Page 146 - Round Up News Today

Civil servants are being overpromoted to get round a Whitehall pay squeeze, analysis suggests. “Grade inflation” in Whitehall is costing £1.5 billion a year and resulting in less-qualified staff doing senior jobs, the Institute for Government has warned. At the same time, permanent secretaries and other top officials who cannot be promoted are experiencing much bigger pay cuts that are driving talented people to the private sector, the think tank warns. - The Times

The Conservatives will promise to cut the up-front cost of a home for first-time buyers as a pre-election giveaway to win over younger voters. In what is expected to be a central element of the party’s campaign, Michael Gove told The Times that it would “definitely” have a new offer in place before polling day. - The Times

An Israel-affiliated chemical tanker was hit by a drone allegedly launched from Iran in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, the US Department of Defence said. The Liberia-flagged Chem Pluto was struck at around 10am (local time) in the Indian Ocean, nearly 200 nautical miles from India's western coast of Veraval in Gujarat, the Pentagon claimed. It added that the one-way attack drone was launched from Iran. – The Independent

Property sales and demand across the UK were almost a fifth higher in the final weeks of 2023 than a year earlier as sentiment improved, according to a survey. The property website Zoopla said new sales agreed were 17% higher in December than this time last year, when higher mortgage rates hit market activity. Demand is up 19%, measured by would-be buyers contacting agents to inquire about and arrange viewings for a specific property listed on Zoopla. An increase in the number of homes for sale ...

Here we are in the end zone of 2023 and keeping with UTR tradition, weve invited this years

The Premier League’s pledge to scrap betting adverts on football shirts will not protect children from a “bombardment” of gambling advertising, according to a report by MPs that also raises concerns about the pace of reform to the industry. MPs on the select committee for culture, media and sport criticised the government for failing to take a more “precautionary approach” to gambling promotion, setting out their concerns in a 76-page report publ...

Chelsea, Fulham and Middlesbrough booked their place in the last four on Tuesday night.

Northern political and transport leaders have called on the UK government to urgently review Avanti West Coast’s operations amid a renewed surge in intercity rail cancellations and delays. The intervention came as it emerged that morale at the train operating company has plummeted to the point where only 3% of staff say they feel valued, according to an internal Avanti survey seen by the Guardian. – Guardian

The GMB trade union has called on the government and nuclear authorities to take “urgent action” to address concerns over safety at Sellafield. The union has written to the energy minister, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Sellafield’s chief executive to demand greater investment into keeping the 11,000 employees at the vast nuclear rubbish dump in Cumbria safe. – Guardian

Retailers are facing a tough new year as weak consumer demand is expected to combine with a barrage of increased costs, including the higher minimum wage. Shoppers are likely to keep their spending on pause during the first months of 2024, according to forecasts published today by the Retail Think Tank, a group of industry experts who analyse the health of the sector, as mounting mortgage and rental costs weigh on consumer confidence. – Guardian