“Rishi Sunak is poised to water down some of the government’s biggest net zero commitments, including plans to phase out the installation of new gas boilers and delaying a ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars. The prime minister will this week announce that the government is abandoning its ambition to ban new gas boilers from 2035, arguing that an arbitrary deadline would impose unnecessary costs… He will also delay the planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 after criticism from some Conservative backbenchers and parts of the car industry. Sunak is also likely to confirm a series of other retreats from net zero, including ditching tougher energy efficiency rules for landlords and delaying a ban on oil boilers off the gas grid.” – The Times
>Today:
“UK inflation unexpectedly fell in August to 6.7% despite a sharp rise in average fuel prices for motorists, easing some of the pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates. In a crunch week for the economy, the Office for National Statistics said the annual inflation rate as measured by the consumer prices index continued to drop for the sixth month in a row from a reading of 6.8% in July. City economists had forecast a modest increase to 7%. The reduction in the inflation rate does not mean that prices are falling, only that they are rising at a slower pace… Falling prices for hotels and air fares helped pull down the headline rate in August… The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said the latest inflation figures showed the government’s plan was working.” – The Guardian
>Today:
“China will be invited to the AI summit being hosted at Bletchley Park in November in a move described as “naive”. James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, said that it was in the national interest to include China in the talks. “We cannot keep the UK public safe from the risks of AI if we exclude one of the leading nations in AI tech. That’s why China has been invited to our AI Safety Summit in November. “The UK’s approach to China is to protect our institutions and infrastructure, align with partners, and engage where it is in the UK’s national interest.” The move comes days after it emerged that a parliamentary researcher had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing. Chris Cash, 28, insists he is innocent. Last month Cleverly became the first foreign secretary in five years to visit China.” – The Times
“Suella Braverman has blasted tech giant Meta after it ‘failed to provide assurances’ that it will protect children from online paedophiles. The Home Secretary said the owner of social media sites Facebook and Instagram had failed to persuade ministers that its rollout of ‘end-to-end encryption’ can be achieved without aiding internet sex abusers…The National Crime Agency…said up to 92 per cent of leads will be lost due to Meta’s decision. Mark Zuckerberg’s firm has said it will introduce the technology in the name of online privacy by the end of the year, meaning messages – including images – will only be visible to the sender and the recipient. Ministers fear it will allow paedophiles to keep their activities secret, and could…lead to more children being raped.” – The Daily Mail
“A “militant” doctors’ union has blocked patients from getting care during strikes on 17 occasions, the Health Secretary has said. It comes as the NHS braces for the most extreme strikes in its history, with junior doctors due to join consultants on picket lines on Wednesday. On Tuesday, health chiefs said industrial action planned for coming weeks would set the health service back as much as five Christmases. Senior leaders expect the official total of operations and appointments cancelled during strikes to exceed one million, with 100,000 cancellations expected this week alone. However, they have warned that the true picture is far worse, with few appointments with medics even being scheduled for strike days.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Children are “happy” in portable buildings and prefer them to their normal classrooms, the education secretary has said. Gillian Keegan, answering questions about dangerous concrete in schools, told the House of Commons that children had lobbied her to stay in the temporary classrooms put up in their playground. She said: “I have been to a number of these schools and seen children and met children in the Portakabins [a trademarked type of portable building], and in fact at the first school I went to the children were all petitioning me to stay in the Portakabin because they actually preferred it to the classroom.” The number of schools in England found to be affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) rose on Tuesday from 147 to 174.” – The Times
“Terrestrial TV viewers will be not be ‘left behind’ by the shift to streaming, the Culture Secretary will promise in a speech today. Lucy Frazer will insist ‘new ways’ of watching television should ‘not come at the expense’ of those who still enjoy the traditional channels. She will tell the Royal Television Society Cambridge Convention: ‘We want terrestrial television to remain accessible for the foreseeable future.’ Her comments come after the BBC’s director-general sent alarm bells ringing at the end of last year, when he appeared to suggest the corporation could turn off all of its terrestrial radio and TV services within the next decade… There are expected to be further announcements about the future of TV in the speech.” – The Daily Mail
“Financial control over Britain’s second largest city has been handed to government-appointed commissioners after Birmingham city council effectively declared itself bankrupt. Michael Gove, the levelling-up secretary, said the commissioners would be responsible for “all functions” associated with the council’s governance, strategic decision-making and finances. They are likely to look at selling council assets including the city’s central library and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in a bid to balance the books. The move came after the council issued a section 114 notice this month in an admission that it did not have enough money to cover its liabilities. Officials said it faced a shortfall of £87.4 million for 2023-24, forecast to rise to £164.8 million in 2024-25.” – The Times
“Handbag giant Anya Hindmarch has joined Britain’s prestigious Board of Trade to bang the drum for Brexit abroad. Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will tomorrow unveil a new team of celebrity business leaders to help the UK hit £1 trillion worth exports per year by 2030. Ms Badenoch will swap “dry” policy wonks on the Board, first formed in the 17th century, for the likes of Ms Hindmarch, film industry tycoon Paul Golding and Universal Music chief Lucien Grange. Only four previous members will stay on – Lord Hannan, Lord Mayor, Karen Betts and Tony Abbott… Ministers hope the new-look board will use their international “clout” to open up trade opportunities that smaller British businesses can benefit from.” – The Sun
“The UK’s top financial regulator has promised further work on bank account closures as a fierce backlash erupted over its initial assessment that politicians were not being denied access to services because of their views. The Financial Conduct Authority…said that none of the 34 banks, payments companies and building societies it examined had closed a single account “primarily because of a customer’s political views” in the 12 months to June 2023. Instead, it found that dormant accounts and concerns about financial crime were the main reasons…Nigel Farage…said the finding was “a complete and utter farce, it is a total whitewash, it is a joke”. In its lengthy report, the FCA repeatedly stressed that data had been gathered “at speed” and that there were…gaps.” – The Financial Times
“Emmanuel Macron believes Sir Keir Starmer has the “moral authority” to be prime minister, a senior French source familiar with the pair’s private meeting in Paris on Tuesday has told The Telegraph. The French president was impressed that the Labour leader did not make demands on issues such as Brexit or migration during the rare meeting of a national leader with the head of a foreign nation’s political opposition. Mr Macron’s comments came as French and German ministers unveiled a proposal for the UK to take up “associate membership” of the European Union. Under the plans for a four-tier EU, the UK would return to the single market, contribute to the bloc’s budget and be governed by the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.” – The Daily Telegraph
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