The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) warned the crisis has become ‘normalised’ and is being fuelled by long waits for care and a shortage of staff.
All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Martyn Jones.
The British Chambers of Commerce is calling for a triple lock update
Pensioners could be facing a new challenge to the state pension “triple lock” after a leading business group urged the Government to rethink how annual rises are set. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) says switching to inflation-only uprating could help pay for a targeted cut to employer National Insurance for under-25s, arguing it would make it cheaper to take on younger staff and tackle stubborn levels of youth worklessness.
The proposal lands just as ministers look for ways to balance the public finances ahead of Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget, with businesses warning against loading more costs onto employers. The BCC says the package is aimed at reducing the expense of employing people and running a company, while trying to “unlock investment” and support growth – but critics are likely to question whether pensioners should help fund the change.
At the heart of the debate is the triple lock, which guarantees the state pension increases every year by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5%. The BCC wants that replaced with rises linked only to inflation, meaning pension income would grow more slowly in years when wages outpace prices.
According to reports of the group’s plans, moving away from the triple lock could save the Treasury £3.3billion over two years. The BCC argues that, if the savings are redirected into cutting employer National Insurance for under-25s, it could also reduce welfare spending by almost £10billion in the longer term as more young people move into jobs.
The organisation says firms are already struggling with rising costs, claiming domestic policies have pushed the cost burden for a typical small or medium-sized business up by more than 70% over the past decade. It says around a quarter of that increase has come since the 2024 Budget, and points to weak confidence, with only 17% of SMEs planning to increase investment this quarter – the lowest level since the pandemic.
Shevaun Haviland, director general of the BCC, said the Government was boxed in by the state of the public finances, while insisting businesses should not be hit with higher taxes. “We know the government is in a fiscal bind and its choices are limited,” she said. “But support for business is not just money out the door, it generates vital economic returns.”
She warned: “Piling more taxes on firms, would be a road to ruin. The quickest way to destroy business confidence.”
Alongside the pensions change, the BCC is also pressing for help on day-to-day overheads, including energy bills and business rates. It wants the Government to fund 75% of the Renewables Obligation for businesses and reduce multipliers used to calculate business rates, as well as offering stronger backing for smaller companies looking to export.
The triple lock suggestion is expected to prove politically sensitive, with campaigners likely to push back at any move that could mean smaller pension rises. With pressure building on ministers to identify savings while trying to boost growth, the BCC has become the first major business group to openly argue for replacing the guarantee.
The organisation says its wider package would bring down business costs quickly and encourage investment. Ms Haviland said: “We need to see immediate action on helping young people into work, cutting business rates and energy costs, as well as helping to support more SMEs to export.”
She added: “Taken together, we believe these measures can help light the touch paper for stronger growth.”
The BCC also wants a longer-term plan on skills, productivity, public investment and tax reform. Ms Haviland said: “Pro-growth choices have never been more urgent.” The Chancellor is being urged to “back business, cut costs and deliver growth.”
A major route in Cardiff is currently closed off due to a “police incident”.
A section of Eastern Avenue north of the city centre is closed in both directions.
Police have not confirmed the nature of the incident, or whether it relates to a road collision.
Traffic monitoring service Inrix states: “A48 Eastern Avenue in both directions closed, queueing traffic due to police incident between the A4232 (Pontprennau) and Bryn Celyn Road (Pentwyn).Diversion – via Pentwyn Road and Church Road.”
You can follow live updates below.
The “very well presented” semi-detached property is located on the Sycamore Chase Barratts development in Boverton, Llantwit Major.
The house, on Cae Brewis, spans three floors and offers flexible living space.
The ground floor comprises an entrance hallway, a combined kitchen and diner with French doors leading to the rear garden, a cloakroom/WC, and a study that can serve as a fourth bedroom.
On the first floor, there is the main bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a sitting room.
The second floor houses two additional bedrooms and a recently upgraded shower room.
The estate agent says the house boasts three WCs, gas central heating with a combination boiler, and UPVC windows and doors.
Externally, the property has a low maintenance area at the front, a driveway at the side with parking space for three cars, and an enclosed private garden at the rear.
The garden is designed to be low maintenance and includes a decked area suitable for outdoor seating and barbecues.
The estate agent says the property is in a great position on the development and is within easy reach of local amenities, shops, and schools in Boverton and Llantwit Major.
It is also close to the Heritage Coastline and beach.
Within the house, the entrance hallway features wood effect flooring and an airing cupboard housing the boiler.
The kitchen/diner is fully equipped with integrated appliances, including a fridge, freezer, dishwasher, and washing machine.
The main bedroom on the first floor has built-in wardrobes and wood effect flooring.
The house carries a yearly management charge, which contributes to the upkeep, maintenance, and management of the development.
Viewings of the property are recommended to appreciate the living space and presentation.
Britons have been urged not to eat Sainsbury’s olives over fears they may be contaminated with dangerous bacteria.
There is congestion on the M4 on Monday morning after a collision on a slip road near Newport.
The incident happened early on Monday at junction 26 of the eastbound carriageway.
There is congestion in the area as the slip road is partially blocked.
According to traffic monitoring service Inrix: “M4 Eastbound exit slip road partially blocked, queueing traffic due to accident at J26 A4051 (Malpas Road). Congestion to before J27 (Highcross).”
You can follow live updates here.
There is congestion on the M4 on Monday morning after a collision on a slip road near Newport.
The incident happened early on Monday at junction 26 of the eastbound carriageway.
There is congestion in the area as the slip road is partially blocked.
According to traffic monitoring service Inrix: “M4 Eastbound exit slip road partially blocked, queueing traffic due to accident at J26 A4051 (Malpas Road). Congestion to before J27 (Highcross).”
You can follow the latest below.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday night after around 140 migrants in a single dinghy were rescued in the English Channel.
In the second major anti-migrant protest of the weekend, police faced off with demonstrators as they blocked roads in an effort to stop the people who had arrived on the small boat from leaving the city.
Hampshire Police urged people to avoid the Eastney Landing ferry port area, where the migrants were brought ashore, and said a dispersal order was in place, meaning anyone failing to comply could be arrested.
The government condemned “the intimidating and thuggish behaviour” of the protesters, many of whom were dressed in black and wore masks.
Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East Joe Robertson said on X it was “extremely concerning to see an illegal migrant crossing this far west”.
Protesters said they were trying to stop authorities transporting the migrants to the Manston processing centre in Kent.
Police carrying riot shields protected a number of coaches parked on a road leading a away from Eastney Marina as protesters blocked traffic.
Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo – an associate of far-right activist Tommy Robinson – was livestreaming from the scene.
“Roads are all blocked, they are never going to be able to leave here,” he said.
A government spokesperson said: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder.”
“We thank the emergency services who are working to safely manage this situation.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted on X: “This week Andy Burnham struck an agreement for 45 more officers on French beaches. Today a boat launched from Baie de Seine, 170 miles from Calais, arriving on the beaches of Hampshire for the very first time. This is a joke. Only Reform will send the boats back.”
The clocks will go back an hour next month, marking the end of daylight saving time in the UK – here’s everything you need to know
One extra hour in bed is on the horizon(Image: Getty)
As we transition away from summer and head towards the winter months, the days are growing increasingly shorter and dark evenings are beginning to set in.
Mornings are brisk and fresh, evenings are closing in ever earlier and temperatures are gradually starting to fall.
Alongside the cooler weather, another seasonal change is just around the corner — the end of daylight saving time. For many, this provokes mixed emotions.
On the positive side, we gain an extra hour in bed when the clocks go back — a welcome bonus, particularly as the mornings become chillier. On the negative side, earlier sunsets mean lengthier evenings spent indoors and darker journeys home.
This year, the clocks will go back a day earlier than in 2025. While they fell on Sunday, October 26 last year, in 2026 they will move back an hour at 2am on Sunday, October 25, marking the end of daylight saving time, reports the Irish Mirror.
One handy way of recalling which direction the clocks will change is — “spring forward, fall back”. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Moving forward, clocks will spring forward next year on Sunday, March 28, 2027, and fall back on Sunday, October 31, 2027 – maintaining the established seasonal pattern.
Most contemporary devices, including smartphones and smartwatches, will update automatically at 2am on Sunday, resetting to 1am. Traditional clocks, however, will need to be adjusted manually.
This long-standing tradition of changing the clocks, commonly referred to as “falling back,” was introduced to make greater use of natural daylight. The change means that mornings will be brighter, allowing for an additional hour of daylight, however, it also means that darkness will descend earlier in the evening.
According to timeanddate.com, the sun will set today (September 6) at 8.02pm, though the evenings will draw in progressively, with sunset occurring at 7.04pm by Wednesday, September 30, before dropping to 5.07pm on Sunday, October 25 – when the clocks go back.
All EU member states change their clocks at this point, with Iceland standing alone as the exception, staying on Western European Time throughout the year.
In 2019, the European Union voted on possibly abolishing Daylight Saving Time completely after 2021, following research indicating most people would rather avoid changing clocks twice annually. Nevertheless, this decision was postponed owing to the Covid pandemic.
People living in some areas are up to nine-times more likely to be prescribed the life-changing treatments than those living elsewhere, new data from NHS England reveals.