Markus Andrews

Gavin Williamson has dropped a threat to force universities to refund tuition fees if they fail to restore face-to-face teaching, after a regulator said it had no such power.The education secretary vowed to back the Office for Students in pursuing universities “that aren’t delivering enough for students” – after some said remote learning will continue this autumn.But the regulator made clear it has no remit over the level of fees charged and the Department for Education (DfE) admitted there is no plan to change the law to beef up its powers.It means ministers can only put public pressure on universities to reduce fees if in-person teaching is reduced – and none have done so, since the Covid pandemic struck.Labour said the confusion was a continuation of Mr Williamson’s “chaotic incoherent approach” throughout the pandemic.The education secretary raised expectations when he said all universities must be “moving back to the situation of actually delivering lessons, lectures, face-to-face”.Asked if refunds should be given if they failed to do that, he told Sky News: “Universities have got to stand up their offers to their students.“But we have got the Office for Students, which is targeting universities which have low-quality courses, which aren’t doing enough, and we will give the OfS all the power, all the backing, in order to pursue those universities that aren’t delivering enough for students that are paying their fees.”However, the OfS told The Independent it was only able to fine low-quality universities, suspend student support funding or, in extreme circumstances, strike them off the list of approved institutions.“The role of the OfS is to make sure that students receive a high-quality education,” a spokesperson said.“Where standards slip, we are ready to step in. We do not have the power to award refunds or set policies on tuition fees.”Students who believe they have not received value for money can turn to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), which offers a free complaints system.It can order partial refunds for disrupted learning and problems with accommodation – and, in one case in March, a student received £5,000 in compensation for lost teaching time.Last year, the OIA received 2,604 complaints, 500 of which were linked to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but many were rejected.Earlier, Mr Williamson said: “Our direction is clear and we do expect all universities, unless there’s unprecedented reasons, to be moving back to the situation of actually delivering lessons, lectures, face-to-face.”A DfE spokesperson said any students objecting to remote learning were expected to complain to their university.“If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint,” a statement added.Matt Western, Labour’s shadow universities minister, said: “Gavin Williamson has operated in panic mode throughout this crisis. Universities and students need clarity so all students get the world class experience they deserve.” More

Today’s daily politics briefingClimate minister Alok Sharma has admitted to driving a diesel car, just months before the COP26 summit takes place in Glasgow.The Cop26 president made the admission on BBC Newsnight on Monday, later saying he does not drive the vehicle “very much”.He defended himself by telling the broadcaster he takes public transport to and from work. “And I can assure you that my next car will most certainly be an electric vehicle,” he added.His comments come a week after his spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, said she did not “fancy” an electric car “just yet”.Elsewhere, Boris Johnson’s team has downplayed rumours of a rift between him and the chancellor Rishi Sunak.Over the weekend, it was reported that Boris Johnson was thinking of demoting Mr Sunak to health secretary in a cabinet reshuffle.The prime minister’s spokesperson quelled speculation on Tuesday, saying the pair had worked “in lockstep” throughout the pandemic and stressing there are no plans for a reshuffle.Show latest update

1628581134Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live UK politics coverage.Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 08:381628581342Cameron ‘made $10m’ from Greensill Capital David Cameron is reported to have earned more than £7m ($10m) from Greensill Capital, before the bank collapsed. Using his political connections, he lobbied the government to invest in the firm, leading to inquiries into his conduct. Here’s Jon Stone with more details: Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 08:421628582418No 10 quells speculation about rift between PM and SunakThe prime minister has tried to quell rumours that a rift has developed between him and Rishi Sunak.Over the weekend, there was speculation that the chancellor would be demoted in a cabinet reshuffle. This comes after reports Boris Johnson went “tonto” when a letter from the chancellor calling for travel restrictions to be eased was leaked to the press.A No 10 spokesperson said the pair had worked closely together during the pandemic and would continue to do so. “They have been in lockstep throughout this incredibly challenging period for the country,” they said. Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 09:001628583495Inside PoliticsAs part of our daily politics round-up, Matt Mathers takes a look at the latest Cameron/Greensill developments and the UN’s climate report: Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 09:181628584578Universities should not charge full fees if they fail to meet student expectations, Williamson says Today is A-level results day. During his news round this morning, education minister Gavin Williamson told Sky News that the government expects in-person teaching to resume at university during the next academic year. “If universities are not delivering what students expect then actually they shouldn’t be charging the full fees,” he added. Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 09:361628586018Labour hits out at education secretary’s remarksLabour has criticised education secretary Gavin Williamson for suggesting universities should not charge full tuition fees unless they return to face-to-face teaching. Peter Kyle, the shadow schools minister, blamed the lack of in-person teaching on Mr Williamson himself.The Labour frontbencher said: “The reason there hasn’t been much face-to-face teaching is because Gavin Williamson has been preventing it for the last period.“Just bear in mind that I had vice chancellors calling me saying pubs were open, restaurants were open, people were allowed to gather outside, but universities were prevented from government policy, from Gavin Williamson, from having seminars inside again.”Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 10:001628587218Scottish health secretary sues nursery over alleged discrimination Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf and his partner Nadia El-Nakla are suing a nursery, claiming it breached equality laws by not offering their daughter a place at the institution.The couple allege that Little Scholars Day Nursery in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, “unlawfully discriminated” against them and their two-year-old daughter Amal on racial and/or religious grounds. They accuse the nursery of turning down their child, who has an “Asian/Muslim name”, three times, while granting places to children with “white sounding” names. In a joint statement, they said: “We have both stood against hatred our whole lives, often being the targets of vile abuse.“We will not accept our children being discriminated against by anyone. Like any other parents we simply want our children to be treated equally, regardless of their colour of skin or religion.”Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 10:201628588374Teacher-assessed grades the ‘right’ approach, Williamson claimsAlmost 20 per cent of A-level entries were awarded an A* this year under the teacher-assessed grading system, almost 5 per cent higher than last year. Amid concerns about grade inflation, education secretary Gavin Williamson defended his policy. He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that “it was the only approach that we could take”. “And I think it’s fair and right on the system, but most importantly fair and right on students themselves,” he added. Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 10:391628589618Government’s disapproval rating increasesAlmost 50 per cent of people disapprove of Boris Johnson’s government, a YouGov poll suggests. The 47 per cent disapproval rating is up by 2 per cent from last week’s figures. Meanwhile, 31 per cent of respondents approved of the government’s actions. Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 11:001628590818Cop26 president admits he drives a diesel carAlok Sharma, the president of the Cop26 summit, has admitted to driving a diesel car.Speaking on BBC Newsnight, the cabinet minister said: “I don’t drive it very much. I take public transport from Reading [his constituency] into London every day. And I can assure you that my next car will most certainly be an electric vehicle.” His comments come a week after his spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, said she did not “fancy” an electric car “just yet”. The government has been criticised for failing to deliver enough charging points for electric vehicles. Rory Sullivan10 August 2021 11:20 More

The divide between private schools and state schools when it comes to achieving top A-level results has widened this year, sparking alarm among education leaders.The increase in A grades awarded today is 50 per cent higher among private schools compared with secondary comprehensives, according to Labour analysis of government data.The Ofqual data also shows that black students, those on free school meals and those living in areas of high deprivation were all less likely to achieve the top A or A* grades than their more advantaged peers.Education experts said existing inequalities had been exacerbated by the pandemic this year – urging universities to address the “unfairness” by giving extra consideration to disadvantaged students this year.“We’re seeing growing gaps between independent and state schools at the top grades,” said Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the Sutton Trust think tank. “The pandemic has compounded existing inequalities and today’s results are a reflection of that.”Sir Peter added: “It’s of real concern that the gap between those from less affluent areas and those from well-off areas has grown. Given that disrupted learning has affected lower income youngsters more, we urge universities to give additional consideration to disadvantaged students.”The Sutton Trust said disparities in remote learning and changes in assessment during the Covid crisis have hit those from the poorest backgrounds the hardest.Many pupils spent large amounts of this year unable to study effectively due to lack of appropriate devices, access to the internet or acceptable space to study – factors not included when assessing this year’s results.Private schools have seen an absolute increase in A grades of 9.3 per cent this year – compared to 6.2 per cent among secondary comprehensives. The increase in A grades at private schools was more than double the 3.8 per cent rise seen among students at sixth form colleges.Independent, fee-paying schools have seen the biggest rise in the number of A or A* grades during the pandemic – soaring from 44 per cent in the year before the Covid crisis to 70 per cent this year. By comparison, secondary comprehensives had seen the number of A or A* grades rise from 20 per cent to 39 per cent over the past two years.When it comes to achieving A or A* grades, the gap between black candidates, free school meal candidates, and candidates with a very high level of deprivation and other students has widened by 1.43, 1.42 and 1.39 per cent respectively this year.Kate Green MP, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said the government’s “chaotic” last-minute decision on exams and assessment over the past year had “opened the door to unfairness”.The Labour frontbencher added: “The increase in A grades is 50 per cent higher among private schools, while black students, students on free school meals and in areas of high deprivation are being increasingly out performed by their more advantaged peers.”Research by The Sutton Trust found that independent, fee-charging schools are more likely than state schools to use a wider variety of assessments – including giving prior access to questions and “open book” tests, which allow pupils to refer to coursework notes.Parental pressure is also more prevalent at private schools, research has shown. Some 23 per cent of parents at private schools said parents had approached or pressured them about their child’s grades this year, compared to just 11 per cent at the least affluent state schools, according to the Sutton Trust.The Education Policy Institute (EPI) also warned of “inconsistencies” between assessment in different kinds of schools. A spokesperson for the EPI said: “The nature of private schools means their teachers are more directly accountable to parents, increasing the risk of pressure to increase grades.”The proportion of A-level entries awarded an A grade or higher has risen to an all-time high after exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to Covid-19. In total, more than two in five (44.8 per cent) of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade this summer, up by 6.3 percentage points on last year.Ucas said a record number of students have secured a place on their first-choice university course following the bumper year for results.But youngsters who missed out on the grades required to meet their offers are likely to face greater competition for a place at top institutions as there could be fewer courses on offer in clearing.Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at Exeter University, said he was worried students from poorer backgrounds could lose out in the “intense” competition for degree courses.“It is deeply concerning to see widening socio-economic divides in this year’s A-level results, confirming our worst fears – the pandemic has exacerbated educational inequalities outside and inside the school gates,” said Dr Major.“The government urgently needs to set out its plans for a return to national exam system from next year that is fair to all pupils irrespective of what school they attend or home they come from. Unless universities up their game, we could see social mobility put back years.”Tory MP Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Committee, shared his concerns about the fierce competition for university places. “I do worry about the fact that we seem to have, in essence, baked a hard rock cake of grade inflation into our exam results.”He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme said the rise in top grades could store up problems in the immediate years ahead. “I do think in the long-term, because of the huge increase in As and A*s, that we need to look at our exam system in general.” More

The Cop26 climate summit president Alok Sharma has admitted he has a diesel car, but insisted he does not “drive it very much”.The Cabinet minister’s choice echoes that of his spokeswoman, Allegra Stratton, who came under fire last week for saying she did not “fancy” an electric car “just yet”.Mr Sharma is Boris Johnson’s Sherpa for the crucial Glasgow summit in November, racking up thousands of air miles lobbying world governments to sign up to tougher carbon emission cuts.But, asked “what do you drive”, he told BBC Newsnight: “I actually have a diesel car along with millions of other people”.Mr Sharma added: “I don’t drive it very much. I take public transport from Reading [his constituency] into London every day. And I can assure you that my next car will most certainly be an electric vehicle.”The government has said it will ban new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, but has been criticised for lacking a strategy to deliver it – including with sufficient charging points for electric cars.Last week, as part of a succession of gaffes, Ms Stratton revealed she is sticking with her diesel Volkswagen Golf, claiming she needed it to visit distant relatives without lengthy stops to recharge a battery.The stance was mocked by the AA, which said the average electric vehicle had a range of at least 200 miles without recharging and attacked “myth, based on hype and unwarranted range anxiety”.Ms Stratton also told The Independent that people should join the Green Party to fight the climate crisis and advised not rinsing dishes and freezing leftover bread as measures they could take.The prime minister has been warned that time is running out to avoid failure at Cop26 and accused of failing to make the landmark event a personal priority.Some Tory MPs have launched a group to fight climate action they claim will cost too much, prompting the environment minister, Zac Goldsmith, to hint at fears of a campaign to sabotage the summit.Mr Sharma was asked if he is worried that Tory backbenchers “could scupper the hope of targets being agreed” in Glasgow, in 12 weeks’ time.He said: “What’s important is for all of us to understand that actually the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of action when it comes to dealing with climate change.The government would be “forcing people” to make lifestyle changes, he said, but added: “If you do that in a way that you demonstrate is good not just for the environment but also for their pocket, I think people will make those choices.” More

Gavin Williamson has suggested universities should not be charging the full £9,250 per year tuition fees if they are failing to deliver what students “expect”, including in person-teaching.The education secretary also stressed that the government expected all institutions to return to face-to-face seminars and lectures in the next academic year, unless there were “unprecedented reasons” not to do so.His comments came as tens of thousands of students across the country began opening their A-Level results, with reports that a greater proportion could receive the top grades under the temporary assessment system.Mr Williamson said it was his “hope” to return to standard examinations for the qualification in 2022, but the cabinet minister did not rule out teacher assessed grades forming part of the grading system next year.But quizzed on Sky News on whether it was appropriate for universities to be charging full fees while students were learning online, the cabinet minister said the government had made clear all institutions can move back to face-to-face teaching, adding: “That’s what we want to see”.He later added: “If universities are not delivering what students expect then actually they shouldn’t be charging the full fees.”Mr Williamson said the Office for Students (OfS) was targeting universities with low quality courses and that the government would give the organisation “all the power and all the backing in order to pursue those universities that aren’t delivering enough for students that are paying their fees”.Despite repeated calls from some university students for a partial refund over a lack of access to in-person teaching and student halls due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, the Department for Education has previously insisted refunds are a matter for the institutions.Mr Williamson added: “Universities are autonomous institutions, our guidance is clear, our direction is clear and we do expect all universities, unless there is unprecedented reasons, to be moving back to a situation of actually delivering lessons, lectures face-to-face”.“I think universities have got to stand up their own offer to their students,” he added.“They have the flexibility and the ability to deliver face-to-face lectures and expect them to be delivering face-to-face lectures. They are autonomous institutions — I don’t have control over them — but we would expect universities to be delivering a high quality teaching experience.”Peter Kyle, Labour’s shadow schools minister, however, said he was “shocked” at the education secretary’s remarks, adding: “The reason there hasn’t been much face-to-face teaching is because Gavin Williamson has been preventing it for the last period.“Just bear in mind that I had vice chancellors calling me saying pubs were open, restaurants were open, people were allowed to gather outside, but universities were prevented from government policy, from Gavin Williamson, from having seminars inside again.”He told Sky News: “The reason there has been so much chaos and ambiguity about the way things are taught in universities is because of the policies of Gavin Williamson.“There’s still a lot of uncertainty going into this term, so if class sizes and the way classes are taught is disrupted going into the autumn because of government policy, then if there is a financial cost to that then Gavin Williamson should be stumping up for it.” More

Time is running out to avoid failure at the crucial climate summit the UK will host in November after a UN report found the world stands at “code red”, Boris Johnson has been told.A senior Conservative warned the prime minister had yet to make his “promises a reality”, while a respected think tank told Mr Johnson he must make the landmark gathering a personal priority to deliver success.As Tory MPs launched a group to fight climate action they claim will cost too much, the environment minister, Zac Goldsmith, appeared to reveal fears of an active campaign to sabotage Cop26 in Glasgow.But, despite calls for Mr Johnson to “do the heavy lifting” – by using his clout to pressurise other world leaders into stronger commitments – there are no plans for him to meet any before November, The Independent was told.Talks have been left to Alok Sharma, the little-known Cop26 president who was handed the role after the prime minister tried and failed to recruit a big-hitter.No 10 instead claimed the UK is “well ahead” of other countries in slashing carbon emissions – and defended plans for a new North Sea oilfield as necessary “in the short term”.The fears for the summit – now less than 12 weeks away – came after the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that the target for stopping runaway climate change is slipping beyond reach.Philip Dunne, the Tory chair of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, said Mr Johnson had “inherited” the UK’s “favourable position” in cutting CO2 from his predecessors in No 10 and had yet to build on it.“Before Cop26 leaders convene in Glasgow, he must show them he has the necessary political courage, by driving the government to adopt the strategies necessary to make his high-level climate promises a reality,” he said.Strategies for achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and for replacing gas boilers with heat pumps and improving home insulation, have been delayed by Whitehall rows over who will pay the bill.Meanwhile, the UK’s global reputation has been dented by savage cuts to overseas aid. The Independent revealed that no new money has been set aside for the billions promised to help poorer countries adapt to the emergency.Jill Rutter, senior fellow at the Institute for Government, questioned Mr Johnson’s near-invisibility, who has declined to speak publicly about the IPCC’s alarming findings.The prime minister had to prove he will “confront, not duck, the difficult choices”, Ms Rutter said, saying: “In the absence of this, his exhortations to other world leaders will not appear credible.“The prime minister needs to pull out the diplomatic stops to deliver a success in Glasgow. That means he will need to do some of the heavy lifting himself – we have yet to see him use his position on the world stage to corral other countries.”A group of Tory MPs led by Craig Mackinlay are fighting new expensive commitments that former Cabinet minister Esther McVey claimed might “bankrupt the country”.Strikingly, Lord Goldsmith retweeted an accusation by the head of Natural England, Tony Juniper, that a campaign is underway in Tory-supporting media outlets to undermine Cop26.Urging Conservative MPs to reject it, he warned the summit must be “a turning point” and told the BBC: “The alarm bells couldn’t be clearer or louder. We really need to get behind it.”In a statement, Mr Johnson called the UN report “sobering reading”, saying: “We know what must be done to limit global warming – consign coal to history and shift to clean energy sources, protect nature and provide climate finance for countries on the front line.”But the prime minister is refusing to block the new Cambo oilfield, in the North Sea, expected to start production in the autumn, on the grounds that its licence was granted many years ago.His spokesperson defended the decision, saying: “It is obviously going to be to be part of the energy mix in the short term while we transition further to renewables.”The UK’s independent climate change committee has lashed out at the government’s record, warning it is on course to “fail on net zero” – despite attention-grabbing promises.But Mr Johnson’s spokesperson said the UK’s legal commitments to cut emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 and 78 per cent by 2050, compared to 1990 levels, is world-beating.“I think that countries can look at the approach we’ve taken which is well ahead of the target set out by the IPCC on emissions,” he said.Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “The IPCC report is the starkest reminder yet that the climate crisis is here right now and is the biggest long-term threat we face. The biggest threat we now face is not climate denial but climate delay.”A source from Cop26 told journalists on Monday evening that special measures would be put in place to allow delegates from red list countries to attend the Cop26 conference.The UK’s current travel rules mean arrivals from red list countries are only allowed into the country if they are a British National or have UK residence rights, and they must quarantine for 10 days in a hotel.However, foreign nationals arriving from red list countries for the Cop26 summit will be granted access to the UK and will only need to quarantine for five days.While the UK “strongly recommends” that all delegates arrive fully vaccinated, it is not mandatory for those attending the conference to have received one or both jabs. More

David Cameron made $10m (£7.2m) from Greensill Capital before the financial firm collapsed, it has been revealed.Documents seen by the BBC’s Panorama programme show the former Conservative prime minister cashed in $4.5 shares in 2019, was paid a $1m annual salary as a part-time “adviser”, and also got a $700,000 bonus.The company left investors and UK taxpayers facing huge losses after collapsing.Mr Cameron hit the headlines in relation to the bank after it emerged he was using his closeness to current cabinet ministers to try to persuade them to underwrite its loans with taxpayer cash.He was unsuccessful in his approaches, though the bank was ultimately given access to another Covid-19 loan facility. Mr Cameron has been cleared of breaking any lobbying rules over the affair, but MPs said he showed a “significant lack of judgement”.Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “It is utterly ludicrous that David Cameron walked away with $10m for two-and-a-half years’ part-time work for a company that collapsed, risking thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money. “The fact that David Cameron was cleared of any wrongdoing, proves that the rules that are supposed to regulate lobbying are completely unfit for purpose. It’s created a wild west where the Conservatives think it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else.”She added: “The system causes more harm than good by giving a veil of legitimacy to the rampant cronyism, sleaze and dodgy lobbying that is polluting our democracy under Boris Johnson and the Conservatives.“Labour will ban former prime ministers from ever taking on lobbying jobs after they leave office. We will overhaul the current broken system and replace it with an Integrity and Ethics Commission that will stamp out sleaze. “This is money most of us cannot even imagine, but for David Cameron it was just a part time gig using his Tory contacts for huge personal gain.”Mr Cameron’s spokesman said: “He acted in good faith at all times and there was no wrongdoing in any of the actions he took.”He added that the former prime minister “did not receive anything like the figures quoted by Panorama”. More

Boris Johnson dodges question on oilfield developmentDowning Street has said Boris Johnson has “no imminent plans” to reshuffle his Cabinet after rumours spread over the weekend that the prime minister had threatened to move Rishi Sunak to health secretary.Mr Johnson was warned he risked ending his political career by demoting the chancellor, who is seen as his most likely successor as leader of the Conservatives.An ally of the Mr Sunak told The Telegraph an attempted move would effectively end Mr Johnson’s political career, saying: “If he demotes him he’s only signing his death warrant. There’s nobody else as good as Rishi.”Meanwhile, Downing Street has defended spending almost £100,000 on two sets of artwork after Labour criticised the decision to make luxury purchases at a time of public sector pay freezes and cuts to welfare spending.Show latest update

1628520534Canada joins UK in imposing Belarus sanctionsCanada has imposed similar sanctions to Britain on Belarus to protest against what it called the “gross and systematic violations of human rights” under president Alexander Lukashenko.Marc Garneau, the Canadian foreign minister, said in a statement that Ottawa would target potash and petroleum products along with transferable securities and money market instruments, debt financing, insurance and reinsurance.He said: “It has been one year since the Belarusian regime demonstrated its blatant disregard for human rights during the fraudulent presidential elections of August 2020. “Since then, Canada has stood with our international partners in applying pressure on those responsible for continued human rights violations. The measures announced today show that Canada will not relent in ending impunity for human rights abusers.”Liam James9 August 2021 15:481628519422Pro-Starmer candidate ‘quietly confident’ of winning leadership of Labour’s biggest unionGerard Coyne, the candidate who narrowly failed to beat Len McCluskey four years ago, is “quietly confident” of winning the leadership of Unite, Labour’s largest affiliated union, writes John Rentoul.Mr Coyne, who is Sir Keir Starmer’s favoured candidate in the election, told The Independent in an interview that he would maintain Labour funding and that he wouldn’t “purge” his opponents in the way that Mr McCluskey purged him.Mr Coyne said he had “snippets of feedback” about the ballot, which closes on 23 August, in which he is competing against two candidates who are more critical of Sir Keir, Steve Turner, an assistant general secretary, and Sharon Graham, head of the union’s organising department.More on Mr Coyne’s candidacy here:Liam James9 August 2021 15:301628518290UK ‘hoarding’ vaccine supplies, say campaignersThe UK has been accused of “hoarding” Covid-19 vaccines by campaigners.The Global Justice Now organisation said the UK’s unused doses of vaccine could cover the 10 least-vaccinated countries in the world, including Syria, Yemen and South Sudan.The organisation said that data from life science analytics company Airfinity showed vaccinating all over-16s and providing a third-jab for the most vulnerable would leave the UK with a surplus of 186,578,000 doses.Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, said: “The UK is offering third doses and vaccinating teenagers while low-and middle-income countries are left fighting for scraps.“It’s an insult to the thousands dying each day from Covid-19.“Worse still, this is happening while our government obstructs efforts to enable these countries to manufacture their own vaccines by waiving intellectual property.Liam James9 August 2021 15:111628516982UK imposes new economic sanctions on BelarusThe UK has slapped Belarus with new economic sanctions as part of wider efforts to increase pressure on the autocratic regime of Alexander Lukashenko.The measures, which were announced on Monday, target the country’s profitable potash and petroleum sectors as well as its aviation industry. The clampdown follows Mr Lukashenko’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, who complain that last August’s election was rigged in favour of the long-serving leader.More on this from Rory Sullivan here:Liam James9 August 2021 14:491628515658No reprieve for Geronimo the condemned alpaca Downing Street has again stated there can be no reprieve for Geronimo the alpaca after the animal was condemned to death due to testing positive for TB.As ‘Save Geronimo’ protesters gathered on Whitehall, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We know how distressing losing animals to TB is for anyone. That is why the environment secretary has looked at this extremely carefully and interrogated all the evidence.“The fact remains that Geronimo has sadly tested positive twice using a highly specific and reliable and validated test.“This is something the environment secretary has looked at very carefully.”Liam James9 August 2021 14:271628514714Teacher-assessed grades are better than exams, Ofqual chief saysTeacher assessment of pupils is a better and more “accurate” way of awarding grades than formal exams, the government’s qualification regulator has said.Simon Lebus, the interim head of Ofqual, said having teachers grade their pupils on work throughout the year would give a more “holistic judgement” rather than the “snapshot” provided by an exam.Headteachers welcomed the comments, which represent a shift in government thinking, and said ministers had in recent years become “fixated” on assessing students “almost entirely” with final exams.Full story from Jon Stone, Policy Correspondent, here:Liam James9 August 2021 14:111628513394Sharma’s international trips ‘not a good look’, says Labour MPWes Streeting, shadow secretary of state for child poverty, said: “We can’t have a ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ mantra”, when asked about Cop26 president Alok Sharma’s international travel.The Labour MP told Sky News: “Well, it’s not a good look, is it? Climate diplomacy is going to be really important and I really, really want Alok Sharma to succeed as the Cop26 president because his success is vital not just for our country but for the whole of humanity, and, as dramatic and grand as that sounds, that’s how important this year’s summit really is, but I do think, sometimes, it’s a bit like Boris Johnson telling us all to cut down our emissions and then flying down to Cornwall.“I think we’ve got to take the country with us, we’ve got to take the public with us, and I think they understand, looking at those images coming from Greece, thinking about the flooding we’ve had in the UK in recent years, only weeks ago in my own constituency on the London-Essex border… I think people are beginning to see on their television screens and even in their own communities the early signs of what catastrophic climate breakdown would mean for us.“They want the government to take action, but we can’t have a ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ mantra, ‘One rule for them, one rule for everyone else’ mantra coming from the government, because we’ve got to take the country with us. We have all got to play our part.”Liam James9 August 2021 13:491628512074Boris Johnson was ‘clearly wrong’ to doubt wind farms, says KwartengBoris Johnson was “wrong” to cast doubt on the effectiveness of wind farms in 2013 when he suggested they couldn’t “pull the skin off a rice pudding”, said Kwasi KwartengThe business secretary faced questions on Mr Johnson’s controversial remarks as the government unveiled a £260 million public and private sector investment in offshore wind farms – forming part of plans to “eradicate” Britain’s contribution to the climate crisis.“When he said that eight-nine years ago, clearly what he said was wrong,” Mr Kwarteng told LBC radio. “Wind farms, wind power contributes sometimes upwards of 40 per cent of electricity”.“I think there’s been a huge change in the last eight years. I remember in 2012, 40 per cent of our electricity then basically derived from coal – today that figure is less than two per cent,” he added.Details from Ashley Cowburn, Political Correspondent, here:Liam James9 August 2021 13:271628511114IPCC report shows ‘deficiency’ of world response to climate crisis, says SharmaAlok Sharma has described the IPCC report as a “wake-up call for the world”.The Cop26 president said: “I have to say I think if ever there was going to be a wake-up call for the world when it comes to climate, then it is this report and it does show all too clearly the impact of human activity and, indeed, the deficiency of our response to date and why we need to act now on what the science is telling us.”He added: “The future, of course, is not yet written and the very worst of climate change is still avoidable, and if we look back to Paris in 2015 world leaders got together and said that they would do everything they could to limit global temperature rises to well below two degrees and aiming for 1.5, and what this report shows, that 1.5 degrees is still achievable, but that it is retreating and it’s retreating fast.“We do need to follow the science and we need to take action this year and make sure that at Cop26 we are able to credibly say that we have kept 1.5 degrees alive.”Mr Sharma was speaking during a panel discussion with climate scientists in London on the implications of the IPCC report for Cop26.Liam James9 August 2021 13:111628509974Kwarteng opposes pay cut for home-working civil servantsKwasi Kwarteng rejected a call from an unnamed Cabinet minister to dock the pay of civil servants who refuse to return to the office.The unnamed minister argued that staff who continued to work from home were receiving a “de facto pay rise” as they were not spending money on commuting, which was “unfair” to those going into the office.However, Mr Kwarteng, the business secretary, rejected the claim, saying that officials who were home-working were making an important contribution.“I would never suggest that. I don’t know who it was. I think people working from home are contributing hugely to the workforce,” he told LBC radio.Liam James9 August 2021 12:52 More