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Tony Diver Political Editor |
Rachel Reeves has asked investors how private finance initiatives (PFIs) could be used in national infrastructure schemes, including Labour’s plan to build seven new towns.
The paper by the British Infrastructure Taskforce, seen by The Telegraph, recommends that the Treasury use PFIs, now known as public-private partnerships (PPPs), to pay for projects that would usually be taxpayer-funded, including in education, healthcare and defence.
Under the plans, investors would pay the up-front cost of utilities, housing and other infrastructure, before being paid back with the returns from the projects.
New deals, the paper said, would avoid many of the Blair-era pitfalls and could be concentrated on infrastructure that produces a return on investment, such as toll roads and electric vehicle charging hubs.
Sir Tony Blair faced strong opposition to PPP deals from Labour MPs during his premiership, but continued with the schemes. PPP hospital deals have since been condemned as a waste of taxpayer money, lumbering NHS trusts with around £80bn of debt from just £13bn of investment.
Last year, dozens of schools tied up in PPP contracts withheld payment for repairs, saying the costs were “astronomical”. One cited the maintenance work taking up 20 per cent of the school’s budget, and another said the fee for installing a plug socket was £400, while removing it was £500.
Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, said: “We all know how it ended last time a Labour government entered into these sorts of agreements – taxpayers paid the price. Whenever Labour negotiates, Britain loses.”
Read the full story here ➤ |
Wes Streeting has said further drilling in the North Sea will generate more tax revenue |
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Amy Gibbons Political Correspondent |
Wes Streeting has urged Labour to ramp up oil drilling in the North Sea to boost the economy, in an attempt to capitalise on his head start in the race for No 10.
With Andy Burnham still fighting for his place in a potential leadership contest – he must win the Makerfield by-election to be eligible – the former health secretary used an interview with The Times to distance himself from Sir Keir Starmer’s administration and flesh out his vision for Government.
Reading Streeting’s pitch for the Labour leadership, it is hard to believe that he was a member of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet less than a month ago.
Having stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Chancellor and the Energy Secretary for nearly two years, he undermined two of their core policies in one fell swoop, calling for more drilling in the North Sea and a cut to one of Labour’s most notorious tax raids.
Streeting’s more cautious approach to phasing out fossil fuels is likely to appeal to voters on the Right who are concerned about the impact of net zero on the cost of living.
Source: Looking for Growth / Merlin Strategy |
It puts Burnham in a tricky position: backing the North Sea ban could cost him votes to Reform, damaging his prospects in Makerfield, but aligning with Streeting would anger his allies on the Left, compromising his leadership campaign.
With the Mayor of Greater Manchester fighting two battles at once, Streeting would do well to make the most of the next few weeks.
This report is available only to subscribers.
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Robert Tombs This country needs a solid conservative alliance with a big enough majority to overawe its opponents Continue reading ➤
Kemi Badenoch This Z-list Labour Parliament is everything that’s wrong with British politics Continue reading ➤
Hannah Betts Where is the English pride in the iced bun? Continue reading ➤ |
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At least 800,000 Arsenal fans lined the streets to take part in the parade |
Writer Leaf Arbuthnot managed to secure an easy access pass despite the NHS app not being on the list of approved documents |
What do Britain’s soaring disability benefit claims look like in practice? At Disneyland Paris, staff say the vast majority of visitors awarded free fast-track passes are British, many qualifying through Personal Independence Payment awards linked to conditions such as anxiety, ADHD and autism. Leaf Arbuthnot examines how Britain’s benefits boom is being felt far beyond the welfare system itself. For subscribers only ➤ |
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Kaleb Cooper, Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa Hogan return for more cultivated catastrophe in Clarkson’s Farm |
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From September, George Orwell’s debut work will no longer feature on OCR’s list of non-fiction set texts |
The shake-up by exam board OCR for A-level English is raising eyebrows after George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London was dropped from the non-fiction set texts and replaced with Anna Funder’s Wifedom. Julie Henry says the move reflects a broader shift towards identity-led study, with students now more likely to analyse contested accounts of Orwell’s marriage than his firsthand depiction of poverty in 1930s London and Paris. Continue reading ➤ |
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Stephanie Kuku, a former NHS surgeon, was driven by her own experiences to help other couples start a family |
Dr Stephanie Kuku worked for the NHS before pivoting to technology start-ups focused on health. When she struggled with fertility issues, like increasing numbers of women, she started working with Conceivable Life, a company which uses AI-powered robotic arms. This aims to make IVF far more precise, reliable and cost-effective than human technicians, and early results are very promising, as she explains to John Arlidge. Continue reading ➤ |
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Hannah Adkins has spent two years hunting for a Cotswolds cottage to call home |
Priced out of the Cotswolds? You’re not alone. As soaring demand pushes house prices in some of the region’s most desirable villages beyond the reach of many local buyers, growing numbers are looking just beyond the traditional hotspots for better value. This guide reveals the market towns and villages attracting young families and first-time buyers, where homes can cost hundreds of thousands less. Continue reading ➤ Here is one more article that I hope you will find useful this morning:
- Oil is the ultimate kitchen staple, and there are many different types to choose from. Which is the healthiest, though? Our expert has assessed and ranked each option.
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CAPTION COMPETITION WITH... |
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Matt Pritchett Cartoonist |
Hello! No cartoon to caption this week as I’m away in Norway, but below is this week’s winner. Congratulations to Helen Houghton-Brown who wittily captioned this beach scene for us.
P.S. For an inside look at what inspires my weekly cartoons, you can sign up for my personal subscriber-exclusive newsletter here. |
Je ne comprends pasEvery weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
This section isn’t in the habit of routinely denigrating the French, but there can be no question that our cousins across the Channel are guilty of some very annoying offences. Producing Paris Saint-Germain FC, for instance.
Melvyn Owen, however, had quite a different complaint: “I gained an O-level in French at school,” he wrote in a letter, “but whenever I have visited France and spoken to members of the native population in French, they have immediately recognised my accent and replied in such excellent English that I have simply thrown in the towel.
“In most parts of the world, people have an obvious choice if they want to learn just one foreign language: English. The only continent I have visited where English is not widely understood is South America. Perhaps that’s because far too few of us go there.”
I must say the situation Melvyn describes – humiliating though it is – comes as more of a relief to me. It’s a deeply unedifying affair all round when I attempt to speak French, and the sooner I’m put out of my misery, the better.
However, Telegraph readers whose command of the language extends beyond being able to say “Chateauneuf-du-Pape” with moderate confidence have been sharing their strategies for using it when they want to.
“I have solved the problem”, revealed Patricia Jagger, “by speaking in French, while they reply in English. It works well and both parties benefit. The French really appreciate it when you speak their language, and we have met with nothing but kindness in our years of travelling in their lovely country.”
I also enjoyed this, from Anne Keene: “As a modern languages graduate, my policy used to be bullish determination: Je veux parler français. As that doesn’t always work, my latest strategy is: Je ne comprends pas l’anglais. This can stump eager interlocutors.
“However, you should be warned: it’s important to swear fellow-travellers to complete silence. A mere hint that they speak English will kill off any chance of a conversation in French.” Are you a determined French-speaker? Let me know here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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1935 | Compulsory driving tests are introduced in Britain
1967 | The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is released
1978 | David Gower makes his Test debut for England against Pakistan at Edgbaston (and a look at our sport page on the following day below)
Birthdays: Tom Holland (30), Alanis Morissette (52), Morgan Freeman (89)
Plus, in the news today, which Welsh town troubled by nuisance sheep is hiring a shepherd to round them up?
1. Caernarfon
2. Blaenavon
3. Caerphilly
4. Aberystwyth
Click one of the options to reveal the answer... |
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was BACKWATER. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here.
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor |
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