Hurricane Irma: overseas territories devastated
Britain's fourteen overseas territories are under UK sovereignty and jurisdiction. They are self-governing but rely on the UK for defence, security and safety - including protection from natural disasters. As Hurricane Irma bombards the Caribbean, with at least fourteen deaths so far, several of these territories have been badly hit. Anguilla has been devastated, and the small island of Barbuda is ‘barely habitable’. A state of emergency has been declared in the British Virgin Islands. The first British military relief flight left RAF Brize Norton on 8 September, and one navy ship has arrived in the region, but a second might take two weeks to arrive. Theresa May said that the Government had responded ‘swiftly’ to the disaster, but others criticised the UK’s lack of preparedness, in contrast to the French who had military on the ground in St Martin, ready to help. See
Brexit: no deal no problem
Failure to strike a trade deal with the EU would not be a disaster for the UK, according to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). It said, ‘If a bad deal is offered by the EU, the UK should walk away and trade with the EU under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules rather than a protectionist and costly agreement.’ The report calls for unilateral free trade after Brexit, ‘complemented by free trade agreements with partners including the US, Canada and Australia. This arrangement would lead to lower consumer prices, increased productivity and higher wages through removing barriers to imports.’ IEA research director Jamie Whyte said, ‘Many believe disasters will happen without a deal with the EU. In fact, we could eliminate all import tariffs, which would give us most of the benefits of trade, and export to the EU under the umbrella of WTO rules. Then we can seek free trade deals with all major trading partners, including the EU.’
Brexit: God’s strategy
The following declaration is from Passion for the Nation: ‘We declare over our Parliament, over the EU and over all those involved in Brexit negotiations, that the Lord God is the Master Planner of heaven and earth. His plans are for good and not for evil, greater than every plan of man or the enemy to bring confusion, division or hopelessness. We come into agreement with His word, He is “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist”. We stand as Your Ecclesia, and in the Name of Jesus we call forth the strategies of heaven over all matters concerning Brexit. We declare they will be seen, heard, endorsed and enacted by those called to policy-making at this time’.
Parents do not understand tax-free childcare
A survey of 17,000 parents suggests that over 60% are 'unprepared' for the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme (TFC). By 16 August, 108,000 parents had successfully signed up to TFC. This compares with over 780,000 parents currently using childcare vouchers. 98% of parents said they would like access to childcare vouchers to be kept open alongside TFC. As of April next year, childcare vouchers will be closed to new entrants. In light of the findings, there are renewed calls for the Government to revise plans to close access to vouchers. Also, over 3,000 childcare providers found that 48% of parents had either not heard of TFC or didn’t feel ‘well-informed’ about the scheme. 20% of those who had registered had experienced issues about receiving payments in a ‘timely manner'.
