Newspaper headlines: EU olive branch and PM targets 'sick note culture'

BBC News - Staff

April 18, 2024 at 8:10 PM·3 min read

The headline in the Express reads: "PM tell sick note Britain: Get a grip and a job". — A number of the papers lead on plans from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to challenge what he describes as Britain's "sick note culture". The Daily Express says Mr Sunak will use a speech on Friday to unveil an overhaul of the welfare system intended to curb the rising cost of benefits. It says he will demand a switch to a "can do" attitude to encourage the long-term jobless back to work and declare that everyday "life worries" should not be accepted as a medical reason for being unable to work. [BBC]

The headline in the Telegraph reads: "PM vows to end 'sick note culture'". — The Daily Telegraph says a record 2.8 million people of working age in Britain are economically inactive because of long-term sickness, up from around 2.1 million before the pandemic. It adds that, of those, 53% reported having depression, bad nerves, or anxiety. The paper says politicians have been wrestling with how to get people back to work amid concern that the trend is hampering economic growth. [BBC]

The headline in the Times reads: "Sunak vows crackdown on 'culture of sick note'". — The power to issue sick notes could be taken away from GPs and handed to specialist teams linked to the benefits system, according to the Times. The paper reports that the prime minister is expected to say doctors are too readily writing people off as unfit for work and that he will not "sit back and accept" the rise in claims for mental health issue. It adds that sickness benefits for people of working age cost £49 billion last year, a figure that is projected to rise by £20 billion before the end of this decade. [BBC]

The headline in the i reads: "Brexit travel hope for UK students - as EU offers olive branch to Labour". — The i reports that under-30s could be set to benefit from an EU plan to relax visa rules that would allow them to work and study within the bloc for up to four years. The paper says the offer is "likely to be seen as a peace offering to a future Labour government", though adds the party says it does not currently have plans to boost youth mobility. [BBC]

The headline in the Financial Times reads: "Post-Brexit border checks will not be 'turned on' when safety rules change". — The government has told the UK's port authorities it will not implement new health and safety checks as planned when post-Brexit border controls begin this month because of fears of significant disruption, according to the Financial Times. The paper says the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has admitted there are still "challenges" in its systems for registering food and animal products and that the checks will now be phased in. It adds that the introductions of the new controls has been postponed five times since 2021. [BBC]

The headline in the Guardian reads: "State could be left with £15bn debt by Thames Water nationalisation". — The Guardian says Whitehall officials are drawing up contingency plans that would see Thames Water, the country's largest water company, renationalised and turned into an arms-length public body. The paper says the company's finances have been left threadbare by dividend payments and fines for pollution, and that the plans would see most of the £15.6 billion it owes added to the public debt. [BBC]

The headline in the Mirror reads: "I warned the Tories about him 3 months ago". — The aide who reported Tory MP Mark Menzies to his party's chief whip over his alleged misuse of campaign funds has spoken to the Daily Mirror. Katie Fieldhouse, 78, tells the paper: "I put my faith in the party to deal with him. I cannot accept his behaviour." Mr Menzies lost his party's whip after the allegations, which he told the Times he "strongly" disputes, were revealed by the Times this week. [BBC]

The headline in the Daily Star reads: "RIP the full English: 1 in 10 youngsters has never enjoyed world's best breakfast". — And the Daily Star reports that 1 in 10 young people say they've never had a full English breakfast, while 1 in 5 say they eat it just once a year over health fears. A mocked-up picture shows a headstone inscribed with the words: "Here lies the greatest brekkie in the world". [BBC]

Yahoo Personal Finance
Delta Platinum vs. Delta Reserve: Which is better for frequent Delta travelers?
You can save a lot of money when you fly Delta Air Lines with these co-branded cards. Here’s how to choose between the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve before your next trip.
2h ago
Yahoo TV
Obsessed with 'Fallout'? See how fans are transporting themselves into the series with the help of filters on social media.
People are envisioning what they’d look like as a character in “Fallout” on social media.
8m ago
Yahoo News
Pro-Palestinian protests intensify across U.S. college campuses. Here's where things stand.
Police in cities and towns across the country have been deployed in recent days to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from a growing number of encampments and occupied buildings on the campuses of American colleges and universities.
13m ago
Yahoo Sports
Canelo Álvarez and Oscar De La Hoya erupt in heated exchange ahead of title bout with Jaime Munguía
Canelo Álvarez is set to defend his title against undefeated Jaime Munguía on Saturday in Las Vegas.
37m ago
Yahoo Sports
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch plans to travel with team to Denver for Game 1 after knee surgery
Chris Finch underwent surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee on Wednesday.
2h ago
Yahoo Life Shopping
This 'very classy and durable' monogrammed tote makes a thoughtful Mother's Day gift, and it's down to $14
Skeptical over the price? 'It's dumbfounding how nice this is for the money,' says one of nearly 10,000 five-star fans.
2h ago
Engadget
Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership was born from Google envy
It turns out the lay of today’s AI landscape can be traced back to fear, jealousy and intense capitalist ambition. Emails revealed in the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google show Microsoft executives expressing alarm and envy over Google’s AI lead.
3h ago
Yahoo Sports
Former MLB player Jayson Werth preparing to be 'a nervous wreck' with horse Dornach set for Kentucky Derby
Werth's horse, Dornach, is 20-1 to win Saturday's Run for the Roses.
3h ago
Yahoo Life Shopping
Martha Stewart's go-to Skechers sneakers are on rare sale at Amazon — save over $30
The domestic diva prioritizes comfort and support when it comes to shoes, and she says these affordable kicks deliver on both.
2h ago
Yahoo Life Shopping
Reba McEntire, 69, relies on this wrinkle-smoothing 'holy grail' moisturizer for radiant skin
Her makeup artist swears by it for this clever foundation trick for dewy, glowing coverage.
2h ago
Yahoo News
'It's a very uncertain time': Columbia students share their perspectives on the campus protests
Amid final exams and upcoming graduations, Columbia students are grappling with fluctuating tensions on campus and the national attention these protests have received.
2h ago
Engadget
A researcher is suing Meta for the right to ‘turn off’ Facebook’s news feed
The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is suing Meta on behalf of a researcher who wants to release a browser extension that would allow people to “effectively turn off” their algorithmic feeds.
3h ago
Yahoo Personal Finance
What is a voided check?
A voided check is often required to set up direct deposits, bill payments, and more. Learn more about how to void a check.
5h ago
Yahoo Finance
AI chip darling AMD struggles to impress Wall Street this earnings season
Investors weren't impressed with the company's growth forecast amid the AI rally.
3h ago
Yahoo Finance
Powell says November election won’t affect Fed: 'We just don’t go down that road'
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell offered a strong defense Wednesday of central bank independence as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
3h ago
TechCrunch
Tiger Global-backed Innovaccer in talks to raise $250M in new funding, sources say
Innovaccer, a health tech startup that aggregates patient data across systems and care settings, is in advanced stages of talks with investors to raise as much as $250 million in a new financing round, three sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The deliberation for the new funding round is ongoing, and the current talks propose a value of between $2.5 billion and $3 billion for the nine-year-old company, the sources said, requesting anonymity, as the details are private. The company has developed a cloud-based software layer that integrates with existing electronic health record systems used by healthcare facilities.
5h ago
TechCrunch
UnitedHealthcare CEO says 'maybe a third' of US citizens were affected by recent hack
Two months after hackers broke into Change Healthcare systems stealing and then encrypting company data, it’s still unclear how many Americans were impacted by the cyberattack. Last month, Andrew Witty, the CEO of Change Healthcare’s parent company UnitedHealth Group, said that the stolen files include the personal health information of “a substantial proportion of people in America.” On Wednesday, during a House hearing, when pushed to give a more definitive answer, Witty testified that the breach impacted “I think, maybe a third [of Americans] or somewhere of that level.”
4h ago
Yahoo Life Shopping
Lisa Vanderpump uses Febreze to keep her home smelling like 'clean laundry,' not dogs — snag a 2-pack for $11
The Bravo TV star spritzes the deodorizer everywhere, from furniture to makeup bags: 'I'm all about ambience.'
4h ago
Yahoo Sports
No LeBron, Steph or KD? Here are 5 reasons why these NBA playoffs are still compelling
The NBA playoffs won't feature LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry in the second round for the first time since 2005. But there's still plenty more basketball to enjoy this postseason.
5h ago
Yahoo Sports
Tiger Woods explains viral Masters tree meme, daughter’s ‘negative’ relationship with golf while promoting ‘Sun Day Red’
Jimmy Fallon asked Tiger Woods all about his incredible handshake with Verne Lundquist at the Masters on Tuesday night.
4h ago

News

Life

Entertainment

Finance

Sports

New on Yahoo

Newspaper headlines: EU olive branch and PM targets 'sick note culture'

Recommended Stories

Delta Platinum vs. Delta Reserve: Which is better for frequent Delta travelers?

Obsessed with 'Fallout'? See how fans are transporting themselves into the series with the help of filters on social media.

Pro-Palestinian protests intensify across U.S. college campuses. Here's where things stand.

Canelo Álvarez and Oscar De La Hoya erupt in heated exchange ahead of title bout with Jaime Munguía

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch plans to travel with team to Denver for Game 1 after knee surgery

This 'very classy and durable' monogrammed tote makes a thoughtful Mother's Day gift, and it's down to $14

Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership was born from Google envy

Former MLB player Jayson Werth preparing to be 'a nervous wreck' with horse Dornach set for Kentucky Derby

Martha Stewart's go-to Skechers sneakers are on rare sale at Amazon — save over $30

Reba McEntire, 69, relies on this wrinkle-smoothing 'holy grail' moisturizer for radiant skin

'It's a very uncertain time': Columbia students share their perspectives on the campus protests

A researcher is suing Meta for the right to ‘turn off’ Facebook’s news feed

What is a voided check?

AI chip darling AMD struggles to impress Wall Street this earnings season

Powell says November election won’t affect Fed: 'We just don’t go down that road'

Tiger Global-backed Innovaccer in talks to raise $250M in new funding, sources say

UnitedHealthcare CEO says 'maybe a third' of US citizens were affected by recent hack

Lisa Vanderpump uses Febreze to keep her home smelling like 'clean laundry,' not dogs — snag a 2-pack for $11

No LeBron, Steph or KD? Here are 5 reasons why these NBA playoffs are still compelling

Tiger Woods explains viral Masters tree meme, daughter’s ‘negative’ relationship with golf while promoting ‘Sun Day Red’