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UK employment has fallen at the fastest rate in more than a decade as 220,000 jobs were lost between April and June, the largest quarterly fall since the financial crisis.
A total of 730,000 people have been taken off company payrolls since the coronavirus pandemic triggered a national lockdown in March, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed.
The true state of employment in Britain may be hidden by the government’s furlough scheme, as many fear they will not have jobs to come back to when the scheme winds down in October and demand for workers “remains depressed”.
Elsewhere, there is growing pressure on the government to deal with the uptick of migrants making the dangerous journey across the Channel in small boats. Immigration minister Chris Philp is to hold talks with his French counterparts in Paris to discuss the issue.
A group of 25 Tory MP backbenchers were condemned by a former child refugee for saying migrants coming to the UK via the Channel were "invading" the country, with one claiming they could simply "paddle in".
At least 597 migrants arrived on the UK’s shores between Thursday and Sunday. In total, more than 4,000 migrants have made the treacherous journey so far this year.
Prime minister Boris Johnson condemned the actions of “cruel and criminal gangs” who carry out the Channel crossings, adding the journey is “a pretty dangerous stretch of water in potentially unseaworthy vessels”.
‘Bumpy months ahead’ as UK job losses hit decade-high, warns Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson said the UK economy faces more "bumpy months" ahead following the latest rise in unemployment.
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Herefordshire, the Prime Minister said the Government was committed to making the "colossal investments" needed to rebuild the economy.
"We always knew that this was going to be a very tough time for people," he said.
"What we are going to have to do is to keep going with our plan to 'build, build, build' and build back better, and ensure that we make the colossal investments that we can now make in the UK economy to drive jobs and growth.
"Obviously what we want to see is a return to economic vitality and health. Some parts of the economy are undoubtedly showing great resilience but clearly there are going to be bumpy months ahead and a long, long way to go."
Migrants crossing Channel are ‘invading’ UK, claim Tory MPs
A group of Tory MPs says migrants making the perilous journey across the English Channel are “invading” the country.
The Common Sense Group of Tory backbenchers sent a letter to Priti Patel urging her to get tougher and suggested sending in Royal Navy warships to stop migrants from “paddling in”.
The group has been condemned by Gulwali Passarly, a former child refugee who wrote an acclaimed book about escaping from Afghanistan as a 12-year-old boy.
He said the 25-strong group should “look at themselves and have humanity and have decency”.
Read the full report by deputy political editor Rob Merrick below:
Immigration minister says new measures to halt migrants crossing Channel ‘under discussion’
Chris Philp has claimed there are a “number of measures, some of them new, which are under discussion” in plan to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel.
He told Sky News he would not comment on details as it would be “premature” to talk about financial commitments at this stage, but plans were still being developed and finalised.
“Any border is a shared responsibility and the UK and France today renewed and reaffirmed their absolute commitment to make sure this border is properly policed and this route is completely ended,” he added.
Scottish Government to extend emergency coronavirus legislation until March
The Scottish constitutional secretary has said the Scottish Government will seek to extend the legislation from its expiry date of 30 September to 31 March.
Mike Russell told Holyrood on Tuesday the Bill had provided “vital protections” on issues such as housing, which were still needed.
However, he mentioned some provisions may not be renewed in the extension.
Welsh students to receive ‘robust’ A-level grades
(PA)
The Welsh Government has pledged its students waiting for their A-level results will not face the same fate as their Scottish counterparts.
Minister Julie James said she was “happy to reassure” students that Wales used different modelling to Scotland and nearly half of pupils’ final mark was based on AS-levels completed last year.
It comes after Scottish students from deprived backgrounds had disproportionately downgraded marks, prompting an apology from Nicola Sturgeon for the failures in moderation.
Ms James said during the weekly Welsh Government briefing that she was confident grades would be “robust” due to the system used by exam board WJEC and exam regulator Qualifications Wales.
The minister for housing and local government said: “I’m really happy to reassure every learner in Wales that the modelling in Wales is very different.
“It takes into account work that has been completed by the students. For example, here in Wales we've never let go of AS-levels.
"If you took A-levels this year then you would have had your AS-level results last year and they contribute 40% to A-level grades.
"So, the model for standardising those grades are developed by the WJEC and approved by Qualifications Wales to ensure that learners are treated fairly and will be able to progress with confidence.
"We are obviously very keen that our learners are given the accolade they need for the hard work that they've done but also that they get the grades that they deserve, and that those grades are robust and will take them forward into their lives with confidence."
Scottish pupils will now receive original predicted grades
Students in Scotland will now receive their original grades estimated by teachers as more than 120,000 results downgraded in moderation will be scrapped, said the Scottish Government.
More follows…
Downing Street's race equality chief faces legal challenge over appointment - report
(ITV/Shutterstock)
Tony Sewell, former head of an education charity who was appointed to lead the government’s new racial equality commission, is facing a legal challenge launched by anti-racism organisation the Monitoring Group, it has been reported.
Boris Johnson chose Mr Sewell in July to lead the commission in response to Black Lives Matter protests taking place around the world.
But campaigners have criticised his appointment, pointing towards Mr Sewell’s previous attempts to downplay institutional racism and hold the black British community responsible instead.
He has also been slated for homophobic comments and apologised after it was revealed he made references to “tortured queens playing hide and seek” in a newspaper column published in 1990, after Justin Fashanu became the country’s first openly gay footballer.
According to The Guardian, the Monitoring Group wrote to the government saying it intended to seek leave for a judicial review of the decision to appoint Mr Sewell.
The group said Mr Sewell’s “longstanding record of public statements rejecting or minimising the overwhelming evidence that already exists about issues such as institutional racism… are incompatible with his appointment as the chair of an independent commission”.
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