Disney

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 15 December 2017

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Our weekly round-up of the biggest stories from media, PR and comms including the mother of all acquisitions, UCL’s white campus and the words, and terms, of 2017.

1. Disney to buy 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets
Disney has announced that it is to acquire 20th Century Fox and other entertainment and sports assets from the Murdoch empire. The $52.4 billion all-stock deal will include the broadcaster Sky if Fox is successful in its takeover. Disney chairman-CEO Bob Iger has extended his contract for another two years, to 2021, in order to oversee the ‘integration of assets’. It is also reported that Disney expects to realise $2 billion in cost savings from overlapping business functions.

The huge merger has raised questions over competition in the market, the future of the Murdoch empire and, perhaps most significantly, how long it will be for X-Men to feature in the Avengers movies.

2. Max Clifford
 Disgraced publicist Max Clifford died this week in prison. A man who was famous for creating false stories and representing kiss-and-tell ‘celebrities’, Clifford’s career came to an abrupt end in 2014 when he was convicted of a string of abuses against women and girls. The PR industry has been keen to further distance itself from the man who has been described as someone who ‘did a disservice to the honest public relations industry but had no lasting influence on it’.

3. UCL’s white campus
 In tweet blunder of the week (no, regular Five Things readers, it’s not The Donald), University College London tweeted: ‘Dreaming of a white campus?’. While they were, of course, referencing the snow in London, on Twitter offence is like wildfire; quickly out of control. It led to the UCL apology, where they admitted to choosing their words ‘very poorly’. Unfortunately, this caused more outraged from those that believe Twitter ‘snowflakes’ (yes, very funny etc) shouldn’t be so easily offended.

4. Google in 2017
The most Googled terms of 2017 have been revealed by the search engine, with Meghan Markle dominating the UK’s searching habits this year. The full list includes a mixture of news and technological events, reflecting the year that was. Google also released most searched questions, for example ‘How to buy Bitcoin’, as well as global data where the French election was dominant but Trump didn’t make the cut.

5. Youthquake
The Oxford English Dictionary has announced its word of the year, which for 2017 is ‘Youthquake’. The word refers to the rallying of young people by Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party during the 2017 General Election, and saw a 400% increase in usage from 2016. That said, if a word is used once in 2016, it only needs to be used five times in 2017 to achieve a 400% rise. Other words which made the list include ‘antifa’ (groups united by militant opposition to fascism) and ‘broflake’ (a man upset by progressive attitudes which conflict with his more conservative views). The word of the year traditionally ‘defines’ the year and has previously included ‘chav’ in 2004, ‘credit crunch’ in 2008 and ‘vape’ in 2014.

Britain and Europe

Vuelio Brexit Bulletin, 15 December 2017

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As the EU (Withdrawal) Bill continues to progress through the House of Commons, we bring you the latest news, developments and reaction in our Brexit Bulletin.

  • The UK and the European Commission have published a joint report, setting out the details of their agreements on citizens’ rights, the Irish border, the financial settlement, and other areas. This followed frantic diplomacy to reach an agreement on Ireland which was acceptable to all sides.
  • The Government has suffered a defeat on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill after 11 backbench Conservative MPs rebelled. The legislation now specifies that Parliament will get a meaningful vote on the deal.
  • EU leaders have agreed that the UK-EU agreement represents ‘sufficient progress’ and have drawn up guidelines for the initial part of phase two negotiations, including the transition period. Guidelines for discussing the framework of the future relationship will be adopted in March, but in the meantime the EU wants to know more about the UK’s ambitions for its shape.

 

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head of news and current affairs

Fran Unsworth appointed head of BBC news

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Fran Unsworth has been appointed director of news and current affairs at the BBC. She will replace James Harding, who announced  his departure in October, at the beginning of 2018.

Unsworth is a career BBC journalist, starting on local radio in 1980 before joining Radio 1’s Newsbeat.  She later joined Radio 4’s The World At One and PM. She became home news editor and then head of political programmes in 2001. She was head of newsgathering and for two periods in 2012 and 2013, she was acting director of news and current affairs.

On 8 December, Unsworth was made director of the BBC World Service Group, which is her current role. As director, she is currently responsible for the BBC’s global news services as well as BBC Monitoring.

Her appointment comes after James Harding announced he was leaving to set up a new media venture, with ‘a distinct approach to the news and a clear point of view’.  More details of this news start-up are yet to be announced.

BBC director-general Tony Hall is ‘delighted’ with the appointment of Unsworth. He said: ‘The director of news and current affairs is one of the most demanding of any in broadcasting. [Fran] brings a combination of excellent news judgement, authority, management knowhow, and the trust of her colleagues both in news and across the BBC.’

Private Eye had, earlier this week, suggested Unsworth turned down the role as she ‘didn’t need the hassle of managing the 8,000-strong news division’.

Whether their source was wrong, or Unsworth changed her mind, she is now thrilled with her new appointment: ‘I am delighted to lead BBC News and Current Affairs. We are living through a period of significant change at home and abroad. In a complex world, the BBC’s journalism matters more than ever.

‘I am proud to lead a team of such dedicated and talented people.’

All new media appointments and changes are kept up-to-date in the Vuelio Media Database.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 15 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including Theresa May at the European Council summit, Government to drop the Brexit date amendment, the threat of Russian cyber attacks and the Scottish government increasing income tax. 

May lobbies for swift transition agreement at European Council summit
As the Guardian reports, Theresa May lobbied for a swift agreement on a transition period at the European Council summit last night. Leaders are due to agree today that sufficient progress has been made in the first part of the talks, while Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister said that talks about the new trading relationship would have to wait for another three months.

Government to drop Brexit date amendment
The Times claims that the Government is to drop its amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill setting the date of the UK’s departure from the European Union, as it aims to avoid a second defeat in the House of Commons. Dominic Grieve, who has received death threats for his role in this week’s backbench Tory rebellion, has said that he believes more MPs are prepared to oppose this amendment. The paper also says that May is planning to create more Conservative peers ‘within weeks’, improving the Government’s position in the Lords.

Russian attack could disrupt the UK’s internet access
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach has said that Russia’s navy has the ability to disrupt the UK’s internet access, The Daily Telegraph says. He has called for naval forces to be strengthened to combat the threat. Peach’s intervention comes amid an effort by the Ministry of Defence to secure more funding from the Treasury.

Scottish government increases income tax
The Guardian reports on the decision by Derek Mackay, Scottish finance secretary, to make use of the Scottish Government’s recently-strengthened tax powers. He will increase the higher and top rates of tax, whilst introducing a new starter rate for low earners, freezing the basic rate, and introducing a new intermediate rate. This will fund pay increases for public sector workers, and £400m extra for the NHS.

Northern transport needs £60bn over 30 years
Transport for the North has announced that it will unveil its 30-year plan in January, according to the Financial Times. The body’s chair has said that for its plans to succeed, Government transport spending in the region would have to increase by a third, whilst fixing the transport system will cost at least £60bn over 30 years.

Government targets for gender and ethnic diversity in quangos
A report in the Guardian says that the Government is to set targets for the proportion of women and people from ethnic minority groups across all public appointments. Within five years, half should be women, and 14% from ethnic minorities. The paper also reports that the only female Downing Street communications director since 2010 was paid £15,000 less than the three men who held the position in that time.

442 civil servants paid more than the Prime Minister
The Sun reports that 442 civil servants are paid more than the Prime Minister. The Network Rail chief Mark Carne topped the list, earning £750,000. 50 of those on the list work for HS2, which The Times says is to be accused of covering-up unauthorised redundancy payments, in a Commons Public Accounts Committee report today.

‘Youthquake’ is the word of the year
The Daily Telegraph reports that Oxford Dictionaries has picked ‘youthquake’ as the word of the year, in reference to Jeremy Corbyn’s youthful supporters in the general election. The word apparently saw a 400% increase in usage between 2016 and 2017.

 

Vuelio political services are available to help you.

agency competition

Creative Shootout 2018 finalists revealed

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The finalists for the Creative Shootout Live Final have been announced. Nine agencies were selected by the 17-strong judging panel, which included leading names from YouTube, Hello! and Weber Shandwick.

The finalists, who will compete at BAFTA on 25 January 2018, are:

  • Bottle
  • Clarion Comms
  • Frank
  • Ignis
  • Mischief
  • Pretty green
  • Shape History
  • Talker Tailor Trouble Maker
  • Text 100

The Creative Shootout is an annual competition that presents a charity brief to the finalists, who then have four hours create a ten-minute pitch. The ‘Live’ Final is just that, with the audience voting on each pitch to decide the top three, including a winner whose pitch will be supported by £250,000 media prize fund from 1XL, and £30,000 worth of agency fees from this year’s Charity FareShare.

FareShare is the UK’s largest food re-distribution charity that is responsible for feeding half a million people a week, by redistributing good, surplus food to over 6,700 frontline charities and community groups.

Entry to the Creative Shootout was open to any marketing agency in the UK. Entrants each had to submit ‘60 seconds’ on why they had the creative clout for FareShare. These were whittled down to nine finalists by the judging panel which this year consisted of:

  • Abba Newbery, Creator Development, YouTube
  • Alyson Walsh, Marketing Director, FareShare
  • Andrew Bloch, Founder & Group MD, Frank
  • Colin Byrne, CEO UK & EMEA, Weber Shandwick
  • David Gallagher, President, Growth & Development, Omnicom
  • Emma De La Fosse, CCO, O&M
  • Henry Faure Walker, CEO, Newsquest
  • James Booth, Founder & CEO, Scoota
  • Jason Gardiner, TV Personality, Founder & Creative Director, The Rabbit Hole Group
  • Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman, ROAR Group (UK)
  • Johnny Pitt, Founder, The Creative Shootout
  • Luke D’Arcy, President, Momentum
  • Paul Bainsfair, Director General, IPA
  • Rosie Nixon, Editor-in-Chief, Hello!
  • Simon Gill, Chief Creative Officer, Isobar
  • Simon Peck, Group Managing Director, Engine UK
  • Sophie Daranyi, Chairman, Haygarth

Creative Shootout Founder Johnny Pitt said: ‘We’ve a cracking nine agencies in the Final this year. Choosing nine from the long list was tough, and the final decision was very, very close – namely because there were so many strong entries from a really diverse range of agencies.’

For more information about this year’s event, and to buy tickets, visit creativeshootout.com.

multi screen search

Most Googled terms of the year 2017

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Google has released the most Googled terms of the year and Meghan Markle has topped the list in the UK.

Google’s annual analysis sums up the year in news. The full top 10 is:

  1. Meghan Markle
  2. iPhone 8
  3. Hurricane Irma
  4. Fidget spinner
  5. Manchester bombing
  6. Grenfell Tower
  7. 13 Reasons Why
  8. Tara Palmer Tomkinson
  9. Shannon Matthews
  10. (suitably ranked) iPhone X

The search engine has also revealed common questions asked in 2017, including ‘How to buy Bitcoin’ and ‘What is a hung parliament’.

The information is a treasure trove for PR pros who are either checking for their successes (FYI Wimbledon was the most searched sporting event, and Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You was the most searched song), or seeing what’s trended to help predict what’s next.

Access to boxing matches is clearly high on people’s priorities as two fights – ‘How to watch Mayweather vs McGregor?’ and ‘How to watch Joshua vs Klitschko?’ – made the top 5 most searched ‘How To…?’ questions.

Globally, the information is broader but still includes news events and people – but surprisingly Donald Trump manages neither list.

And for a UK audience, what’s perhaps most surprising in light of Brexit is our place in the world (of Google); the UK election was the third most searched election, after the French and German elections respectively.

If you want to tweet something from this article, I’d recommend 2017’s most searched meme, which for 2017 was ‘Cash Me Ousside / Howbow Dah’*.

*me neither – even after our head of political content explained it.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 14 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including the Government’s Brexit vote defeat, a push for trade talks, David Cameron’s concerns about Trump and underachieving schools. 

Government defeated: Parliament will get a vote on the final Brexit deal
The Government was defeated last night when 11 Conservatives joined opposition MPs to vote for an amendment guaranteeing Parliament a vote on the final deal. As The Daily Telegraph reports, one of the rebels, Stephen Hammond, was immediately sacked as vice-chairman of the Conservative Party. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the result as ‘humiliating’ for Theresa May. The paper suggests that the defeat will ‘sour’ May’s visit to Brussels today.

UK in last ditch appeal for trade talks with the EU before March
The Guardian says that the UK is making last-minute efforts to persuade the EU to state willingness to hold trade talks before March. A draft statement suggests that talks can only happen once the EU has published its own plan for the future. However, the Financial Times claims that May is stalling for time over European pressure to spell out the UK’s preferred future relationship because there is no cabinet consensus.

David Cameron: Trump’s ‘fake news’ attacks are dangerous
David Cameron has described Donald Trump’s attacks on the media as ‘dangerous’, according to the Guardian. The former prime minister addressed a Transparency International conference in his first British public lecture since leaving office and warned of ‘Russian bots and trolls targeting your democracy’.

130 schools are persistently underachieving
The Financial Times highlights remarks made by Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, at the launch of the regulator’s annual report. She warned that there are 130 schools in England which have not been rated ‘good’ in over a decade. However, there has been ‘continued steady improvement in average school performance.’

Greening launches national strategy to close the attainment gap
The Guardian reports that education secretary Justine Greening will today launch a national strategy aiming to close the attainment gap between rich and poor children. Measures to be introduced include £50m for new nursery places, £23m for a future talent fund, and closer co-operation with businesses on apprenticeships and technical qualifications.

Peers reject attack on press freedom
The Times says that MPs rejected an amendment to the Data Protection Bill, which would have tightened an exemption for journalists who handle personal data to expose wrongdoing in the public interest. Baroness Hollins, who had promoted the amendment, agreed to withdraw it after a series of peers warned that it would cripple investigative journalism.

UKIP faces data tribunal over EU referendum campaign
According to the Guardian, UKIP is to face a tribunal over its use of analytics during the EU referendum, after it refused to co-operate with an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office. It also emerged that the office and British Columbia’s office of the privacy and information commissioner are both investigating the Canadian firm AggregateIQ, which received millions of pounds from the leave campaign.

Businesses fear economic effect of a Corbyn government
An article in The Times claims that businesses are worried about the impact of a Corbyn government. A director of two financial services companies told the paper that the UK would ‘be bust’ after three years of a Corbyn government, whilst Credit Suisse warned that public finances would ‘deteriorate sharply’.

 

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UK Government

PMQs: Theresa May’s word cloud – 13 December 2017

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At Prime Minister’s Questions Theresa May faced questions from MPs on the Brexit agreement being voted on in Parliament, homelessness, banks and domestic violence. We present the word cloud for Theresa May’s answers at PMQs on 13 December 2017.

word cloud

 

 

Brexit
Conservative MP Cheryl Gillan kicked things off by asking whether the Prime Minister would confirm that MPs would be able to vote on the final Brexit agreement. This has been the topic of much debate recently; Tory rebels are threatening to vote against the Government if it does not accept Dominic Grieve’s amendment to the Bill, which would make a vote legally binding. According to May, final withdrawal agreements will be put to a vote in both houses in Parliament, before March 2019, but with no mention of legalities.

Unity
Conservative MP Anna Soubry, began by calling herself and the Prime Minister proudly ‘difficult woman’, but asked, in the spirit of unity, for her to rethink her decision to reject Dominic Grieve’s aforementioned amendment. In a move that will not please rebels in her party, May stood firm on the matter, but said that there could be room for change before the amendment is voted on later today.

Homelessness
Corbyn and May began the session by coming to blows on homelessness. Corbyn pressed the Prime Minister on statistics that show 1 in 100 children in the UK are homeless, calling the situation a ‘national disgrace’. He also called for a firmer stance from the Government on short-term letting contracts to ensure families aren’t kicked out at short notice.

Banks
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford questioned the Prime Minister on RBS branch closures in the years since the bank was bailed out. According to Blackford, 259 branches have closed across the UK in the last year, and he asked May to step in and ensure the same does not happen with the remaining branches. Caroline Flint raised a similar point, calling on the Prime Minister to admit the Access to Banking protocol from the Government has failed.

Domestic violence
Labour MP Alex Norris quoted Woman’s Aid when questioning May on domestic violence. The charity has said that Government proposals for supported housing threaten the network of refuges which are in place to support domestic violence victims. May countered this by claiming that funding was and still is ring fenced, along with a variety of new laws designed to protect victims.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 13 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including David Davis’ effort to save relations with Brussels, May’s attempt to see off Brexit rebellion and Anne-Marie Morris’ reinstatement. 

David Davis in effort to save relations with Brussels
The Guardian reports that Brexit Secretary David Davis is attempting to salvage the UK’s relationship with the EU, after his claim over the weekend that last week’s agreement had no legal status. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that he ‘would not accept any backtracking’ and rejected Davis’s claim that a trade treaty could be signed the day after the UK leaves the EU. Meanwhile, The Times breaks the news that European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker has been embroiled in a criminal investigation over ‘tampered’ evidence about wiretapping.

May aims to see off Brexit rebellion by promising clarity
The Daily Telegraph says that the Government is planning to offer ‘greater clarity’, in a bid to see off a revolt by Tory backbenchers. Dominic Grieve said that there was a ‘real possibility’ that the Government could be defeated with an amendment requiring the final deal with the EU to be approved by a separate act of Parliament. Fellow backbencher Heidi Allen has written in the paper supporting the amendment.

Anne-Marie Morris reinstated, whilst Damian Green may be cleared
Anne-Marie Morris, who had the Conservative whip suspended after a recording of her using a racist remark was release, has been reinstated, reports The Times. Morris apologised and said that she had ‘learnt from this experience’, but Labour’s Jon Trickett described the decision as a ‘disgrace’. According to The Guardian, friends of Kate Maltby, who accused Damián Green of inappropriate behaviour, fear that he may be cleared of wrongdoing because the alleged behaviour took place before he was a cabinet minister.

Investigative journalism under threat
The Daily Telegraph warns that proposed amendments to the Data Protection Act in the House of Lords could restrict press freedom. The amendments would limit journalists’ public interest exemption and effectively require newspapers to join an officially recognised press regulator. The Government opposes the amendments, but Labour plans to support some of them, meaning that they might pass.

Ruth Davidson refuses to rule out standing for Westminster
Scottish Conservative Leader, Ruth Davidson, has refused to rule out standing for selection as an MP, The Sun reports. However, she said that she would only consider it if she failed to be elected as First Minister of Scotland in 2021.

May to use foreign aid cash to reduce plastic waste
The Daily Mail reports that Theresa May pledged to use cash from the UK’s foreign aid budget to tackle plastic pollution at a climate change summit in Paris. The paper claims that the environment has been put at the heart of attempts to rebrand the Conservatives as ‘the caring party’.

Public inquiries are a waste of time and money
A new report by the Institute for Government will claim that public inquiries are a waste of time and money, The Times says. £639m has been spent on 68 inquiries since 1990, but many recommendations have not been implemented.

Tory MP’s aide on trial for rape
The BBC reports on the trial for rape of Samuel Armstrong, who was chief of staff for Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay. He is accused of raping a woman who also worked in Parliament in the MP’s office after an evening of drinking last October.

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16 February 2018

Are you ready for London Fashion Week?

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The next London Fashion Week takes place on 16-20 February 2018, which means the planning starts now. We spoke to Victoria Magrath, author of the Vuelio Blog Awards’ Best Fashion Blog 2017 Inthefrow.com, about preparation and planning for spring/summer LFW 2018.

inthefrowVictoria, who is one of the faces of Ted Baker this season, is already planning potential projects with a number of her favourite brands for LFW. It may seem early to start planning, but with the Christmas period just weeks away and New York Fashion Week starting on 8 February, there isn’t much time left.

London and Paris are both special to Victoria who feels like London sadly isn’t appreciated enough on a global stage: ‘So many international bloggers don’t come over to London, which is such a shame; there are loads of great designers here!’

For Paris Fashion Week, Victoria is looking forward to spending time with her L’Oreal Beauty squad again and believes that the earlier teams start planning fashion week projects, the better.  ‘It would be great to get super organised a few months ahead of time, as fashion week is so busy and fast paced but many fashion and beauty teams plans a lot nearer to the date which I understand.’

Collaborations are one of Victoria’s favourite aspects of her blogging career, and she is excited to work with her favourite brands on long-term campaigns in 2018. ‘The effects of real, genuine partnerships are much more rewarding.’

Victoria admits though that she is ‘never satisfied’ and always sets new goals to achieve. Even after being the top ranked fashion blog, winning at the Vuelio Blog Awards and being a face of Ted Baker for Christmas 2017 – Victoria is excited for what 2018 will hold.

Victoria and Inthefrow are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database, along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers and media contacts.

Relax Ya Self to Health

Blogger Spotlight: Helen Gilbert, Relax Ya Self to Health

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Written by freelance health journalist, Helen Gilbert, Relax Ya Self To Health was launched in May and recently appeared in the Top 10 UK Mental Health Blogs. It was inspired after Helen’s health took an unexpected turn for the worse, which left doctors baffled. The blog is charting Helen’s journey to get to the bottom of her health issues as well as her quest to relax and calm her mind and body. We spoke to Helen about inspiring health stories from celebrities, her advice for new bloggers and the hidden side of influence.

Why did you decide to start blogging? 
To try and find an answer to my baffling health problems. I have always been fit and healthy but in December 2015 my health took an unexpected turn for the worse when I ended up in A&E with suspected anaphylaxsis. I’d never suffered with allergies before and assumed the episode was a one off. But then the reactions started happening every day. Each one would affect my airway. Either my tongue would swell enormously or my throat would close up. Doctors didn’t know why. To top it all off, I developed severe foot drop. It was a frightening time and both mentally and physically tough.

Helen GilbertHow did you find your niche?
This summer I decided to launch my blog, with the goal of helping myself and others who are also experiencing difficult times. I wrote a first-person article for the Daily Mail on histamine intolerance, something I discovered I had through lots of research, and my blog was mentioned in the piece. So many people contacted me afterwards and thanked me for writing the article and ‘giving them hope’.

As I wanted to make the blog fun, I set myself a challenge of learning how to relax. I’ve been a freelance health journalist for 18 years; I’m always rushing around and find it hard to switch off and unwind. Alongside, ‘How to’ articles, expert tips, reviews of wellbeing destinations, the blog also features interviews with well-known celebrities who share their inspiring health stories and talk about how they’ve overcome adversity. The aim is for the blog to be informative and helpful as well as entertaining.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a blog?
Just do it. Write out your goals, and get your ideas down. It’s easy to procrastinate and feel overwhelmed but once you start putting pen to paper, it’ll flow. I came up with the name for my blog last Christmas while sitting around the dinner table. I’m a huge fan of Barbados and my friends out there always used to say to me ‘Relax Ya Self’. It made perfect sense.

Your blog features celebrity interviews, who has been your favourite interviewee and why?
You cannot ask me that! I couldn’t possibly single one out. Each one has been kind enough to share their story with me and for that I’m very grateful. Their stories are so interesting and will hopefully help and inspire other people going through difficult times. So far, I’ve featured Jonny Wilkinson, Katie Piper, Gail Porter and James Duigan. I’m always on the lookout for celebrities with strong health stories.

What would be your dream company to work with?
That’s a tough one but Virgin Atlantic would be up there. I’m in awe of Richard Branson and everything he’s achieved.

Want to work with influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in health, mental health, lifestyle & more.

Get in touch

What kinds of campaigns and projects do you prefer to work on?
I’m looking to work on health and travel projects, and campaigns that really make a difference. Stress and anxiety affects so many of us; it’s an old cliché but your health really is your wealth. I’d always looked after mine with healthy eating and exercise but I’d been super stressed for a long time when everything fell apart in 2015, plus I never relaxed or stopped. I rarely gave my body a chance to repair or heal and never paid attention to the thoughts racing around my mind. I’m interested in featuring holistic health, digital detox, stress busting and mental health campaigns, wellbeing destinations and wellness breaks (both in the UK and abroad), first person reviews, celebrity interviews, and selected competitions.

Do you have a favourite place that you go to relax and regroup?
Yes, Barbados! It’s the inspiration for my blog. It’s the one place I can go and switch off entirely. My friends joke that I even move at the pace of a snail when I’m over there instead of my usual 100 miles per hour!

How do you think that PRs can improve their blogger outreach or influencer marketing? Have you noticed any major differences in this compared to how PRs reach out to freelance journalists?
As a freelance journalist I get between 300 and 500 emails a day but in terms of the blog I only hear from a handful of PRs a week so it’s entirely different! Maybe it’s because it’s so new. I think there’s definitely been a shift towards micro-influencers. If you identify a blogger who’d be a perfect fit for your brand, I wouldn’t necessarily be deterred by a lower DA or because they do not have a certain number of followers. Look at the comments on their blog posts or social media to identify how people are engaging with them.

I ran a competition recently which attracted almost 150 comments on one post – readers were opening up their hearts about the stressful times they were experiencing. Also, not everything is visible. I had numerous private messages after posting about my histamine intolerance – one man even sent me pictures of his wife experiencing an allergic reaction. Another thing to consider is whether the blogger is respected in their field: are they reliable, professional, accurate, and authentic? Don’t always be swayed by huge stats.

What will be big in your blogosphere in the coming months?
That’s an interesting one but I think the brilliant media-wide focus around raising mental health awareness will continue apace. I’ve got a feeling we’ll also see more journalists setting up blogs in light of the changing media landscape. Maybe they’ll be called ‘j-oggers’!

Aside from health, wellness and travel, what other topics take your interest?
I’m a huge tennis fan and worked at Wimbledon for almost 20 years in various roles. As a student, I worked as a court attendant, covering the grass courts when it rained before working for www.wimbledon.com as a journalist, covering matches and interviewing players. It’s a fabulous event. I’ve missed playing regularly – exercise and heat seem to trigger reactions but I returned to the court on Saturday for the first time in ages. It was freezing cold and my tongue didn’t swell. Yay!

Helen Gilbert and Relax Ya Self to Health are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 12 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including disagreements in both parties on Brexit, new reforms announced by Michael Gove and Labour MP Clive Lewis cleared of sexual harassment allegations. 

Social media firms should be prosecuted over abuse, May told
The Times reports that the Committee on Standards in Public Life is to advise the Prime Minister that social media companies should face fines or prosecution if they fail to remove racist, extremist or child sex abuse content. The committee is to recommend laws to shift liability for illegal content to social media firms, making them publishers, not platforms.

Corbyn refuses to agree more detailed Brexit plans
The Guardian says that Jeremy Corbyn is resisting pressure to add more detail to Labour’s Brexit plans, as the shadow cabinet meets today. Whilst some members have signalled a shift towards a closer future relationship with the EU, Corbyn’s team reportedly believe that a more specific position could alienate key groups of voters.

Brexit: May unites party for now
The Financial Times claims that May managed to unite her party yesterday in support of her deal with the EU, aided by the Government making a concession on the ‘Henry VIII powers’ which would have reduced the amount of parliamentary scrutiny of the implementation of Brexit. However, the paper says that this unity could be short-lived, and warns of splits over the details of a future UK/EU trade deal.

Gove: new rules on animal sentience & spend aid cash on plastic pollution
Michael Gove is the focus of two stories in today’s Times. He is pressing for more of the UK’s overseas aid budget to be spend on reducing plastic pollution of the oceans, after a new report found that 90% of the waste came from ten Asian and African rivers. Separately, new animal cruelty legislation to be unveiled today by Gove will ‘bind the government to consider “the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings”’.

Hammond sides with EU to demand Trump drops tax reforms
Philip Hammond has sided with four other European finance ministers to warn Donald Trump that his proposed tax reforms could prompt a trade war, The Daily Telegraph reports. The ministers have joined together to warn that the proposed changes might contravene World Trade Organisation rules, whilst the paper reports that the Government is increasingly worried by signs of protectionism in the US.

NHS ‘bloody stupid’ to expect £4bn cash injection, says former NHS Improvement chief
Jim Mackey, the former head of NHS Improvement, has said that NHS bosses were ‘bloody stupid’ to expect a £4bn cash injection in the budget, The Guardian says. He warned that statements made by NHS bosses will have alienated ministers, and that the amount given by the Government was ‘not enough’.

Tom Watson: ‘embrace an android’
Labour’s Deputy Leader, Tom Watson, is to mark the final report of the Future of Work Commission today by giving a speech in which he will call on people to ‘embrace an android’, according to The Mirror. The report will conclude that ‘mass technological employment is highly unlikely.’

Clive Lewis cleared by Labour investigation
The Guardian reports that Labour MP Clive Lewis has been cleared of allegations of sexual harassment, following a party investigation. He had been accused of grabbing a female party member’s bottom at the party’s conference, but an internal investigation has dismissed the claim. Lewis said that he was ‘pleased’ to have been cleared.

 

 

 

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Politics on Sunday – 11 December 2017

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Missed any of the political coverage from the weekend?

It’s been another busy week in politics, with the first phase of the Brexit deal squared off after last minute negotiations. Brexit secretary David Davis and his counterpart Kier Starmer both appeared on the Andrew Marr show, with Davis saying that he would be seeking an ‘overarching trade deal’ that he described as a ‘Canada plus plus plus’ model.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s intervention in Jerusalem, the Israeli ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, appeared on Paterson, arguing that it was a ‘just decision’ that would bring peace to the region.

Meanwhile Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti told Paterson she was ‘disappointed’ with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, who said in an interview with the Daily Mail that anyone who fought with the so-called Islamic State should be killed.

Check out our dedicated Canvas of political coverage by clicking here or on the image below. Want to make your own canvas? Learn more. 

 

political programmes Sunday 11 December

online newsroom

7 things your media centre needs

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Every brand or business should have a press-friendly digital presence and an Online Media Centre is the easiest way to fulfil this need. Knowing what you should and shouldn’t include can often be a challenge, so Vuelio has spoken to journalists and newsroom experts to determine exactly what your media centre needs.

The latest Vuelio white paper ‘Online Media Centres: Managing Your Digital Presence’, is your one-stop-shop for all your media centre needs, and covers topics such as: What’s a media centre’s purpose out of hours? And when should you require journalists to sign up? How do bloggers use media centres?

The white paper also includes the anatomy of a media centre – the seven things all media centres should include. here are the first four, can you guess the rest?

1. Contacts page
Possibly the most important element is a list of all the key contacts the press could need for any eventuality.

2. Press releases
This may seem obvious, but keep a regularly-updated library of press releases in date order.

3. Pictures and video
Your media centre should host large downloadable files so journalists can easily access this email-unfriendly material.

4. Company information
Have background information about your company and business so it gives media contacts a bigger picture and more editorial content to flesh out their story.

 

For the full anatomy, and an exploration of the perfect media centre, download the white paper today.

Do you have an excellent media centre? Share it in the comments below.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 11 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including the Ireland’s Brexit warning, Labour’s Brexit stance, chemical and pharma companies desiring EU rules and ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. 

Ireland in Brexit deal warning
The Times warns that Theresa May’s Brexit deal is in danger of ‘unravelling’, after Ireland and the EU questioned the Government’s commitment to it. This followed the appearance of David Davis on television yesterday, describing the deal as a non-legally enforceable ‘statement of intent’ and insisting that the divorce bill would only be paid if a trade deal was secured. The paper reported that a Government source ‘appeared to contradict’ these claims.

Labour in favour of a ‘Norway style agreement’ with EU
The Guardian reports that Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer has set out his party’s vision for Brexit. Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show, Starmer said that Labour was prepared to consider ongoing payments to the EU, accept the ‘easy movement’ of workers, wanted continued alignment of regulations and standards, and was seeking a ‘Norway style agreement for the 21st century.’

Chemical and pharmaceutical industries want to retain EU rules
According to the Financial Times, the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries have written to Michael Gove urging the Government to let them remain within EU rules. A Government spokesperson said that it was working ‘to ensure a smooth transition for the chemical industry’.

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British mother being held prisoner in Iran, has expressed hope after a trial scheduled for Sunday was postponed, after Boris Johnson met the country’s President, as The Daily Telegraph reports.

Labour considers moving Bank of England to Birmingham
Consultants commissioned by John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor, have recommended moving some functions of the Bank of England to Birmingham, the Financial Times says. The report says that co-locating these functions with Labour’s planned National Investment Bank and Strategic Investment Board would ‘create a new ‘economic policy’ hub.’

Calls for Government to ban pension cold-calls
The Work and Pensions Select Committee is to call on the Government to fast-forward legislation to halt the use of cold-calling by scammers targeting people’s pension pots, The Guardian reports. The committee is to publish its report on pensions freedoms today. The paper reports that almost £5m has been lost to fraudsters in the first five months of 2017, but a ban is unlikely to come into effect before 2020.

Ministers back straight civil partnerships
The Times says that the Government is to back a proposed change in the law to allow straight couples to enter civil partnerships. The paper reports that a private members’ bill by Tim Loughton has gained support from ministers, and that ‘it’s just a question of getting wording sorted out’.

AA calls for parking fines cap
In an exclusive, The Sun says that the AA is demanding a cap on the level of parking fines a council can issue each month, as well as more lenient treatment for first-time offenders. The organisation is launching a campaign ‘asking for Government intervention to restore fairness.’

 

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Five Things you Shouldn't have Missed

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 8 December 2017

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THIS IS THE DESCRIPTION OF FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE MISSED FOR 8 DECEMBER.

 

1. 100PT SPLASH HEADING HERE

Cambridge News

Cambridge News accidentally published editorial instructions on its front cover this week, rather than an actual story. In what must be the ultimate proofing AND printing error, its headline read ‘100PT SPLASH HEADING HERE’, followed by ‘THIS IS A STRAP OVER TWO DECKS WITH A CROSS REFERENCE TO A PAGE HERE’. The paper’s editor-in-chief, David Bartlett, has apologised and said it’s unclear how it happened, but also blamed ‘a technical problem’.  It is very unusual for such a mistake to be missed in editorial proofing, final checks and checks at the printers, which makes the mistake all the more remarkable.

 

2. Time Person of the Year 2017

The Silence breakers

Time has named ‘The Silence Breakers’ as this year’s ‘Person’ of the Year. This group of people includes actress Ashely Judd, activist (and founder of the Me Too movement) Tarana Burke, and singer Taylor Swift. It heralds those that have spoken up about sexual harassment and assault, noting that this group of people has made it clear that such predatory behaviour can happen at any level of society and make victims of anyone. The light they’ve shone onto the issues has made it easier for others to come forward to talk about their own circumstances and experiences.

Twitter enjoyed the fact President Trump, who a couple of weeks back claimed he had been asked to be Time Person of the Year (in a tweet that quickly became a meme), was included by association – some of his accusers were part of The Silence Breakers.

 

3. Most tweeted tweets

most retweeted

Twitter has released the most popular tweets on the platform for 2017, measured by retweets. While Carter needing his nuggs took the top spot (and is the most retweeted tweet of all time), it is Barack Obama who has attracted the headlines for having three tweets on the list, while President Trump managed none. Ouch. Though once again, The Donald got onto the list by association – he was called a bum by LeBron James:

 

4. Top YouTubers

top youtuber 2017

Another social media ranking of 2017, Forbes announced the highest-earning YouTube stars of the year. Taking top spot is DanTDM, who last year didn’t even feature. Making a reported £12.3m this year, Dan Middleton makes gaming videos that have been watched billions of times. The full list also includes controversial star PewDiePie – who still holds the record for most subscribers – and six-year old Ryan, who opens and reviews toys. Ryan made £8.2m this year, and again: he’s six.

The total wealth of the top 10 is up 80% from 2016 as influencers cement themselves in marketers’ budgets. Only four of last year’s top 10 are on the list, highlighting the constant state of flux vlogging finds itself in, and the hard (and constant) works that’s needed to remain at the top.

There’s no place for UK giants Zoella or Alfie Deyes, who both post less frequently but do have a solid reputation for ‘influence’. Lifestyle in general is underrepresented in favour of gamers and ‘comedians’, suggesting the future areas that are likely to be biggest.

Though perhaps not TGFbro – the jackass-style channel which made headlines this week after one of them cemented his head inside a microwave. Watch the full excrutiating video here:

 

5. The best restaurant in London

Oobah Butler

The Shed At Dulwich – you’ve heard of it, right? London’s hottest restaurant, so exclusive that it seems almost impossible that anyone manages to eat there?

In what’s quite possibly the biggest PR stunt of the year, a Vice journalist – Oobah Butler – created a fake restaurant, fake food and encouraged his friends and family to leave fake reviews. Having previously taken freelance work writing fraudulent reviews for restaurants (for $13 a time), Oobah thought he could game the whole system and make success based on nothing. And he was right.

After months of rising through the rankings, The Shed At Dulwich eventually climbed to the top spot as number one restaurant in London – despite not existing. Throughout his time in the TripAdvisor rankings (his restaurant has now been removed), Oobah received dozens of booking requests, as well as unsolicited job applications from kitchen staff and free samples from suppliers.

Commenting on the story, TripAdvisor said:

‘Generally, the only people who create fake restaurant listings are journalists in misguided attempts to test us. As there is no incentive for anyone in the real world to create a fake restaurant it is not a problem we experience with our regular community – therefore this ‘test’ is not a real world example.’

Oobah thinks this explanation is ‘fair enough’, but serious questions should be raised about online review culture in the wake of The Shed At Dulwich.

 

Sneaky number 6. Brexit Deal

Brexit story

The UK has reached a breakthrough deal on the terms of its exit from the EU. It has been agreed that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, that EU citizens have the right to remain in the UK and that there will be a divorce bill. Theresa May and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker met in Brussels this morning to sign off a progress report that will allow discussions to move onto the second phase.

 

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 8 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including the Brexit deal that’s been reached, universities criticised by the National Audit Office and Momentum under investigation for election spending. 

Brexit deal reached
Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker announced this morning that a deal had been reached on ‘sufficient progress’, allowing the opening of trade negotiations subject to the approval of the European Council meeting on 14-15 December. The Times reports that May said that there would be no hard border in Ireland and that the Good Friday agreement would be honoured. The DUP claimed that it had obtained ‘substantial changes’ to the agreement it rejected earlier this week.

Universities criticised by National Audit Office
A new National Audit Office report has criticised universities, The Guardian reports. The NAO’s head has claimed that if universities were banks, they would be investigated for mis-selling. The report says that the Government needs to do more to help ‘vulnerable’ students make better course choices and provide better oversight of value for money.

Momentum under investigation for election spending
The Daily Telegraph says that Momentum, the Jeremy Corbyn supporting group, is to be investigated by the Electoral Commission, after it claimed to have spent just £39,000 on the general election campaign. A spokesperson for the campaign said that the investigation related ‘to a series of administrative errors that can easily be rectified.’

Boris Johnson to visit Iran for talks to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Boris Johnson is to visit Iran this weekend, The Daily Telegraph reports. Talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Zarif are expected to cover Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (the charity worker imprisoned the country), bilateral relation, wars in Yemen and Syria, and the Iranian nuclear deal.

Prince Charles admits lobbying Alex Salmond
According to an exclusive in The Guardian, Prince Charles has admitted to lobbying Alex Salmond to promote the charity Teach First. The Scottish Government had refused to release the papers in question, until the paper lodged an appeal with the Scottish information commissioner.

NHS emergency winter fund to be spent by end of month
The Times reports that the NHS will spend its £350m emergency winter fund by the end of the month because it has to overpay for drugs, with medicine wholesalers summoned to the Department of Health. Supply problems affecting at least 100 drugs have forced the NHS to approve temporary price rises of up to 4000%. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called for ‘a serious and open investigation’.

Corbyn to criticise tax avoidance in UN speech
Jeremy Corbyn is to highlight four main threats to humanity in a speech at the UN headquarters in New York today, according to The Guardian. These are concentrated wealth and power (exacerbated by tax avoidance), climate change, the refugee crisis and a ‘bomb first, think later’ approach to resolving conflicts.

Primark one of 260 under-paying employers
The Government has named 260 employers which paid staff less than the minimum wage, the Financial Times says. Among the firms named are the retailers Primark and Sports Direct, and the football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Minister Margot James said that there was ‘no excuse’.

 

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Tim Borrett

How Vuelio saved Bristol City Council time and money

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Working at the heart of the UK’s 7th largest Core City, Bristol City Council aims to play a leading role in driving a city of hope and aspiration where everyone can share in its success.This involves coordination with hundreds of stakeholders alongside the commissioning and delivery of hundreds of services which form the fabric of everyday life in the city.

We spoke to Tim Borrett, head of policy and strategy (interim), about his use of Vuelio and how it has benefited the whole team.

The team is a former ‘Public Sector Team of the Year’ (Chartered Institute of Public Relations South of England and Channel Islands PRide Awards 2015) and was recently recognised as ‘Outstanding In-house Public Relations Team’ (Chartered Institute of Public Relations South of England and Channel Islands PRide Awards 2017). With this success comes high expectations and Vuelio plays a vital role in helping the team to meet them; ensuring the efficient targeting, management and delivery of news content directly to stakeholders and on the council’s digital platforms.

Vuelio is also used to track key subjects across the council’s £1bn+ annual investment in the city, identify new influencers and provide a key strand of corporate resilience in case of emergencies that affect its ICT infrastructure.

The Challenge
Life before Vuelio presented several challenges, particularly in terms of providing a resilient and consistent system of content distribution and issues tracking. The council was undergoing much transformative change, resulting in risks around changes in ICT systems and practice alongside the potential loss of corporate memory as colleagues moved on from the organisation.

Practice was good but lacked coordination, with time lost inputting news content across several platforms and manually filing content across a multitude of user-created filing structures. Vuelio provided opportunity to coordinate this and provide a solid, stable base for all content and live logging of issues and progress.

The Solution
From the outset, Vuelio offered a good opportunity to achieve quick wins in terms of logging activity and providing an easier form of management oversight. Its intuitive system and at-a-glance dashboard were immediately attractive, and these were supported with a range of powerful features and potential in other parts of the platform.

It became clear that no one else was able to provide such a diverse range of functionality in a single platform

It became clear that no one else was able to provide such a diverse range of functionality in a single platform, from database management and identifying new contacts to distributing and publishing content, Vuelio presented a simple all-in-one product that could dramatically reduce time spent for users shifting between systems and duplicating tasks.

From a management perspective, the ability to procure once and manage a single contract rather than the potential for several made good sense, particularly given the value-for-money achieved by having a single supplier.

The system has provided a really solid base for our media relations and activity tracking, along with delivering efficiencies by giving us the power to publish online at the click of a button, saving us rebuilding news stories in a separate CMS.

Benefits and Results
Along with the time saved by using an all-in-one distribution and publishing system (valued at approx. £2k staff time p/a), Vuelio has really benefitted us by ensuring people are sighted on each other’s work – significantly reducing duplication in dealing with media enquiries and making sure the whole team are up-to-speed on key topics. Alongside this, Vuelio has provided stronger, more convenient management oversight of activity and a robust audit trail for activity.

Another major benefit has been the improved resilience so that, more than once, the team has been able to continue its work during internal system outages. This has been vital in reducing risk, making us more confident in our ability to operate in case of in-house system outage and ensuring elements of the team’s practice, including a 24/7 emergency on-call service, can be handled efficiently with staff having access to comprehensive, up-to-date information.

We are regularly able to identify new contacts to whom we can pitch relevant stories, helping us improve our reach beyond the city; something which is valuable as the city and its council continue to establish stronger national and global relationships.

Vuelio is as fundamental for our team as a smartphone or laptop.

 

Bristol City Council uses Vuelio Stakeholder Management and Online Media Centre. Read the full testimonial here, or find out how you can save time, achieve quick wins and thrive with Vuelio integrated services. 

Guardian news and media

The Guardian to relaunch in tabloid format

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Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of Guardian News and Media, has revealed that the Guardian will be relaunched next year in tabloid format. Viner was speaking to Amol Rajan on BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show.

From 15 January, the paper will be ‘reinvented’ in the new tabloid format, and also printed in a new location – both changes will help the Guardian to ‘save a lot of money’.

Rajan pointed out that the Independent went tabloid 14 years ago and asked why it has taken the Guardian so long to follow suit. Viner explained that the change is to suit the ‘moment’, and that, as a publishing organisation, they needed to decide what print is for in a digital era. Viner believes being able to adapt and present something more ‘visual’ and ‘keepable’ is what will keep the Guardian relevant.

Media watchers will note that while the Independent did switch to tabloid format in 2003, the paper is now digital-only – unable to sustain a print product in this ‘moment’.

There is better news from other print publishers though, the i paper (which was sold by the Independent’s Evgeny Levedev in 2016 to Johnston Press) is now reporting profits of £1m a month. This is a much lighter paper though, and in more competition with the likes of The Evening Standard and Metro than the traditional broadsheets.

Viner refused to be pushed by Rajan on what would be ‘removed’ from the paper when it reduces in size explaining it will still include the ‘long read’ that it currently publishes, and the same amount of journalism.

Viner revealed the exclusive while discussing the split between the print and digital audiences at the Guardian. While 50% of revenues still come from print, the digital revenues are rising and Viner expects them to eventually take over the print revenues.

This may not be enough, as Viner discussed the collapsing ad revenue model and she agreed that Google and Facebook were too powerful and dominant – leaving no room for anyone else. This is particularly concerning when a majority of your audience is reading online, which is perhaps why Viner said there would be ‘no harm’ in a CMA investigation into the tech giants.

 

Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. The Vuelio Media Database lists a wealth of journalists, bloggers, influencers and media titles, please check it out.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 7 December 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including several Brexit issues, supporters of David Davis to oust May by Christmas and Hammond’s remarks. 

Brexit: 48 hours to agree deal
According to The Guardian, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has told member states that the UK has just 48 hours to agree to a text on a potential deal, or negotiations will not move on to the next stage. A DUP source told The Sun that there would be no deal on the Irish border this week, saying that ‘This is a battle of who blinks first, and we’ve cut off our eyelids.’ The Daily Telegraph adds that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has indicated his willingness to continue discussions into next week.
Brexit: Davis admits impact assessments don’t exist
The Financial Times reports that David Davis has avoided being censured for alleged contempt of parliament by the Brexit select committee, after admitting that ‘There’s no sort of systemic impact assessment.’ Critics have suggested that this contradicts statements made by him in the past. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said ‘Whether it is through incompetence or insincerity, David Davis has been misleading parliament from the start.’
Brexit: Article 50 extension amendment attracts Conservative rebels’ support
The Times says that as many as 24 Tory MPs are prepared to rebel against the Government next week, in support of an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, allowing MPs to seek an extension to Article 50 negotiations if there is no satisfactory trade agreement by March 2019. Tory MP Anna Soubry and Labour MP Chukka Umunna have written an article for the paper supporting the amendment.
Supporters of David Davis plot to oust Theresa May ‘by Christmas’
An exclusive in The Sun claims that supporters of David Davis are plotting to out Theresa May as Prime Minister. His ally Andrew Mitchell is organising drinks evenings with Davis and the new generation of Tory MPs, whilst an ally said that May will ‘be gone by Christmas’.
Hammond causes a storm with remarks on defence, disability and Brexit
The Guardian reports that remarks made by Philip Hammond to the Treasury select committee have offended disabled groups, after he claimed that the UK’s low productivity could be attributed to disabled people in the workforce. The Daily Telegraph reported that the Chancellor said that Cabinet members still have not been allowed to discuss the end state of Brexit. The Times adds that Hammond told the committee he’d welcome a chance to discuss the defence budget with new Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson once Williamson had got ‘his head around the defence budget’.
Drug shortage causes patients to wait
The Times also reports that a shortage of drugs is causing patients with cancer and severe mental illness to go without essential medicines. The shortage has cost the NHS £180m in six months, with ministers now investigating fears that the market is being manipulated.
Labour Lords’ chief whip to stand down over expenses claims
Steve Bassam, Labour’s chief whip in the House of Lords is to stand down in early 2018, following questions about his expenses, The Guardian reports. He has offered to repay the claims in question, but insists that he has not breached parliamentary rules.
Gavin Williamson interviewed by the Mail
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has claimed that British citizens who fought for Islamic State should not be allowed to return to the country in an interview with the Daily Mail. He told the paper that ‘Quite simply, my view is a dead terrorist can’t cause any harm to Britain.’

 

 

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