Good morning. Hope you had a great bank holiday. I spent quite a lot of mine locked in a titanic battle of wills with a squirrel that somehow barricaded itself under my oven. If you’d like more detail and a gif of the astonishing denouement in tomorrow’s newsletter, hit reply and let me know that you’ve recommended First Edition to a friend. How’s that for viral marketing?
The other titanic battle of wills under way yesterday was, of course, the one between striking nurses in England and a significantly less adorable antagonist, health secretary Steve Barclay. The strike was the largest industrial action by nurses so far, and comes ahead of a meeting to discuss the government’s 5% pay offer happening today – but while that will get a majority of support among NHS unions, a period of public sector pay disputes is still far from over. The RCN yesterday reiterated that nurses will be re-balloted this month for action that could continue until Christmas – and even as the NHS talks take place today, teachers will be going out on their fifth strike day of the year.
