Q: [Rigby’s second question] Last week we learned that Jonathan Powell, your national security adviser, thought the Mandelson appointment was rushed. But you told MPs due process was followed. Did you mislead parliament?
Starmer replied: “No.” He said Sir Laurie Magnus, his ethics adviser, looked at this question last week (in response to a complaint from the Tories) and concluded that the proper process was followed.
Chancellor also touts investment in “northern growth corridor” alongside the Oxford to Cambridge region
The chancellor has set out plans to spend £1 billion on commercial-scale quantum computers by the early 2030s, and investment in a “northern growth corridor”.
At a speech on 17 March, Rachel Reeves (pictured) said the government is “using procurement to give us a head start on quantum computing”.
“We have pledged to procure up to £1bn of quantum computers from the first UK companies to successfully make them at commercial scale, firing the starting gun on a global race and making sure that the UK is at the front of the pack,” Reeves said.
In an announcement ahead of the speech, the government said the UK would be “the first country in the world to commit to an advanced procurement to build large-scale quantum computers on our shores by the early 2030s”. https://www.researchprofessionalnews.co ... computers/
Lisa Nandy vows to give BBC permanent charter to prevent political interference
Minister says the change is needed to protect the corporation from repeated ‘culture war’ attacks
The government is to put the BBC’s charter on a permanent footing for the first time, after the corporation said the change was needed to protect it from political interference.
In a significant change to the governance of the BBC, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said she wanted to grant the corporation’s demand for a permanent charter. She said she wanted to protect it from repeated “culture war” attacks.
On Tuesday it emerged Sir Keir Starmer told members of his cabinet in December to be prepared to take decisions and spend cash across the UK's nations even if it was against the wishes of devolved governments.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62dq902yyyo
inding out who owns land in England is to become much simpler because a paywall will be lifted from large parts of the Land Registry, the government is to announce.
A small number of landowners control the majority of land but finding out who owns what is difficult to piece together, even for government departments, owing to the way the Land Registry operates. Freeing up access will make it easier to determine ownership of key areas, such as river catchments, grouse moors and peatland.
The change comes as part of a major reform to the way England’s land is managed. The government’s long-awaited land use framework – to be unveiled by Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, on Wednesday afternoon – marks the first time that government has attempted to assess how best to use farmland, nature reserves and areas of degraded land to help balance competing needs for land for food production, housing, energy and industry.
For working parents, that has meant impossible choices - cutting hours, turning down opportunities, or seeing more and more of their income swallowed up before it even reaches their bank account.
We are turning that around.
New research from Coram Family and Childcare shows working parents are now saving an average of £8,000 a year per child as a result of our reforms. Costs for many families have been cut in half.
And the cost of part-time childcare has fallen back to levels last seen in 2005 - wiping out more than two decades of rising costs in the space of two years.
Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2026 6:35 pm I've noticed that some of the "clever" critics of the Government don't like Lisa Nandy. Maybe this will change their opinion. Might persuade some in the BBC to be nicer to the Government, who knows?That will enrage the critics, it's all the proof they need that the BBC is a hotbed of Commies spreading Socialist propaganda!
Lisa Nandy vows to give BBC permanent charter to prevent political interference
Minister says the change is needed to protect the corporation from repeated ‘culture war’ attacks
The government is to put the BBC’s charter on a permanent footing for the first time, after the corporation said the change was needed to protect it from political interference.
In a significant change to the governance of the BBC, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said she wanted to grant the corporation’s demand for a permanent charter. She said she wanted to protect it from repeated “culture war” attacks.
The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2026 7:38 pm More tinkering around the edges.Wasn’t childcare one of the things they were definitely doing wrong, according to our clever mates?
- By Youngian
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