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Irish Independent
07-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Retail workers to be protected against assault, threats and harassment while on the job
The Protection of Retail Workers Act 2025 is aimed at amending the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to create specific offences for assaulting, threatening, harassing, or abusing retail workers while they are carrying out their employment. The move comes amid a concerning rise in retail crime nationwide. Recent statistics show a 12pc increase in theft and related offences over the past year, with almost half of that linked to shop thefts. The total cost of retail crime is estimated at €1.62bn per year, and Ireland has the highest cost per capita for retail crime in the world, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer. 'Retail workers across Ireland are on the front line every day, yet they are increasingly subjected to theft, abuse, harassment, and violent attacks,' Senator Mary Fitzpatrick said. 'It is unacceptable that these workers, who provide essential services in every community, are not afforded specific legal protections. 'The Protection of Retail Workers Act 2025 will recognise the risks they face and ensure those who threaten or harm retail staff are held to account. 'I have listened closely to retailers and to organisations like RGDATA who have made it clear we need stronger laws, tougher penalties, and better support for retail workers. 'I have met with retailers on the ground and with the Minister for Justice to push for real solutions. 'Retail crime is not just about financial loss, it's about the emotional and physical impact on staff who deserve to feel safe at work.' Ms Fitzpatrick stressed that stronger legal protections are just one part of the response needed. 'We need to send a clear message that attacking a retail worker is not a minor offence – it is a serious crime,' she added. 'We also need greater garda visibility in retail areas, stronger employer support, and a cultural shift to recognise and respect the vital role retail workers play in our communities.' Safety concerns are also growing, with 78pc of Mandate trade union members believing their employer does not provide adequate safety measures.
The Independent
12-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
When Macron recognises Palestine, Starmer must follow suit
This summer, France is expected to align its foreign policy with international law by recognising the State of Palestine alongside Israel. France and Saudi Arabia are working together to draw up a framework for Middle East peace. So far, so good. But, right now, where is Britain on this issue? It should be leading – not following. Our country has the historic responsibility, stemming from the broken promises of the Balfour Declaration and our misconduct of the Mandate up to 1948. There is urgency: under Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is undermining systematically any prospect of two states coexisting at peace – the bipartisan policy of successive British governments. Commendably, Keir Starmer works hand in glove with Emmanuel Macron on Ukraine and on US-handling in this new era. American unpredictability shows the wisdom of Starmer's moves since July to restore and strengthen our ties with European partners on foreign policy, defence and migration. Palestine/Israel must be a key element in this effort. Our government was elected on a commitment to recognise Palestine and uphold international law without fear or favour. We should give a lead in Europe and the Commonwealth consistent with our values and in our national interest. The rule of law is in our interest. For Britain, the question is not one of diplomacy alone – it is also one of justice and historical accountability. Over a century ago, Britain and France secretly negotiated the Sykes-Picot Agreement, carving up the Ottoman Empire's Arab provinces into spheres of influence. Britain acquired control of Palestine under the League of Nations Mandate, with a stated duty to assist its people towards independence. That promise was broken. The Palestinian Arab majority of the population were made homeless, displaced. Since 1967, Palestine has been under Israeli military occupation. Last July, the International Court of Justice advised that the 1967 occupation is unlawful; all UN member states must work to end it as rapidly as possible. Failure to recognise Palestine serves to prolong that unlawful occupation. Recognition of Palestine is not about taking sides, nor rewarding terrorism, nor delegitimising Israel. It is about parity of esteem, redressing a profound imbalance in international relations while upholding international law. Israel, created in 1948 and recognised immediately by the US, then by Britain and so many others, is a full member of the global order. Palestine remains in a permanent state of limbo. Britain cannot continue to profess support for a two-state solution while refusing to recognise one of the two states. There is no legal impediment to recognition. In 2011, then foreign secretary William Hague confirmed that Palestine meets the criteria for statehood, subject to the occupation. The ICJ deems the occupation to be unlawful. Our government recognises states, not governments, and says that the decision to recognise is ours alone – the occupation does not give Israel a veto; 147 of the world's 193 nations recognise Palestine. The 2012 UN General Assembly vote granting Palestine non-member observer state status passed with overwhelming support. Our government, the ICJ and the United Nations have consistently affirmed that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza are occupied Palestinian territory, not Israeli land. The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank violates the Fourth Geneva Convention and has been condemned as illegal in multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334 of 2016, which Britain helped to draft. British recognition of Palestine on pre-June 1967 lines will not prejudice final status negotiations, nor question Israel's right to exist in peace and security. Rather, it reaffirms that the Palestinian people have the self-same right to self-determination and statehood that Israel enjoys and sends a clear message that the international community will not accept unilateral annexation or perpetual occupation. As the ICJ stated in its 2004 advisory opinion on the Israeli separation barrier in the West Bank, all states have a legal obligation not to recognise the unlawful situation resulting from Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territory. Some argue that recognition should come only at the end of negotiations or as part of a 'peace process'. But the geopolitical case for recognition now is strong. As the US pursues further regional normalisation between Israel and Arab states, recognition of Palestine by key European governments – last year, Spain, Ireland and Norway said they recognised a Palestinian state based on borders established before the war in 1967 – will serve as a vital counterweight, reminding all parties that Palestinian rights cannot be shelved or ignored. France aims to coordinate recognition with efforts by Arab states to recognise Israel, potentially within a broader peace framework. Britain should support this dual-track approach, reinforcing the vision of two states living side by side in peace. Imperial Britain helped draw the borders of the modern Middle East, for good and ill. Our government now has a chance to help the peoples of the Middle East to reshape its future, by giving a lead.
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Putting the brakes on the 2030 petrol and diesel ban may be backing British businesses, but not British air quality
After the to-ing and fro-ing of previous governments on precisely when they would finally ban cars with internal combustion engines, Keir Starmer 's team have now confirmed that the sale of new purely petrol or diesel cars will be banned from 2030 – as promised in last year's Labour Party manifesto. This comes as the result of over 600 responses to the government's recent consultation on its Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Mandate and the proposed 2030 ban. As well as a mountain of paperwork to plough through, government ministers listened to industry representations – which is always nice to hear. The result was announced late on Sunday evening, with one element being welcomed by pretty much everyone, and the other leaving a couple of car makers in particular feeling rather smug. Let's start with the ZEV Mandate, which this year stipulates that at least 28 per cent of each manufacturer's cars and 16 per cent of its vans should be fully electric. Next year that rises to 33 per cent for cars and 24 per cent for vans, with further increments up to 66 per cent and 58 per cent respectively in 2029. For every single car that misses those targets, manufacturers were in danger of being fined £15,000 per car this year. That has now been dropped to £12,000. Not that it matters. There have been various workarounds including banking credits, buying credits and borrowing credits from future years, and they've all been tweaked to help avoid what could be crippling fines, especially when car makers are spending so much to incentivise people to buy EVs. For the record, I think the government has done the right and reasonable thing there. But then there's the 2030 ban. After what I can only assume is significant lobbying from Toyota and Nissan – both with sizeable workforces in their UK factories building hybrid vehicles – the government has decided that these hybrids can live on in showrooms from 2030 until 2035. That's a bad move in my book, for a number of reasons. Here's what transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said: 'We will always back British business. In the face of global economic challenges and stifled by a lack of certainty and direction for too long, our automotive industry deserves clarity, ambition and leadership. That is exactly what we are delivering today. 'Our ambitious package of strengthening reforms will protect and create jobs – making the UK a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs – all the while meeting our core manifesto commitment to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. 'Once again, the prime minister's decisive and bold actions show how we're on the side of British business while harnessing the opportunities of the zero emissions transition to create jobs and drive growth, securing Britain's future, and delivering our Plan for Change.' If the plan is to make the UK 'a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs', why is the government allowing the continued sale of petrol-powered full hybrids beyond 2030? A battery electric vehicle emits zero CO2 from its tailpipe. A hybrid Toyota Corolla emits between 100 and 108g/km of CO2 depending on model, while a Nissan Qashqai with the e-Power hybrid powertrain emits from 117g/km of CO2. Plug-in hybrids are considerably more efficient with lower CO2 outputs. Clearly the government has been under pressure from Toyota and Nissan – two brands that are way off the pace when it comes to electrification, with only one EV each in their current line-ups. Would Toyota and Nissan pack up shop and leave the UK if the government banned the sale of new full hybrids from 2030? Not a chance – the cost of closing a factory and replacing its output with a new one elsewhere is enormous. Nissan is putting the new electric Leaf, Juke and Qashqai models into its Sunderland plant over the coming years and Toyota should – and probably will, eventually – be doing the same. You can't knock a government that seems so keen to support British industry at such a crucial time, and the tweaks to the ZEV mandate are both sensible and welcome. But when it comes to banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, allowing full hybrids is the wrong move. To me, it looks like the government has taken the appeasement option here, pleasing some of the people some of the time. If it really wants the UK to be 'a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs', it should have been stronger, only allowing new cars with plugs to be sold from 2030 onwards.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Britain eases electric vehicle sales targets for automakers
(Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday eased targets forcing automakers in the country to produce more electric vehicles, in an effort to ease pressure on UK businesses from Donald Trump's trade tariffs. The government announced that the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars will not change, but under the new plan, it will allow full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles and cars – like the Toyota Prius and Nissan e-Power – to be sold until 2035. "Global trade is being transformed so we must go further and faster in reshaping our economy" Keir Starmer said in a statement while unveiling the plans. The measures announced will also exempt small micro-volume manufacturers including McLaren and Aston Martin from the Mandate targets in an effort to save British supercars and advanced engineering. Starmer said on Saturday that the government's priority remains to try and secure a trade deal with the U.S. which could include tariff exemptions, but was ready to step in to help "shelter" the country's businesses from the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff policies. British carmakers mainly sell luxury and premium cars to the United States, which is their second largest export market after the European Union. More than 1 million British-made cars were shipped to the U.S. in 2024, worth about 7.6 billion pounds ($9.79 billion). While overall EV sales rose last year, they were driven by commercial buyers, with only one in 10 individual car buyers choosing to go electric. EVs made up 19% of sales last month, well short of the 28% that carmakers would have needed to achieve in 2025 according to the ZEV mandate. ($1 = 0.7765 pounds) Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
06-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Britain eases electric vehicle sales targets for automakers
April 6 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday eased targets forcing automakers in the country to produce more electric vehicles, in an effort to ease pressure on UK businesses from Donald Trump's trade tariffs. The government announced that the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars will not change, but under the new plan, it will allow full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles and cars – like the Toyota Prius and Nissan e-Power – to be sold until 2035. "Global trade is being transformed so we must go further and faster in reshaping our economy" Keir Starmer said in a statement while unveiling the plans. The measures announced will also exempt small micro-volume manufacturers including McLaren and Aston Martin from the Mandate targets in an effort to save British supercars and advanced engineering. Starmer said on Saturday that the government's priority remains to try and secure a trade deal with the U.S. which could include tariff exemptions, but was ready to step in to help "shelter" the country's businesses from the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff policies. British carmakers mainly sell luxury and premium cars to the United States, which is their second largest export market after the European Union. More than 1 million British-made cars were shipped to the U.S. in 2024, worth about 7.6 billion pounds ($9.79 billion). While overall EV sales rose last year, they were driven by commercial buyers, with only one in 10 individual car buyers choosing to go electric. EVs made up 19% of sales last month, well short of the 28% that carmakers would have needed to achieve in 2025 according to the ZEV mandate. ($1 = 0.7765 pounds)
