My Omicron has not quite omi-gone, but it's on it's way I hope.
Under the radar almost, over the past few months unions have been defeating attempts at 'fire and rehire', while winning pay/pensions fights
A few examples in my piece:
Key line from No.10 official on bills: “We’ve set out the package for April + we think that’s going to be enough.”
Tory MP: “It’s a tricky one to think how much money you want to throw at it versus how much misery you will allow" @ChaplainChloe@HugoGye
The piece has some strong defences of the Home Secretary, who has shifted her stance on refugees as the Ukraine crisis has grown.
But it also has some withering criticism of both her and @BorisJohnson.
I've been told that early in the crisis, an email chain in the Home Office contained a memo setting out that the Home Secretary's priority was UK national security.
DI is now getting the recognition but also the funding it needs.
The extra funding is something the late Dr Brian Jones, the real star of the Hutton Inquiry I was privileged to meet + befriend, always told me he wanted.
Here's a taster of what he was like
“I lost everyone and lost the meaning of life...I want to achieve the maximum repost by the press of my grief." Sergii Perebeinis, whose wife Tatiana and children Nikita, 18, and Alise, 9, were killed by Russian mortar fire fleeing Irpin.
Utterly heart breaking account by Sergii. He was in Donbass visiting his mother, who had Covid. His wife and kids had their apartment block shelled so fled on foot.
Featuring this startling new analysis by @DrSimEvans of @CarbonBrief:
If all 649 onshore wind and solar farms that *already* have planning permission got built, the electricity they would produce would exceed ALL the gas the UK is currently importing from Russia.
Why haven't they been built? The lack of a clear route to market. But that could all change this summer when @KwasiKwarteng holds the contracts for difference auction. If he expands even further the cap for onshore wind, it could make a big difference.
New: Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP announces to MPs that UK has decided to supply Star Streak high velocity anti aircraft missiles to Ukraine 🇺🇦 govt.
"It's vital that Ukraine retains its ability to fly."
Wallace adds that UK increasing direct humanitarian aid to Ukraine to make it the largest bilateral donor in the world.
.@JohnHealey_MP praises the decision to supply Star Streak missiles to Ukraine (and reveals he and @Keir_Starmer will travel to visit British troops in Estonia tonight)
Here's more on why the UK needs to do more to help Ukraine's airforce: