Latest news with #Labour
RTÉ News
9 minutes ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
5 takeaways from the revised National Development Plan
Telephone-sized numbers allied to giant levels of aspiration, the Government has gone all in on infrastructure spending in this plan. But with the billions flying around and the totals growing ever larger in recent days, is this just "hype" as Labour's Marie Sherlock labelled it? The Government's plan will ultimately be judged on delivery and that will take years. For now, here are five things we have learned from the big announcement. Housing There's no mistaking that the core of this plan is all about delivering homes at scale, with €40 billion earmarked for housing and related water services. This is made up of €28 billion for housing itself along with further funding to remove blockages like insufficient electricity connections or a lack of water and waste water services. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said today that housing is the biggest social challenge. But the opposition has reacted sceptically with Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty saying there are no extra social and affordable homes planned. While Labour has noted that the funding allocated to housing tapers down towards the end of the plan. Big Picture This NDP differs from previous versions as it only sketches out in broad terms the capital funding allocations for Departments as well as extra money for utilities. That means there is no long list of local projects attached to the announcement so no specific roads, local hospitals or schools. The Government says Departments will now take their allocations and work on specific details. Expect another announcement ahead of the Budget with Ministers and TDs heralding local projects. The only big infrastructure project cited is Dublin's Metrolink which will get €2 billion. Metrolink Long promised and never delivered, a Metrolink for Dublin has been announced several times over. But the Government now says it wants the train to leave the station with €2 billion of what is being termed ringfenced strategic funding. What's clear from comments today is that this is intended to send a signal to potential construction companies that the Irish Government is serious about the project. It is designed as an assurance that the Metrolink will be paid for and delivered. The aim is to entice bidders during the procurement phase expected to follow a positive planning decision. Plan B During the crash, capital spending was completely slashed and the repercussions of that decision are still being felt today. Housebuilding stopped, infrastructure projects were dropped and utilities were left underfunded. This time is different according to the Government. If there is a downturn, capital spending will be prioritised at the expense of day-to-day spending. And that spells political danger as it could mean real cutbacks to services already dealing with the usual inflationary and demographic pressures. Inflation Inflation remains a feature of the economy even if the rate of increase has slowed. But will the rise of €34 billion deemed "new spending" in this plan over the previous one actually just cover price increases for existing projects rather than delivering new ones? The Government has denied this is the case. But few would doubt that inflation will eat into the value of the extra money.
Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Business
- Telegraph
BrewDog to close 10 pubs after Labour tax raid
BrewDog is shutting 10 bars across the country in the wake of Labour's tax raid on employers in the latest blow for the hospitality sector. The self-styled 'punk' brewer said on Tuesday it would close key locations such as Leeds, Sheffield, and London, as well as its flagship site in Aberdeen, and had begun a consultation with staff about redundancies. A spokesman for BrewDog called it a 'rationalisation' of the company's bar estate. 'Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable,' they said. In a letter sent to staff this week, James Taylor, chief executive, said the closures were part of a broader restructure of the company. He added: 'It positions our bar portfolio for long-term, profitable growth, but also takes into account the continued challenges facing the UK hospitality industry, including rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures.' The closures come as hospitality businesses across the UK grapple with soaring labour costs following an increase in employers' National Insurance (NI) contributions and the lowering of the threshold at which they are paid. Hospitality chiefs have argued that these changes will disproportionately hurt the sector because of the number of part-time and lower paid staff it employs. Many have already cancelled investments and paused hiring, while others have announced redundancies. A spokesman for BrewDog refused to disclose exactly how many jobs would be affected, but said 'every effort will be made to made to redeploy as many members of staff as possible'. Recent struggles Founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog became one of Britain's biggest beer brands by using controversial marketing stunts. These included selling what they claimed was the world's strongest beer – served in the carcass of a squirrel – and hiring a tank to drive through London. Mr Watt claimed the business had a 'punk' ethos and frequently criticised the practices of big brewers like Budweiser's owner AB InBev. The company raised millions from thousands of retail investors it called 'equity punks'. However, in recent years it has struggled with accusations of being a 'toxic' workplace and questions over its finances. Mr Watt stepped down last year and has since launched a new company called Social Tip, though he still retains a seat on the board and a 21pc stake in the company. Mr Taylor, who took charge of the company in March, has shelved plans for a stock market float, saying in June that there were no plans to sell the business. Instead, he vowed to put the company on a more solid financial footing having made consistent losses. BrewDog's bar business posted a pre-tax loss of £6.7m in 2023 on revenues of £69.4m. This was down from an £11m loss in 2022. The closures will leave BrewDog with 49 bars across the country. It runs more than 100 across the world. Mr Taylor insisted in his letter the company was 'passionate' and still saw a 'significant long-term opportunity' for the brand's bars in the UK.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Starmer under pressure from cabinet to recognise Palestinian statehood
Keir Starmer is under pressure from cabinet ministers for the UK to immediately recognise Palestine as a state, as the global outcry grew over Israel's killing of starving civilians in Gaza. The prime minister is understood to have been urged by a number of senior ministers in different cabinet meetings over recent months that the UK should take a leading role in issuing recognition. The UK plans to formally acknowledge Palestine as part of a peace process, but only in conjunction with other western countries and 'at the point of maximum impact' – without saying what that would be. However, there has been a growing sense of desperation and horror inside the Labour cabinet over Israel's killing of starving Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and its attacks on humanitarian agencies, in recent weeks. 'We say that recognising Palestinian statehood is a really important symbol that you can only do once. But if not now, then when?' one cabinet minister said. Earlier this month, nearly 60 Labour MPs demanded the UK immediately recognises Palestine as a state, after Israel's defence minister announced plans to force all residents of Gaza into a camp on the ruins of Rafah. Israel is facing intensifying international condemnation for its actions in Gaza, with the UN secretary general, António Guterres, warning that the 'last lifelines keeping people alive [in the strip] are collapsing'. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, told British parliamentarians in a visit this month that a two-state solution was 'the only way' to build peace and stability in the region. However, diplomats say he has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push. France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing a rescheduled international conference at the UN in New York later this month to discuss postwar plans for Gaza and preparations for formally acknowledging Palestine. The UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, who said he felt 'appalled, sickened' by the scenes of starving Palestinians being shot as they sought food, said the UK would 'play its part' in reaching a two-state solution for the Middle East, including working with the French. 'We said we wanted that to be part of a process. But we have had no process. What we have had is mayhem and conflict. There has been no process to attach that recognition to,' he told the BBC on Tuesday. 'Why do we say that? It's because we don't just want to recognise symbolically, we want to recognise as a way of getting to the two states that sadly many are trying to thwart at this point in time. 'But there is a live debate and discussion and let me restate again my belief in two states, and two states in which Palestinians have their dignity and freedom and Israel has its security for its people. We will do all we can to achieve that in time.' In an unusual Commons intervention on Gaza, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, on Tuesday called for recognition of the state of Palestine 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. He criticised the 'intolerable' attack by Israel on the World Health Organization's staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Monday, which had compromised its operations in Gaza. 'I deplore Israel's attacks on healthcare workers as well as other innocent civilians trying to access healthcare or vital aid. These actions go well beyond legitimate self-defence and undermine the prospects for peace,' he told MPs. 'I sincerely hope that the international community can come together, as the foreign secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end of this war but also that we recognise the state of Palestine while there is a state of Palestine left to recognise.' Streeting is understood to be among the cabinet ministers who have pushed for recognition of Palestine in recent cabinet meetings. The justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and the Northern Ireland secretary, Hilary Benn, are also understood to have brought up the issue. At the Commons liaison committee on Monday, the prime minister said the situation in Gaza was 'intolerable' as he repeated the UK's commitment to recognising a Palestinian state 'at a time most conducive to the prospects of peace' in the region. Israel has been fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023. A US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire is being discussed at talks in Doha.
The National
an hour ago
- Politics
- The National
Scottish Water hits back at UK minister Steve Reed's pollution claim
Labour's Environment Secretary Steve Reed said in a Channel 4 interview last night that pollution levels in Scotland are 'worse than they are in England'. In response, Scotland's Climate Secretary Gillian Martin has written a letter hitting out at the 'misleading' comments and saying it is "clear that Scotland has a higher performance". But now, Scottish Water – the publicly owned utility company that provides water and wastewater services in Scotland – has also responded to Reed's comments. "Scottish Water is the UK's top performing water company and most trusted utility in the UK according to the Customer Service Institute,' a spokesperson told The National. READ MORE: 'Twinned with Epstein Island' sign put up at Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course "In addition to producing world-class drinking water, the independent regulator, Sepa, says 87% of water bodies in Scotland are either good or excellent, the highest proportion ever.' They added: "The Cunliffe Report also makes clear that 'Scotland has a greater number of water bodies achieving 'good' status compared to England and Wales'" The final report from the Independent Water Commission led by Sir Jon Cunliffe was published this week. It found that 66% of Scotland's water bodies are of good ecological status compared with 16.1% in England and 29.9% in Wales. Although, the report does note that this is, in part, due to Scotland having a much lower population density.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Kemi Badenoch's 'panic button' reshuffle with return of top Tory to frontline
Former Cabinet Minister James Cleverly returns to frontline politics as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch shakes-up her top team in a desperate attempt to revive her party's gloomy fortunes Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been accused of hitting the "panic button" with a reshuffle of her top team. The Conservative chief, who has been struggling to revive her party's gloomy fortunes, brought gaffe-prone Sir James Cleverly back into the fold. The former Foreign Secretary, who stood against Ms Badenoch in last year's Tory leadership contest, will now be Shadow Housing Secretary. His return to frontline politics means he will now face Deputy PM Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, in the Commons. In 2023, The Mirror reported the ex-Cabinet minister joked about giving his wife a date-rape drug - just hours after announcing a crackdown on the growing epidemic of drinks spiking. The top Tory told female guests at a No10 reception that 'a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night' was 'not really illegal if it's only a little bit'. A spokesman for the ex-Home Secretary said at the time: "In what was always understood as a private conversation, James, the Home Secretary tackling spiking, made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke - for which he apologises." In the autumn of 2022 Sir James suggested getting rid of ex-PM Liz Truss would be a "disastrously bad idea". She announced her resignation seven days later. The following year the ex-minister- a key face in recent Tory governments - also said he could not remember if he ever described the Conservatives' flagship Rwanda deportation scheme as "batsh**". And the same year it was claimed he described a Labour MP's constituency as a "sh**hole". A source close to the then-Home Secretary denied the claim at the time. They added: "James made a comment. He called Alex Cunningham a sh** MP. He apologises for unparliamentary language. As was made would never criticise Stockton." Among other appointments on Tuesday the Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, who held the housing brief, became chairman of the Conservative Party. Ex-chairman Nigel Huddleston was appointed Shadow Culture Secretary. A Labour source told The Mirror: 'After initially claiming her Shadow Cabinet would be in place until the next election, Kemi Badenoch has already hit the panic button." The Tory leader can shuffle as many deckchairs as she likes, but it'll still be the same old faces that were responsible for 14 years of failure. They crashed the economy and ran public services into the ground.' The Lib Dems added: 'Kemi Badenoch has appointed the very man who said that replacing Liz Truss as Prime Minister would be a terrible idea. It's like appointing an iceberg apologist to a role steering the Titanic. "The public won't forgive this group of failed former Conservative ministers for the damage they did to our economy and NHS." On Tuesday the Tory MP Ed Argar also quit as Shadow Health Secretary, citing a "health scare". Ms Badenoch said she was "saddened" that Mr Argar feels "unable to continue" in his position, but agreed "that you must put your health first". In a letter to the party leader dated July 9, Mr Argar said: "I had a health scare earlier this summer and remain grateful to the doctors and hospital staff who looked after me." He added: "I have been well looked after, but have also listened to what the doctors said to me, and have listened to my family, and have concluded that lightening my front-bench workload over the coming months, in order to complete my recovery and fully restore my health in that period, is the sensible approach." Mr Argar was replaced by Stuart Andrew, who previously held the culture brief.
