Boris Johnson has announced a £700m expansion of UK nuclear power to bring the Sizewell C plant into operation. In his last major speech as prime minister, Mr Johnson lamented the UK’s failure to build new nuclear power stations, blaming “myopia” and short-termism – politicians can’t see beyond the politician circle, as he hit out at Labor for not having built any. Visiting Suffolk, Mr Johnson is expected to confirm reports that funding for the Sizewell C plant has been given the green light. It comes amid the country’s ongoing energy crisis continuing to dominate the political agenda and just days before Liz Truss is expected to be approved as his successor. Earlier on Thursday, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said he was “deeply concerned” that people could freeze to death this winter as energy bills soar. He admitted that government help for people struggling with the cost of living was not enough and insisted that “nothing is off the table”. His comments came after Ms Truss pledged “no new taxes” if she becomes prime minister next week, specifically ruling out a new windfall tax on energy companies making huge profits as a result of the historic rise in gas prices. .
Basic points
Show latest update 1662031012
The Prime Minister says the Government will put £700m into Sizewell C
Announcing a £700m investment in Sizewell C, Mr Johnson said renewable energy is the future. Offshore wind is nine times cheaper than natural gas, he said. Vladimir Putin thought Europe would roll over and accept Russian gas – but he was wrong, he insisted. There would be a substantial sum of money from whoever took him, Mr Johnson promised. “Of course there will be more cash from whoever takes over from me… significant amounts.” Jane Dalton September 1, 2022 12:16 pm 1662030860
We will complete Sizewell C, Johnson pledges
Boris Johnson has hit out at Labor and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who has ruled out building new nuclear power stations, blaming politicians’ “myopia” for not looking ahead. If Hinckley Point C were operating now, it would cut fuel bills by £3bn, he said. In his final major speech as prime minister, Mr Johnson said the UK must make the final investment in Sizewell C, saying he was confident the government would “get them over the line”. Jane Dalton September 1, 2022 12:14 p.m 1662030245
2.7 million eligible households in England had not yet received their £150 council tax discount
Around 2.7 million eligible households in England had not yet received a £150 council tax discount from the government to help with the cost of living at the end of July. Figures released on Thursday showed that 16.6 million households – 86% of beneficiaries – had received the lump sum payment by that date, according to the Department for Levelisation, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). More were expected to have received the money during August. However, anyone who has yet to receive payment should check their council’s website and submit a claim by the end of September, DLUHC said. The £150 discount for homes in council tax bands A to D in England is part of the government’s £37bn support package to help people with rising costs. All councils in England have started paying the money and have put processes in place to transfer it to those who do not pay their council tax through a flat rate. But it could take longer to reach council tax payers without direct debit arrangements, as local authorities must try to contact them about the rebate scheme and carry out audits, the Local Government Association said earlier this year. New figures show around £2.5bn has been sent to council tax properties under the scheme, the DLUHC said. Councils were given a further £144m to provide discretionary support to households struggling due to skyrocketing energy bills, including transient groups such as students and people on low incomes in council tax bands E to H. Leveling Up Secretary Greg Clark said: “I am delighted to see further progress in paying council tax credit to the millions of households who are entitled to it. “We want to make sure those most in need get the support they are entitled to to help households with living costs. That’s why I urge everyone to check their eligibility to get the discount and contact their councils if they haven’t.’ Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 12:04 p.m 1662029171
Boris Johnson is to issue a warning to his expected successor Liz Truss not to back down from his plans to wean the UK off fossil fuels with a massive investment program in nuclear and renewable energy. The outgoing prime minister is expected to break his pledge to avoid major spending commitments for his successor by confirming in a speech today that he has approved a 20% government stake in the proposed £30bn Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk. Mr Johnson will use the speech to argue that the new prime minister will continue to take “serious long-term decisions” to deliver energy security for the future and remove the threat from volatile gas and oil prices. Click here for the full story. Boris Johnson is in his last week as Prime Minister (PA Wire) Sam RkainaSeptember 1, 2022 11:46 1662028839
People ‘too scared’ to turn on the heating, warns Citizens Advice
The poorest households are already in a “weak position” due to rising energy bills and soaring inflation, the head of Citizens Advice has warned. Dame Clare Moriarty said things were already very difficult for households who have seen benefits and wages fail to keep up with rising prices, which will get worse as energy bills rise in October. He warned that the country faces long-term problems as a result of people not being able to afford food or heating. Dame Clare said Citizens Advice was contacted by someone who was so concerned about energy costs that she considered giving up using her lift, instead living on one floor of her house – but her bathroom and kitchen were on different levels. Another customer had a long-term condition but was “too scared” to turn on the heating, while rising prices in shops meant food banks were dealing with people who hadn’t eaten for more than 24 hours. Speaking at an event organized by the Resolution Foundation think tank, he urged the new prime minister to act once they are in No 10. Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will replace Boris Johnson on September 6. “We’re seeing people with more problems and more complex problems, quite at risk of homelessness right now,” he said. “We’re seeing mental health issues, relationship breakdowns, we’re seeing domestic violence – a whole host of things that aren’t directly related to people’s economic status, but are also very much related to it. “We see people who are already in impossible situations. One of the local Citizens Advice (staff) spoke of someone who came in and has a lift, who is afraid to use the lift because of the amount of electricity it needs, so he was trying to work out if he could live on the top floor or the bottom floor of a house, but the kitchen was on one floor and the bathroom was on the other. “People who come in and say ‘even though I have a chronic health condition and I need to be warm, I’m going to sit in constant pain because I’m too scared to turn on the heating when the weather gets colder.’ He warned: “People on lower incomes don’t have the capacity to absorb what’s happening now, let alone what’s coming in October.” Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 11:40 am 1662028239
Brexit Festival is ‘the perfect metaphor’ for Brexit, campaign group says
Best for Britain – the group campaigning for a closer UK-EU relationship – has hit back at figures showing that only 238,000 people have attended Unboxed, the arts events better known as the ‘Brexit Festival’. “With a bill of around £500 per attendee, the Brexit Festival is the perfect metaphor for how Brexit itself turned out to be hugely expensive and deeply unpopular, with nobody really getting what they wanted,” said chief executive Naomi Smith . The new prime minister needs to stop wasting cash on these vanity projects and put it where it’s needed, struggling families, businesses and public services.” Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 11:30 am 1662027358
The Ministry of Government Operations will be hit by a strike on the day announced by the new Prime Minister
Cleaners, security guards and other workers at the headquarters of a government department are set to strike on the day the new prime minister is announced. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union based at the Business Department in Westminster will take action on 5 and 6 September. PCS members, who are outsourced to ISS, are on strike over health and safety issues. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “For the new Prime Minister to face a strike on his first day in the job is a sign of things to come. “Our members across the public service are increasingly angry and desperate as the government does nothing to alleviate the cost of living crisis. “While prime ministerial candidates are pitching ever more right-wing ideas to Tory members, our own members – the people the new prime minister will rely on to get their job done – are facing a winter of real hardship.” Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 11:15 am 1662025154
British small business sales fall by a tenth
British small businesses have seen their sales fall by a tenth as customers tighten their belts in response to the cost of living crisis, figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales values fell by 10% in small businesses in July compared to the previous month, representing the biggest fall since the start of the coronavirus pandemic…
title: “Boris Johnson Today Pm Confirms 700M Nuclear Expansion Amid Energy Crisis Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Alice Rowland”
Boris Johnson has announced a £700m expansion of UK nuclear power to bring the Sizewell C plant into operation. In his last major speech as prime minister, Mr Johnson lamented the UK’s failure to build new nuclear power stations, blaming “myopia” and short-termism – politicians can’t see beyond the politician circle, as he hit out at Labor for not having built any. Visiting Suffolk, Mr Johnson is expected to confirm reports that funding for the Sizewell C plant has been given the green light. It comes amid the country’s ongoing energy crisis continuing to dominate the political agenda and just days before Liz Truss is expected to be approved as his successor. Earlier on Thursday, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said he was “deeply concerned” that people could freeze to death this winter as energy bills soar. He admitted that government help for people struggling with the cost of living was not enough and insisted that “nothing is off the table”. His comments came after Ms Truss pledged “no new taxes” if she becomes prime minister next week, specifically ruling out a new windfall tax on energy companies making huge profits as a result of the historic rise in gas prices. .
Basic points
Show latest update 1662031012
The Prime Minister says the Government will put £700m into Sizewell C
Announcing a £700m investment in Sizewell C, Mr Johnson said renewable energy is the future. Offshore wind is nine times cheaper than natural gas, he said. Vladimir Putin thought Europe would roll over and accept Russian gas – but he was wrong, he insisted. There would be a substantial sum of money from whoever took him, Mr Johnson promised. “Of course there will be more cash from whoever takes over from me… significant amounts.” Jane Dalton September 1, 2022 12:16 pm 1662030860
We will complete Sizewell C, Johnson pledges
Boris Johnson has hit out at Labor and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who has ruled out building new nuclear power stations, blaming politicians’ “myopia” for not looking ahead. If Hinckley Point C were operating now, it would cut fuel bills by £3bn, he said. In his final major speech as prime minister, Mr Johnson said the UK must make the final investment in Sizewell C, saying he was confident the government would “get them over the line”. Jane Dalton September 1, 2022 12:14 p.m 1662030245
2.7 million eligible households in England had not yet received their £150 council tax discount
Around 2.7 million eligible households in England had not yet received a £150 council tax discount from the government to help with the cost of living at the end of July. Figures released on Thursday showed that 16.6 million households – 86% of beneficiaries – had received the lump sum payment by that date, according to the Department for Levelisation, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). More were expected to have received the money during August. However, anyone who has yet to receive payment should check their council’s website and submit a claim by the end of September, DLUHC said. The £150 discount for homes in council tax bands A to D in England is part of the government’s £37bn support package to help people with rising costs. All councils in England have started paying the money and have put processes in place to transfer it to those who do not pay their council tax through a flat rate. But it could take longer to reach council tax payers without direct debit arrangements, as local authorities must try to contact them about the rebate scheme and carry out audits, the Local Government Association said earlier this year. New figures show around £2.5bn has been sent to council tax properties under the scheme, the DLUHC said. Councils were given a further £144m to provide discretionary support to households struggling due to skyrocketing energy bills, including transient groups such as students and people on low incomes in council tax bands E to H. Leveling Up Secretary Greg Clark said: “I am delighted to see further progress in paying council tax credit to the millions of households who are entitled to it. “We want to make sure those most in need get the support they are entitled to to help households with living costs. That’s why I urge everyone to check their eligibility to get the discount and contact their councils if they haven’t.’ Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 12:04 p.m 1662029171
Boris Johnson is to issue a warning to his expected successor Liz Truss not to back down from his plans to wean the UK off fossil fuels with a massive investment program in nuclear and renewable energy. The outgoing prime minister is expected to break his pledge to avoid major spending commitments for his successor by confirming in a speech today that he has approved a 20% government stake in the proposed £30bn Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk. Mr Johnson will use the speech to argue that the new prime minister will continue to take “serious long-term decisions” to deliver energy security for the future and remove the threat from volatile gas and oil prices. Click here for the full story. Boris Johnson is in his last week as Prime Minister (PA Wire) Sam RkainaSeptember 1, 2022 11:46 1662028839
People ‘too scared’ to turn on the heating, warns Citizens Advice
The poorest households are already in a “weak position” due to rising energy bills and soaring inflation, the head of Citizens Advice has warned. Dame Clare Moriarty said things were already very difficult for households who have seen benefits and wages fail to keep up with rising prices, which will get worse as energy bills rise in October. He warned that the country faces long-term problems as a result of people not being able to afford food or heating. Dame Clare said Citizens Advice was contacted by someone who was so concerned about energy costs that she considered giving up using her lift, instead living on one floor of her house – but her bathroom and kitchen were on different levels. Another customer had a long-term condition but was “too scared” to turn on the heating, while rising prices in shops meant food banks were dealing with people who hadn’t eaten for more than 24 hours. Speaking at an event organized by the Resolution Foundation think tank, he urged the new prime minister to act once they are in No 10. Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will replace Boris Johnson on September 6. “We’re seeing people with more problems and more complex problems, quite at risk of homelessness right now,” he said. “We’re seeing mental health issues, relationship breakdowns, we’re seeing domestic violence – a whole host of things that aren’t directly related to people’s economic status, but are also very much related to it. “We see people who are already in impossible situations. One of the local Citizens Advice (staff) spoke of someone who came in and has a lift, who is afraid to use the lift because of the amount of electricity it needs, so he was trying to work out if he could live on the top floor or the bottom floor of a house, but the kitchen was on one floor and the bathroom was on the other. “People who come in and say ‘even though I have a chronic health condition and I need to be warm, I’m going to sit in constant pain because I’m too scared to turn on the heating when the weather gets colder.’ He warned: “People on lower incomes don’t have the capacity to absorb what’s happening now, let alone what’s coming in October.” Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 11:40 am 1662028239
Brexit Festival is ‘the perfect metaphor’ for Brexit, campaign group says
Best for Britain – the group campaigning for a closer UK-EU relationship – has hit back at figures showing that only 238,000 people have attended Unboxed, the arts events better known as the ‘Brexit Festival’. “With a bill of around £500 per attendee, the Brexit Festival is the perfect metaphor for how Brexit itself turned out to be hugely expensive and deeply unpopular, with nobody really getting what they wanted,” said chief executive Naomi Smith . The new prime minister needs to stop wasting cash on these vanity projects and put it where it’s needed, struggling families, businesses and public services.” Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 11:30 am 1662027358
The Ministry of Government Operations will be hit by a strike on the day announced by the new Prime Minister
Cleaners, security guards and other workers at the headquarters of a government department are set to strike on the day the new prime minister is announced. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union based at the Business Department in Westminster will take action on 5 and 6 September. PCS members, who are outsourced to ISS, are on strike over health and safety issues. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “For the new Prime Minister to face a strike on his first day in the job is a sign of things to come. “Our members across the public service are increasingly angry and desperate as the government does nothing to alleviate the cost of living crisis. “While prime ministerial candidates are pitching ever more right-wing ideas to Tory members, our own members – the people the new prime minister will rely on to get their job done – are facing a winter of real hardship.” Sam Rkaina September 1, 2022 11:15 am 1662025154
British small business sales fall by a tenth
British small businesses have seen their sales fall by a tenth as customers tighten their belts in response to the cost of living crisis, figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales values fell by 10% in small businesses in July compared to the previous month, representing the biggest fall since the start of the coronavirus pandemic…
