End of day summary …
I am just about to wrap up the blog for the day. Here are the headlines …
The UK economy fell into recession at the end of last year as hard-pressed households cut back on spending amid the cost of living crisis, in a heavy blow to Rishi Sunak’s promise to kickstart growth. The Office for National Statistics said gross domestic product (GDP) fell by a larger than expected 0.3% in the three months to December after a decline in all main sectors of the economy and collapse in retail sales in the run-up to Christmas.
Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said that today’s figures demonstrate that “Britain remains trapped in a spiral of economic decline” under Sunak’s government, adding that “we are going backwards” because his economic plan “is not working”.
Polls are open in the Wellingborough and Kingswood byelections, seen as a final chance for the prime minister to buck predictions that his party is heading for a landslide defeat at the next general election. Results should be due between 2am and 5am. Labour is widely seen as favourite to win both seats.
The newly-reconvened executive in Northern Ireland has agreed an allocation of £685m for public sector pay in the country. First minister Michelle O’Neil (Sinn Féin) said “We were determined to make some early decisions and I’m glad that we’ve been able to do that”. Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly (DUP) said “We know that there’s big challenges within our public services but, of course, we must recognise that the people who deliver those public services, our public servants, deserve fair pay.”
Data from the department for energy security and net zero shows that 13% of households in England were in fuel poverty last year. The figures also reveal that well over a third (36.4%) of English households, some 8.91 million, were forced to spend more than 10% of their income, after housing costs, on energy bills.
Annual profits at British Gas have soared nearly tenfold, while its parent company announced another £144m payout to shareholders.
Areas across England where the highest proportion of ethnic minorities live have the poorest access to GPs, with experts attributing this disparity to an outdated model being used to determine funding.
Sadiq Khan unveiled new names for six London Overground lines, including the Windrush line and the Suffragette line.
A woman is facing deportation, and being separated from her husband and 10-year-old son, despite a court ruling that the family has the right to live together in the UK. Malwattege Peiris has been told by the Home Office to leave the UK despite the court ruling in her favour
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster has announced he is taking the home secretary to court over plans to scrap his role and transfer his powers to the region’s mayor.
Britain’s public spending watchdog has launched an investigation into risks and costs at Sellafield, the UK’s biggest nuclear waste dump.
That is it from me, Martin Belam, today. I will be back with you bright and early tomorrow, as we will have an early UK politics live blog to take in instant reaction to the byelection results. Thank you for all your comments today. I do always try and read all of them, and often find them helpful. See you tomorrow.
I mentioned earlier that the newly-reconvened executive in Northern Ireland has agreed an allocation of money for public sector pay in the country. The Belfast Telegraph is carrying some quotes from first minister Michelle O’Neil (Sinn Féin) from a press conference in Stormont. She told the media:
We were determined to make some early decision and I’m glad that we’ve been able to do that. I’m delighted to say that today the executive, on the recommendation of the finance minister, has decided to allocate over £685m which will allow conversations now to commence between employers and trade unions in relation to public sector pay.
Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly (DUP) said:
The people of Northern Ireland deserve public services that work for them. We know that there’s big challenges within our public services but, of course, we must recognise that the people who deliver those public services, our public servants, deserve fair pay. And that’s why this step today of the allocation of £685m for the purposes of negotiation, and hopefully quick settlement, is a really welcome one.
Speaking at the same event, finance minister Caoimhe Archibald (Sinn Féin) said “I think it’s also a good signal coming from this executive that we are working together to deliver for people in the most challenging of circumstances.”
