News Category - Justin Tomlinson

Swindon Advertiser Column

Nov 05, 2021

World leaders, royalty and celebrities arrived in Glasgow this week keen to play their part in the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. A Conference of the Parties (COP) brings together almost every country on earth for global climate summits, allowing countries to collaborate and work together to tackle climate change. Away from the glitz and glamour (which can often be more of a distraction from the key issues) there has been some constructive discussions and some essential pledges m...

End Of Coal In Sight As UK Secures Ambitious Commitments At COP26 Summit

Nov 04, 2021

The UK has secured a 190-strong coalition of countries and organisations at COP26, with countries such as Poland, Vietnam, Egypt, Chile and Morocco announcing commitments to phase out coal power. Today’s commitments, brought together through UK-led efforts including the new ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’, encompass developed and developing countries, major coal users and climate vulnerable countries. This includes 18 countries committing for the first time to phase out and not...

Chancellor: UK Will Be The World’s First Net Zero Financial Centre

Nov 03, 2021

- Over $130 trillion – 40% of the world’s financial assets – will now be aligned with the climate goals in the Paris Agreement, thanks to climate commitments from financial services firms - New UK climate finance projects funded from the UK’s international climate finance commitment will help developing countries to fund green growth and adapt to the changing climate The Chancellor will set out the UK’s plans to become the world’s first net zero aligned financial centre and welcome “historic” cl...

Over 100 Leaders Make Landmark Pledge To End Deforestation At COP26

Nov 02, 2021

In the biggest step forward in protecting the world’s forests in a generation, more than 100 leaders will commit to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 at an event convened by the Prime Minister at COP26 today. The pledge is backed by almost £14 billion ($19.2 billion) in public and private funding. Countries spanning from the northern forests of Canada and Russia to the tropical rainforests of Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will endors...

Over Eight Million People In The UK Receive COVID-19 Booster Jabs

Nov 01, 2021

Over eight million people have now received their COVID-19 booster jab, the latest figures show today (Monday 1 November 2021), ensuring the protection they’ve secured from their first two doses is maintained over the winter months. Today’s figures follow hundreds of thousands of vaccinations over the weekend, with more than 820,000 administered since Friday. People who are eligible are also able to get a booster at hundreds of walk-in sites across the country from today, as long as it’s been si...

Over A Million Jobseekers To Benefit From New Training Opportunities

Nov 01, 2021

Over a million jobseekers could benefit from extra training following the latest changes to Universal Credit, helping fill vacancies from the care sector to the engineering industry. Across Great Britain, Universal Credit claimants can attend full-time work-related training courses for up to 12 weeks while still receiving benefit payments, following an extension to the rule changes around the Department for Work and Pensions’ Train and Progress (TaP) initiative. Before the DWP Train and Progress...

UK Donates 20 Million More Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccines To Countries In Need

Oct 30, 2021

- New donation to be delivered by the end of 2021 as part of UK’s 100 million commitment - Further donations in 2022 will mean entire UK Janssen supply and half of UK Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines will have been donated to countries in need - PM will call on fellow G20 leaders to vaccinate the world by the end of next year A further ten million Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been sent by the UK to COVAX, with 10 million more due to be delivered in the coming weeks to some of the world’s most vul...

Swindon Advertiser Column - A Strong Budget For Uncertain Times

Oct 29, 2021

All eyes were on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak this week as he delivered his budget – which promised a stronger post-Covid economy for the British people. Firstly, it was a huge relief to hear that the economy is recovering faster than predicted, with the Office of Budget Responsibility forecasting the economy to return to pre-covid levels at the turn of the year. The OBR has also revised down their scarring assumption - meaning we have been successful at preventing a lot of the long-term economic...

Budget Shows How The Conservative Government Is Delivering A Stronger Economy For People In Swindon

Oct 27, 2021

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak promised a stronger post Covid economy for the British people as he outlined spending for the next year in the Autumn Budget. There was good news as the Chancellor announced that the Covid recovery has been faster than predicted – with the Office of Budget Responsibility revising up its growth prediction from 4% to 6.5%. In addition to this, at the height of the pandemic, unemployment was expected to peak at 12%. Today, the OBR expect unemployment to peak at 5.2% - mea...

£65 Million Support Package For Vulnerable Renters

Oct 25, 2021

- Low income households to benefit from £65 million support package - Funding comes on top of £500 million helping vulnerable families with essentials over winter - Ban on evictions during the pandemic and other support has made sure vast majority of households are up to date with rent Vulnerable renters struggling due to the impact of the pandemic will be helped by a £65 million support package announced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities today (23 October 2021). The fu...