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Tag: 2022

  • PRESS RELEASE : Nurses should only expect minor improvements in the government’s pay offer [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Nurses should only expect minor improvements in the government’s pay offer [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the IEA on 11 November 2022.

    Commenting on the ongoing NHS nurses’ pay dispute, Professor Len Shackleton, labour market expert at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

    “Excessive union pay demands backed with strike threats are a staple of collective bargaining. So is initial employer intransigence. Disputes are, however, usually settled somewhere between the extremes as both sides learn more about their counterparts’ real position.

    “This is an elaborate game, played out for more than a century in countless disputes. The RCN, however, is new to the game, and seems to be relying on public gratitude for the care which nurses provide to shift the final settlement closer to its own position than that of a government which has plumbed new depths of unpopularity.

    “They may have got this wrong, however. If a strike actually occurs, and hundreds of thousands of patients find their treatment postponed and waiting lists expand beyond the seven million or so we already have, that gratitude could disappear pretty quickly.

    “On the other side, the government knows that offering even half of what the nurses are asking for would be difficult at a time when belts are being tightened right across the public sector.

    “As nurses constitute only about a third of the workers covered by the recent NHS Pay Review, there would be pressure from everybody from doctors, to radiographers, to porters for an equivalent pay hike. There are also many in the wider public sector doing vitally important jobs – the police, the fire service and so on – who would feel aggrieved. These were people who suffered from the public sector pay freeze last year and didn’t get the special uplift which NHS workers received. At the same time, there are very many private sector workers who may have lost jobs and pay during lockdown and furlough, while NHS workers did not.

    “There is room for some minor improvements in the government’s offer, perhaps around the detail of pension contributions, but nurses expecting their new-found militancy to lead to anything like a 17 per cent pay increase are surely going to be disappointed.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Economic downturn should keep the Chancellor cautious [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Economic downturn should keep the Chancellor cautious [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the IEA on 11 November 2022.

    Commenting on the latest UK GDP figures published today, Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

    “The latest UK GDP figures were not as bad as many had expected, but the downward trajectory is clear. The Chancellor needs to tread very carefully in his Budget next week.

    “The 0.2 per cent fall in GDP in the three months to September was smaller than the 0.5 per cent pencilled in by the Bank of England, partly due to upward revisions to monthly GDP in both July and August. The economy might not have shrunk at all without the extra Bank Holiday for the Queen’s funeral.

    “Nonetheless, the data for the third quarter were also flattered by large positive contributions from government spending and from net exports. Household spending and business investment were both much weaker, and the more timely consumer and business surveys point to further declines in the fourth quarter.

    “Whatever the official numbers say, this will feel like a recession to those struggling to pay their bills over the winter. There are early signs too that the labour market is softening.

    “The Chancellor should therefore take a more flexible approach to the Budget. The pendulum appears to be swinging too far from the botched ‘pro-growth’ strategy of Truss and Kwarteng back to the old ‘doom loop’ of tighter fiscal policy and a deeper recession. The Chancellor is also in danger of fetishising estimates for the size of the fiscal ‘black hole’, which is highly uncertain.

    “If the Chancellor is determined to press ahead with austerity, whether through tax increases or spending cuts, he should at least time the measures carefully. It would make no sense to slam the brakes on straightaway when the economy is so fragile.

    “Instead, he should delay the bulk of the hit until the back end of the five-year horizon. This should still allow him to present a credible medium-term plan to keep the financial markets on board, and therefore reduce the upward pressure on interest rates, without tipping the economy over now.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : PM sets out five-point economic action plan for the G20 [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : PM sets out five-point economic action plan for the G20 [November 2022]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 November 2022.

    • The Prime Minister arrives at the G20 Summit in Indonesia today (Monday) for talks with the leaders of the world’s biggest economies
    • He will stress the need for coordinated global action to bring down the cost of living and end the war in Ukraine, which is devastating the global economy
    • Summit will be the first encounter between a British PM and a Russian representative since the brutal invasion in February

    The Prime Minister will call for coordinated global action to address international economic instability and the rising cost of living when he attends the G20 Summit this week. The meeting in Indonesia comes as countries around the world face huge economic difficulties, caused or exacerbated by the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

    Every household on the planet is feeling the impact of Putin’s war. Global food prices have been driven up by his attempts to choke off the Ukrainian grain supply, energy bills have skyrocketed thanks to Russia turning off their gas taps and the World Bank predicts the economic aftershocks will ripple around the world for years to come.

    This week’s meeting will be the first time a UK Prime Minister has met a representative of the Russian regime since Putin’s full-scale invasion in February. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is expected to attend the talks instead of Putin.

    The Prime Minister will use the G20 as an opportunity to call out Putin’s barbarism and force Russia to confront the global suffering caused by this senseless campaign of violence.

    The best and quickest way to alleviate these problems is for Putin to withdraw from Ukraine. But while this war continues, the world’s most powerful economies have a crucial role to play in addressing the desperate global economic situation.

    G20 leaders first met during the global financial crisis in 2008, in recognition of the fact that our complex and international economic system cannot function without coordinated action from the most powerful economies. This year, the world is looking to the G20 again to ensure the stability of international markets and alleviate the burden on the world’s poorest people.

    Ahead of this week’s summit the Prime Minister has set out a five-point economic action plan for leaders to address the current global instability, covering changes to the global energy market, international food supply and the world financial system.

    This action will ensure a firm platform for the domestic measures the Chancellor will set out in this week’s Autumn Statement.

    The Prime Minister said:

    Later this week the Autumn Statement will set out how we will get this country on the right path, put public finances on a stable footing and get debt falling.

    Creating a stable international system that protects the most vulnerable will be a core part of that work.

    But addressing the biggest economic crisis in a decade will require a concerted effort by the world’s largest economies – these are not problems we can solve alone. At the G20, leaders need to step up to fix the weaknesses in the international economic system which Putin has exploited for years.

    Under the five-point economic action plan, the Prime Minister will call on fellow leaders to:

    Direct government support to where it’s most needed. Using government support effectively to prioritise the most vulnerable, both in our own countries and internationally.

    End the weaponisation of food production and distribution. Taking immediate action to support the global food trade to reduce the cost of living for all and save the lives of those at risk of starvation. This includes calling for the Black Sea Grain Initiative to be renewed on 19th November and a G20-wide commitment never to weaponise food production and distribution.

    Strengthen our energy security and reduce energy dependence on Russia. We must bring an end Russia’s stranglehold over international energy prices. As part of these efforts we will work with partners to unlock the investment needed to accelerate the green transition – the best way of protecting ourselves from those who have perpetually used hydrocarbons to bully and coerce.

    Open up global trade. This includes by advancing bilateral free trade agreements and through reform of the World Trade Organization. We need a WTO fit to release the opportunities of the 21st century while tackling the manipulation of global markets by malign actors.

    Providing honest, reliable finance to help developing countries grow sustainably. Ensuring that the international financial system has the firepower needed to help developing countries grow without becoming dependent on their lenders. This includes rapid action to help poor countries better manage their debt burdens and providing an alternative to developing countries borrowing from exploitative sources.

    These efforts form part of the Prime Minister’s drive to place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda. That means being a constructive and reliable member to the global economy, and using our influence to create a stronger international economic system.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2022 Speech on the Government’s Economic Action Plan for the G20

    Rishi Sunak – 2022 Speech on the Government’s Economic Action Plan for the G20

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 14 November 2022.

    Leaders take responsibility. They show up. Yet, at the G20 summit in Indonesia this week, one seat will remain vacant.

    The man who is responsible for so much bloodshed in Ukraine and economic strife around the world will not be there to face his peers. He won’t even attempt to explain his actions. Instead, he will stay at home and the rest of us will get on with the task at hand.

    Last week, we saw the Ukrainian flag raised once again over Kherson only weeks after Putin declared that the city would be part of Russia forever. It is an historic milestone in Ukraine’s fight to take back what’s theirs. They are standing up for fundamental principles that matter to us all – the principles of sovereignty and self-determination, which are the very foundations of a stable international order.

    But we know the Ukrainian people are still suffering terribly under the continued Russian bombardment and prolonged power blackouts in near-freezing temperatures.

    That’s why when I spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, last Thursday, I made clear that Britain will never back down when it comes to supporting the Ukrainian people in the face of this brutality.

    We will continue training Ukrainian troops and providing vital defensive military equipment, like the additional 1,000 air defence missiles and more than 25,000 extreme cold winter kits that I pledged last week. We remain the largest European military donor to Ukraine, delivering £2.3 billion of support this year.

    There is no doubt that the war in Ukraine is fuelling the challenges facing countries across the world. That’s why as I hold my first meetings with Joe Biden, the US president, and other leaders during the summit, we will be clear that discussions about how we can continue to back Ukraine are inseparable from those on how we can strengthen our collective economic security.

    As we recover from a pandemic that almost broke the world economy, every household on the planet is feeling the fallout from the war in Ukraine. Global food prices have been hit by Vladimir Putin’s attempts to choke off Ukrainian grain exports – two-thirds of which go to developing countries. Energy bills have skyrocketed thanks to Russia turning off the gas taps.

    The result is that two-thirds of G20 members are now experiencing inflation rates above seven per cent and the IMF predicts that a third of the world’s economy will be in recession next year.

    I know that people are struggling. Across the UK, families are feeling the squeeze. The weekly shop costs more than ever, and people are anxious about the next bill to land on their doormat.

    So we will continue to deliver help at home, but we also need to see coordinated global action like we saw in response to the financial crisis in 2008.

    Russia is trying to asphyxiate the global economy. We must join together to stop them in their tracks and restore economic stability. There are five points where we need to see action.

    First and foremost, we must keep delivering urgent support where it’s needed most in the winter ahead. We are helping the people of Ukraine as their national infrastructure is attacked by drones and missiles – just as we are supporting people with their rising energy bills back in Britain and taking action to prevent famine in the most vulnerable parts of the world.

    Second, we must put an end to Russia’s appalling weaponisation of food. I am supporting the UN secretary-general to keep grain shipments moving in the Black Sea and urging all those countries who can produce more food or release stockpiles to do so, in order to help increase supply.

    Third, we must take urgent action to protect our economic security and bolster our resilience against malign actors. This means securing our supply chains and rapidly transitioning from dependence on energy from countries like Russia, who seek to use it against us. We must show authoritarian aggressors that we are in it for the long haul.

    Fourth, we must remain utterly committed to the promotion of free markets and an open global economy in which enterprise drives growth – and the UK will continue leading the way, utilising our Brexit freedoms to pursue free trade agreements around the world. Our prosperity and our security go hand in hand.

    Finally, we must work together with our partners – governments, the private sector and intentional financial institutions – to provide the financial stability and probity that the international economic situation demands. That means calling out those who exploit their lending power to create debt traps in emerging economies and also tackling the causes of rising inflation head on.

    We will not let our economic future be held hostage by the actions of a rogue state – and nor will our allies. Instead, we will stand with Ukraine and we will work to deliver on each element of this five-point plan, promoting free markets and a global economy that is stronger, more stable and more resilient, and that delivers a faster return to growth.

    This is what the world expects from the responsible members of the G20 – and I know that the UK will emerge the other side of this crisis stronger than before.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Executive support needed for hospitals which are at breaking point – Declan Kearney [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Executive support needed for hospitals which are at breaking point – Declan Kearney [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 13 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin MLA and party chairperson Declan Kearney has said he is deeply concerned at the temporary closure of the Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital during the night.

    The South Antrim MLA said:

    “A Major Incident was declared at the hospital last night as a result of the number of critically-ill patients being treated and the Emergency Department was temporarily closed down.

    “Hospital staff are doing all their power to discharge patients today to free up much-needed hospital beds.

    “I urge the public to continue to co-operate with hospital staff and people should definitely attend the ED if their condition is urgent or life threatening.

    “Unfortunately the knock-on impact of last night’s closure will be that those who attend with conditions which are not urgent may endure a long wait to be seen.

    “This latest incident in our hospitals is deeply concerning with pressures increasing as we move into winter.

    “Our health service and staff are under huge stress because of a decade of Tory cuts and underinvestment, and the DUP’s blockade of the Executive.

    “Health service staff and patients need an Executive up and running, to put one billion pounds extra investment into health, to tackle waiting lists, recruit more doctors and nurses, and fund cancer and mental health services.

    “The reckless actions of the DUP are blocking this vital funding from being released into the health and social care system. Hospitals such as Antrim Area are now at breaking point as a result.

    “The DUP should get back to work and ensure that health workers have the resources needed to tackle the huge pressures across our hospitals, emergency rooms, our GP surgeries, and the entire health care system.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : People need promised energy and oil payments now as winter closes in – Conor Murphy [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : People need promised energy and oil payments now as winter closes in – Conor Murphy [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 13 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy said today that workers and families in the north need energy and oil payments promised by the British government to be delivered urgently as we move deeper into winter.

    In a letter to the British Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, Grant Shapps, Conor Murphy said that people in the north still don’t know when they will receive the £400 energy discount or the £100 heating oil payment.

    Conor Murphy said:

    “It is now more than six months since people in the North were promised a £400 discount on their electricity bill.

    “This payment was rolled out to people in Britain last month, yet people here still don’t know when they will receive their discount.

    “I told Grant Shapps that this delay is unacceptable and it’s vital the £400 is now paid out in one lump sum rather than instalments.”

    The former Finance Minister also said that the two-thirds of people using home heating oil in the north were being treated less favorably than people using gas.

    “The British government has also failed to confirm when the £100 payment promised to people who use home heating oil will be delivered.

    “Two-thirds of people in the North use oil to heat their homes.

    “I made it clear to the British Treasury in my previous role as Finance Minister that the £100 payment should be increased. I provided information that people using oil were being treated less favourably than those using gas.

    “The DUP’s blockade of the Executive has made it more difficult to get these schemes out the door.

    “However, the British government agreed to take responsibility for these schemes and people urgently need this money now as we move deeper into winter.”

  • Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on £400 Energy Payments in Northern Ireland

    Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on £400 Energy Payments in Northern Ireland

    The comments made by Caoimhe Archibald, the Sinn Fein economy spokesperson in Northern Ireland, on 10 November 2022.

    It is now more than six months since people here were promised they would receive £400 to help them tackle soaring energy costs during the cold winter months.

    The DUP’s blockade of the Executive delayed getting this money out into people’s pockets earlier in the year.

    And despite former DUP economy minister Gordon Lyons promising people they would be getting the payment in November, this is looking increasingly unlikely.

    Yesterday British minister Steve Baker was unable to say when the payments will be made.

    That is simply unacceptable.

    People need this payment now as they struggle to heat their homes and we move deeper into winter.

    The British government need to get this money out the door as soon as possible and ensure that people can afford to put the heat on.

  • Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on Decision of Nurses to Strike

    Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on Decision of Nurses to Strike

    The comments made by Colm Gildernew, the MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, on 9 November 2022.

    Nurses shouldn’t have been forced onto the streets to take strike action.

    They should have fair pay and conditions for the amazing work that they do, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.

    Without fair pay and safe working conditions, it becomes much tougher to retain skilled health and social workers. That needs to be addressed.

    I am writing to the British Chancellor telling him to get on with delivering a fair pay award for our nurses now. They shouldn’t have to wait.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Chris Hazzard tells British Secretary of State to give urgent clarity on £400 energy payment date [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chris Hazzard tells British Secretary of State to give urgent clarity on £400 energy payment date [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 8 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has challenged the British Secretary of State for clarity on when workers and families will receive the £400 energy support payment.

    Speaking after meeting Chris Heaton Harris in London today, Chris Hazzard said:

    “Today, we challenged the British Secretary of State over delays in getting the £400 energy support payment out to households in the north.

    “Workers and families are struggling to pay their bills. They need help now to get through a cold and difficult winter.

    “It’s not good enough they still have no clarity on when they will get the money they were promised and are entitled to.

    “This money has been held up enough by the DUP’s cruel boycott of the Executive. There must be no more delays. People need this money quickly.”

    The South Down MP made it clear to the British government that the prolonged state of limbo they have created is failing people in the north.

    “I also made it clear to Chris Heaton Harris that the prolonged state of limbo facing our politics from British government indecision is failing people here.

    “It’s totally unacceptable that the Tories, along with the DUP, are fuelling instability and chaos and leaving people with no support during a cost-of-living crisis.

    “People want parties working together in an Executive to put money in their pockets and fix the health service. That’s why they voted in May.

    “The British Secretary of State must clearly and quickly outline what the next steps are now and end the dithering and delays.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : British government should engage in good faith with EU to reach agreed resolution – Declan Kearney [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : British government should engage in good faith with EU to reach agreed resolution – Declan Kearney [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 7 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney MLA has called on the British government to ‘demonstrate political will’ and engage in good faith with the EU to reach an agreed resolution on implementation of the Protocol.

    Speaking before attending a meeting at Westminster of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly between Britain and the EU, the Sinn Féin Brexit spokesperson said:

    “It’s very clear from our discussions with local businesses that they want certainty and stability so they can invest for the future and continue to create good jobs and attract investment.

    “Key to that is their ability to maximise the full advantages which the Protocol affords, including unique access to the EU single market which is already creating jobs and helping businesses to expand.

    “The British government must now demonstrate it has the political will to reach a genuine agreement on the way forward with the European Union. There is no credible alternative to the Protocol. That is the reality.

    “Neither the Assembly or the Executive has any mandate or role in these talks.

    “Despite that, the DUP is punishing the public by blocking restoration of our political institutions and compounding people’s suffering during a cost-of-living crisis.

    “We need an Executive to support workers and families with rising household bills, and to invest £1 billion in the health service to cut waiting lists so that people are not suffering for years waiting on medical treatment.

    “Following on from positive discussions between the new British Prime Minister and the EU Commission President last week, the next step should be to immediately resume urgent political talks between London and Brussels to find a pragmatic way forward, and a durable agreement.”