Chris Whiteside for the North

From today   pharmacists across the country will be able to treat more health conditions without patients needing to see a GP , helping to unlock ten million doctors’ appointments as we stick to the plan to cut waiting lists so people can get the care they need.  The Conservative government has made progress to cut waiting lists but there is more that can be done to make better use of professionals such as pharmacists to cut them further. That is why today we are launching Pharmacy First as part of our primary care recovery plan, meaning pharmacists can treat seven common health conditions such as sinusitis and earache without patients needing to see a GP.  This will help free up to ten million GP appointments, meaning those who genuinely need to see a doctor can do so more quickly, helping to continue to drive down wait times in contrast to Labour-run Wales where patients consistently wait longer because Labour do not have a plan.  The pandemic put huge pressure on ...

Last night,   British forces conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against eight Houthi targets in Yemen , to protect global trade and innocent lives. The Houthis’ have now conducted more than 30 dangerous attacks against commercial shipping since mid-November, as well as a direct attack against British and American warships in the Red Sea. This cannot stand. The attacks by Houthi militants on international shipping passing through one of the world's busiest trade routes have mostly been directed against harmless merchant ships which had nothing whatsoever to do with the war in Gaza. The Houthis are indiscriminately attacking merchant ships of all nationalities, most of which are not bound for Israel and even including shipping belonging to countries allied to their own Iranian allies, such as the Russian Federation. That is why yesterday, alongside the US and other International Partners, Britain conducted an additional round of proportionate and nec...

 

The Met Office has issued a YELLOW warning for rain until 6am tomorrow (Monday 22nd January 2024) and an AMBER warning for wind will be in place from 6pm tonight until 6am tomorrow morning. This is ahead of expected disruption as Storm Isha arrives in the UK, The warnings indicate some risk of danger to life, power cuts, building damage and travel disruption. These warnings are in place in large parts of the United Kingdom, partiuclarly in the North and West. Wrap up warm if you are travelling and be very careful. Make sure your property is secure. 

This seemed all too appropriate for a very cold Monday in January!

As indicated here last night, (in the "quote of the day" post,) y esterday the PM and post office minister Kevin Hollingrake announced   our plan to quash the wrongful convictions of the brave victims of the Horizon scandal , giving postmasters the justice they deserve. We will act at speed to bring forward legislation to quash all convictions that were based on this miscarriage of justice. We will also introduce an upfront compensation offer to recognise the vital role of the group of the 555 postmasters and consult on speeding up access to compensation. Our plan will clear people’s names, deliver justice and ensure swifter access to compensation for innocent people who have waited too long, as we work to ensure that such a tragedy can never happen again. 

I have believed for a long time that it is essential if Britain is to have a save, secure and environmentally-friendly supply of loc-carbon energy, then we need a balanced energy policy in which nuclear power is part of the mix. So I strongly welcome today's announcement by the government of   the biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years  – delivering cheaper, cleaner and greener energy for the long-term as we grow the economy.  Nuclear power is the perfect antidote to our energy challenges – it is green, cheaper in the long term and will secure our energy security.  Under our plan we will quadruple our nuclear power generation by exploring a new power station as big as Hinkley C and Sizewell C, delivering a fleet of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors and investing £300 million into a new high-tech nuclear fuel programme. This will mean cheaper household bills for the long-term and put the UK on course to achieve net zero by 2050 without driving up taxes for worki...

Russia has added a new expression to the lexicon of euphemisms used by official statements attempting to hide a ghastly mistake - "abnormal discharge of aviation ammunition" for bombing your own side. Anyone who is following the war in Ukraine will have noted that one of the few things the present Russian armed forces are good at is bombing and killing civilians. The latest MoD intelligence bulletin gives two instances of Russian planes bombing, respectively, Russian civilians and Ukrainian civilians in the area of occupied Ukraine which Russia claims is now part of Russia.

On Monday, the Prime Minister hosted a PM connect event in Lancashire , where he reaffirmed his long-term plan and made clear what is at stake for our country. The Conservatives have made progress on our five priorities, with inflation more than halved and our economy outperform countries like Germany, meaning we can build a brighter future for our country - Rishi Sunak will take the right long-term decisions for our country. Keir Starmer will take us back to square one with his £28 billion a year unfunded spending spree. It is always the same old irresponsible, short-term approach from Labour – more spending with taxpayers footing the bill.