Author: Fatimah Idera

General practitioners (GPs) in England have warned they may take industrial action over government plans to expand online appointment booking, arguing the move will overwhelm surgeries and put patient safety at risk. The new system, set to begin Wednesday, will allow patients to request GP appointments online between 8am and 6:30pm, Monday to Friday. The policy is designed to end the 8am scramble for appointments, but doctors say it risks triggering a surge in demand. The British Medical Association (BMA) accused ministers of breaking a February agreement to introduce safeguards before the rollout, ensuring non-urgent queries were filtered out. The…

Labour has announced plans to raise pay for care workers in England from 2028, alongside the creation of a new negotiating body bringing together trade unions and employers to improve wages and conditions in the sector. Health secretary Wes Streeting will allocate £500m to fund the initial increase and begin setting up the body this year. The first of its kind in the UK, will establish a legally backed fair pay agreement, with recommendations applying across both public and private care providers. The move forms part of Labour’s wider workers’ rights package, aimed at addressing the sector’s recruitment and retention…

Retailers in the UK have warned the government that further tax increases could fuel inflation, as shop prices rose again in September. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and analysts NIQ, annual shop price inflation climbed to 1.4 per cent in September, up from 0.9 per cent in August. Rising costs in home improvement and gardening products drove the increase, offsetting stabilising food prices. For the first time in 18 months, deflation in non-food goods appears to be ending, with prices falling by just 0.1 per cent year-on-year in September compared with a larger 0.8 per cent drop in…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a major crackdown on long-term youth unemployment, warning that young people could lose their benefits if they refuse job offers after 18 months on Universal Credit. Unveiling the new Youth Guarantee, Reeves will promise paid work placements for 18 to 21-year-olds who have been out of work, education, or training for over 18 months. Those who turn down job offers without a valid reason could face sanctions, including loss of benefits. The scheme, to be outlined at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, will be funded through government subsidies and aims to engage major employers…

Rail passengers in Yorkshire are being invited to take part in a new ticketless travel trial that uses smartphones to track journeys and charge the lowest fare automatically. The trial is being run on Northern services between Leeds and Harrogate, where passengers can download an app that uses GPS to detect their location and check in when they begin a journey. A unique QR code is then generated, which can be used to pass through ticket barriers and for inspection by train conductors. At the end of their trip, passengers simply tap the end journey in the app, and a…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she is proud of the government’s economic record after 15 months in office but admits there’s more to do. Speaking in a BBC interview, Reeves highlighted that the UK currently has the “fastest growth in the G7,” despite official figures showing only 0.3% growth last quarter. She also pointed to trade deals and falling interest rates as evidence of progress. Reeves announced a new scheme to guarantee work placements for young people who have been out of work or education for 18 months. However, when asked which businesses had signed up to provide placements, she said…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced tough new rules that will require migrants to earn the right to settle permanently in the UK. In her first Labour conference speech, Mahmood said indefinite leave to remain (ILR) would no longer depend only on time spent in Britain but also on how much migrants contribute to society. Under the proposed reforms, migrants will need to pay taxes and national insurance, support themselves without claiming benefits, keep a clean criminal record  volunteer or contribute to the community, and speak English to a high standard. Also, the waiting period for ILR will rise from…

The UK Government is facing renewed pressure to restore the Electoral Commission’s independence amid warnings that its current oversight powers threaten democracy. Reports revealed that UK is breaching eight international standards designed to protect electoral bodies from political interference. Ministerial powers, introduced under Boris Johnson in 2022, could be easily abused by a future authoritarian government to distort elections. Although the watchdog responsible for overseeing elections and campaign finance, was placed under government oversight for the first time when Johnson gave ministers the right to set its policy objectives. Critics, including parliamentary committees and the Committee on Standards in Public…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned Reform UK’s plans to scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for legal migrants, calling the proposals “racist” and “immoral” as Labour’s annual party conference began in Liverpool. Speaking to the media, Starmer said Reform’s policy would tear the country apart, urging Labour members to unite against what he described as Nigel Farage’s divisive agenda. He said, “We’ve got the fight of our lives ahead,” he warned, acknowledging the growing threat Reform poses to Labour in the polls. Reform hit back quickly and Policy chief, Zia Yusuf accused Labour of prioritising migrants over taxpayers, saying:…

A child has died while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, according to French authorities. The teenager’s body was found on Sunday morning on a beach in Saint-Étienne-au-Mont, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, after reportedly falling from a crowded dinghy. The incident came just a day after three other people lost their lives during similar attempts to reach the UK. Two Somali women were reportedly crushed onboard a boat, while the body of a man was recovered from a canal in Gravelines, near Dunkirk. French officials said the dinghy carrying the child had been crammed with people, with 48…