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  • PRESS RELEASE : Millions of workers get new access to sick pay and parental leave [April 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Millions of workers get new access to sick pay and parental leave [April 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 7 April 2026.

    Landmark employment rights reforms kick into force.

    • Millions of employees to benefit from reforms to Statutory Sick Pay, ensuring they can take time off when sick without worrying about going without pay.   
    • New rights to paternity leave from the first day in a new job, helping families balance work and home life.  
    • Changes are part of the Employment Rights Act, which will benefit over 18 million workers across the UK and make work pay for everyone.  

    The world of work has today [6th April] been upgraded for the 21st century, as landmark employment rights reforms kick into force.  

    From today, employees will receive Statutory Sick Pay from their first day of sickness absence – rather than having to wait until the fourth day, regardless of how much they’re getting paid. This will benefit millions of people across the United Kingdom, who will get around 400 million a year extra in sick pay.   

    By ensuring people can rest and recover without fear of losing income, the reforms are expected to help reduce the duration of sickness absences, boost productivity, and limit the spread of illnesses.

    32,000 new fathers and partners have also gained the right to paternity leave from the first day in a new job – rather than having to wait six months to be eligible. New day one rights to unpaid parental leave have also begun, which will benefit 1.5 million working parents across the UK who will no longer have to wait a year before qualifying.   

    Business Secretary, Peter Kyle said: 

    “Day one rights mean exactly that: rights that are there for you from the moment you start a job, and from the moment you get sick.  

    “Whether you’re a low-paid employee who’s been forced to work while unwell, or a new parent who wants to be there for their family, these changes are for you. We’re delivering the most significant upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation” 

    From today, parents will also be granted a new right to time off following the death of a child’s mother or primary adopter, through new Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave – hard fought for by campaigners including Aaron Horsey and the charity Gingerbread.  

    The Fair Work Agency will also be launching on 7th April, bringing together three separate agencies to ensure employment rights can be enforced more effectively and efficiently.  

    Employment Rights Minister, Kate Dearden said: 

    “No one should have to drag themselves into work when they’re unwell because they can’t afford not to — and no new parent should miss out on time with their child because they haven’t been in their job long enough.  

    “These reforms put that right. This is what it means to make work pay for everyone.” 

    Minister for Employment, Dame Diana Johnson said: 

    “No one should ever have to choose between their health and earning a living.

    “For too long, sick employees have had to make the impossible decision between losing out on a day’s pay or returning to work while ill.

    “Today’s landmark changes will support employees to recover while providing businesses with the peace of mind that their workforce can return to work healthier and more productive.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of British High Commissioner to Kenya – Matt Baugh [April 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of British High Commissioner to Kenya – Matt Baugh [April 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 April 2026.

    Mr Matt Baugh OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Kenya in succession to Mr Neil Wigan OBE, who has taken up another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Baugh will take up his appointment during April 2026. 

    Curriculum vitae  

    Full name:  John William Matthew Baugh   

    YearRole
    2026Pre-posting training (incl. Swahili language training) 
    2024 to 2025FCDO, Director, Migration & Conflict  
    2022 to 2024FCDO, Director, Euro-Atlantic Security   
    2020 to 2022Brussels, Ambassador to EU Political & Security Committee later Director, Political & Security, UKMis EU 
    2019Pre-posting training (incl. French language training) 
    2016 to 2019 DExEU, Director, Strategy & Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State  
    2013 to 2016 FCO, Deputy Director, Africa  
    2010 to 2013Mogadishu, Her Majesty’s Ambassador 
    2009UK Higher Command and Staff Course 
    2008 to 2009DFID, Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State  
    2006 to 2007DFID, Deputy Director, Iraq Department  
    2004 to 2006DFID-FCO-MOD, Head, Joint Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit 
    2002 to 2004 Khartoum, DFID Country Representative 
    2000 to 2002 DFID, Head of Global Emergencies  
    2001 to 2002DFID, Head of Afghanistan Crisis unit  
    1999 to 2001DFID, Head of Kosovo Crisis unit  
    1998Joined DFID Fast Stream  
    1997Joined MOD Fast Stream
  • Mel Stride – 2026 Comments on Lifting Two Child Benefit Cap

    Mel Stride – 2026 Comments on Lifting Two Child Benefit Cap

    The comments made by Mel Stride, the Shadow Chancellor, on 7 April 2026.

    Labour’s decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap is a serious mistake and one the country cannot afford.

    At a time when Britain faces a sustained cost-of-living challenge, families across the country are making difficult, often painful decisions to balance their budgets. They expect government to show the same discipline. Instead, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have chosen to increase welfare spending by billions, and to tax working people to pay for it.

    Starmer and Reeves’ choice marks a significant shift in the principles that underpin our welfare system.

    The two-child cap, introduced by Conservatives in 2017, reflected a straightforward and widely understood idea: that families should make choices based on what they can afford, and that the state should mirror that reality. It ensured the system remained fair, both to those who rely on support and to those who fund it through their taxes. Labour have now chosen to abandon that balance.

    Under Labour’s plan, families on benefits can now receive thousands more for every extra child. For bigger households, that could mean well over £10,000 more a year, at a cost of around £3.5 billion each year.

    That comes on top of already high levels of public spending and over £100 billion in debt interest – double the defence budget. Given the strain on the public finances and the fact taxes are rising to record highs to pay for this, such a commitment raises serious questions about sustainability. It also raises questions of fairness.

    Working households do not receive more money when their family grows. They adapt. They plan. They make trade-offs. It is reasonable to expect that the welfare system reflects those same constraints, rather than insulating some from them at the expense of others.

    This is not about withdrawing support from those in need. Britain already has a compassionate system that protects the most vulnerable. But compassion must be matched with responsibility. Without that balance, public confidence in the system begins to erode.

    On top of that, we should all be concerned about how this decision was made.

    Before the election, Keir Starmer made clear that the cap would remain. Its removal came about because Labour’s backbenchers have Starmer and Reeves over a barrel, following a slew of disastrous u-turns. A government driven more by internal politics than by a consistent economic strategy is dangerous.

    Reform UK have taken every possible different position on the two child policy. Nigel Farage last year made a speech announcing he wanted to scrap the cap. His Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick voted alongside Labour to lift it just a few months ago. Then they said they only wanted to partially scrap it. And now they claim they would keep it. They may deny it, but Labour and Reform are pushing more welfare spending, with no consideration for the country’s finances.

    The Conservative position is different.

    We believe in a welfare system that is robust, targeted, and fair – one that supports those who need help while maintaining a clear link between responsibility and support. That is essential not only for fiscal sustainability, but for maintaining public trust.

    Restoring the two-child cap would reaffirm an important principle: that support should be delivered in a way that is fair to all, and consistent with the realities faced by working families.

    The country does not need competing promises of higher spending paid for by yet more taxes on working people. It needs honesty about the choices we face, and an understanding of what is fair.

  • NEWS STORY : Operator’s licence revoked after serious safety failings uncovered

    NEWS STORY : Operator’s licence revoked after serious safety failings uncovered

    STORY

    A West Midlands haulage operator has had his licence revoked after a public inquiry found persistent failures in vehicle maintenance, record keeping and compliance with basic legal duties. Traffic Commissioner Miles Dorrington ruled that Mr Sukhvinder Singh was unfit to hold an operator’s licence, with the revocation taking effect at 23:45 on Sunday 5 April.

    The inquiry heard that Singh spent an extended period in India from around mid December 2024 to late March 2025 without informing the Office of the Traffic Commissioner, leaving a driver to run the transport operation in his absence. ANPR data showed his vehicle was recorded 257 times during that period, while the commissioner said the lack of oversight amounted to a serious breach of his responsibilities.

    Investigators also found major maintenance failings involving Singh’s only vehicle, a 38 year old Mercedes. The lorry went 208 days between two preventative maintenance inspections, far beyond the required schedule, and no meaningful laden brake tests were carried out. Its MOT history showed six consecutive failures, including one abandoned test, in what the commissioner described as an appalling record.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK opens door to Japan’s £1.4 billion organic market [April 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK opens door to Japan’s £1.4 billion organic market [April 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 April 2026.

    Strengthened UK-Japan trade arrangement slashes red tape for British organic exporters, cutting costs and bureaucracy.

    British organic food producers will see red tape slashed and the doors opened to one of Asia’s fastest-growing organic markets, Food Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle has announced.

    Coming into effect today (Wednesday 1 April), the UK and Japan have formally recognised the equivalency of each other’s organic livestock standards. This will create significant market access for British exporters to meet growing consumer demand for organic products in Japan, from organic bacon and sausages to cheese and butter.

    This means British businesses will need only a single UK organic certification to sell their organic livestock products in both countries, cutting costs and bureaucracy and breaking down a major trade barrier.   

    The government has identified removal of this trade barrier as one of its market access priorities, with the potential to boost British export sales and generate millions in additional trade each year according to industry estimates.

    Food Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle said:

    From Welsh organic cheese to world-class organic British beef, our farmers and producers set the gold standard for quality.  

    This arrangement tears down barriers and gives them access to Japanese consumers who are increasingly seeking out the very best organic products the world has to offer.

    Among those eyeing the opportunity is a Welsh organic dairy producer that has been growing its exports of organic cheese across Asian markets and is now looking to establish a foothold in Japan.

    Stuart McNally, Business Development and Sales Manager for Calon Wen, said:

    This is a very welcome breakthrough for Calon Wen, a farmer-owned organic dairy co-operative, and for the wider UK organic sector.

    This equivalency with Japan allows us to pursue opportunities previously out of reach. This includes organic business tenders worth substantial trade annually. It’s a positive step that supports our family farms and strengthens the reputation of Welsh organic dairy in premium export markets such as Japan.”  

    Japan is the second largest organic market in Asia, valued at an estimated £1.4 billion in 2023, and expanding rapidly, driven by Japanese government initiatives to promote organic consumption domestically.  

    The UK-Japan organics market already enjoys a thriving trade partnership, where British organic produce including tea, fruit and vegetable juices, cereals, sauces, and syrups are already winning over Japanese consumers, who in return export popular staples like organic soy sauce, noodles, and green tea enjoyed by British consumers.
       

    The UK’s organic sector continues its impressive growth trajectory, expanding 4.2% in 2025 to reach £3.9bn retail value – a trend sustained since 2012. The EU, Switzerland, US, and Republic of Korea stand among the other key export destinations for British organic products.

    This arrangement builds on many recent wins for the livestock sector such as the recent beef tariff rate quota, worth up to £70 million a year if fully utilised, and genetics market access in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

    Notes to editors

    • Japan is the second largest organic market in Asia after China, with an estimated value of approximately £1.4 billion in 2023.
    • The new arrangement expands the UK’s existing organic equivalency arrangement for mutual recognition of organic standards between the UK and Japan to cover organic livestock products for the first time and will come into effect on 1 April 2026.
    • This builds on an earlier agreement that was reached between the UK and Japan in September 2025, boosting new trade in organic alcoholic drinks.  
    • The scope of the products covered by the arrangement includes all types of UK organic certified meat and dairy products, including beef, lamb, pork and chicken, processed meat products such as bacon, sausages, hams and cured meats, dairy products such as butter, cheese, yoghurt, milk powders and processed eggs, and other processed food products containing animal ingredients, for example pet food.
  • Grant Shapps – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    Grant Shapps – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the former Home Secretary, on 6 April 2026.

    Antisemitism has no place in Britain – full stop.

    Businesses and organisers have a responsibility to act, not look the other way.

    The public rightly expect higher standards.

  • Karl Turner – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    Karl Turner – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    The comments made by Karl Turner, the Labour MP for East Hull, on 6 April 2026.

    Send a message out loud and clear. We DO NOT want antisemites coming to our country to perform here or otherwise.

  • Sajid Javid – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    Sajid Javid – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    The comments made by Sajid Javid, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 6 April 2026.

    Wireless Festival’s booking of Kanye West is disgraceful.

    Yes, he has spoken about mental health challenges. That should be met with sympathy. But declaring yourself a Nazi and promoting a song called Heil Hitler should have consequences – and those consequences don’t include being given a stage to spread your hate to thousands of young Londoners.

    Let us also be honest about what is happening here. This is not a brave artistic decision. It is a commercial one. The organisers know his notoriety will bring headlines, attention and ticket sales.

    That is what makes it so ugly. Young people are growing up in a culture where hatred is too often dressed up as edge, rebellion or entertainment. Put someone with this record on one of Britain’s biggest stages and you send a poisonous message: no matter how vile your conduct, there is still money to be made for you in the attention economy.

    So well done Pepsi and Diageo for pulling out. Others should now think very carefully about their values and whether they want to be part of this.

    The organisers have a small window to still do the right thing and disinvite him. If they don’t, just like I did with hate preachers, I’m certain the Home Secretary will want to use her powers and block Kanye West from the UK.

  • NEWS STORY : Wireless Organisers Mute as Sponsors Flee and Political Fury Ignites

    NEWS STORY : Wireless Organisers Mute as Sponsors Flee and Political Fury Ignites

    STORY

    The organisers of the Wireless Festival have remained silent this weekend following cross-party condemnation of the event. Further sponsors have withdrawn their support and concerns have been growing about the safety of the event and those who will be attending.

    What was intended to be a triumphant London comeback for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has instead devolved into a commercial and moral radioactive zone. Following the announcement that the rapper, infamous for his recent “Heil Hitler” lyrics and previous antisemitic tirades, would headline all three nights at Finsbury Park, the major event sponsors Paypal, Pepsi and Diageo have withdrawn.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer has led the criticism of the organisers, branding the booking “deeply concerning”, while the Mayor of London has slammed the decision as a betrayal of the city’s inclusive values. Ministers are reportedly reviewing Ye’s permission to enter the UK, suggesting the festival could be left without a headliner even if it manages to survive the financial fallout.

    The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have both issued scathing rebukes, noting that inviting a performer who has openly celebrated Nazism is not “artistic bravery” but “deeply irresponsible” commercialism. There is now urgent pressure on the organisers to explain how the event can be made safe and secure for those attending and those who live nearby.

  • Chris Philp – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    Chris Philp – 2026 Comments on Wireless Festival

    The comments made by Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, on 6 April 2026.

    Kanye West is guilty of appalling antisemitic and pro Nazi comments

    Below I have written to the Home Secretary asking her to use her powers to ban West from travelling to the UK to appear at the Wireless concert

    She used this power recently to ban an anti-immigration campaigner

    She says she wants to fight antisemitism. Now will now find out how serious she really is.