Warm Home Discount scheme welcomed by Monmouthshire MP
The support comes through an expanded Warm Home Discount scheme, will provide eligible households with £150 off their energy bills next winter.
Catherine Fookes, MP for Monmouthshire, said: "From my recent survey and speaking to residents on the doorstep, I know the cost of living is one of the key concerns for families across Monmouthshire.
"So I very much welcome this news, it's a positive step forward and will provide millions more families across the UK with cost of living support, energy security and put more money in people's pockets.
"This is welcome progress, but I know energy and water bills are still too high and people are still struggling after the past 15 years.
"I will keep pushing the government to do even more to support those across Monmouthshire and bring energy bills down by producing our own Welsh green energy."
The UK Government has announced that an additional 2.7 million households across the UK will now qualify for the £150 discount, bringing the total to more than six million.
This includes 900,000 families with children and 1.8 million households living in fuel poverty.
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
It's time to step up Keir – don't get caught on the sidelines while Trump flexes muscles to the world
SIR Keir Starmer says he's focused on 'de-escalation' but it is clear the UK was not in the driving seat when America launched its dramatic overnight strikes on Iran. He insists the Government was 'given due notice' but that's just diplomatic code for we were told, not asked. 9 9 9 Britain played no part in the military action, didn't offer its bases, and wasn't in the room when the trigger was pulled. For a country that calls the US its closest ally, it's a humbling moment. While the PM has backed the goal - stopping Iran from building a bomb - he's skating carefully around the method. He won't say if the strikes were legal. He won't say what it would take for Britain to get involved. He's trying to have it both ways: supporting Washington while staying out of the firing line. So far, it's a delicate balancing act, but one that gets harder by the hour. If Iran strikes back, especially at US or Israeli targets, pressure on Britain to act will skyrocket. Meanwhile, the opposition is flexing its muscles. Priti Patel says the strikes were 'absolutely essential' and questions whether the UK even offered help. She's urging the government to move faster, act tougher, and stop hiding behind process. Wounded Iran immediately lashes out at Israel launching volleys of ballistic missiles causing 'large-scale destruction' And she's not wrong to ask: if Britain has the capability to help stop a nuclear Iran, why didn't we step up? The PM of course, wants to sound strong, act calm, and avoid war. But when your closest ally goes in hard, and you're stuck on the sidelines, questions start piling up. This comes as Starmer called for an urgent Cobra meeting this afternoon. 9 9 9 He told reporters on Sky News: 'I want to reassure the British public that we're doing everything we can to stabilise the situation, to de-escalate the situation and to get to a negotiated outcome. 'But I'm very clear in my own mind that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. "That is the greatest threat to stability in the region.' He said there was a 'risk of escalation' and added: 'That's a risk to the region. "It's a risk beyond the region, and that's why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear programme. 'In relation to the UK, we were not involved in the attack. We were given due notice, as we would expect, as close allies to the US, and we have been moving assets to the region to make sure we're in a position to protect our own interests, our personnel and our assets, and, of course, those of our allies.' By Annabel Bate The Russian foreign ministry 'strongly condemns' Trump's 'irresponsible decision' to inflict 'missile and bomb strikes' on Iran. It said in a statement: 'The consequences of this action, including radiological ones, have yet to be assessed. 'But it is already obvious that a dangerous escalation has begun, fraught with further undermining of regional and global security. 'The risk of an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, already engulfed in multiple crises, has increased significantly.' It added: 'the UN Security Council must also react. 'The confrontational actions of the US and Israel must be collectively rejected.' The PM added how the UK had taken "all necessary measures" to protect Brits. Asked whether the UK could be required to intervene under Nato rules, if Iran attacked US bases in the region, Starmer said: "I'm not going to speculate about what may happen, because all of my focus is on de-escalation. "But I do want to reassure the public we have taken all necessary measures to protect UK interests, UK personnel and to work with our allies to protect their interests as well. "That's what you'd expect, but my focus is on de-escalating this situation. Dealing with the threat that is that nuclear programme, but getting the parties around the table to negotiate an outcome to this." INCREASED THREAT Iranian foreign minister today announced he is to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin within hours. He warned the West of "unprecedented danger" after the US blitzed three of its nuclear sites. Meanwhile Donald Trump has threatened since even more strikes on the country, and dubbed the operation a "spectacular military success". The Prime Minister also released a statement this morning in which he called for Iran to "return to the negotiating table". He urged the Tehran to "reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis". But a Cabinet minister has warned the UK faces an increased threat of Iranian attacks. Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has now warned Iran's spying operations in the UK were 'already at a significant level'. 'I think it would be naive to say that wouldn't potentially increase but again, there's a choice here for Iran," he continued. "Do they want to continue being an agent of instability in the region and the wider world? Where has that got them? Where has it got the Iranian people? 'There is a better course of action for Iran to take here and I think they should consider that.' Just last month, cops busted an alleged terror plot targeting Israel's embassy in London by Iranian nationals. And, the UK has already declared Iran as a security threat under new laws that state they must register their activities in the UK or face five years in jail. Mr Reynolds also earlier confirmed the UK wasn't involved in the strikes. He told Sky News: "We support the prevention of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. We had proposed a diplomatic course of action, as other European countries had done. "The Iranians had rejected that. And I know people will be waking up this morning, and they'll be worried. ANALYSIS: Global fall-out of the US strikes By Patrick Harrington Philip Ingram, an international security expert, told The Sun: 'Iranian ballistic missiles will not reach the United States and therefore to try and respond to the United States attack Iran's going to have to do something different. "It'll bring its coalition of the willing that it has together or as we call them the axis of evil. So we've got Iran, Russia, North Korea and China. 'China will likely sit back and wait to see what's happening, to begin with. But North Korea may provide Iran with some missile technology. 'Russia is sitting there laughing all the way to the bank effectively. 'The escalating conflict helps Russia by moving Russia-Ukraine further down the agenda so that people aren't focusing on it. 'Iran and Russia will join forces to try and cause as much disruption in different countries as possible through protest and through disinformation. 'There will be two reactions directly out of Iran. One, the stimulation of their proxy organisations that they have operating across the world. Hamas and Hezbollah have been largely destroyed by Israel. 'But they've still got the Houthis in Yemen. I think we will see a massive uptake in Houthi activity in disrupting international shipping in the Red Sea. 'The other reaction could be trying to close the Straits of Hormuz. 30 percent of the world's oil and gas goes through there. "Even a threat to close it will put energy prices spiking to a level that will make the spike we saw when Russia invaded Ukraine seem like small change." "They'll want to know what this means, and I do want to give them reassurance that whilst the British government, the UK has not been involved in these attacks, we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities, including how we look after British nationals in the region and how we get them out, and the assets we have in the region to protect British infrastructure, British bases, British personnel if we need to do that. "But from where we are now, what I think we need to do as the President I believe himself has said is, get back around the table. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, but we need a diplomatic process." And Britain's military base of Diego Garcia was not used by the US as a staging post for the US military attack on Iran, as reported by The Times. The jets were flown from the US military base in Guam in the Pacific – twice as far from Iran as Diego Garcia. There had been speculation that Diego Garcia would be used by the US, which would have caused a legal, diplomatic and military headache for the UK government as it would have had to give approval to any US attack. This would have dragged the UK directly into the conflict. Government sources said Diego Garcia was not used. France has also expressed "concern" over US air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, calling on all parties to "exercise restraint". Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X: "France has taken note with concern of the strikes carried out last night by the United States of America against three sites of Iran's nuclear programme." He made it clear that France didn't take part in the planning of those strikes. Barrot added that he "urges all parties to exercise restraint to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict". There was no immediate reaction from President Emmanuel Macron, who had said Saturday that France and its European partners planned to step up talks with Iran. 9 9 9
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Jonathan Reynolds: UK knew about impending US missile strike on Iran
US President Donald Trump confirmed that the US military carried out strikes against three Iranian facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes were confirmed on Saturday, June 21, despite earlier pleas from the UK for de-escalation. Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds stated the UK was aware of the impending US military action against Iran. Reynolds, the UK's business and trade secretary, clarified that the UK was not involved in the attacks. He added that a "key ally" had informed the UK about the planned strikes. Watch the video above
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Bargain UK retailer to shut ‘another good shop' TODAY after announcing 68 closures with huge sales launched
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR UK retailer has permanently pulled the shutters on another location. The move comes as the budget chain announced a series of store closures in recent weeks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Another Poundland store has pulled its shutters for the last time as part of the company's restructuring (stock image) Credit: Alamy Poundland confirmed the closure of its Flintshire Retail Park location earlier this week. The shopping chain is closing 68 stores across the UK as part of a restructuring plan. A further 82 Poundland locations are reported to be at risk in the coming years. This comes after Poundland was sold to the investment firm Gordon Brothers for just £1. Flintshire is one of many store locations to launch sales in the lead up to closure. The Leader reported on the latest development, speaking to a Poundland representative ahead of the Welsh store's closure. "We've been unable to agree terms that would allow us to keep trading in Flint, and the store is planned to close on June 21," the rep said. "We'd obviously like to thank customers for their support there." The Poundland spokesperson went on to discuss the effect the closure would have on the location's staff. "It goes without saying whenever we close a store in circumstances like these, we do all we can to look for other opportunities for colleagues and that work is underway," they said. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures "With over 800 locations across the UK and Ireland, we constantly review our store portfolio as leases expire or come up for renewal. " Flintshire residents shared their disappointment over the closure on Facebook. "Such a shame," wrote one local shopper. "It happened in Bangor, same thing, now it's a charity shop. It's a shame really and we all thought prices were going down," agreed another commenter. "Such a shame these shops are closing," wrote a third Flintshire resident. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." "Oh no, love Poundland, feel sorry for the people who work there," said another person. "It's really sad, a lot of people there [are] losing their jobs," agreed one Facebook user. Others blamed the increasing prices for the decline in Poundland's popularity. "Think the reason is the whole Poundland gimmick is gone now and other places are cheaper to buy from," pointed out one person. "Should not be allowed to call themselves Poundland when most items are costing more," agreed another commenter. "Nothing is a quid in there anymore anyway," wrote one Facebook user. "Getting too dear in there now anyways," said another local resident. A total of 200 Poundland locations were reported to be at risk amid the company's restructuring.
