Latest news with #publicservices
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
South London location for Emergency Services Campus approved by council without seeing confidential feasibility study
London city council has approved using 50-acres of prime farmland on Manning Road for the new emergency services campus.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
French are told they 'don't work enough' as minister launches crackdown on Le Sickie to stop country slipping into bankruptcy
Workers in France have been told to stop being in denial and accept that they 'do not work enough' as the government aims to clampdown on soaring levels of absenteeism. Prime Minister François Bayrou is cracking down on those who pull a sickie in an attempt to 'reconcile the French with work', and save the country from bankruptcy. The country has fewer people working than its neighbours and spends the most on benefits, 'yet the French are increasingly dissatisfied with their public services and we are the most pessimistic country in the world', the prime minister said last week when laying out plans for next year's budget. President Emmanuel Macron tasked Bayrou with crafting a budget that shaves costs to bring down France's staggering debt and deficit - while also adding billions in new defense spending to face what Macron says are resurgent threats from Russia and beyond. His proposed measures include scrapping two public holidays, putting pressure on doctors to stop handing out notes for non-existent symptoms and getting people off work to tell their employers the medical condition they are suffering from. The level of absence from work in France is one of Europe's highest and at least double that of Britain. Nearly six percent of employees in the private sector are off sick from work at any time, while the rate of absenteeism has soared by 40 percent over the last five years. Between 2014 and 2022, there was a 79 percent increase in public servants taking sick leave. Meanwhile, people staying off work for 'psycho-social' conditions have jumped since the pandemic. The cost of these absences is estimated at up to 80 billion euros, or £69 billion. But his plans have sparked outrage among opposition groups on the left and right sides of the political spectrum. In addition, unions have accused the government of trying to 'destroy the health of the French' as they crack down on sick leave. Parliament is set to vote on Bayrou's 2026 budget this autumn. With no parliamentary majority, Macron's centrist grouping must win support from adversaries on the left and right to pass the budget.
Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Times
Government and opposition alike must do much better
Out of the three parties that matter most, only one will be looking forward to autumn. When parliament packed up for the summer recess this time last year, the new Labour administration had a stonking majority, a sense of confidence and a clear plan of action. Twelve months on, morale has collapsed. Rarely have a government's fortunes declined so far, so fast. This is not the consequence of world events or the vagaries of the global economy: Sir Keir Starmer is to blame. He came into power with the stated aim of boosting the economy's performance to improve public services. But prioritising growth demanded a degree of discipline that he has signally failed to demonstrate. Although the government has chalked up a few achievements — for instance, in reforming the planning system — too often other considerations have taken precedence over growth. Workers' rights have been strengthened to the detriment of companies. Taxes on employers have been raised with the consequence that firms are hiring fewer people. Higher pay for public servants has contributed to the deterioration of public finances. The government's big effort to rein in spending centred on its planned reform of the welfare system, but Labour backbenchers rebelled against it. Instead of facing up to the rebels by making the issue a vote of confidence, the prime minister backed down. Predictably, this cave-in has encouraged further dissent. The prime minister's problem is that he is a conciliator rather than a leader. That is why he has proved to be an effective diplomat in his dealings with foreign leaders. With his low-key style, he has succeeded in improving Britain's relationship with Europe, in encouraging European leaders to co-operate over defence and in establishing a good working relationship with Donald Trump, despite the two men's glaring ideological differences. These external successes cannot compensate for Sir Keir's domestic failures, however. They have cost him credibility and the economy momentum. In the past two months, national output has shrunk while public debt continues to mount. In June, the government borrowed £20.7 billion. That is £6.6 billion more than in June last year and £3.6 billion more than expected. As Sir Keir has lost focus on the economy, concentrating on averting short-term difficulties rather than pursuing a coherent agenda, he has come to look like a tactical politician rather than a strategic one. Both MPs and voters are increasingly unclear about what his government is for. Labour is divided between pragmatists who want order in the public finances and leftwingers who want to spend more. The autumn budget, in which Rachel Reeves will have to reconcile the conflicting demands of the bond markets and Labour MPs' desire to protect social spending, will be a pivotal moment in the government's life. Sir Keir's greatest boon has been the state of the Conservative Party. Despite a welcome recent attempt to reassert the party's commitment to fiscal rectitude in the wake of the government's welfare debacle, Kemi Badenoch has failed to establish a clear identity around which her party can coalesce. At 23.7 per cent, its share of the vote in the last election was the lowest yet; it has declined further in polling since then, to 17 per cent. This week's reshuffle will not by itself reverse the Tories' decline: changes in personnel cannot compensate for the lack of a compelling story. The one party that has succeeded in devising one in the past year is Reform. Nigel Farage has capitalised on the loss of direction in both main parties to seize a commanding lead in the polls. Sir Keir and Ms Badenoch need to develop better ways of countering Mr Farage over the summer, or he will make short work of them in the coming year. For both, it is a case of 'must do better'.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Budget plan for €9.4bn public spending boost will be reconsidered if tariffs hit
Plans to spend an extra €9.4 billion on public services , tax cuts and building projects next year will be reconsidered if the US imposes tariffs on EU imports, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said on Tuesday. But they, along with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris , pledged that if there is pressure on spending plans, they would protect infrastructure budgets and cut growth in current spending on public services, welfare and tax cuts to realise the necessary savings. The Coalition leaders launched a review of the National Development Plan (NDP), promising to spend €100 billion between now and 2030 – a €30 billion increase over what was planned – to improve water, energy, transport and housing infrastructure. [ National Development Plan shows the Government is about to bet big on capital expenditure Opens in new window ] The ambitious plans were overshadowed by the threat of a trade war between the European Union and United States, which Mr Donohoe and Mr Chambers admitted could compel them to revise plans published on Tuesday for a budget day package of €9.4 billion in October. READ MORE In the event of high tariffs, the Government would 'recalibrate its fiscal strategy' and reduce the budget package to keep public finances stable, said Mr Donohoe. Already, the plans for October's Budget 2026 envisage growth in public spending being trimmed from 8-9 per cent of recent years to 6.4 per cent next year. Mr Donohoe said there would be a package of tax cuts of some €1.5 billion. But he added that the cost of cutting VAT on hospitality – a Fine Gael election promise included in the programme for government – would amount to nearly €1 billion in a full year, meaning the scope for any tax adjustments to rates and bands would be reduced significantly. Tariffs: Why has Donald Trump threatened the EU again? Listen | 47:35 'It would not be right to grow the scale of our tax package,' said Mr Donohoe. The Coalition published the amended NDP and summer economic statement at Government Buildings on Tuesday. The NDP promises expenditure of €25 billion on capital projects in 2026, with the amount increasing every year and peaking at €28 billion in 2029. The total is set to reach more than €100 billion by 2030. The plan was immediately criticised for not identifying individual projects, though the Government did point to a small number of 'megaprojects', including the Dublin Metro and two big water schemes: the Shannon to Dublin water supply project and Greater Dublin Area drainage initiative. Social Democrats spokesman on public expenditure Cian O'Callaghan said the plan is 'so vague it doesn't even rise to the level of wish list'. Sinn Féin 's health spokesman David Cullinane said the allocation for health falls 'far short of what is needed' over the next five years. Labour 's Marie Sherlock, meanwhile, has said the €2 billion allocated for the MetroLink is 'hardly a vote of confidence that the project will be substantively progressed in this decade'. The summer economic statement, normally a key document in the preparation of the October budget, was considerably shorter and less detailed than usual. It contained several warnings, however, about threats to the State's public finances from several sources. [ NDP shows Government about to bet big on capital expenditure Opens in new window ] 'Even before the full impact of tariffs takes hold, it is increasingly evident that heightened levels of uncertainty have prompted firms to delay investment plans and households to step up precautionary savings. These headwinds are set to slow the pace of economic expansion,' it said. The document also warned that the 'headline surplus is now likely to be considerably lower than set out in the spring'. It flagged that spending pressures in several Government departments will require additional funding above their agreed allocations, prompting Mr Chambers to warn of the need for spending discipline and an end to bailouts in the second half of the year – a now familiar necessity in some departments.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government borrowing soars to second highest level on record
Government borrowing rose significantly more than expected last month as debt interest payments soared. Official figures show the cost of public services and interest payments on government debt are rising faster than the increases in income tax and national insurance contributions. It means government borrowing reached the second-highest level last month since records began in 1993, according to the data from the Office for National Statistics. June's borrowing figures - £20.684bn - were second only to the highs seen in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when many workers were furloughed. State borrowing was more than £6bn higher than the same month last year. But despite this latest rise, borrowing this year is in line with the March forecast from the independent forecasters at the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). It's bad news for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has vowed to bring down government debt and balance the budget by 2030 as part of her self-imposed fiscal rules. She's expected to increase taxes to meet the gap between spending and tax revenue. Ms Reeves's deputy, the chief secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, said, "We are committed to tough fiscal rules, so we do not borrow for day-to-day spending and get debt down as a share of our economy." "This commitment to economic stability means we can get on with investing in Britain's renewal". This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
