Two dead in Southport stabbing; 20% increase for junior doctors; VAT on private school fees – Car Dealer Magazine

Six children and two adults remain in a critical condition as police continue to question a 17-year-old boy in connection with a fatal stabbing in Southport.

Two children were killed when a teenage man with a knife attacked attendees of a Taylor Swift-themed holiday dance class on Monday morning.

The boy, born in Cardiff, is suspected of murder and attempted murder following the attack on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside Police said.

Angela Rayner is set to announce radical changes to England’s planning system to enable the Government to build 1.5 million new homes.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Housing Secretary are expected to address MPs on the reform, which is expected to include the reinstatement of mandatory housing targets and more detail on the land Labour could allocate for development.

The government says it is committed to protecting nature but so-called grey belt, or low-quality areas such as disused car parks and wasteland on protected land known as green belt, could be built on.

Government legislation to nationalise rail operations in the UK is getting closer to coming into force.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill would ensure that the appointment of a public sector train operator after existing contracts expire becomes the default rather than a last resort. This would mean that private operators such as Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and Thameslink would be gradually taken over by the state.

MPs voted by 351 to 84 (a majority of 267) for the bill to receive its second reading on Monday evening. The bill is expected to pass the remaining stages of its passage through the Commons on 3 September.

Early career doctors in England have reportedly been offered a 20 per cent pay rise over two years in a bid to resolve their long-running pay dispute with the government.

According to The Times, the British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctors’ committee recommended the offer to its members.

It is understood that this includes a retroactive pay rise of 4.05% for 2023/24, on top of the existing increase of between 8.8% and 10.3%. A further pay rise of 6% for 2024/25 will also be topped up by a consolidated payment of £1,000, equating to an increase of between 7% and 9%.

The Metropolitan Police said former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with making indecent images of children.

The veteran radio presenter, 62, who left the corporation in April, faces three charges relating to alleged activities between December 2020 and April 2022. He is due to appear in court on Wednesday.

According to the indictment, Edwards is accused of having six category A images, 12 category B images and 19 category C images on WhatsApp.

The government has confirmed that private school tuition fees will be subject to VAT from January.

The new Labour government is pushing ahead with plans to scrap VAT exemptions and property tax relief for private schools to fund the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers in public schools.

Exchequer Chancellor James Murray has announced that the government will start applying a 20% VAT to private schools in the UK from 1 January, which will also cover “pre-paid tuition fees” for terms starting in the new year.

Controversial plans to expand the A303 road by building a tunnel near Stonehenge have been put on hold, Rachel Reeves said as she announced cuts to public spending.

The announcement is part of a review of projects, which the Chancellor said was launched in response to unmet commitments of £1 billion for transport projects next year.

Mr Reeves said the Government would “not go ahead” with projects including work on the A303, where a dual carriageway tunnel is to be built through a World Heritage Site surrounding an ancient stone circle, and the A27 Arundel bypass, as well as plans to reopen closed railway lines.

Shop price inflation was unchanged in July after months of slowdown amid warnings of looming uncertainty.

Overall annual inflation was 0.2%, lower than the three-month average of 0.3% and the lowest since October 2021, according to the NielsenIQ Shop Price Index, compiled by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Food inflation fell to 2.3% in June, from 2.5% in June, the lowest since December 2021, while fresh food prices are now 1.4% higher than a year ago, down from 1.5% in June. Deflation continued for non-food items, which are now 0.9% cheaper than a year ago overall, although this is down from 1% in June.

Much of the UK will see plenty of very warm sunshine, particularly in the south-east, where it will be hot, BBC Weather reports. Northern areas will be cloudier and there may be some showers. The maximum temperature will be 32C.

Another muggy night for most of England with overnight temperatures of 18 degrees, although further north it will be below 10 degrees. Clear and dry for most.