Hereditary peers aren’t out of touch with the realities of the job market | Letter

You claim that “out-of-touch” hereditary peers in the House of Lords are blocking Angela Rayner’s controversial employment bill, which is spreading fear and anxiety throughout British business and choking the job prospects of young people in particular (‘Out of touch’ hereditary peers criticised for voting against workers’ rights, 18 November).Yet who really is out of touch with the realities of the job market? Cabinet members – none of whom has had a serious job in business? Or those you deride, many of whom have vast experience in setting up and running businesses, large and small. Unemployment has hit 5%, 1.7 million people are now on unemployment benefits, and the government’s own analysis has shown this bill will cost businesses £5,000m a year.The Lords’ stand is backed by the Federation of Small Businesses, the CBI, the Institute of Directors, Make UK, Care England and many more, including that old Guardian pin-up, Sir Tony Blair

Reeves freezes fuel duty for now as she confirms 3p-a-mile electric vehicle charge

Fuel duty will be frozen again, but only for five months until September 2026, the chancellor has announced, as she confirmed a new 3p-a-mile charge for electric cars from 2028.Rachel Reeves will freeze fuel duty in April at 52.95p a litre for petrol and diesel – a 16th successive year without a rise – but the so-called “temporary” 5p cut introduced by Rishi Sunak will be reversed in stages from September.Raising fuel duty has become politically contentious since the first freeze announced by the coalition government in 2010, but the eventual rise will help maintain a differential in running costs to encourage the transition to electric cars when the new mileage-based levy on EVs takes effect from 2028-29. Fuel duty in effect costs about 6p a mile on average for cars

Three more ex-pupils at school with Nigel Farage reject ‘banter’ claims

Three more school contemporaries who claim to have witnessed Nigel Farage’s alleged teenage racism have rejected the Reform UK leader’s suggestion that it was “banter”, describing it as targeted, persistent and nasty.One former pupil, Stefan Benarroch, claimed that people emerging from a Jewish assembly at Dulwich college had been in the sights of Farage and others for taunts while a second, Cyrus Oshidar, described as “rubbish” the claim that the Reform leader did not act with intent to hurt.“Being called a Paki isn’t hurtful?” Oshidar asked. A third, Rickard Berg, told the Guardian: “He’s now in a position where he shouldn’t be denying this. He’s straight up lying

UK politics: No 10 says no final decisions after leak reveals jury trials might be scrapped except for alleged rapists and killers – as it happened

David Lammy, the justice secretary, has written to officials and other ministers suggesting only rape, murder and manslaughter cases might be heard by juries under plans to overhaul the courts system.According to a report in the Times, in the document Lammy said there was “no right” to a jury trial in the UK and that drastic action is needed to reduce crown court backlogs.Downing Street insisted that no final decision has been taken, but did not deny that Lammy, deputy PM as well as justice secretary, is considering getting rid of juries for most trials.According to the Times, Lammy proposed that ony only rape, murder, manslaughter and “public interest” cases would be heard by juries. It says this could result in 75% of cases being heard by a judge alone

‘Where’s Nige?’ Reform leader skips Commons statement on Ukraine, leaving Tice to face pile-on | John Crace

Just occasionally the House of Commons is more remarkable for who isn’t in the chamber than for who is. So it was striking that Nigel Farage was absent for Keir Starmer’s statement on the G20 summit and the Ukraine peace process.You might have thought the man who has spent the last six months telling anyone who will listen that he will be the next prime minister might take some interest in geopolitics and Britain’s global standing. Apparently not. Only Richard Tice from Reform stayed for the session

‘I didn’t start it’: Starmer apologises for ‘six seven’ uproar during school visit

It has become the bane of many parents’ and teachers’ existence: children bleating out “six seven” for apparently no reason.So parents of pupils at Welland Academy in Peterborough will be unimpressed to discover that none other than the prime minister was encouraging their youngsters in the viral phenomenon.In a clip posted to Keir Starmer’s Instagram account, the prime minister can be seen reading with a young girl who points out she is on “page six-seven”, prompting him to start the dance move – a juggling like motion – that accompanies the infuriating craze.Before long, other members of the class are joining in and laughing hysterically.“That was a bit wild,” Starmer says as he exits the classroom, before he is swiftly reprimanded by the school’s headteacher, Jo Anderson