Chris Whiteside's Blog

The government confirmed today that   the £2 bus fare cap in England will be extended thanks to savings from HS2   – taking the long-term decisions to deliver a better transport system and help millions of passengers with the cost-of-living. Buses are the most popular form of public transport so keeping bus fares down will benefit far more people than the previous HS2 project.  That is why the Conservative government is extending the ‘Get Around for £2’ scheme all the way to December 2024 – which has only been made possible by redirecting HS2 funding as part of Network North, taking total government investment to keeping bus fares down to nearly £600 million.  Our £2 bus fare cap has helped the cost of bus fares fall across England outside London by 7.4 per cent, whereas in Labour-run London and Wales and SNP-run Scotland, bus fares have increased.

There have been some pretty silly things said on all sides of politics and in most of the countries around the world in the last few years. But for sheer implausible daftness I don't think any of them match the claim by the Putin regime in Russia about the riot at Dagestan, for which  Putin blamed the West, Ukraine after a mob stormed a Russian airport to 'catch' Jews | Reuters . Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Monday that the riot was the result of a “provocation” orchestrated from outside Russia, with Ukraine playing a “direct and key role”. Putin himself reportedly made similar allegations at a meeting with security chiefs. In response, Pinchas Goldschmidt, who served as the chief rabbi of Moscow for nearly 30 years until he left the country last year because of his opposition to the war in Ukraine, commented that, “In a country where everything is tightly controlled by the government, it is inconceivable that these riots were not inst

Hat tip to Guido Fawke's "Order, order" blog for this little gem. You would think even Labour MPs, let alone front-benchers, would know that pensions are paid to, er, pensioners.  Yet here is the shadow minister "For the future of work" putting down a parliamentary question asking how many primary school children are eligible for pension credit ...  

 

Today,   millions of people across the country are set to receive the second of up to three Cost of Living payments   ahead of the winter, as we focus on long-term decisions to halve inflation and help people’s wages go further.  Tackling inflation is the best way to boost people’s real incomes, but as we work to halve it, we must support families through the challenging winter months. That is why over eight million households in receipt of means tested benefits across the UK will receive the second of up to three Cost of Living payments from today – totalling up to £900 through 2023-24. On top of this, nearly three million people will receive the Warm Home Discount, a £150 rebate on their electricity bills and the £25 Cold Weather Payment will come into effect from tomorrow.  This cost of living support will help hardworking people with daily costs as we continue to take the long-term decisions to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt. 

 

 

The government has  written to police chiefs to encourage them to double the number of searches they make using retrospective facial recognition technology ,   recognition technology, cutting crime and freeing up police time, meaning more officers can be out on the beat.   AI technology is a powerful tool for good, with huge opportunities to advance policing and cut crime.  That is why the policing minister has written to police chiefs to encourage them to double the number of searches they making using retrospective facial recognition technology to track down known offenders by May 2024.  This technology will help police identify those wanted for serious crimes as well as missing people, freeing up police time and resources, meaning more officers can be out on the beat, engaging with communities and carrying out complex investigations. 

For Mountain Awareness day yesterday, the Ordinance Survey created this image using data from 2019-23 to show the common areas in England and Wales that @mountainresquk are most frequently called out to. If you are walking in the hills and mountains, in England Wales or indeed Scotland or Northern Ireland, be sure to take account of the fact that clocks have gone back and make sure you've factored in the different and shortening daylight hours.

I don't often quote the SNP first minister of Scotland or agree with him, but I very much agree with a message he posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the dreadful scenes at Dagestan airport where a mob stormed the airport looking for passengers from Israel. He posted: "Absolutely terrifying footage.  There is real fear amongst our Jewish communities worldwide about the rise of antisemitism.  I stand with our Jewish community in Scotland against antisemitism. We can not allow the forces of hatred to divide us." ( Humza Yousaf )

 

 

 

Don't forget that tonight marks the end of British Summer time in the UK and we get an extra hour, putting the clocks back an hour. Formally, after the first time the clocks reach 3am they should be reset to 2am.

This week the Prime Minister made a speech on how we have a global responsibility to understand and address the risks surrounding AI , in order to realise all its benefits and opportunities for future generations. Artificial intelligence has the power to transform our society for the better, bringing new opportunities for economic growth and to advance human capability, but it also brings new dangers and new fears. That is why the Prime Minister announced the creation of the world’s first Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute, and is hosting the world’s first ever Global AI Safety Summit next week where we will be pushing for the first ever international agreement about the nature of the risks posed by the most advanced AI. We are also investing a further £100 million to accelerate the use of AI on the most transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases, ensuring that we all benefit from the opportunities that AI presents. We are making sure that ever

"Can I join him in welcoming the new members ... after all, I suspect the new member for Mid-Beds may actually support me a little bit more than the last one."  (Prime Minister Rishi Sunak 's reply to the first question from the leader of the opposition at this week's Prime Minister's questions.)

This week the Conservative government announced that it is  rolling out the next stage of Britain's childcare plan , including launching new online tools and delivering more nursery and early years places and spaces, giving parents more childcare options as we grow the economy.   Accessing affordable and high-quality childcare is essential for parents, especially mothers, who want return to work or increase their hours after having children, ensuring no one has to choose between having a career and having a family. That is why we are rolling out the next stage of our childcare plan, investing £100 million to deliver more nursery and early years places, allocating the £289 million wraparound childcare fund to local authorities, and introducing a new online childcare eligibility checker so that parents can see exactly what additional childcare support they will be entitled to. We are making the largest ever investment in childcare worth up to £6,500 a year for parents, ensuring that

 

 

This week marked the end of a session of parliament, and a whole series of bills received Royal Assent, meaning that they will come into law as the government takes action to address some of the problems Britain faces. The Conservative government under Rishi Sunak has been taking long-term decisions to deliver new laws for a brighter future. Since the Prime Minister took office one year ago, we have offered immediate relief to hardworking families whilst being the only party able to make the long-term decisions for our country.  Last session we passed 39 bills. These included laws to stop the boats, bolster our energy security, and keep people safe by cracking down on disruptive protests, protecting children from harmful content online, and ensuring minimum service levels during strikes. This legislation allows us to deliver on our five priorities, whilst taking the long-term difficult decisions that are in the best interests of the country.  Bills that received Royal Assent include :

The UK government has announced  more support for flood-hit areas   to help communities recover from the impact of Storm Babet. The recent flooding we have seen can have a devastating impact on communities, so we are doing all we can to support councils and individuals to help them recover. That is why the government is providing communities with funding via the Flood Recovery Framework, including £500 of cash for affected households to help with immediate costs, as well as 100 per cent council tax and business rates relief for at least three months for households and businesses. Small-to-medium sized businesses will benefit from up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant and eligible flood-hit property owners will be able to apply for up to £5,000 to help make homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding. The UK government will continue to support those affected by flooding, helping them get back on their feet and recover from Storm Babet. 

Ahead of the Prime Minister's speech this morning and our world-leading AI summit next week, the government has   published a paper on the capabilities and risks from frontier AI , leading the way on AI safety and securing future opportunities for economic growth. AI will bring new knowledge, new opportunities for economic growth, new advances in human capability, but it also brings new dangers and new fears. That is why the government has published a new paper into the capabilities and risks from frontier AI for the first time in advance of the Prime Minister’s speech this morning and the AI Safety Summit next week at Bletchley Park. This aims to build a shared global understanding of the risks posed by frontier AI. It forms part of our action to take long-term decisions for a brighter future, leading the way globally on AI safety. We will continue to be at the forefront of global technological developments to make the most of the opportunities AI can bring to people up and down t

When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, he had to deliver the immediate relief people needed and provide their families with peace of mind. So his original actions and the targets he set included supporting people with the cost of living, paying half their energy bills and reducing inflation, seeking to cut NHS waiting lists, and taking action to reduce small boat crossings which are down by a fifth this year compared with last year. But for the last 30 years, there has been too much short-term political decision making, taking the easy way out rather than fixing the underlying problems. The Prime Minister is determined to change that, That is why the PM has taken a series of long-term decisions over the last year to deliver the change this country needs – including tackling the costs of Net Zero; securing the Windsor Framework; reinvesting HS2 funding in local transport projects; and implementing the NHS’s first ever long-term workforce plan. There’s more to do, but this Government

Today the government announced that   thousands of children will receive earlier treatment for mental health through Early Support Hubs , helping to save lives and ensure fewer young people reach crisis point.  Early intervention in mental health is paramount and every child and young person should have somewhere to go when they are struggling with their mental health.  That is why the government is investing nearly £5 million to provide earlier, open-access mental health intervention. This funding will enable ten existing Early Support Hubs to expand their services locally and employ new staff like counsellors, youth workers, and other local experts.   This intervention comes on top of an extra £2.3 billion a year to transform NHS mental health services, helping to support millions of young people in the long-term with their mental health.  

This week the government announced announced plans to cease using   more than fifty hotels currently accommodating asylum seekers in the coming months , as we continue to make progress in stopping the boats and securing our borders.   Taxpayers cannot be expected to foot the eye-watering bill for the use of hotels to accommodate individuals making illegal, dangerous, and wholly unnecessary small boat crossings.  Our strategy to stop the boats is working. With small boat arrivals down more than 20 per cent on last year, we can now start to restore these hotels to their rightful use for local communities. The first fifty hotels across the UK will stop housing asylum seekers by the end of January and asylum seekers currently accommodated in these hotels will be moved to other parts of the UK’s asylum estate, including the Bibby Stockholm barge.  We remain absolutely determined, through the Illegal Migration Act and our Rwanda partnership, to dismantle the smuggling gangs’ business model a

Today marks a year since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister and a year of long-term decisions under a  Prime Minister who is committed to changing our country for the better and providing a brighter future for every hardworking family.   When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, he had to deliver the immediate relief people needed and provide families with peace of mind. So, we supported people with the cost of living – paying half their energy bills and reducing inflation, cut NHS waiting lists, and reduced small boat crossings by a fifth.  But for the last thirty years, there has been too much short-term political decision making, taking the easy way out rather than fixing the underlying problems. The Prime Minister is determined to change that.  That is why he has taken a series of long-term decisions over the last year to deliver the change this country needs – including tackling the costs of Net Zero, securing the Windsor Framework, reinvesting HS2 funding in local transport projects

Latest ONS jobs figures released today show that there are almost four million more people in work since 2010 . By comparison Labour have never left office with unemployment lower than when they started. These figures demonstrate that under Conservative government business has more opportunity to invest and create more jobs, giving more people the security of work. The UK, like economies across the world, is facing economic pressures, but thanks to a strong workforce our economy is resilient and we are making progress on our priority to halve inflation.  New figures released today show there are almost 33 million people employed across the UK, which means there are almost four million more people in work since 2010 and 1.1 million more people in payrolled employment since before the pandemic. By comparison, since WWII, Labour have never left office with unemployment lower than when they were elected, only the Conservatives can deliver the jobs we need. We know the best strategy is a jo

We are starting our Network North plan by investing £150 million of savings from HS2 to improve bus services across the North and Midlands , with the £2 bus fare cap also extended across the country from next week. Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport, which is why our ‘Get Around for £2’ scheme is in place, making bus fares cheaper for the millions of people that rely on them. Bus fares in areas where Conservatives are in charge have fallen, meanwhile fares continue to rise where Labour and the SNP are in power. Savings from HS2 are ensuring that, from next week, bus fares are continuing to be capped at £2 all the way to 31 December 2024, saving bus passengers money. Our Network North plan will see £1 billion of investment in bus services across the North and Midlands – the first £150 million of which we announced yesterday.  This funding is only possible due to the long-term decision we have taken to redirect every penny of savings from HS2 in transport project

 

  What Network North will mean for you: click on the link below for details of how this project will deliver cheaper, faster and more reliable transport across the UK. Network North - Levelling Up

 

 

 

 Sir Bobbie Charlton, one of the greatest footballers of all time and a true gentleman known as much for his humility and integrity as his outstanding ability to score goals, has died at the age of 86.   A statement from his family confirmed: "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Sir Bobby passed peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning. "He was surrounded by his family. His family would like to pass on their thanks to everyone who has contributed to his care and for the many people who have loved and supported him. "We would request that the family’s privacy be respected at this time.” Rest in Peace

 

A very powerful adddress by Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of Florida, about the evils of Anti-semitism and why nobody shoud go down the path of hate against Jews or any other group of people. This is worth listening to.  

 

Today the Prime Minister has been visiting Egypt,   following talks in Israel and Saudi Arabia , underscoring the UK’s firm belief in the right of Israel to defend itself and stressing the importance of avoiding escalation.  Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel, claiming over 1,400 lives. We are unequivocal that Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international law.  That is why the Prime Minister visited Israel, meeting with both President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, underscoring Israel’s right to defend itself, welcoming the announcement Israel will not prevent aid entering Gaza and stressing the need to avoid regional escalation of the conflict. The Prime Minister then flew to Saudi Arabia where he had a productive meeting with the Crown Prince agreeing on the need to deliver aid to ordinary Palestinians and prevent escalation. He will today visit Egypt to continue talks. We will stand with Israel in its darkest hour and work with our al

 

Today,   the Prime Minister met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog of Israel as he began a two-day visit to the region , reiterating our support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack and working to prevent further escalation of the conflict.  The attack on Al Ahli Hospital should be a watershed moment for leaders across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict, we are ensuring the UK is at the forefront of that effort. That is why the Prime Minister is beginning his two-day visit to the region by meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the President, Isaac Herzog, while the Foreign Secretary is also currently in the region visiting Egypt, Turkey and Qatar as we work to prevent further escalation of the conflict. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and we will continue to offer our support in the wake of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack while working to prevent further dangero

 

Figures released this week show the rate of inflation held steady at 6.7 per cent in September – we must stick to our plan to deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority to halve inflation.  We have seen across other big economies that inflation rarely falls in a straight line, but if we stick to our plan then most experts expect it to keep falling this year.  Figures released this week show the rate of inflation held steady at 6.7 per cent in September. We must stick to our plan to halve inflation this year and get it back to the two per cent target as soon as possible, so we can ease the pressure on families and businesses.  The decisive action the government has taken to tackle inflation is working – the rate of inflation has fallen from double digits and is now at the lowest level since February last year. We must stay the course in order to halve inflation.

"One thing that I genuinely think would be useful. A public information campaign at election time explaining why agents from the parties ask for polling numbers. It’s to save people who have voted being disturbed during the knock up. It’s not to try and divine how they vote." ( Dan Hodges , former Labour and Trade Union activist, now a journalist, on X, formerly twitter, today.)

Yesterday,   the Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar   and   Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia   about the situation in Israel and Gaza to discuss areas of cooperation to avoid further destabilisation and reiterating our support for Israel’s right to defend itself.  Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack on Israel last week shocked the world – whilst supporting Israel’s right to defend itself we are working with international partners to alleviate humanitarian suffering and secure the release of hostages. That is why the Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia yesterday. The leaders discussed areas of cooperation to avoid further destabilisation across the Middle East and alleviate the humanitarian suffering. The Prime Minister also urged Qatar’s leaders to help secure the release of British hostages. The Prime Minister reiterated his complete condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attack and set out the UK’s efforts to support Israel and protect civilians an

The latest   new jobs figures show there are over 1.1 million more people in payrolled employment since the start of the pandemic and wage growth continues to be strong , showing the progress of Conservative governments in giving more people the long-term security of their own income as we work to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.  To deliver the long-term recovery that our economy needs, we must ensure that people across the country have access to the jobs that are right for them as we grow the economy. New figures released today (17th October 2023) show there are over 1.1 million more people in payrolled employment since the start of the pandemic and annual growth in pay (excluding bonuses) was above inflation at 7.8 per cent in June to August 2023.  The Conservative government is taking the long-term decisions needed to secure a brighter economic future - giving people the security of their own income as we work to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.

 

The government has  announced   new support for the most vulnerable to access justice   following the expansion of a scheme to help people with court and tribunal fees, ensuring the most vulnerable in society get the justice they deserve. No matter what someone’s finances, it is vital they can get the justice they deserve amidst the rising cost of living challenges.  That is why the Conservative government is are making it easier for more people to get help with court fees through the Help with Fees scheme which has already helped tens of thousands of people pay court fees since we created the scheme in 2013, providing over £80 million in the last year alone to thousands of people.  These reforms will make the scheme more generous for those who need it most - so everyone has access to justice when needed. 

The British government has announced that   UK military assets will be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and reinforce regional stability   – as we do all we can to help Israel defend itself against the evil of Hamas.   The State of Israel and the Jewish community has our unwavering support. We must be unequivocal in making sure the horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated.   That is why Britain is deploying world class military support to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel. Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying over the region from today to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. Meanwhile, a Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts.  As we confront the evil of terrorism, we will work closely with international partners to ensure regional security and stability. 

"I have now directed coverage of 4 Israeli wars in Gaza and this is the 5th.  In each, an average of 20-25% of Hamas rockets fired from Gaza fall short and land in Gaza, often killing Gazan civilians.  These deaths are all blamed on Israel by Hamas’s Gaza Health Ministry, parroted by major media outlets.  So far, over 6000 rockets have been fired. Some 1500 will have fallen short.  How many of the Gaza deaths blamed on Israel were actually caused by Hamas rockets?" ( Dovid Efune of the New York Sun, posting on X, formerly Twitter, yesterday) 

Whatever you think about who is responsible for the tragic events in the Middle East - I have made no secret about my own views - none of the communities who live in this country are responsible and it is totally unacceptable that anyone should stir up hatred against innocent members of any community here. This week the UK government announced £3 million of extra funding to protect schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community buildings in the UK – as we do all we can to protect the Jewish community here in the UK.  Israel’s defensive action against Hamas must not be used as an excuse to stir up hatred against the Jewish population. The Jewish people are under attack in their homeland – we must do everything in our power to protect Jewish people everywhere in our country.  That is why the government is increasing protection for the British Jewish community, providing £3 million of extra funding to the Community Security Trust – an organisation established to protect British Jews f

A week on from when Hamas terrorists effectively started a new round of war in the Middle East with their attacks on civilian and military targets in Israel, barbaric attacks which they openly proclaimed were particularly intended to kill Jews but which have also caused the deaths of people of many nationalities and races including Arabs and the very Palestinian civilians who Hamas claim to be defending, the British  PM has made a statement about the UK's commitment to stand with Israel and Britain's Jewish community - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) This is what he said: "No words can begin to describe the horror and barbarism unleashed in Israel a week ago. Daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, grandparents taken from people in the cruellest and most horrific way possible. Hundreds of people have been killed, many wounded or missing and others living through the unimaginable agony of having a loved one kidnapped and held hostage.  British citizens were among the victim

 

An awful lot of nonsense gets posted on X, formerly Twitter, but just every so often you find a real gem. Thanks to Helen Ingram for tweeting this - she added the words "I have a new hero." I thought I was a book lover, but this is something else ...