would be based outside London by 2030. Prospect union general secretary Mike Clancy welcomed the plans to 'increase and empower' civil servants based outside London, but called for more clarity on the role of arm's-length bodies outside the capital. He added: 'We have been here before with similar announcements, if this one is to be different, Government needs to work closely with unions both on specific relocation plans and on the wider Civil Service reform agenda.' The Government has previously pledged to cut the total number of civil servants in an effort to make the British state 'leaner' and 'more productive'. Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, also welcomed the proposals to move more staff out of London and allow them to 'build careers for the longer term across the UK'. But he added: 'There will also be uncertainty for the thousands of civil servants affected by the office closures announced today. 'We need to hear quickly from the departments affected how this will be managed, not least how they will be affected by the office closures, relocation of roles out of London and reduction in headcount all happening at the same time.' The Tories said the announcement showed the Government was 'fundamentally unserious' about reducing the size of the state and working more efficiently. Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart MP said: 'Labour themselves admit that they have set up at least 29 new quangos since entering office whilst Angela Rayner and her ministers also appear to have never used their offices outside of London – and are instead shutting them down. 'It's clear Keir Starmer is taking the public for fools – shuffling things around and making empty promises. Only the Conservatives are serious about reducing the size of the state and making it work more efficiently for British taxpayers.'
Scotsman
01-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Martin Lewis reveals what to keep at home for power cuts and outages
Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis. Credit: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, MoneySavingExpert's Martin Lewis warned it's not just blackouts we should be ready for – from tinned food to power banks, here's what he says to keep at home. Sign up to our daily newsletter 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... Martin Lewis has warned households to start thinking ahead when it comes to basic emergency supplies – including having cash on hand, a torch, a wind-up radio, and tinned food in the cupboard. Appearing on This Morning following reports of a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal, Lewis said we can't assume digital systems will always be available – and that extreme weather and energy insecurity could easily trigger blackouts here too. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We don't yet know why there was a power cut,' he said, referencing the mystery outage which left homes in Spain without internet, phone signal, and access to digital banking. 'They said it wasn't a cyber attack, which was one of the things being considered, but energy security is a big issue in all Western countries.' He added that years ago, he was already warning people to avoid using appliances like washing machines between 4pm and 9pm – not for saving money, but to ease peak pressure on the grid. 'They're sensible precautions everyone should really think about,' he said. 'Because it's not just power outages. Banks go down, your app doesn't work, you can't make payments. It's always worth having a little bit of cash.' The MoneySavingExpert founder then listed the items he believes every home should keep stocked: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'A torch and some spare batteries in your house, because we get power cuts for normal reasons – floods and weather incidents.' 'A bit of tinned food, a little bit of water always kept stocked up is useful.' 'A wind-up radio.' 'A power bank to charge your mobile phone – fully charged in your house – because that gives you a torch, a radio, and communication.' He acknowledged not everyone will be able to afford all these items, but said having even one or two makes sense, 'much as I talk about travel insurance or home insurance – you hope you never need them, but they're worth having.' So if you're wondering where to start, we've pulled together a quick-reference guide below using trusted items previously featured in our emergency kit series – all available on Amazon. Martin Lewis' emergency kit – where to get the essentials The Rychi wind-up and solar-powered emergency radio - ideal for power cuts | Amazon Torch + batteries: A wind-up torch means no batteries needed – the Sealey AK3305 model is just £9.49 Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For battery-powered torches, stock up with Duracell AA + AAA (24 pack) – £18.96 Wind-up radio: The Rychi emergency radio includes solar, crank, USB charging, flashlight and SOS alarm – £41.99 Power bank: The INIU 10000mAh power bank is small, fast, and ideal for emergencies – £14.99 Energy bills just went up – but this free tool could save you £388 a year With energy costs rising, Switcheroo helps you find cheaper deals in minutes. It's free, easy to use, and only shows tariffs that beat your current rate from suppliers like British Gas and Octopus. No calls, no pressure – just potential savings, with average users cutting £388 off their annual bill. To read our full article click here, or try out the Switcheroo tool straight away by clicking here. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bottled water: This 72 x 500ml pack from Amazon's own brand is enough to cover basic needs – £13.50 Lewis made it clear he's not trying to panic anyone – just encourage a bit of practical thinking. 'These are like insurance policies,' he said. 'You hope you'll never need them. But having them ready could make a massive difference when something does go wrong.' For millions of UK households watching events unfold abroad and at home, it might just be the reminder they needed to get prepared.
Scotsman
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Martin Lewis reveals what to keep at home for power cuts and outages
Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis. Credit: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, MoneySavingExpert's Martin Lewis warned it's not just blackouts we should be ready for – from tinned food to power banks, here's what he says to keep at home. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... Martin Lewis has warned households to start thinking ahead when it comes to basic emergency supplies – including having cash on hand, a torch, a wind-up radio, and tinned food in the cupboard. Appearing on This Morning following reports of a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal, Lewis said we can't assume digital systems will always be available – and that extreme weather and energy insecurity could easily trigger blackouts here too. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We don't yet know why there was a power cut,' he said, referencing the mystery outage which left homes in Spain without internet, phone signal, and access to digital banking. 'They said it wasn't a cyber attack, which was one of the things being considered, but energy security is a big issue in all Western countries.' He added that years ago, he was already warning people to avoid using appliances like washing machines between 4pm and 9pm – not for saving money, but to ease peak pressure on the grid. 'They're sensible precautions everyone should really think about,' he said. 'Because it's not just power outages. Banks go down, your app doesn't work, you can't make payments. It's always worth having a little bit of cash.' The MoneySavingExpert founder then listed the items he believes every home should keep stocked: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'A torch and some spare batteries in your house, because we get power cuts for normal reasons – floods and weather incidents.' 'A bit of tinned food, a little bit of water always kept stocked up is useful.' 'A wind-up radio.' 'A power bank to charge your mobile phone – fully charged in your house – because that gives you a torch, a radio, and communication.' He acknowledged not everyone will be able to afford all these items, but said having even one or two makes sense, 'much as I talk about travel insurance or home insurance – you hope you never need them, but they're worth having.' So if you're wondering where to start, we've pulled together a quick-reference guide below using trusted items previously featured in our emergency kit series – all available on Amazon. Martin Lewis' emergency kit – where to get the essentials The Rychi wind-up and solar-powered emergency radio - ideal for power cuts | Amazon Torch + batteries: A wind-up torch means no batteries needed – the Sealey AK3305 model is just £9.49 Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For battery-powered torches, stock up with Duracell AA + AAA (24 pack) – £18.96 Wind-up radio: The Rychi emergency radio includes solar, crank, USB charging, flashlight and SOS alarm – £41.99 Power bank: The INIU 10000mAh power bank is small, fast, and ideal for emergencies – £14.99 Energy bills just went up – but this free tool could save you £388 a year With energy costs rising, Switcheroo helps you find cheaper deals in minutes. It's free, easy to use, and only shows tariffs that beat your current rate from suppliers like British Gas and Octopus. No calls, no pressure – just potential savings, with average users cutting £388 off their annual bill. To read our full article click here, or try out the Switcheroo tool straight away by clicking here. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bottled water: This 72 x 500ml pack from Amazon's own brand is enough to cover basic needs – £13.50
