Latest news with #TheWorldThisWeekend
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Presenter who started career in Oxfordshire to leave BBC after 28 years
A BBC presenter who began her career in local radio in Oxfordshire will leave the broadcaster after 28 years this spring. Politics Live presenter Jo Coburn started out in local radio in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, before joining BBC London as a political reporter covering Westminster in 1997. Ms Coburn has presented the broadcaster's daily weekday politics show since it launched in 2018, but will leave at the end of May, with a new presenter announced in due course. She said: "What a privilege to have been in the hot seat of the Daily Politics and then Politics Live covering the tumultuous events of the last decade or so. "It's time to move on and hand over to someone else but I've loved it all, especially the people I've worked with and the hundreds of guests who've kept me company in the studio every day." Hilary O'Neill, executive editor of politics at the BBC, added: "Jo has shaped Politics Live into the programme it is today where viewers tune in knowing they'll be expertly guided through the biggest political stories, whilst making them accessible and entertaining. "Jo is a forensic interviewer and engaging presenter who draws on her deep knowledge of politics to challenge ministers on the issues that matter most to the public. "She will be greatly missed by both the audience and her colleagues." Ms Coburn previously presented BBC Two's Daily Politics with Andrew Neil, before taking on the lead presenter role for Politics Live when it replaced Daily Politics. She has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the Six and Ten bulletins and the BBC News Channel. During her BBC career, she anchored live coverage of six chancellors' budgets, covered eight general elections, and hosted overnight by-election specials. Richard Burgess, director of the BBC's news content, said: "I want to thank Jo for her immense contribution to our coverage, and on a career where she has been at the heart of political journalism for almost 30 years. "Millions of viewers have benefited from Jo's incisive interviewing and her ability to host intelligent discussion and debate from across the political spectrum. "We wish her all the best for the future." Ms Coburn covered the Cash for Honours and MPs' expenses scandals as well as the first race for London mayor in 2000. After the 2001 general election, she joined regional news for early mornings as political correspondent for Breakfast News. She has also regularly presented on the BBC News channel, BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, and BBC Two current affairs show Newsnight.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS England chair warns the buck now stops with ministers
The chair of NHS England has said he does not disagree with the abolishing of the organisation - although he warns that the buck will now stop with ministers. "There will no longer be a separate vehicle that can be pointed [at] to say that's what got it wrong," Richard Meddings told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, in the first interview with a senior official from the organisation since it was announced it would be abolished. Earlier this week the government confirmed the administrative body would be swallowed up by the Department of Health and Social Care. It will not affect patient care in hospitals, GP practices, and other health organisations but it will change how the NHS is run. Mr Meddings, who is due to step down at the end of this month, acknowledged that ministers wanted to be involved in the running of the NHS, but argued there had been a subtle form of micromanagement. "At times, some weeks, almost 20 new instructions, commissions coming from government and ministers into the system," he said. He also defended the idea of quangos – the term used to describe publicly funded organisations at arm's length from the government. "I've worked with six secretaries of state and complete changes of ministers. So there is an argument for a construct that would separate the delivery vehicle from government." The advantage, he said, is that "it brings in a steady engagement from relevant expertise on a particular topic. And the difference from the political world is.... they don't all necessarily come with relevant experience to run and oversee those areas". And he argued that NHS organisational changes can't do much to change the underlying health of the population: "The NHS deals with whoever or whatever comes through the gates in whatever condition. And many of the conditions of poor health are driven by factors outside the NHS." As Mr Meddings was setting out the case for the defence, the debate about the shake-up rages on. One well-placed source argued that NHS England's leaders had the chance just after the election to re-set the relationship with government but failed to do so as "there had been too much suspicion of politicians". The organisation, said the source, had become a bureaucracy that was "intellectually stagnant" and that its position interacting with both the health service and ministers "wasn't right". Ministers have argued that cutting around 9,000 jobs with the shift of NHS England into the Department of Health would free up resources for frontline services, perhaps as much as £500 million a year. Having two organisations often duplicating work, they say, led to wasted time and needless costs. But one NHS source noted that the government claimed credit for the fall in the overall waiting list for planned treatment since the election and a two million year-on-year increase in the number of appointments and operations – performance delivered on NHS England's watch. The same source pointed out that "with decrepit hospital buildings a new leadership structure won't make it any easier to carry out operations and care for patients". These are huge structural changes for the leadership of the NHS and health administration in England. But they will take time to implement. Moving two large organisations into one and implementing 9,000 redundancies will take up a lot of management time and there are warnings of possible distraction from the day to day running of services. Patients won't see much difference for a while yet. Wes Streeting questioned over NHS England redundancies NHS England to be axed as role returns to government control Abolishing NHS England is radical - why do it?
BBC News
16-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NHS England chair warns the buck stops with ministers
The chair of NHS England has said he does not disagree with the abolishing of the organisation - although he warns that the buck will now stop with ministers."There will no longer be a separate vehicle that can be pointed [at] to say that's what got it wrong," Richard Meddings told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, in the first interview with a senior official from the organisation since it was announced it would be this week the government confirmed the administrative body would be swallowed up by the Department of Health and Social Care. It will not affect patient care in hospitals, GP practices, and other health organisations but it will change how the NHS is Meddings, who is due to step down at the end of this month, acknowledged that ministers wanted to be involved in the running of the NHS, but argued there had been a subtle form of micromanagement. "At times, some weeks, almost 20 new instructions, commissions coming from government and ministers into the system," he said. He also defended the idea of quangos – the term used to describe publicly funded organisations at arm's length from the government. "I've worked with six secretaries of state and complete changes of ministers. So there is an argument for a construct that would separate the delivery vehicle from government."The advantage, he said, is that "it brings in a steady engagement from relevant expertise on a particular topic. And the difference from the political world is.... they don't all necessarily come with relevant experience to run and oversee those areas".And he argued that NHS organisational changes can't do much to change the underlying health of the population: "The NHS deals with whoever or whatever comes through the gates in whatever condition. And many of the conditions of poor health are driven by factors outside the NHS."As Mr Meddings was setting out the case for the defence, the debate about the shake-up rages well-placed source argued that NHS England's leaders had the chance just after the election to re-set the relationship with government but failed to do so as "there had been too much suspicion of politicians". The organisation, said the source, had become a bureaucracy that was "intellectually stagnant" and that its position interacting with both the health service and ministers "wasn't right".Ministers have argued that cutting around 9,000 jobs with the shift of NHS England into the Department of Health would free up resources for frontline services, perhaps as much as £500 million a year. Having two organisations often duplicating work, they say, led to wasted time and needless one NHS source noted that the government claimed credit for the fall in the overall waiting list for planned treatment since the election and a two million year-on-year increase in the number of appointments and operations – performance delivered on NHS England's watch. The same source pointed out that "with decrepit hospital buildings a new leadership structure won't make it any easier to carry out operations and care for patients".These are huge structural changes for the leadership of the NHS and health administration in England. But they will take time to implement. Moving two large organisations into one and implementing 9,000 redundancies will take up a lot of management time and there are warnings of possible distraction from the day to day running of services. Patients won't see much difference for a while yet.
South China Morning Post
16-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Former UK PM John Major warns of dangers if US does not stand by allies
Published: 2:08am, 17 Feb 2025 A world in which the United States does not support its allies will be 'rather more dangerous', former British prime minister John Major warned. He said democracy is under threat and 'tin-pot dictators' would be emboldened if US President Donald Trump rushes into a peace deal that leaves Russian President Vladimir Putin in control of Ukrainian territory. And he said if the US 'retreats towards isolation' it would leave the door open for China and Russia to wield increased influence. 'There's no doubt in my mind that the world is changing and that it's reshaping, that it may not be reshaping in a way that's congenial to the West and that it's a very unsettled time indeed,' Major said. Speaking to the BBC's The World This Weekend , he said: 'The president's phone call to Putin, in which we learned that negotiations to end the war would start immediately. There had been no consultation with Ukraine or anyone else. 'He then made concessions to Russia, which I think is fairly unprecedented, having made perfectly clear that the US troops would not defend Ukraine, that Russia might be able to keep land that Putin had taken by force, that Ukraine would not be able to join Nato . 'These were all unilateral remarks from the present administration in the United States to the world.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US isolation threatens global democracy, warns Major
Sir John Major has warned that democracy is under threat as the United States steps back from its leading role in the world. The former prime minister told the BBC that US President Donald Trump's policy of American "isolation" was creating a power vacuum that would embolden nations like Russia and China. Sir John, who was PM from 1990 to 1997, said the gains made since the collapse of the Soviet Union were now being reversed - and that there was "no doubt" Russia would invade elsewhere before long. He said that "ugly nationalism" growing concurrently was making for a "very unsettled time". His comments come as European leaders prepare for an emergency summit on Monday on the war in Ukraine. US and Russian officials are due to open peace talks in the coming days despite concerns European nations including Ukraine were being locked out. Sir John also rejected US Vice-President JD Vance's recent criticism of Europe's record on free speech, suggesting the remarks should have been directed at the authorities in Moscow or Beijing. He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "It's extremely odd to lecture Europe on the subject of free speech and democracy at the same time as they're cuddling Mr Putin. "In Mr Putin's Russia, people who disagree with him disappear, or die, or flee the country, or - on a statistically unlikely level - fall out of high windows somewhere in Moscow." 'No durable peace' in Ukraine if Europe not in talks - minister Trump administration's mixed messaging on foreign policy leaves world guessing Top US envoy to meet Russian officials for Ukraine peace talks Sir John said the world was changing and "may not be reshaping in a way that is congenial to the West". He continued: "Many of the gains we made over recent years, when the Soviet Union collapsed, are now being reversed and you see a very aggressive Russia again in Ukraine. "And if they were to succeed with their venture in Ukraine, no doubt they'd be elsewhere before too long. "There is no doubt in my mind that democracy has been in modest decline over the last 18 years. "There is an ugly nationalism growing, mostly from the intolerant right… So it is a very unsettled time." The former Conservative leader, who presided over a tumultuous time for the UK's economy, said he sympathised with the challenges the current Chancellor Rachel Reeves faced, but said the global situation may require more defence funding. "It's very, very easy to say from outside government, 'I'd just do this and I'd spend all this money'. "I would prefer to say I would realise in my plans that we have to make a very material increase in the level of defence expenditure and do it as a priority as soon as it is credible to do so." Speaking earlier on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynold said the UK and Europe had to respond to US demands for them to pay more towards their "collective defence" in the face of "greater threats". He said the government would set out a roadmap to increase defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of the nation's economic output, but declined to offer a definitive timetable. Reynolds also played down divisions between the US and its allies over resolving the Ukraine conflict, insisting there was "still a great deal of common ground". European leaders set to hold emergency summit on Ukraine UK and EU countries must spend more on defence, says Lammy UK military too 'run down' to lead Ukraine peace mission - ex-Army chief
