UK

New skatepark on a roll after 35-year campaign

THAT 15 YEAR OLD SKATER IS NOW 5O

By Guy Campbell, BBC News, Suffolk

GUY CAMPBELL/BBC
Skateboard enthusiast Christian Lee said the new park was well designed

Users of a new coastal skatepark have praised its design, and said it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Campaigners in Southwold, Suffolk, raised £160,000 to remove old wooden ramps at Klondyke Skatepark and replace them with a modern design made from concrete.

The opening of the park this summer has realised a 35-year dream for Carl Hurr, who spearheaded the project.

He was told off by officials while skateboarding around the town as a teenager but he never gave up on the hope of creating a fully reinforced concrete skatepark.

GUY CAMPBELL/BCC
The team behind the skatepark believe it will be a family-friendly facility


Christian Lee, 26, who regularly visits the skatepark, said: "I like the design because it's got a nice flow to it and I think there's something here for everyone.

"It's a big improvement on the wooden ramps which were here, and people are already coming from a long way away to try it out."

Former youth worker Kevin Booth, who helped to set up skateparks in Lowestoft, was also impressed by the new design.

"It's great to see a facility suitable for both beginners and more experienced skateboarders, as well as for people using scooters and BMX bikes," he said.

"In the early 1980s it really was a battle to get any funding or support for these sorts of projects so it's great to see this up and running, and I think it will be used by a lot of people."

GUY CAMPBELL/BBC
Plans to transform the skatepark were given the go-ahead by East Suffolk Council last year


Last year, the project received £50,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy, which East Suffolk Council charges developers when new housing is built.

The park has replaced the wooden ramps which were erected opposite the pier in 2006.

The official opening of the new skatepark will be on 15 August.

BELFAST TELEGRAPH

Editorial  

Today 

Amy blazes trail for female apprentices


Amy Higgins (20) from Ballymartin

There’s a world of opportunity out there if you only open your eyes and look around.

Sometimes that means breaking down a few barriers to get where you want to be.

It appears there has been a distinct lack of encouragement in directing young people down the road towards apprenticeships, particularly females.

Amy Higgins, from Ballymartin, Co Down, is training to be an electrician. In her class of 30, she is the only girl.

It’s a familiar scenario. In September 2021 the number of young men enrolled in apprenticeships here was 3,816, compared to 432 young women.

It all harks back to a bygone age when males dominated the workplace in electrics, plumbing, engineering etc.

No matter how often we hear about the opportunities for all in these jobs, regardless of sex, the sector remains male-dominated.

Perhaps there’s a lack of signposting in our schools, many of which still regard academic achievement as the ultimate ambition.

Read more

Trainee ‘spark’ Amy urging more women to get connected with an apprenticeship

Even Amy admits a career as a ‘spark’ was not her first choice. It was the route she took after being turned down for a nursing course at university.

All too often apprenticeships are viewed as a back-up plan.

In an education system where success is often measured in grades, there is still a belief among some that those who don’t make it to further education have somehow “failed”.

University might not be for everyone. And preconceptions that the world revolves around academic achievement are just that.

These days there’s a diverse field of employment opportunities for young people to harvest a career from.

Dental nursing anyone? Social media and digital marketing, where the sector is growing all the time as the priorities of the business community continue to realign?

Look at IT — prospects abound in software, cloud development, data analysis and more.

To learn and earn at the same time via an apprenticeship should be a tempting prospect for many young women.

With more encouragement from schools, there’s no reason why they can’t take the road less travelled in the past due to gender stereotypes, and help meet the needs of the economy for trade-based employment.

Forget casual nods to diversity, it’s about time young women were at the forefront of roles such as engineers, electricians, plumbers etc.

Let’s encourage more of them to do so — whether that’s at school or in the home.

Why 133,000 men die early every year in UK - including suicide

Neil Shaw
Tue, 16 July 2024 

-Credit: (Image: Getty)

More than 133,000 men die early every year in the UK, often from preventable illnesses, according to a new report. Two in five of all men die too young, while those living in the most deprived regions are 81% more likely to die prematurely than those in the wealthiest, according to the charity Movember.

Its new report found the health of men in the UK is worse than in many other wealthy countries. A boy born in the UK in 2021 can expect to live to 78.7 – four years less than a girl, more than three years less than boys in Switzerland, 2.6 years less than boys in Australia and 1.3 years less than boys in Ireland, it said.

The charity argued the leading causes of death, such as lung cancer and heart disease, could be prevented by cutting out smoking, reducing alcohol intake, eating well and attending health screening and appointments. Furthermore, in England and Wales, suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20 to 34, and the suicide rate generally is three times higher for men than women.

The report highlighted how men are less likely to have healthy lifestyles than women, and are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They are also less likely to attend health screening appointments and check-ups with their GP, putting them at risk of late diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer.

Polling for the study found 64% of men wait more than seven days before visiting a doctor with symptoms, while 48% believe it is normal practice to avoid health check-ups. Less than 40% take up the offer of an NHS health check for which they are eligible. Urging the Government to launch a dedicated men’s health strategy, Movember said tackling the main preventable diseases in men could have saved the UK £9.4 billion in 2023 alone.

Michelle Terry, chief executive of Movember, said: “The report findings should serve as a wake-up call to the unacceptable state of men’s health across the UK. For too long, men’s health has been relegated to the sidelines of broader health conversations. Men’s health doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

“If we want these tragic numbers to decrease, and better support the men in our lives, real change is needed urgently. We need to invest in education, health system reform to meet the unique needs of all genders and have a dedicated men’s health strategy if we truly want to make progress.”

The report found men living in Birmingham Ladywood are, on average, more than 3.5 times as likely to die prematurely (before the age of 75) than men living in Beckenham in Greater London. Overall, men living in the 10 constituencies with the highest premature death rates are almost 3.5 times more likely to die early than men living in the 10 constituencies with the lowest.

Movember is also calling for the appointment of a dedicated national clinical director for men’s health in England and a minister for men’s health in Scotland to mirror appointments in women’s health. Supporting the campaign, Alastair Campbell, former Downing Street director of communications, co-host of The Rest is Politics and mental health campaigner, said: “For too long, this country has been going backwards on policies that directly support men’s health.

“In mental health specifically, although there has been real progress in attitudes and awareness, the services and policies to tackle depression and anxiety have been going in the opposite direction. The new Labour government has a bright opportunity to be bold and change the face of men’s health – and this starts with a men’s health strategy.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “It is the mission of this Government to get the NHS back on its feet so it is there for everyone. We know men can be reluctant to engage with health and other support services.

“Asking for help is not a sign of weakness and we encourage anyone to speak to their GP if they have concerns about their mental or physical health. Prevention is better than cure so this Government will also shift the focus of healthcare from simply treating sickness to supporting people to live longer, healthier lives.”


Call for action on UK men’s health as 133,000 die early every year

Andrew Gregory Health editor

THE GUARDIAN
Tue, 16 July 2024 


Two in five men in Britain are dying prematurely, often from avoidable conditions, Movember found.Photograph: Alamy

More than 133,000 men die early every year in the UK, equating to 15 every hour, according to a report calling for urgent action to improve men’s health.

Two in five men are dying prematurely, before the age of 75 and often from entirely avoidable health conditions, research by the charity Movember found.

Almost two in three men – 64% – wait more than a week before visiting a doctor with symptoms, while 48% believe it is normal practice to avoid health check-ups. Less than 40% take up the offer of an NHS health check for which they are eligible.

“The report findings should serve as a wake-up call to the unacceptable state of men’s health across the UK,” said Michelle Terry, the chief executive of Movember. “For too long, men’s health has been relegated to the sidelines of broader health conversations. Men’s health doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”

The report found the health of men in the UK was worse than in many other wealthy countries, while those living in the UK’s most deprived regions are 81% more likely to die prematurely than those in the wealthiest.

A boy born in the UK in 2021 can expect to live to 78.7 – four years less than a girl, more than three years less than boys in Switzerland, 2.6 years less than boys in Australia and 1.3 years less than boys in Ireland, the research found.

The leading causes of death, such as lung cancer and heart disease, could be prevented by stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake, eating well and attending health screenings and appointments, according to the report.

William Roberts, the chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: “Too many men are dying too young and too many men experience poor health due to preventable conditions.

“It is critical that we address the underlying causes of poor men’s health. Men’s health affects us all and we need to see it as a critical part of a healthy nation.”

In England and Wales, suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20 to 34, and the suicide rate generally is three times higher for men than women.

The report highlighted how men are less likely to have healthy lifestyles than women, and are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

They are also less likely to attend health screening appointments and check-ups with their GP, putting them at risk of late diagnosis of illnesses such as cancer.

Urging ministers to launch a dedicated men’s health strategy, Terry said as well as saving lives, tackling the main preventable diseases in men could also save the UK £9.4bn a year.

The report found men living in Birmingham’s Ladywood area were, on average, more than 3.5 times as likely to die prematurely (before the age of 75) than men living in Beckenham in Greater London.

Overall, men living in the 10 constituencies with the highest premature death rates are almost 3.5 times more likely to die early than men living in the 10 constituencies with the lowest.

Movember is also calling for the appointment of a dedicated national director for men’s health in England and a minister for men’s health in Scotland to mirror appointments in women’s health.

“If we want these tragic numbers to decrease, and better support the men in our lives, real change is needed urgently,” said Terry. “We need to invest in education, health system reform to meet the unique needs of all genders and have a dedicated men’s health strategy if we truly want to make progress.”

Supporting the campaign, Alastair Campbell, the former No 10 director of communications, the co-host of The Rest is Politics podcast and a mental health campaigner, said: “For too long, this country has been going backwards on policies that directly support men’s health.

“In mental health specifically, although there has been real progress in attitudes and awareness, the services and policies to tackle depression and anxiety have been going in the opposite direction.

“The new Labour government has a bright opportunity to be bold and change the face of men’s health – and this starts with a men’s health strategy.”

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

UK

‘Policy choices’ blamed for homeless numbers

By Joe Locker, 

Local Democracy Reporting Service

 • Chris Doidge, BBC News, Nottingham

The city's homelessness problem has been described as an "acute crisis"

Policy choices over the last decade have led to record levels of rough sleeping in Nottingham, a leading charity claims.

A monthly headcount undertaken in June 2024 found 51 people were sleeping rough in the city, including 42 men and nine women, the highest June figure for a decade.

The boss of Framework, a homelessness support charity, blamed a lack of social housing and lack of access to mental health support and drug and alcohol addiction services.

The government said it would "take the action needed to tackle this issue" in order to "end homelessness for good".

During a Nottingham City Council housing scrutiny committee meeting on July 15, the issue was described as an “acute crisis”.

“Rough sleeping is the very visual side of homelessness... and we have people dealing with that,” said Mark Lowe, the council’s head of housing.

“For us the other aspect, and the aspect that costs most of our budget, relates to families and vulnerable people who are being evicted or are, for other reasons, losing their home.”

The high cost of renting a home in Nottingham is one of the issues, the council says

Nottingham City Council said it is the less visible side of homelessness that is the most significant issue – and one that costs it the most money.

Over the last year the use of emergency accommodation for homeless families and households more than doubled.

As of June, the council had been accommodating 235 households in emergency housing, such as hotels and bed and breakfasts, compared to 115 a year ago.

The total number of people in any form of temporary accommodation in March this year was 776, up from 599 people.

Features of the national and Nottingham housing market have worsened the crisis, Mr Lowe said.

These features include high rents in the private sector which are well above Local Housing Allowance (LHA) levels.

“It’s very hard for people on benefits to get enough money to pay for a private rented place to live,” Mr Lowe added.

The number of new homes built has also not been able to match the significant numbers lost through the Right-to-Buy scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Between 2019 and 2023, 988 homes were purchased through Right-to-Buy.

Over the same period, the council only managed to build or buy 374 affordable homes, and its registered providers only completed a further 126 homes.

'Making headway'

Jay Hayes, executive member for housing, said the costs of housing people in temporary accommodation was beginning to come down through better working with providers.

“So far this year we’ve been able to help 150 people into some form of accommodation.

“We are making headway there but there are still challenges.”

Andrew Redfern, chief executive of Framework, said the record numbers could be attributed to policy decisions taken over the last decade, including reduced social housing, restrictions on Local Housing Allowance, and cuts to public health services.

“Homelessness is a policy choice, and the choices made over recent years have made it much worse.

“It follows that different ones are needed now.

“Framework has sought to highlight all of these causes in the course of the recent general election campaign.

“We will continue to do so now that a new government has been elected."

Under the former Conservative government, Nottingham was awarded £20m to cover the period between 2021 and 2025, the highest amount of financial support outside London.

The new Labour government says it is looking to abolish no fault evictions to bring down the number of people losing their homes.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Rough sleepers are an all-too-common sight in our towns and cities, including Nottingham.

“As set out in the manifesto, we will take the action needed to tackle this issue and will develop a cross-government strategy so we can work with mayors and councils to end homelessness for good.”

Rough sleepers 'abandoned' before being moved on

By Charles Heslett, 

BBC News Online

BBC
There are 10 archways which the council is proposing to gate off

A charity that helps the homeless has claimed that rough sleepers have been "abandoned" ahead of being moved on by council staff.

Homeless Not Helpless ran an outreach service close to a number of arches near Bradford Forster Square Station, where several tent encampments had sprung up.

Bradford Council decided to install gates on 10 of the railway arches to provide space for art installations as part of City of Culture 2025.

The charity agreed to relocate its volunteers to a car park, but said it would now return to the area because the work had not started on time.


Many of the archways have tents inside them used by the city's rough sleepers


The group's Steve Richardson said the arches had been "abandoned by the council" and that it was having to step in and provide help for the remaining rough sleepers.

The council said that its own staff were making daily visits to the area to liaise with homeless people and refer them to support services.

Mr Richardson said: "These people are now getting less support than they were before.

"We agreed to move (from the arches) from 1 May on the understanding that it would trigger some additional support for the people sleeping down there and they would be progressively rehoused and given some assistance.

"The council's reneged on the deal.

"I know it has had financial difficulties and the people who work for the Homeless Outreach Partnership (HOP) are excellent; but it feels like the area has been abandoned.

"So we've taken the decision to move back down there."


Public realm


Under the plans, the arches along the walkway between Cheapside and Forster Square Station would have 3m-high (9.8ft) decorated panels, with new lighting inside.

The council said the changes would lead to a "much improved public realm" around the station.

Network Rail owns the arches and will fund the work, which was scheduled to start in May and be completed by late August.

When the BBC visited the site on Monday there were at least seven tents in various archways with wooden pallets and traffic cones being used to divide sleeping areas.

Many of the arches have become makeshift camps for the city's rough sleepers



Homeless army veteran James, 38, said he knew some of the people sleeping in the arches.

He said: "If they close them off then it's just going to be another headache for the council.

"They're just going to be pushing people back to the city centre and they're going to get complaints over and over again.

"I don't think it'll solve any issues straight away. But I think it'll be nicer for people walking back to the train station, as it does get a bit rowdy, especially at night."

Council involvement


Bradford Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, said: "Our Homeless Outreach Partnership is continuing to visit the Forster Square arches on a daily basis ahead of access to the area being withdrawn later this year.

"This a multi-agency team of professionals, including drug, alcohol, and complex needs workers, as well as specialists in housing options who are able to offer wraparound care to those who need it and to support them off the streets."

Mr Ross-Shaw added that the council wanted to support people to move away from "street-based" living and had offered accommodation to 225 people over the past year.



The arches are a surviving part of the original Victorian station, which was demolished and reduced in size in the 1990s.

UK

Plans drawn up for heat plant for third time

By Phil Corrigan, Local Democracy Reporter, Stoke-on-Trent
BBC

The city council was awarded £19.75m of government funding towards a district heat network


Plans are being drawn up for a geothermal heat plant for a third time, after planning permission expired for a previous scheme.

The plant was proposed for the former Greenhouse 2000 site off Festival Way in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, but has not been built despite planning permission being granted in 2017 and 2021.

The 2021 permission expired because three years had passed without development getting underway.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said it was expecting a new planning application to be submitted.

The scheme would see renewable heat from 4km (2.48 miles) below the ground being used to heat homes and businesses, potentially protecting customers from spikes in gas prices.

Stoke-on-Trent has been in line to get a deep geothermal well for a decade, after government funding was secured for a district heat network (DHN) in 2014.

The city council was awarded £19.75m of government funding for it, as part of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire's city deal.

A DHN involves a closed loop of water pipes, allowing heat to be provided to all the buildings connected to the network.

Google Maps
Planning permission for the plant was granted in both 2017 and 2021, but has since expired

The first phase of Stoke-on-Trent's DHN has seen 4km of underground pipes installed in Stoke and Shelton, but it has yet to become operational.

While the installation of the pipes was funded by money from the city deal, the geothermal heat plant was expected to be funded privately.

Star Energy, the company behind the project, is currently applying for funding.

'Giant walk-in uterus’ set up at festival to learn about menstrual health

The sixth Royal Society of Edinburgh Curious festival will take place in the Scottish capital in September.

University of Edinburgh PhD student Francesca Hearn-Yeates in the Wandering Womb.
PA Media

Visitors will get a chance to experience a “giant walk-in uterus” where they can learn all there is to know about menstrual health when a festival of knowledge opens in Edinburgh in September.

The Wandering Womb, created by PhD student Francesca Hearn-Yeates, is one of more than 30 exhibits at this year’s Royal Society of Edinburgh Curious festival, which runs from September 2 to 15.

Now in its sixth year, the free festival will also feature poems composed by a computer, a conversation about feminist cities, and a panel of dinosaur experts discussing the future of palaeontology.

Ms Hearn-Yeates, who studies at the University of Edinburgh, said the Wandering Womb is for everyone, irrespective of whether they have experienced menstruation.

“Over half the world’s population will or has menstruated – so why is it we still don’t talk about periods?” she said.

“The idea behind the Wandering Womb is to give everyone the opportunity to wander into our giant walk-in ‘uterus’ and learn all there is to know about menstrual health.

“Whether you have never had a period, you are well-versed in the art of menstruating, or you’re just at the beginning of your menstrual journey, you are welcome to come along to find out more about the biology behind menstruation and everything that goes alongside it


“It is an opportunity to learn about different menstrual health conditions such as endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

“Not only that, but it is also a chance for people to discover what is considered a ‘typical’ period, and the signs and symptoms that suggest something might not be quite right.”

The festival will also challenge visitors to tell the difference between AI-generated and human-crafted poems in the exhibit Bot or Not, which features five poems from the Scottish Poetry Library alongside five computer-generated pieces.

Bot or Not creator Sam Illingworth said: “By challenging participants to distinguish between AI-generated and human-crafted poems, we aim to foster a deeper appreciation of Scottish poetry and provoke thoughtful discussion on the evolving role of technology in the arts.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to engage with cutting-edge AI while celebrating traditional cultural expressions.”

Professor Martin Hendry, the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s vice-president of public engagement, said: “Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s way of celebrating its mission to share useful knowledge with as many people as possible.

“The fascinating breadth of topics that are highlighted in the programme, and the unique ways that these topics are being presented, is truly exciting to be a part of.

“Each event promises to be a fun and relaxed space where everyone can learn from and discuss with leading scholars.

“Whether you choose to join in person or online, everyone is welcome at this year’s Curious, just head to rse.org.uk/curious to browse and register for activities.”

King’s Speech: Five takeaways from the announcement of Labour’s legislative programme

Chris Jarvis

Today

Left Foot Forward

These are 5 key pieces of policies Labour is set to introduce

Today saw the first King’s Speech under a Labour Government for 15 years. The event saw the King lay out the Labour Party’s legislative programme for the current parliament. Here are the five big takeaways.

1. Transforming public transport

The King’s Speech contained two major plans for transforming public transport in the UK.

The first was a commitment to legislate to take the railways back into public ownership. That will end the 30-year privatisation of the railways.

Second, Labour is proposing to introduce a Better Buses Bill which will allow local authorities to regulate their buses. Buses outside of London were de-regulated by Margaret Thatcher, meaning private bus firms have control of which routes they run buses on. At the moment, only areas with a metro-mayor, like Greater Manchester are able to regulate their buses, bringing them under public control.

Both these Bills were trailed in advance and have been welcomed by public transport campaigners.
2. The New Deal for Working People

In advance of the general election, Labour had been promising substantial changes to workers’ rights, branded the ‘New Deal for Working People’. That commitment appears to have been brought forward in the King’s Speech, as an Employment Rights Bill was announced, which it was said would “ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights”.

What that legislation means in practice is yet to be set out in detail.
3. Banning conversion therapy

Among the announcements in the King’s Speech was a commitment to bring forward a Conversion Practices Bill. Conversion therapy is a practice in which attempts are made to ‘convert’ LGBT+ people out of their sexuality or gender identity.

Conversion therapy practices have widely been condemned as pseudo-scientific, discriminatory, and – in extreme cases – tantamount to torture.

Labour’s proposed legislation would outlaw these practices.
4. Great British Energy

One of the flagship commitments in Labour’s general election campaign was its proposal to establish a publicly owned energy company – Great British Energy.

The company would be based in Scotland and would be designed to invest in renewable energy production.

Great British Energy featured in the King’s Speech, and so we can expect legislation to bring this forward in the coming months.
5. House of Lords reform

Democratic reform didn’t feature much in the general election campaign. One area that Labour did commit to prioritising though was overhauling the House of Lords.

In the King’s Speech, a new House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill was announced. This legislation would remove the rights of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.

While the speech included a commitment to ‘encourage wide participation in the democratic process’, there was no explicit reference to Labour’s manifesto pledge to lower the voting age to 16.


King’s Speech: Campaigners welcome Labour’s plans for public transport

Chris Jarvis 

Today

Left Foot Forward

“At last rail passengers can breathe a sigh of relief."

Today will see the first King’s Speech delivered under a Labour government in 15 years. The King’s Speech sets out the legislation the government intends to bring forward in the current sitting of parliament.

Among the Bills expected to be announced in the speech are proposals to renationalise railways in the UK and to allow local authorities to regulate their buses.

Currently, only combined authorities with a metro-mayor have the powers required to bring buses under public control. This is what enabled Andy Burnham to regulate Greater Manchester’s buses in 2022, giving greater control over routes and fares.

In addition to giving more local authorities these powers, the King’s Speech is expected to announce that Labour will lift the ban on councils setting up their own publicly owned bus companies.

These two moves have been welcomed by public transport campaigners. Campaign group We Own It – which pushes for public services, including public transport, to be publicly owned has said that passengers can ‘breathe a sigh of relief’ as a result of the expected legislation.

Johnbosco Nwogbo, lead campaigner at We Own It said of the planned renationalisation of the railways: “At last rail passengers can breathe a sigh of relief. This move by the new Labour government begins the wholesale renationalisation of our railway and it is long overdue. We Own It and other passenger groups have campaigned for a decade for a railway that works for people, not profit, and we’ve had success in bringing East Coast Rail, Northern Rail and TransPennine Express back into public hands.”

However, he also called on the government to go further, adding: “The government can go further and extend the principle to the ownership of our rolling stock, that is, the trains themselves, and put passengers on the decision-making boards that will run our railway system under public ownership. But this is without a doubt a brilliant start.”

With regards to the proposed new bus legislation, Nwogbo said: “On buses, mayors in Manchester, Liverpool and Yorkshire have become incredibly popular by taking public control of their local buses. Today’s announcement will make this government very popular with local bus users. We set up the Better Buses for Greater Manchester campaign and won public control of buses in Manchester in 2022. The model is spreading to Liverpool and West Yorkshire. The new powers announced today will mean more communities have a chance to benefit from buses run for them, not private profits”

Image credit: Paul Smith – Creative Commons



Full list of the 40 Bills announced in the King’s Speech

Chris Jarvis 

Today
Left Foot Forward

These are the Bills Keir Starmer's government is going to bring forward

Today (July 17) saw the first King’s Speech of Keir Starmer’s government. The King’s Speech sets out the legislation the government intends to put before parliament.

A total of 40 Bills were announced as part of the King’s Speech. Here’s the full list:Budget Responsibility Bill
National Wealth Fund Bill
Pension Schemes Bill
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Employment Rights Bill
English Devolution Bill
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill
Better Buses Bill
Railways Bill
Bank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill
Arbitration Bill
Product Safety and Metrology Bill
Digital Information and Smart Data Bill
High Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill
Great British Energy Bill
The Crown Estate Bill
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Support Mechanism) Bill
Water (Special Measures) Bill
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
Crime and Policing Bill
Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill
Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill
Children’s Wellbeing Bill
Skills England Bill
Renters’ Rights Bill
Football Governance Bill
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Mental Health Bill
Hillsborough Law (this will be a bill, but the Cabinet Office has not said what it will be called)
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
Northern Ireland Legacy Legislation (this involves repealing the Northern Ireland Troubles [Legacy and Reconciliation] Act, but the Cabinet Office says repeal will require passing a new, replacement bill)
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill
Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill
Holocaust Memorial Bill
Draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill
Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill
Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill
Draft Conversion Practices Bill

‘Labour must rethink the Bank of England’s role to fulfil its growth mission’

John Mills   JULY 17, 2024

Bank of England.

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We have an economy which is not delivering. Occasional flashes of better news, such as the 0.6% quarter on quarter increase in GDP during the first three months of 2024, do not fundamentally change the picture.

There is no consensus as to why we are doing so badly, and there is no agreement on what we should do to remedy the dire state of affairs which confronts us.

My new report argues that there is a viable way ahead, but that for this to be adopted there has to be a radical change in strategy. Instead of having inflation at two per cent as our principal economic goal, competitiveness should be our primary objective.

High interest rates push up the exchange rate, making the economy uncompetitive

Chasing inflation down to 2% per annum requires deflationary policies which push up the exchange rate, making the economy uncompetitive. Interest rates today stand at 5.25%. The result is a dearth of profitable investment opportunities.

Having recognised just how deeply uncompetitive we currently are, the only remedy is much greater export competitiveness. We have to use export and investment-led growth to prevent us from continuing to haemorrhage share of world trade. The only way to do this is by having a much more competitive pound. In its absence, nothing else will work.

This will require a one-off devaluation of around 25%, providing us with a growth rate strong and consistent enough to keep the performance of the UK economy up with the rest of the world for the foreseeable future.

Why we should change the BoE’s mandate

We should change the principal remit of the Bank of England away from keeping inflation close to 2%. Instead, it should be to keep the pound trading on the international markets at a level which generates growth at an agreed rate – probably 2.5 to 3% per annum.

It would also send a strong political signal about Labour’s commitment to its growth mission, much as the last Labour  government sought to send political signals by handing the Bank independence.

Adopting this strategy is crucially important but it is, of course, not the only thing which needs to be done. We need better education and training, infrastructure modernisation, more patient capital, appropriate tax incentives – especially those designed to encourage investment – and a planning system that strikes a reasonable balance between industry and other priorities.

Restoring manufacturing to perhaps 15% of GDP will need to be an important part of the mix. This is a policy whose popularity with the public may help to make more acceptable the devaluation needed to make it occur.

We need to look beyond conventional wisdom

Is any of this going to happen? Maybe not. It is, however, surely possible that these dismal prospects in front of us may trigger a willingness to look beyond the conventional wisdom to new solutions to old problems.

If this does not happen, however, and there is no change in strategy thus leaving the UK uncompetitive and continuing to lose share of world trade, we can be sure that investment, especially of the kind which contributes most to economic growth, will languish.

We will continue to have large current account deficits. And, of course, our economy will continue to stagnate. Is this really what we want?

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Tags: Downing Street / Threadneedle Street / BoE / Labour manifesto 2024 / UK Labour Party / general election 2024 / UK politics / economic policy / Labour Party Manifesto / Labour Government / Keir Starmer / House of Commons / Chancellor / Polls / prime Minister / Economy / Politics / Conservatives / manifesto / Government / Rachel Reeves / Labour / GDP / General Election / MPs / Policy / Growth / Elections / Labour Party / Parliament

John Mills

John Mills is a Labour donor and founder of the Institute for Prosperity.

@John_Mills_JML

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‘What Wes Streeting gets wrong about puberty blockers’

Kaz Self   JULY 17,2024

As I listened to the Human League at Bristol Pride, the words from one of their songs resonated ‘I’m only human, of flesh and blood I’m made’. Those are words that we should all note when we talk about trans people. 

For far too long the trans community have been dehumanised, characterised as mentally ill or a threat to women and children, a similar playbook to that used against gay men many decades ago. The Tories and right-wing media have been responsible for making the lives of trans people a living hell, as I know only too well having changed my gender from male-to-female in 2018. 

With a new Labour Government it’s my hope that the culture wars might end, that NHS waiting lists will come down and that access to NHS dentistry will improve. I made the last two issues part of my campaign to successfully become the first openly elected trans woman councillor in Bristol in May 2024. 

Labour have made some important promises to the LGBT+ community in the manifesto, including a fully trans inclusive ban on conversion therapy and improved access to healthcare for trans people. I’ve been an active campaigner on these issues within my home city, organising protest gatherings and appearing on local TV.

I’ll never forget the time when I had a lesbian woman addressing the crowd right in front of me, recalling how she had lost a young trans friend to suicide – when she finished speaking we hugged with tears streaming from our faces. Nothing is more powerful than personal testimony.

And so it is with dismay that I hear that Wes Streeting has vowed to continue the ban on puberty blockers introduced by the Tories as a parting gift to punch down on the trans community.

Some reality about gender transition

It took me about 40 years to come to terms with my gender issues, throughout all that time I felt a great deal of shame and stayed very much in the closet. When I did finally accept my trans identity I never looked back – it was the best decision for me and I have no regrets. 

As part of my transition I’ve spent thousands of pounds on facial hair removal and private healthcare, as well as having some vocal therapy sessions, all the consequence of a male puberty.

READ MORE: Fresh party trans row as activists launches ‘alternative’ to LGBT+ Labour

I got a referral to an NHS gender identity clinic, but it took them five years to finally give me a first appointment. I regard myself as lucky to be seen, because in some regions the waiting time is much longer than this.

Fortunately we now live in more enlightened times and I find it joyous that people can come out as trans more readily and much younger. When like me you’ve talked to many, many trans people (I ran a trans pride for five years), you know that for some young trans people going through puberty can be a distressing experience.

We must remember that the number of people that identify as trans is very low, and those that identify as trans at an age lower than 16 are a miniscule proportion of the population. And it is because of my lived experience that I wholeheartedly condemn the ban on puberty blockers.

Questions that need to be asked

• Why is it acceptable for the medication used to prevent precocious puberty acceptable for this medical condition and yet unacceptable for trans kids? Do we have some special ‘trans blood’ that means the side effects are worse for us than others? Of course not, because of the same flesh and blood we’re all made. Why is it acceptable to ban puberty blockers on one cohort because of perceived harm without banning them from all?
• The Tories made trans people a wedge issue in their campaign (that went well didn’t it Rishi). People in power appoint people who will sing their tune; witness Trump’s appointment of Supreme Court judges in the USA. There are people like me who look at certain appointments and see the possibility of an inherent bias in decision making. Is the Cass report neutral and unbiased? There are many people that think the report is flawed too, including many experts in the field of trans healthcare.
• Since Victoria Atkins announced the ban on puberty blockers I am hearing more reports of young trans people that are self-harming and, disturbingly, there is also anecdotal evidence of an increase in suicide. From mental health support to improved access to trans healthcare, the new Labour Government has to act quickly to support trans people.
  

The number of trans people that take their own lives is shocking. When we talk about medical intervention it’s done with the intention of doing no harm. But we know that medicines and surgery have an inherent risk. At aged 15 I was advised to have my spleen removed, a huge surgical intervention.

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That operation significantly improved my life but had its own consequences, making me more vulnerable to infection. Covid was a terrifying time for me, so the availability of a vaccine that was relatively untested was a huge relief.

Medicine has to be based on risk and the balance of probabilities when it comes to deciding which path to choose. For most of us a simple aspirin will help with a headache, but this common medicine has its own risks. Whatever the medical intervention, we use our own knowledge to decide what is best, knowing the risks.

Gillick Competence is a clear principle by which medical intervention for under 16s applies. There are many instances where medicines are used ‘off-label’, indeed there are even NHS leaflets for it.  If young trans people and their parents aren’t capable of making decisions based on Gillick Competence then why is informed consent acceptable for some young people’s healthcare but not others?

The way forward

I would expect an incoming Labour Secretary of State for Health to be asking all the questions above.

The very real possibility of poor mental health and increased suicide rates of trans youth due to this unfathomable continuation of a spiteful Tory policy is too much for me to ignore.

The way forward for Wes Streeting isn’t just to blindly carry forward the doctrine from the outgoing Tories and their questionable Cass report, but to ask the basic questions above before making policy. I will continue to hold the Labour Party’s feet to the fire on this issue. Because trans kids’ lives are important to me. 

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Tags: prime Minister / Labour manifesto 2024 / UK Labour Party / general election 2024 / Rishi Sunak / UK politics / Labour Party Manifesto / Labour Government / Trans rights / Transgender / Keir Starmer / House of Commons / Chancellor / Wes Streeting / Trans / Polls / Parliament / Healthcare / Downing Street / Politics / Conservatives / manifesto / Government / Rachel Reeves / Gender / Labour / General Election / MPs / Policy / Elections / Labour Party / NHS

Kaz Self

Kaz Self is a Labour councillor for Southmead ward in Bristol. She is running to be an NEC (CLP) representative.

View all articles by Kaz Self