The BBC article in questionMr Davies said surface temperatures of 45C (113F) or 50C (122F) were a concern because "tarmac bitumen can start to bubble and melt and become dangerous and tacky."
Concern Over Foreign Interference & Conservative Membership Rules
Sam Bright
22 July 2022
It appears as though there is very little preventing malign foreign actors from swaying Tory leadership contests, reports Sam Bright
New concerns are being raised online about the Conservative Party’s membership rules, as the party’s final two leadership candidates prepare to canvass members.
It has been highlighted that the Conservative Party does not require members to be UK citizens, nor for members to be registered to vote in this country.
Under the ‘frequently asked questions’ on the Conservative website, the party states that “Overseas residents are invited to join Conservatives Abroad and will be entitled to all the benefits of party membership. Your membership will be administered by Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association”.
https://bylinetimes.com/2022/07/22/conc ... hip-rules/
Well, I *am* a British citizen, so I should sign up.RTH10260 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 1:05 pm Remember the Brexit call for SOVEREIGNITY? But foreigners get to elect the British primeminister
Concern Over Foreign Interference & Conservative Membership Rules
Sam Bright
22 July 2022
It appears as though there is very little preventing malign foreign actors from swaying Tory leadership contests, reports Sam Bright
New concerns are being raised online about the Conservative Party’s membership rules, as the party’s final two leadership candidates prepare to canvass members.
It has been highlighted that the Conservative Party does not require members to be UK citizens, nor for members to be registered to vote in this country.
Under the ‘frequently asked questions’ on the Conservative website, the party states that “Overseas residents are invited to join Conservatives Abroad and will be entitled to all the benefits of party membership. Your membership will be administered by Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association”.
https://bylinetimes.com/2022/07/22/conc ... hip-rules/
And I am a US citizen, so I can sign up, too!
Which Membership is right for you?
Standard - Anyone living anywhere in the world is welcome to join Conservatives Abroad from just £25 per year.
Revealed: Indonesian workers on UK farm ‘at risk of debt bondage’
As farms look further afield for labour, investigation finds Kent pickers saying they struggle to pay fees charged by unlicensed brokers
Emily Dugan
Sun 14 Aug 2022 17.00 BST
Indonesian labourers picking berries on a farm that supplies Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco say they have been saddled with debts of up to £5,000 by unlicensed foreign brokers to work in Britain for a single season.
Pickers at the farm in Kent were initially given zero-hours contracts, and at least one was paid less than £300 a week after the cost of using a caravan was deducted, according to payslips and other documents seen as part of a Guardian investigation.
The fees they pay to secure work include flights and visas, but multiple labourers said they also faced thousands of pounds in extra charges from Indonesian brokers who promised substantial earnings. Under UK employment law, it is illegal to charge workers fees for finding them jobs.
One worker described how he staked his family home in Bali as surety on the debt and fears losing it. “Now I’m working hard only to pay back that money,” he said. “I cannot sleep sometimes. I have a family who need my support to eat and meanwhile, I think about the debt.”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... an-brokers
Reusable toilet roll that could save you 'small fortune' leaves shoppers disgusted
Controversial reusable toilet roll is dividing opinion on Twitter as some call the product an unhygienic "health risk" while others argue it slashes costs and is eco-friendly- here's what you need to know
ByEvie Townend News Reporter
15:43, 16 Aug 2022UPDATED17:50, 16 Aug 2022
As costs continue to rise, one eco-friendly invention is causing a stir on Twitter.
Reusable toilet roll has been touted as a way to save you money as well as being an eco-friendly alternative.
However, not everyone is on board.
The sustainable company Net Zero Co is selling a cloth toilet roll that can be washed and reused repeatedly.
The description on the shop’s website says: “This washable and reusable toilet paper provides a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to clean yourself, without creating waste or spending a mini fortune over time.
“This alternative fits on any standard toilet paper roll and easily re-rolls to hold its shape.
“After use, collect pieces in a hamper until laundry day, recommended twice a week. Machine wash with hot water. Tumble dry low or air dry.
“You may choose to pre-soak with vinegar or cleaning solution. Once dry, re-roll one at a time.”
However, the thought of reusable toilet roll has divided opinions after TikToker Doll Face created a reel showing how the product is used.
While many have suggested that a bidet would have been a better solution, others have said that this violates basic hygiene rules.
Their product is on the market for £21.50 and comes in a pack of 24 with designs on each sheet.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/reusable ... e-27755050
So now we get to relitigate the reusable diaper vs disposable diaper controversy all over again?RTH10260 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:58 pmReusable toilet roll that could save you 'small fortune' leaves shoppers disgusted
Controversial reusable toilet roll is dividing opinion on Twitter as some call the product an unhygienic "health risk" while others argue it slashes costs and is eco-friendly- here's what you need to know
ByEvie Townend News Reporter
15:43, 16 Aug 2022UPDATED17:50, 16 Aug 2022
As costs continue to rise, one eco-friendly invention is causing a stir on Twitter.
Reusable toilet roll has been touted as a way to save you money as well as being an eco-friendly alternative.
However, not everyone is on board.
The sustainable company Net Zero Co is selling a cloth toilet roll that can be washed and reused repeatedly.
The description on the shop’s website says: “This washable and reusable toilet paper provides a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to clean yourself, without creating waste or spending a mini fortune over time.
“This alternative fits on any standard toilet paper roll and easily re-rolls to hold its shape.
“After use, collect pieces in a hamper until laundry day, recommended twice a week. Machine wash with hot water. Tumble dry low or air dry.
“You may choose to pre-soak with vinegar or cleaning solution. Once dry, re-roll one at a time.”
However, the thought of reusable toilet roll has divided opinions after TikToker Doll Face created a reel showing how the product is used.
While many have suggested that a bidet would have been a better solution, others have said that this violates basic hygiene rules.
Their product is on the market for £21.50 and comes in a pack of 24 with designs on each sheet.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/reusable ... e-27755050
Expect that while those those Criminal barristers are on strike that there will be less Criminal activity…Uninformed wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 4:40 am “Criminal barristers in England and Wales vote to go on all-out strike”
More than 70% of pubs do not expect to survive winter as energy costs soar
Independent brewers and pub operators warn of ‘doomsday scenario’ unless government takes urgent action
Pubs that came through Covid lockdowns now face spiralling energy costs and record-high inflation.
Christy Cooney
Tue 23 Aug 2022 18.56 BST
Britain’s independent brewers have urged ministers to step in to save the sector, as research revealed more than 70% of pubs do not expect to survive the winter if nothing is done to ease energy costs.
In a letter to the chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, independent brewers on Tuesday called for immediate government intervention, warning a once thriving cottage industry was now facing “grave uncertainty”. They said the impact of surging energy bills was being compounded by a fall in sales as households seek to save money, shortages of equipment such as kegs, cans and CO2 gas, and a poor hop harvest pushing up prices.
“We have entered one of the most challenging times for the brewing sector,” the Society of Independent Brewers said, in a letter also signed by the chair of the Campaign for Real Ale. “Small brewers are reporting that their energy bills are doubling or trebling, putting their future ability to brew at risk”.
The warning came as pub operators reported similar rises in energy costs, with reports that some suppliers are refusing to offer new contracts to the sector because they fear pubs may not be able to pay their bills. More than 35% of operators said they had seen their utility costs double, while 30% said their costs had tripled, according to a survey for the trade publication the Morning Advertiser.
One operator said they had been quoted a cost for their energy that was nearly six times higher than on their current contract – with the price per unit shooting up from 14p to 83p.
Almost three-quarters of respondents said they would not be able to afford the increases.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... costs-soar
What will they mix with their gin?
I take it Roger Waters was unavailable.
I am already stocking up on diet soda and sparkling water in my Southwestern-side-of-Greater-London flat. You can have my Diet Dr. Pepper (well, Dr. Pepper Zero, the local equivalent) when you pry it from my ice cold, dead fingers.
RTH10260 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:06 pmMore than 70% of pubs do not expect to survive winter as energy costs soar
Independent brewers and pub operators warn of ‘doomsday scenario’ unless government takes urgent action
Pubs that came through Covid lockdowns now face spiralling energy costs and record-high inflation.
The warning came as pub operators reported similar rises in energy costs, with reports that some suppliers are refusing to offer new contracts to the sector because they fear pubs may not be able to pay their bills. More than 35% of operators said they had seen their utility costs double, while 30% said their costs had tripled, according to a survey for the trade publication the Morning Advertiser.
One operator said they had been quoted a cost for their energy that was nearly six times higher than on their current contract – with the price per unit shooting up from 14p to 83p.
Almost three-quarters of respondents said they would not be able to afford the increases.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... costs-soar
UK farm faces $17 million bill for natural gas as huge rises in energy costs threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs
Ryan Hogg
Aug 28, 2022, 11:51 AM
A UK farm faces a $17 million annual bill for the natural gas needed to heat its greenhouses as soaring energy bills put hundreds of thousands of jobs under threat.
- A UK farm is facing a $17 million natural gas bill as energy prices soar across Europe.
British businesses are exposed to massive increases in natural gas price rises this winter.
About 500,000 UK jobs are at risk because firms can't afford the costs, according to some estimates.
Jimmy Russo, director of Valley Grown Nurseries in Nazeing, Essex, just north of London, said his natural gas bill was likely to rise from £900,000 ($1.1 million) to £14.6 million ($17.2 million). That would be nearly triple his expected sales of £5 million ($5.9 million) for his produce of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines.
"Without government support, we will have to make our 130 staff redundant and walk away," Russo told the newspaper. "I am seriously concerned for the future of British growing."
Tens of thousands of jobs are under threat as huge rises in energy bills forces bars, restaurants and hotels to contemplate closing for part of the week or even shut their doors entirely this winter.
https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-farm ... ces-2022-8
