A fall in the number of EU workers in the UK after Brexit is hitting the meat sector hard with industry leaders warning of a 10 per cent fall in output.
The British Poultry Council has sounded the alarm over a shortage of staff in both farming and processing since Easter.
“One or two have said to me that they are only one or two weeks away from failing to deliver to retail customers and saying to farmers that they can no longer take animals off the farm,” Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, told the FT.
Meanwhile, the UK government is said to be considering unilaterally extending elements of the Brexit grace period in order to allow the movement of chilled meats such as sausages into Northern Ireland, if the EU does not agree to an extension.
The Belfast Telegraph quoted a senior government source as saying that Brussels will this week be asked to extend the grace period, with London said to be set on pushing ahead with the measure even if the EU refuses.
How Brexit complicates the post-pandemic recovery
As when blood returns to frozen limbs there is bound to be some stiffness, pain and difficulty; so there is when the economy returns to normal after a shock, writes John Rentoul.
Most of the figures suggest that Britain is bouncing back quickly from the coronavirus recession, but there are increasing signs that labour shortages are starting to be a problem.
This is where leaving the EU could complicate the recovery, because – unlike other countries that shut down during the virus – the UK made fundamental changes to its labour market at the same time.
Dido Harding ‘applies to be NHS England chief’ – reports
Dido Harding has applied to become the next head of NHS England, Health Service Journal reports.
The baroness left her role leading the government’s widely criticised test and trace programme in April and last week said she was “thinking about” applying to succeed Sir Simon Stevens in the role of chief executive of the health service when he steps down later this year.
Her appointment to the head of NHS England would be highly controversial, given the heavy criticism she has faced over the test and trace system – set to cost £37bn over two years.
What does the storm in Stormont mean for Northern Irish voters?
“Crisis” is a term that’s never far away in Northern Ireland, but the current storm in Stormont is building up more quickly and more ominously than usual.
If the situation continues to deterioriate then the province will, in effect, be governed by civil servants and ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.
Sean O’Grady explains why the ultimate losers will be the Northern Irish voters:
The Independent to host free virtual panel event on the EU referendum’s fifth anniversary
Five years on from the UK referendum that would see us leave the EU and what have we learned?
The Independent’s political commentators John Rentoul and Andrew Grice will be joined by two guest speakers, David Gauke and the Rt Hon Lord Adonis, to discuss this and many other Brexit related issues.
The event will be held on June 23 at 6.30pm. To sign up for free to the Zoom panel discussion, and submit a question to the panel ahead of the event, click here.
Holyrood should have vote on Australia trade deal, says Sturgeon
The UK’s new trade deal with Australia should be subject to a vote in the House of Commons and Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Scotland’s First Minister has repeatedly raised concerns over the deal, which she says will hurt Scottish farmers and food producers as cheaper imports undercut them.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood today, Ms Sturgeon said the final deal should be voted on by elected representatives.
“The detail of this should be published in full, it should be put to a vote,” she said.
“I would suggest it should be put to a vote not just in the House of Commons, but a vote in this Parliament as well, so that we can represent the interests of the farming community across Scotland.
“I am deeply concerned about the implications of this trade deal and future trade deals on our farming sector in Scotland.”
Covid vaccines open to all over-18s from tomorrow, Hancock announces
All over-18s are to be invited to receive coronavirus jabs from Friday, health secretary Matt Hancock has announced.
Mr Hancock said that the move came as the UK passed the milestone of giving a first dose of vaccine to four out of five adults, writes Andrew Woodcock.
He told the annual conference of the NHS Confederation that the speed and scale of protection offered to people across the country was “an incredible achievement”.
Manchester Arena attack inquiry: ‘Missed opportunities’ by police and security to prevent bombing or save lives
Police, security staff and the operators of Manchester Arena missed numerous opportunities to prevent the 2017 bombing or significantly reduce the death toll, a public inquiry has found.
A report published on Thursday listed numerous failings, including the “inadequate” actions by security guards after a man raised concerns about Abedi because he feared he was a terrorist.
Sir John Saunders, chair of the inquiry, said that despite the 2015 attack at the Bataclan in Paris and “severe” national terror threat level at the time, no-one responsible for security at the arena “believed it could happen to them”.
He added: “I am satisfied that there were a number of missed opportunities to alter the course of what happened that night. More should have been done.”
More than one in five pupils in England now eligible for free school meals
More than one in five pupils in England are now eligible for free school meals following a surge during the pandemic, according to new government figures.
Data released by the Department for Education (DfE) shows an additional 300,000 children became eligible for free school meals over a year, making up 20.8% of pupils in England. This is an increase from 17.3% in January 2020.
In total, 1.74 million children in England are now eligible. The north east saw the highest rates but the DfE said all regions saw some increase from the previous year.
Ryanair and Manchester Airports group take legal action over ‘amber list’
Ryanair and Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which also owns London Stansted and East Midlands airports, are to launch a legal challenge against the government to reveal the basis for decisions on the “traffic light” allocation of nations.
The aim is to increase pressure on reopening many more countries to international travel over the next few weeks.
Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said: “The UK’s traffic light system has been a complete shambles from the beginning.
“This go-stop-go-stop policy is causing untold damage to the aviation industry and frustrating and upsetting millions of British families when they see their holiday plans and family visits disrupted by the Government’s mismanagement of international travel.
“We call on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to explain the scientific basis behind this system that the Government seem to make up as they go along, and to establish a data-driven transparent model that could restore confidence in air travel ahead of the very crucial peak summer months.”
No plans to give workers a right to stay away from the office, says No 10
The government has no plans to introduce legislation that would bar many bosses from forcing employees into the workplace , No 10 has insisted.
At a Downing Street briefing today, the PM’s spokesman said: “There are no plans to make working from home permanent or introduce a legal right to work from home.”
But he did confirm that the government is consulting on making flexible working easier that would cover “a range of working arrangements around the time, place, hours of work, and includes part-time working and flexitime, compressed hours”.
A report in The Daily Mail on Thursday claimed ministers were considering proposals that would mean millions of UK workers could be given the right to work from home permanently.
