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A list of recommendations produced by the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly – a delegation of members from the UK and EU parliaments aimed at strengthening relations with the bloc – has urged the government to establish a “youth opportunity scheme”.

It is understood the scheme would operate similarly to proposals for a “youth mobility scheme”, which had become a major sticking point between the UK and EU.

It would allow 18- to 35-year-olds, including those doing apprenticeships, to move and work freely between countries for up to two years.

Britain already has a similar agreement with Australia and 12 other countries, including New Zealand, South Korea, Iceland, Uruguay, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

There is widespread support among the British public for such an agreement with the EU, with a YouGov survey of almost 15,000 people indicating that two-thirds (66 per cent) of people backed the scheme, compared to just one in five (18 per cent) who are opposed.

In Nigel Farage’s Clacton-on-Sea constituency, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of leaving the EU in 2016, more than twice as many people were in favour (57 per cent) than against (25 per cent) the idea of a mobility scheme.
[…]
There is now hope among MPs on the parliamentary delegation that the change in language will help to get the agreement over the line, as it is understood that a key stumbling bloc for ministers was the term “mobility” – amid fears critics would use it as evidence Labour is restoring freedom of movement.

Stats from here: https://lemmy.fediverse.observer/dailystats

Like, has an instance gone down and if so, why hasn't there been a comparable drop in users and comments?

Edit: Thanks to @example@reddthat.com here for pointing to zerobytes.monster becoming more aggressive against bots as the likely culprit.

Wes Streeting may have started as health secretary back in July, but the donations he’s been taking from companies and individuals with interests in the private health sector are still rolling in. The MP for Ilford North has been raking in support at a rate of almost £10,000 a month.

The £58,000 of office support Streeting has bagged from these sources since July 2024 are the latest in a long series of payments. Last year we showed how more than 60% of the donations accepted by Streeting since he entered parliament in 2015 were from companies and individuals with links to private health.

In February, Streeting took £53,000 from OPD Group Ltd to pay for staffing in his constituency office. OPD is owned by Peter Hearn, whose companies work with “senior NHS executive recruitment” and help “private sector providers recruit healthcare professionals”.

And in the same month, the health secretary accepted £5,000 worth of support for his constituency campaigning from Sir Trevor Chinn, a senior advisor to a firm holding investments in several private health companies.

These latest donations bring the total Streeting has accepted from private health-linked interests since 2015 up to £372,000 as declared to parliament and the Electoral Commission.

Keir Starmer is preparing to rethink key elements of the government’s economic policy in an emergency response to Donald Trump’s tariff blitz, amid growing concern in Downing Street that the US president’s trade war could do lasting damage to the UK.

The prime minister believes, say allies, that “old assumptions should be discarded” in the UK’s response, suggesting he and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, may be preparing to raise taxes again – despite having promised not to do so – or even possibly change their “iron clad” fiscal rules to allow more borrowing and fire up economic growth at home in the event of recession.
[…]
This week, Starmer, who has refused to criticise Trump or his tariffs directly, will focus on how to frame an economic response to a global economic shock that protects working people, and their incomes and jobs – as well as the UK’s public services.

He believes that the last few days have ushered in a “new era”, that the “world has changed” and that a global trade war risks “undermining a proud, hard-working nation”.

The kind of language now emanating from Starmer’s circles will be seen by economists – and politicians at Westminster – as preparing the ground for big potential shifts in economic policy on the basis that emergency times may require emergency measures.

Also, Treasury Minister says 'globalisation era has ended':

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, [Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren] Jones was asked whether globalisation - which has resulted in a boom in imports of cheap fashion, electrical goods and other products - was over.

"Yeah it's ended, the prime minister said that himself this morning," he said.

The change meant the UK had to "build out" relationships with allies around the world but also invest in the UK's own economy, Jones said, denying ministers were "scrabbling" for solutions.

He insisted the government was "trying to get ahead of these challenges" , which he said were "why we have to invest in the domestic economy, both for UK businesses, but also our public services... which is why our plan for change is investing in the NHS and skills as well as industrial policy."

Amid reports both elements of the spending review and the industrial strategy could now be brought forward from their expected June publication date, he said Labour had been working on the industrial strategy since it was in opposition.

Pressed on whether they would be brought forward, Jones deferred to Sir Keir's announcement expected in the coming days and laughed when Laura Kuenssberg said "that sounds almost like a yes but you're not allowed to say it to us this morning".

The UK government is continuing its policy of not responding with counter-tariffs, as other countries have done, preferring a "calm" approach focused on a UK-US trade deal.

"We're hoping to do a deal," Jones said, adding on tariffs that "we have a better outcome than other comparable countries as a consequence of our diplomacy".