The Spectator

Evening Blend: Strikes at the end of the tunnel?

The Spectator sent this email to their subscribers on March 18, 2023.

Britain’s most-read politics email ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
preheader text
The Spectator

Evening Blend

By Isabel Hardman

Portrait of the day

  • Teaching unions and ministers went into intensive negotiations which are expected to run over the weekend in a bid to stop further strike action over pay. The National Education Union has paused further industrial action to enable the talks to start.
  • Downing Street refused to give details of how the £4bn pay offer for health workers would be funded after it was revealed that no new cash had been agreed between the Department of Health and the Treasury.
  • The British Medical Association suggested it could reach a similar deal with the government on junior doctors’ pay.
  • The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes, specifically the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
  • Passport Office staff in the PCS union announced five weeks of strike action from 3 April to 5 May.
  • Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said domestic abusers who kill their partners will face tougher sentences.

.

Most read on The Spectator

The unmaking of Russell Brand – John Sturgis

The cult of Morse – Tanya Gold

Why Macron doesn’t fear the Parisian street protests – Gavin Mortimer

.

The analysis

Strikes at the end of the tunnel?

 

First the nurses, now the teachers? The education unions are entering what could be an entire weekend of intensive talks with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan over their pay stand-off. The National Education Union, the National Association of Headteachers, NASUWT and the Association of School and College Leaders have all gone into the department today, with the NEU putting any more strike dates on hold in order to get the talks going. A joint statement from the parties said the talks would ‘focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction’. The hope in government is that these talks will have a similar outcome to the intensive negotiations with healthcare unions this week, which concluded with an agreement on a pay deal now being put to their members.

 

That deal for the nurses and ambulance workers has come under more scrutiny today after it emerged – or was extracted from a very reluctant government – that there isn’t new cash to fund it. At least not yet: as I revealed on Coffee House last night, the Treasury hasn’t agreed to any new money to cover what will amount to £4 billion extra spending, and currently it will come from a) ‘efficiencies’ in the NHS, b) ‘Department of Health underspend’ c) fresh negotiations with the Treasury for new cash if it turns out that’s necessary.

 

That would amount to tearing up the Budget, which has largely landed without much dust –something Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt were hoping for. The front pages this morning barely mentioned it – save for Labour’s uncomfortable position on pensions – and Tory MPs aren’t currently mounting a rebellion on anything. That said, MPs I’ve been talking to in the past few hours have suggested that the frustration over corporation tax may find outlets in other ways, including amendments toughening up the Illegal Migration Bill. Even if the unions are placated, there will always be someone on strike in Sunak’s own party.

.

Cartoon

.

Quote of the day

‘Tonight the Uxbridge and South Ruislip selection committee adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate.’

– Confirmation that Boris Johnson will defend his West London seat rather than campaign in a safe Tory seat in the next election.  

.

From Spectator Life

" +  altText1 + "

Where to find the best Guinness in London

Joe Rogers

" +  altText1 + " o 2T ;

The unmaking of Russell Brand

John Sturgis

" +  altText1 + "

The wacky world of immersive dining

James Innes-Smith

.

The week ahead

Monday

  • 2.30 p.m. Nicola Sturgeon to give a speech at the RSA in London reflecting on her time in office.
  • Xi Jinping to start a three-day visit to Russia.
  • RMT ‘referendum’ on a pay offer to close.

 

Tuesday

  • 7 a.m. Public sector finance figures for February to be published by the ONS.
  • 11.30 a.m. Jeremy Hunt to take Treasury questions in the Commons.

 

Wednesday

  • 7 a.m. Inflation figures for February to be released by the ONS. CPI inflation was 10.1% over the year to January; the consensus forecast is that the rate will fall to  9.8%.
  • 12 p.m. PMQs.
  • 2 p.m. Boris Johnson to give public evidence to the Privileges Committee’s partygate inquiry.

 

Thursday

  • 11.40 a.m. Nicola Sturgeon’s final FMQs.
  • 12 p.m. Interest rate decision announcement from the Bank of England. The rate is currently 4%; a rise to 4.25% is expected.

The Spectator Energy Summit

Join us on Wednesday 26 April as we examine the current energy security challenges in the UK and opportunities for the sector going forward.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

.

Watch and listen

SPECTATOR 1V
 
 

The Week in 60 Minutes

Nuclear subs, SVB crash & boys in crisis

Watch here

 
 

Coffee House Shots

Will Boris vote on the NI protocol?

Listen here

 
 

Holy Smoke

Is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faith ‘Abrahamic Family House’ a beacon of hope or a creepy PR exercise?

Listen here

.

Barometer

Oil price (barrel of Brent crude)

$73.00

down 2.3% on the day, down 32% on the year

GBP/EUR exchange rate

€1.14

down 0.1¢ on the day, 4.3¢ on the year

Ten-year government borrowing cost

3.25%

down 0.18pts on the day, up 1.75pts on the year

Follow us

twitter podcast facebook instagram instagram
Sign up for more Spectator newsletters here

View this message in a web browser

If you want to stop receiving this email, you can  now

Or, to select exactly which Spectator emails you receive

The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP

Contact us

Reg no. 01232804 Copyright © 2023 The Spectator (1828) Ltd. All rights reserved.

Text-only version of this email

Britain’s most-read politics email ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ preheader text The Spectator Evening Blend By Isabel Hardman Portrait of the day * Teaching unions and ministers went into intensive negotiations which are expected to run over the weekend in a bid to stop further strike action over pay. The National Education Union has paused further industrial action to enable the talks to start. * Downing Street refused to give details of how the £4bn pay offer for health workers would be funded after it was revealed that no new cash had been agreed between the Department of Health and the Treasury. * The British Medical Association suggested it could reach a similar deal with the government on junior doctors’ pay. * The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes, specifically the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. * Passport Office staff in the PCS union announced five weeks of strike action from 3 April to 5 May. * Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said domestic abusers who kill their partners will face tougher sentences. . Most read on The Spectator The unmaking of Russell Brand – John Sturgis The cult of Morse – Tanya Gold Why Macron doesn’t fear the Parisian street protests – Gavin Mortimer . The analysis Strikes at the end of the tunnel? First the nurses, now the teachers? The education unions are entering what could be an entire weekend of intensive talks with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan over their pay stand-off. The National Education Union, the National Association of Headteachers, NASUWT and the Association of School and College Leaders have all gone into the department today, with the NEU putting any more strike dates on hold in order to get the talks going. A joint statement from the parties said the talks would ‘focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction’. The hope in government is that these talks will have a similar outcome to the intensive negotiations with healthcare unions this week, which concluded with an agreement on a pay deal now being put to their members. That deal for the nurses and ambulance workers has come under more scrutiny today after it emerged – or was extracted from a very reluctant government – that there isn’t new cash to fund it. At least not yet: as I revealed on Coffee House last night, the Treasury hasn’t agreed to any new money to cover what will amount to £4 billion extra spending, and currently it will come from a) ‘efficiencies’ in the NHS, b) ‘Department of Health underspend’ c) fresh negotiations with the Treasury for new cash if it turns out that’s necessary. That would amount to tearing up the Budget, which has largely landed without much dust –something Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt were hoping for. The front pages this morning barely mentioned it – save for Labour’s uncomfortable position on pensions – and Tory MPs aren’t currently mounting a rebellion on anything. That said, MPs I’ve been talking to in the past few hours have suggested that the frustration over corporation tax may find outlets in other ways, including amendments toughening up the Illegal Migration Bill. Even if the unions are placated, there will always be someone on strike in Sunak’s own party. . Cartoon . Quote of the day ‘Tonight the Uxbridge and South Ruislip selection committee adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate.’ – Confirmation that Boris Johnson will defend his West London seat rather than campaign in a safe Tory seat in the next election.   . From Spectator Life " + altText1 + " Where to find the best Guinness in London Joe Rogers " + altText1 + " o 2T ; The unmaking of Russell Brand John Sturgis " + altText1 + " The wacky world of immersive dining James Innes-Smith . The week ahead Monday * 2.30 p.m. Nicola Sturgeon to give a speech at the RSA in London reflecting on her time in office. * Xi Jinping to start a three-day visit to Russia. * RMT ‘referendum’ on a pay offer to close. Tuesday * 7 a.m. Public sector finance figures for February to be published by the ONS. * 11.30 a.m. Jeremy Hunt to take Treasury questions in the Commons. Wednesday * 7 a.m. Inflation figures for February to be released by the ONS. CPI inflation was 10.1% over the year to January; the consensus forecast is that the rate will fall to  9.8%. * 12 p.m. PMQs. * 2 p.m. Boris Johnson to give public evidence to the Privileges Committee’s partygate inquiry. Thursday * 11.40 a.m. Nicola Sturgeon’s final FMQs. * 12 p.m. Interest rate decision announcement from the Bank of England. The rate is currently 4%; a rise to 4.25% is expected. The Spectator Energy Summit Join us on Wednesday 26 April as we examine the current energy security challenges in the UK and opportunities for the sector going forward. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST . Watch and listen SPECTATOR 1V The Week in 60 Minutes Nuclear subs, SVB crash & boys in crisis Watch here Coffee House Shots Will Boris vote on the NI protocol? Listen here Holy Smoke Is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faith ‘Abrahamic Family House’ a beacon of hope or a creepy PR exercise? Listen here . Barometer Oil price (barrel of Brent crude) $73.00 down 2.3% on the day, down 32% on the year GBP/EUR exchange rate €1.14 down 0.1¢ on the day, 4.3¢ on the year Ten-year government borrowing cost 3.25% down 0.18pts on the day, up 1.75pts on the year Follow us twitter podcast facebook instagram instagram Sign up for more Spectator newsletters here View this message in a web browser If you want to stop receiving this email, you can  now Or, to select exactly which Spectator emails you receive The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP Contact us Reg no. 01232804 Copyright © 2023 The Spectator (1828) Ltd. All rights reserved.
Show all

The Latest Emails Sent By The Spectator

More Emails, Deals & Coupons From The Spectator

Email Offers, Discounts & Promos From Our Top Stores