“GP receptionists will assess patients in an attempt to end the “8am scramble” for appointments. Amid concerns about the pressure facing doctors, the Department of Health is to increase the responsibilities of receptionists who will become “care navigators”. Staff answering the phone when local surgeries open will take down information from patients and direct them to the most suitable health professional as the Government attempts to modernise primary care. Following last week’s local election results…the Prime Minister is hoping plans to improve the NHS and free up appointments will lead to a turnaround in his party’s fortunes. Rishi Sunak has faced a backlash within the party over the results…” – The Daily Telegraph
“Voters are “frustrated and angry” at the Conservative government, a cabinet minister has admitted, as the party comes to terms with the heavy losses it took in Thursday’s local elections. Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary, said on Sunday that this week’s results, in which her party lost more than 1,000 local councillors, reflected concerns among voters about the high cost of living. But she insisted the Tories’ poor performance was a result of the party being in power for 13 years and the war in Ukraine, rather than a reflection on Rishi Sunak as prime minister. “It’s really important that we listen to people,” Frazer told Sky News. “I know people are frustrated and angry.” She added, however, that the results would not prompt a change of strategy in No 10…” – The Guardian
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“When Penny Mordaunt was faced with the challenge of holding a 3.6kg sword for nearly an hour while standing alongside the King, she drew on a very different experience: her time as a Royal Navy reservist on Whale Island, Portsmouth. The discipline instilled by hours of drill practice held her in good stead for her role as lord president of the privy council, for which she had to carry the 17th-century silver-gilt sword of state for 51 minutes. Her starring role in the ceremony, including her modern take on the ceremonial union, the first for a female lord president, made her a star of the coronation… On Sunday the bookmakers shortened the odds on her replacing the prime minister, making her second favourite to succeed Sunak, behind Kemi Badenoch.” – The Times
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, is seeking an emergency meeting with Revolut over fears the $33bn (£26bn) technology company may abandon the UK amid frustration with high taxes and red tape. Sources at the Department for Business and Trade confirmed that it wanted to meet with Nikolay Storonsky, chief executive of Revolut, just days after he attacked Britain’s “extreme bureaucracy”. Officials in France and Spain are understood to have courted Revolut…headquartered in London…as bosses grow increasingly frustrated over delays in securing a UK banking licence. A spokesman for Revolut said: “We’re a British company and London is our home.” The spokesman did not respond when asked whether Revolut would accept the…request for a meeting.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Dominic Raab’s controversial bill of rights will be scrapped following his departure from government, The Times has been told. It marks the third time that Raab’s plans have been scrapped following repeated attempts by the former deputy prime minister to overhaul the Human Rights Act during several stints in government. A government source said: “Dom’s departure sounded the death knell for the bill of rights. It won’t be coming back, or at least not in any form that resembles the current bill.” Another government source described the bill as a “complete mess” and said there was a “mountain” of other legislation to get through parliament. Major pieces of legislation that are still going through include the Online Safety Bill…and the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill. ” – The Times
“It has been a long, hard road back for the Liberal Democrats after their dalliance with David Cameron cast them into a decade-long political exile. Yet now the party…seems surprisingly keen to have another crack at that whip. Sir Ed Davey, a veteran of 2010-15, made it quite clear that he is prepared to lead his MPs into another parliamentary pact, this time with Labour. But, as he made equally evident, he will only take the plunge for a second time if he can extract a high enough price from Sir Keir Starmer. Top of his wishlist will be electoral reform and finally achieving his party’s cherished dream of a switch to proportional representation. “PR is absolutely on the table for the Liberal Democrats, of course it is,” he told the BBC…” – The Daily Telegraph
“An SNP MP who was suspended from the House of Commons for sexual misconduct is planning to defend his seat at the general election. Patrick Grady is confident that he can retake the Glasgow North constituency, despite having been found to have inappropriately touched a teenage male member of staff. It is understood that the former SNP chief whip in London believes he can use his faith to win over Catholic voters. However, even if Grady, 43, passes vetting — which is not a foregone conclusion — proposed boundary changes for Westminster constituencies mean that his attempt to stand could be quashed by one of his colleagues. The planned abolition of the Glasgow Central seat means that Alison Thewliss…needs to find somewhere else to stand…” – The Times