This weeks news, made simple: Scotland’s Gender Bill, More Strikes, Tax Scandal and more.
Well, here we are gang. We did it. The end of another week, congratulations to us all. And it’s been another busy one in the world of news, so understandably you may have missed some of what’s been going. But don’t worry, we’re here to give you a run down of the weeks biggest news stories in a simple, and easy to digest format.
Metropolitan Police Officer revealed as serial rapist
David Carrick, 48, on Monday admitted to carrying out 85 serious allegations over a span of 17 years on the job. This included 48 rapes, making him one of the worst sex offenders in modern history. It was revealed that there had been numerous warnings about his dangerous and abusive behaviour, all of which were ignored by the force. In a situation similar to that of Wayne Couzens - the police officer who raped and murdered Sarah Everard - who was given the nickname “Rapist”, his colleagues referred to Carrick as “The Bastard”.
As a result of this case, the Met will be reviewing every past claim of domestic abuse or sexual offence against about 1,000 of the 45,000 officers and staff in the force.
Scotland’s Gender Bill
Way back in 2017, a full 3 Prime Minister’s ago, Theresa May made a pledge that she would “streamline and demedicalise the process for changing gender.” In short, this meant that transgender people wouldn’t have to spend years on psychiatrist waitlists to be legally recognised as their gender identity. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon along with the majority of Holyrood made good on that promise in December 2022, when they passed the Bill. The Bill would allow “Trans people aged 16 and older to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate. When applying for a GRC they will be required to make a legally binding declaration that they are already living in their acquired gender and intend to do so permanently.” And Scotland said yes to this. Westminster however said no.
The Conservative government this week overruled the Scottish Parliamentary vote, and have withheld Royal assent - the mark of approval that turns a bill into a law - from the law. In all likelihood, the matter will go to the UK supreme court, as Scotland fight for the right to pass bills for their devolved nation. The act has left a big question mark over Scotland’s place in the UK, as interference by Westminster in Holyrood law will be a big boost for the supporters of Scottish independence.
The strikes continue
As the fight for fair pay and safe working conditions continue, we are in for even more strikes. So far we know that Ambulance staff in England and Wales will be striking on Janurary 23rd and February 6th and 20th. The Royal College of Nursing members will also be striking in England on February 6th and 7th, and Physiotherapy staff in England will be striking January 26th and February 9th.
The big one for almost a year now has been the Rail and Transport workers, and that is very much still ongoing. RMT and Aslef union workers will be striking on February 1st and 3rd, with more dates in February to be announced. Abellio Bus service workers in South and West London who are Unite members will be striking on January 25th and 26th.
The biggest announcement however came from the Education sector. National Education Union members have voted to stage seven days of walkouts in England and Wales. There will be three national strike days - February 1st and March 15th and 16th - as well as 4 regional dates.
Universities announced 18 days of industrial action in February and March, and have said the first one will be on February 1st with more to be announced next week.
Nadhim Zahawi Tax Scandal
It was reported this week that former Chancellor, and current Conservative Party Chair Nadhim Zahawi had tried to avoid millions of pounds in tax by using company Balshore Investments - which is registered offshore in Gibraltar, and has been described as the “family trust of Nadhim Zahawi” - to hold shares in YouGov. Zahawi co-founded YouGov in 2000. He has constantly denied this, however The Guardian are reporting that he has had to pay back tax he owed with a 30% penalty on top, and the total amounted to £4.8m. The BBC also found that Balshore Investments was registered as a “beneficial owner” of a UK crowdfunding firm - Crowd2Fund - for three years. Crowd2Fund told Companies House in June 2020 that Balshore ceased being a beneficial owner in April 2016. Companies are supposed to update those details within 14 days.
Labour have called for both an explanation, and for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to sack Zahawi, saying his position is now “untenable.” Many online have drawn comparison to another recent case where Boris Becker was sentenced to 2 years in prison for hiding assetts, and was later deported from the UK, questioning why the same rules don’t seem to apply to Zahawi. Nadhim has said the missing tax was a “careless mistake, and not deliberate.”
Wages can’t keep up with prices, as unemployment rises
Unemployment in working age people rose to 3.7% in the 3 months up to November - a slight increase from 3.5% in the previous quarter. The figure is largely made up of recently unemployed people looking for work as they try to find a way to managing the ever deepening cost of living crisis.
However, being in work isn’t helping people the way they’d expect it to. Pay rose in those 3 months by 6.4%, but when that was adjusted for inflation - which sits at over 10% - pay didn’t increase at all. It actually dropped by 2.6%. The gap between what’s coming into the bank, and what has to go out on basic goods is consistently widening - which, along with working conditions, is what is really driving so many of the strikes we have been seeing.