23 February 2017

Week in Brief:UK

Government

NORTHERN IRELAND: The Democratic Unionist Party (“the DUP”) is the largest political party in Northern Ireland.  It has been revealed that it paid thousands of pounds in secret donations to help fund the Leave campaign in the EU referendum.  Northern Ireland is exempt from the rules which apply in the rest of the UK which require parties to declare the source of funds and the DUP has refused to say where the money came from.

AIR QUALITY: The UK has received a final warning from the EU Commission about air pollution.  Other EU countries which received similar warnings are: Germany, France, Italy and Spain.  If no improvements are made within 2 months, the Commission may take legal action through the European Court of Justice on the grounds that the countries have breached the 2008 Air Quality Directive.

UNEMPLOYMENT: Official statistics just released show that employment in the UK reached the figure of 31.8 million at the end of 2016, while the number of people unemployed fell to 1.6 million.  Many of those employed were born outside the UK, either in EU countries or in countries outside the EU.

RATES: Reports in the press that business rates will increase for some firms/companies by 47% have been challenged by Sajid Javid, the communities secretary and David Gauke, a Treasury Minister.  However, the figures set out in a letter by Javid to Conservative MPs have themselves been criticised as being inaccurate. Officials in the Department for Communities and Local Government, who were responsible for the estimates, defended them and said that they were correct.

EMISSIONS: The head of Volkswagen in the UK, Paul Willis, has been accused by the Transport Select Committee of telling blatant lies.  He told the Committee that VW had not misled customers in any way over diesel emissions and denied that special devices had been fitted to European cars so that they could cheat emission tests.

Education

MUSLIM “PLOT”: “The Sunday Times” has uncovered what it says is another example of a so-called “Trojan Horse” plot by Muslim extremists to take over a state school in Oldham.  A confidential report drawn up by the local council listed complaints made by the head teacher; she said that she had been the target of a campaign to have her removed.  She said that she had received death threats, threats to blow up her car and aggressive verbal abuse.

CHEATING: Ministers have insisted that universities expel students who are caught cheating by buying essays online.  The demand comes after “The Times” revealed that 50,000 students had been cheating over the last 3 years.

Church

SAME SEX MARRIAGE: The Church of England’s General Synod has voted not to accept a report produced by bishops which confirmed the traditional Christian teaching that marriage should be between a man and a woman.  The report ruled out a change to doctrine or ecclesiastical law which would allow same sex marriages to take place or to be blessed in church.

Transport

SOUTHERN REGION: The dispute between ASLEF and Southern Trains was thought to have been settled after agreement was reached between the two sides, but the deal has been rejected by the members of the union. It is not clear what will happen now.  The union RMT had attacked ASLEF for agreeing the deal.

NEW SERVICE: The first scheduled train service pulled by a steam engine started on the Settle/Carlisle line.  The locomotive was the “Tornado”, a Peppercorn Class A1 engine.  However, the scheduled service will only last 3 days.

Health

SUPERBUGS: Concern has been raised at the ease with which antibiotics can be bought online without prescription.  The websites which are based overseas are beyond the control of UK authorities.  The increase in the number of “superbugs” which are immune to antibiotics, has been linked to the promiscuous use of the drugs.

 

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