Reform council leader urges Labour to reconsider curbs on care worker visas
The leader of a Reform-run county council has written to the government to express “grave concern” about a planned tightening of visas for health and care workers, despite the party’s wider commitment to significantly reducing net migration.Linden Kemkaran – the leader of Kent council, which is one of 10 authorities in England run by Nigel Farage’s party since May – said the changes, including an imminent end to the specific visa route for care workers, could have a significant impact on local care homes.Kemkaran and Diane Morton, the council’s cabinet member for social care, said the changes risked seeing an exodus of overseas care staff, as they highlighted the impact on the sector of a rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) in the budget.In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, and Stephen Kinnock, the care minister, they said that about 20% to 25% of the county’s social care workforce was from overseas and able to work via licensed sponsorships from employers.This route expires on 22 July, part of a wider tightening of migration rules, including on health and care visas, announced by the government in May.
The Reform councillors’ letter warned about the impact on “a number of displaced social care workers who may have lost their jobs, or the sponsoring provider has lost their licence”.When care workers’ existing visas expire, they wrote, to keep a visa they would need to earn at least £41,000 a year, the new minimum salary for skilled worker visas.Added to the NICs rise, “this is totally unsustainable, and the risk is that many care workers at this level will go home and leave providers on a cliff edge”, the letter said.They added: “Due to the challenges facing the adult social care system in general, and care providers in particular, we urge you to reconsider these changes and look forward to your support in addressing these urgent pressing matters.”While Reform does not have a definitive national position on this issue, the general approach set out by Farage and his fellow MPs has been to push repeatedly for a significant fall in overall migration and curbs to work visas.
In May, Farage said care staff were not skilled and overseas care workers should only be allowed in on strictly time-limited visas.More widely, he has called for zero net migration, meaning there can be no more arrivals than departures.Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, has said Britons should do care work rather than what he termed “a never-ending stream of cheap, low-skilled labour from overseas”.Reform UK and the Home Office were contacted for comment.
Hundred sell-off saved up to six counties from possible collapse, new report finds
The windfall generated by the sale of shares in the eight Hundred franchises may have saved as many as six first-class counties from imminent crisis and possible collapse, according to an expert in sport finance who co‑wrote a new report into county cricket.The Leonard Curtis cricket finance report analysed the 18 first-class counties over a decade, identifying a “yawning gap” between the most successful clubs – with Surrey by some distance the most profitable – and the less well-off. Of the £306.1m generated in 2023 just three teams – Surrey, Lancashire and Warwickshire, with income boosted in all three cases by hosting Ashes Tests that year – were responsible for 44%. By contrast the three poorest counties – Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire – between them generated just 5
Victory for Open golf fans as Portrush restaurant backs down on price
A Portrush restaurant chain has been forced to back down on huge price increases after complaints from visitors to the Open. The Ramore Restaurant Group suffered a combination of furious online backlash and ridicule after hiking the price of a chicken pasta dish from £14.95 to £27.95 for Open week.AI generated images online showed local heroes Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke cleaning dishes, alongside commentary suggesting this is what they would have to do to pay a restaurant bill
‘The bigger the better’: Wallabies’ hopes against Lions rest on broadest shoulders
The British & Irish Lions’ last three-nil series victory in Australia was in 1904, but the heavily fancied tourists already have one eye on replicating that feat. Lions back-rower Henry Pollock, in all the wisdom of his 20 years, boasted this week that a whitewash “is definitely on the table”.But in the coming feast of rugby, Australia’s forwards will have read the menu differently. They are led by Rob Valetini, perhaps Australia’s only truly world-class player. Last year he won a second successive John Eales Medal – Australian rugby’s most prestigious individual accolade – becoming the third player after Michael Hooper and Israel Folau to achieve the feat
‘What is the point?’ Scottie Scheffler questions golf and life before Open
Since the age of three, when he was given a plastic set of clubs, Scottie Scheffler has wanted to be the best golfer in the world. He has won three majors, been ranked world No 1 since 2023, and is the favourite for the Open this week. But during an extraordinary press conference at Portrush on Tuesday, the American peered into an existential void as he asked himself: what is the point of it all?Scheffler was clearly happy, and his determination to win this week was clear. He also spoke eloquently on the challenges of links golf. But a hitherto unremarkable press conference suddenly veered into a deeper philosophical search for meaning when the 29-year-old was asked how long he had ever celebrated a victory
The Breakdown | Five areas where the Australia v Lions Test series will be won and lost
Selection It may sound obvious but both sides need their key chess pieces to be in the correct places. Neither team are due to declare their hands officially until Thursday but the Lions will be well aware of Joe Schmidt’s ability to produce a tactical surprise or two. The big name to look out from an Australian perspective will be Rob Valetini, such an important cog in the Wallaby pack but injured for the recent Fiji game. If Valetini is ruled out it will be a blow to home morale; the Wallabies are going to need their main men on the field. The Lions have had their own injury problems but their back-row and centre selections will be instructive
Rage against the machines: ignore the fury at Wimbledon, AI in sport works | Sean Ingle
We are all suckers for a good story. And there was certainly a cracking two‑parter at Wimbledon this year. First came the news that 300 line judges had been replaced by artificial intelligence robots. Then, a few days later, it turned out there were some embarrassing gremlins in the machine. Not since Roger Federer hung up his Wilson racket has there been a sweeter spot hit during the Wimbledon fortnight
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