Month: September 2024

King Charles III hosted Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer, in line with a long-held tradition…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was at Balmoral this weekend, his first official stay at the royal residence as prime minister. King Charles III hosted Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer, in line with a long-held tradition that UK prime ministers visit the monarch at the Scottish castle for a few days towards the end of summer.

Fellow Labour prime minister Harold Wilson, Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher and Starmer’s predecessor Rishi Sunak all did the same during their premierships.

Balmoral, which has been the Royal Family’s Scottish holiday home since the 19th Century, is known to many as the place where the late Queen Elizabeth II died. Her love for the castle, which sits on a 50,000-acre country estate in Aberdeenshire, was well known.

It is a working estate, including grouse moors, forestry and farmland, as well as managed herds of deer, Highland cattle, and ponies. The late monarch’s long reign meant she hosted a number of prime ministers at Balmoral, including Wilson, Edward Heath, David Cameron, Baroness Thatcher and Theresa May.

It was also where she appointed her 15th and final prime minister, Liz Truss, two days before her death in 2022. May once shared a story about a picnic that had taken place during one of her stays at Balmoral while prime minister.

She explained how she had dropped some cheese on the floor and, hoping no-one had seen, put it back on a plate. “I turned around to see that my every move had been watched very carefully by Her Majesty the Queen,” May recalled of the moment. “I looked at her, she looked at me and she just smiled.”

Little detail about Starmer’s visit to Balmoral has been shared by either No 10 or the Royal Family. The trips tend to take place shortly before MPs return from their summer recess – with this year’s recess due to end on Monday.

When Parliament is sitting, the King and prime minister meet for a private weekly audience to discuss government matters. While the King is politically neutral, he is, according to the Royal Family’s website, “able to ‘advise and warn’ his ministers – including his prime minister – when necessary”.

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The report claimed that Harry is turning to allies closer to home as he is extremely dissatisfied with Hollywood publicists. ..reports Asian Lite News

Prince Harry has been reaching out to familiar faces to help him regain support amid his deteriorating reputation, a report has claimed. The Duke of Sussex is reportedly hoping that his former royal aides would spearhead his “rehabilitation” strategy.

The report claimed that Harry is turning to allies closer to home as he is extremely dissatisfied with Hollywood publicists. His popularity has been dwindling, with YouGov’s latest royal net favorability poll putting his rating at -30 per cent. Meghan Markle is even further behind on -40 per cent.

While Harry and Meghan are not seeking to permanently return to the UK, they might consider extending an olive branch to the royal family. “Harry is turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and is seeking counsel from his old friends and associates,” a source told The Mail.

“He is clearly reaching out thinking, ‘I need to do something different because what I’m doing is clearly not working’. In short, he is rethinking the way he operates,” the insider added.

At least one of the advisers that Harry approached has been described as an “old school” figure known for loyalty. Harry could even choose to undertake “very low-key royal duties,” it is being claimed. A source said that one friend “believes if Harry comes back to the UK with zero fuss, and does zero publicity and attends very mundane events, he could prove himself and win over the British public again.”

Harry has reportedly reached out to many of his old friends in the UK. Some have dubbed his latest plan Operation Bring Harry In From The Cold.

Recently, both Prince William and Harry attended Lord Fellowes memorial service. However, despite being so close, they reportedly did not interact with each other, doing little to improve their strained relationship.

But rather than secretly slipping in and out of the country, fugitive-like, as he does now, the hope is that Harry will be able to spend what the source called ‘quality time’ in the UK.

This came as Prince Harry visited UK to attend the memorial of his uncle, Lord Fellowes, last week. During that visit, the estranged brothers’ joined fellow mourners at Lord Fellowes’ funeral in Norfolk and it was the first time they have appeared in the same room together since May 2023 – for King Charles’s Coronation.

The Mail said Harry and Meghan had parted ways with American PR adviser Christine Weil Schirmer who took up a job with PR company Brunswick last month and stopped working for the Sussexes late last year.

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The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the project would aim to “halt damage and cut eye-watering cost to the economy”….reports Asian Lite News

The UK will be able to receive earlier warnings of floods and droughts with new technology, the government has said. A UK-wide network is to be established with a focus on pinpointing where incidents are likely to occur and implementing plans to limit their impact.

This is part of a scheme to improve the Government’s response to extreme weather.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the project would aim to “halt damage and cut eye-watering cost to the economy”.

The Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc) and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology will lead the Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure project which will receive £40 million in funding.

Sensors in rivers across the UK will gather data to identify potential flashpoints which the Government hopes will save lives and reduce damage to homes and businesses.

Findings from the project will be shared with bodies such as the Environment Agency to steer the UK response to extreme weather while also acting as a hub for researchers to pursue new innovations with discoveries.

The Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure, led by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and backed by £40 million, will be the first UK-wide network focused on understanding the impact of extreme weather conditions across the country, pinpointing where incidents are likely to occur and planning to limit their impact.

The complexity of Earth’s climate makes forecasting floods and droughts a major challenge, with climate change only further complicating the picture. Researchers will use the latest technologies including sensors and real time computer monitoring, plus a huge bank of data including river profiles and near real-time monitoring of information including on atmospherics, ground saturation, water movement, abstraction and storage – taken together, this will form a clearer impression of where and when extreme weather will strike.

Floods wreak havoc on communities by destroying homes, public infrastructure, and livelihoods like farming which in turn costs consumers. Similarly, droughts have a major impact on the water supply and UK eco-system, harming wildlife and their natural habitats which rely on regular rainfall.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Flooding and droughts can devastate UK communities, from leaving people stranded, to destroying homes, gardens, roads and businesses, and even claiming lives. With climate change sadly making extreme weather events more common and adding an eye-watering cost to the economy, there is no time to waste in backing our researchers and innovators to ensure we are better prepared for floods and droughts striking. This project will help drive that progress, with dedicated teams using the most advanced tech to crunch data gathered from our rivers and paint a clear picture of its likely impact – using the power of science and tech to keep the public safe.”

Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “In the case of extreme flooding and drought, preparation and prediction are everything. Our new institute will bring together a team of world-leading researchers and the latest technology to ensure our communities, businesses and farms are protected from these devastating events.”

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Currently set at a 34% reduction, train companies are seizing the opportunity provided by relaxed system restrictions to impose a marginal decrease to 33.4% off…reports Asian Lite News

Rail operators are poised to cut railcard discounts, a move which pro-rail advocates are labelling “a step in the wrong direction”. Fare reductions will be trimmed from the current 34% to 33.4% starting September 15.

Railcards set to experience the impact include those used by key passenger demographics such as individuals aged 16-30 or over 60, families with children, disabled passengers, and military veterans. Currently set at a 34% reduction, train companies are seizing the opportunity provided by relaxed system restrictions to impose a marginal decrease to 33.4% off.

For railcard holders, fare hikes will see prices ascend from £194.15 to £195.90 for an Anytime Return ticket from Cardiff to London, and a bump from £72.60 to £73.25 for the Birmingham to Manchester trip. Earlier in June, sections concerning railcard discounts on the National Rail Enquiries website were altered to excise all references to the previous 34% discount.

Though most railcard promotions claim the cards yield savings of one-third on standard fares, a number of operators, like East Midlands Railway and Heathrow Express, continue to promote the 34% discount.

Bruce Williamson, from the transport advocacy group Railfuture, said: “Whilst this represents a very tiny increase in fares for some passengers, it’s a step in the wrong direction.”

He questioned the rationale behind the move by saying: “As the slogan goes, every little helps, so why risk irritating passengers for a few pence?”

Michael Solomon Williams from the Campaign for Better Transport has urged for a northern network railcard to be introduced, arguing it would make the system “fairer” and give passengers in the north of England “the same discount offered to many of their southern counterparts by regional railcards”.

A Railcard spokesperson defended the value of the discount cards, which are managed on behalf of train operators, stating: “The cost of a Railcard hasn’t increased for over 10 years and will continue to provide customers with a third off their rail fare for just £30 a year a cost that can be made back in just one or two journeys.”

The rail industry is actively working to increase fares income, which still hasn’t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. According to the Office of Rail and Road, passenger revenue was at £10.3 billion for the year ending March, a decrease from £12.7 billion recorded in 2019-20.

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Former prime minister praises Labour leader’s handling of riots and advises him not to put off the ‘hard decisions’…reports Asian Lite News

Tony Blair has urged Keir Starmer to ignore “vicious” social media platforms during his time as prime minister, saying that poring over the inevitable criticism that will rain down on him will trigger psychological problems.

“You know, you start scrolling through social media that’s written about you, it’s going to do your head in,” Blair says in an interview with the Observer’s chief political commentator, Andrew Rawnsley, about his new book, On Leadership, Lessons for the 21st century.

In one section of the book, Blair, who went from enjoying sky-high approval ratings early on in his premiership to a position in which he faced mass protests on the streets over the Iraq war, addresses the whole issue of how to deal with torrents of criticism and constant attacks. “DON’T READ IT!” is his advice.

When Rawnsley points out that it is surely important for leaders to know what voters think of them, even when it is unpleasant, Blair adds: “Of course. And, by the way, there’s no leader that isn’t aware of public opinion, and you’ve got to listen to sensible criticism.

“But what I’m really saying is that, if you’re not careful, you can become completely psychologically derailed by critics. And you can’t allow that to happen, you’ve got to carry on, you’ve got to realise it just comes with the territory.”

Blair, who early on in Starmer’s leadership seemed less than convinced of his chances of reaching Downing Street, is full of praise for the new PM’s achievement in taking back power after 14 years in opposition.

“I thought pulling it off was massive, but I have to say he has. And one of the best things he’s done, by the way, is the quality of the candidates that have come in. I know quite a lot of the new young MPs, and they’re good, they’re really good,’ says Blair.

In particular, the former Labour leader, who served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007, praises the way Starmer dealt with the recent far-right riots on Britain’s streets: “I think Keir handled it as well as it could be handled. I give him full marks for it. It was obviously difficult, but he took tough action and that ended it.”

Blair says the key to whether the new PM prospers or fails will be whether or not his government consistently delivers for voters. “It’s always the same thing,” he says. “The challenge of democracy is delivering its efficacy. The reason for the rise of populism is all to do with the fact that people don’t believe governments are delivering for them.”

With Starmer already warning of the “tough decisions” that his government will have to take to mend the economic and societal damage left by the Tories, Blair says in the book that it is vital not to put off the hard decisions. “In retrospect, I would have reformed earlier, faster,” he tells Rawnsley.

He says that Shimon Peres told one of his successors as Israel’s PM, who could not make up his mind what to do: “Do you want to be in the history book or the visitors’ book?” Blair’s advice is “Go to it. It will be tough but if you don’t step up to the challenge, the visitors’ book is where you will end up.”

While he insists his book is not intended as advice to the UK prime minister, he cautions Starmer against thinking that reform of the civil service will reap dividends and make his government more efficient: “My experience is that there is no reform of the system that is going to deliver you big change.”

Instead, he favours bringing in outside expertise to government, praising the way Singapore, a city state of about 6 million people, has “brought 1,600 engineers into the centre of government” to push technological innovation. “That gives you an idea of how much expertise you’re going to require from outside government in order to transform government.”

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