Monthly Archives: June 2023

Eye-watering cost of sending each migrant to Rwanda revealed

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/06/eye-watering-cost-of-sending-each-migrant-to-rwanda-revealed/

If the government wants to break even on the Rwanda scheme, it would need to deter about 37% of people from crossing the Channel

Image of Sue-Ellen 'Suella' Braverman

It will cost the government £169,000 per person to send illegal migrants to countries such as Rwanda, according to new analysis.

An economic impact assessment of the controversial scheme published yesterday, also revealed that the government’s asylum system could cost £32 million a day by the end of 2026 if recent trends continue without the reduction of hotel usage.

And the analysis also estimates that if the government wants to break even on the Rwanda scheme, it would need to deter about 37% of people from crossing the Channel. The government has already given Rwanda £120million in initial investment even though no one has made the journey there.

The £169,000 cost can be broken down into the following. A £105,000 per person payment to third countries such as Rwanda, the Home Office £18,000, costs for flying and escorting would be £22,000, costs for detention would be £7,000 and costs to the Ministry of Justice would be £1,000.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/06/eye-watering-cost-of-sending-each-migrant-to-rwanda-revealed/

Continue ReadingEye-watering cost of sending each migrant to Rwanda revealed

Israel gives the green light for thousands of new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/w/israel-gives-the-green-light-for-thousands-of-new-settlement-homes-in-the-occupied-west-bank

ISRAEL’S far-right government has approved plans to build over 5,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Monday’s move threatens to heighten tensions with Palestinians residents, who have seen an increase in violent settler attacks in recent days.

The decision came in the face of growing United States criticism of Israel’s settlement policies.

Multiple Israeli media outlets reported that the Defence Ministry planning committee approved 5,700 new settlement homes.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/w/israel-gives-the-green-light-for-thousands-of-new-settlement-homes-in-the-occupied-west-bank

Continue ReadingIsrael gives the green light for thousands of new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank

Soaring corporate profits were the largest contributor to Europe’s inflation, IMF admits

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/06/soaring-corporate-profits-were-the-largest-contributor-to-europes-inflation-imf-admits/

It’s not pay rises for ordinary workers that are fuelling the rise in inflation, it is corporate profiteering.

Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

We’ve so often heard calls for hard-pressed public sector workers to show ‘pay restraint’, so that we can combat inflation. Indeed, the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, previously provoked outrage when he said workers should not ask for big pay rises.

Even in recent days, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hinted that he is unlikely to accept the recommendations made by public sector pay bodies for pay rises for public sector workers, including teachers and health service staff, in an attempt to tackle soaring inflation.

Millions of public sector workers who are struggling to make ends meet are expected to just put up with dwindling pay packets. And yet very little is said about the eye-watering corporate profits among those at the top that are driving inflation, with the Tories and right-wing press determined to keep the focus on those at the bottom and hard-pressed families.

Let’s be clear. It’s not pay rises for ordinary workers that are fuelling the rise in inflation, it is corporate profiteering.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/06/soaring-corporate-profits-were-the-largest-contributor-to-europes-inflation-imf-admits/

Continue ReadingSoaring corporate profits were the largest contributor to Europe’s inflation, IMF admits

UK has made ‘no progress’ on climate plan, say government’s own advisers

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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jun/28/uk-has-made-no-progress-on-climate-plan-say-governments-own-advisers

Just Stop Oil protesting in London 6 December 2022.
Just Stop Oil protesting in London 6 December 2022.

UK has lost leadership in climate action and almost all targets are being missed, Committee on Climate Change finds

The government’s plans to hit net zero have been comprehensively criticised in a withering report by its own advisers that warns targets are being missed on nearly every front.

Fewer homes were insulated last year under the government-backed scheme than the year before, despite soaring energy bills and a cost of living crisis. There is little progress on transport emissions, no coherent programme for behaviour change, and still no decision on hydrogen for home heating.

Meanwhile the installation of new wind and solar farms and the upgrading of the electricity grid are still too slow to meet net zero, according to the Committee on Climate Change, which says that the lack of urgency of government and a failure of political leadership means progress has stalled.

Lord Deben, outgoing chair of the CCC, said the UK had “lost the leadership” on climate action shown at Cop26 in 2021 and done “a number of things” – such as greenlighting a new coal mine and new oil and gasfields in the North Sea – that were “utterly unacceptable”.

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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jun/28/uk-has-made-no-progress-on-climate-plan-say-governments-own-advisers

Continue ReadingUK has made ‘no progress’ on climate plan, say government’s own advisers

Time is short for Tories and Labour to show leadership on the climate crisis

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/28/time-is-short-for-tories-and-labour-to-show-leadership-on-the-climate-crisis

Neither party is showing much appetite for the hard policy decisions that are necessary to cut CO2 emissions – and time is running out

Extinction Rebellion protest, banner reads NO MORE PLANET WRECKING FOSSIL FUELS DEMAND RENEWABLE ENERGY
The UK’s Committee on Climate Change has accused the government of dithering about expanding onshore wind.

The Conservatives are lagging far behind on the climate crisis, that much we know. But the Labour party is not showing the leadership that the country needs on reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions, the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned.

Lord Deben, a former Conservative environment secretary, has long been a critic of the government, and recently praised Labour’s stance on opposing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.

But as he presented his final annual progress report as chairman, he warned that Labour was failing to take on vested interests.

“If you lead, then there are bound to be people who would prefer you not to have made those decisions,” Deben said. “And what we are seeing at the moment is not only in government but in opposition, people being unwilling to lead lest some people don’t like the decisions that are being made. But these decisions have to be made, and there will be some people who disagree with them, and it is no good hoping that it will all go away.”

He added: “Right across the political spectrum, there is an unwillingness to lead.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/28/time-is-short-for-tories-and-labour-to-show-leadership-on-the-climate-crisis

Continue ReadingTime is short for Tories and Labour to show leadership on the climate crisis