Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 15 March 2023

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1. Budget risks ‘back-bench revolt’
2. Messages show No. 10 pressed BBC
3. Historic walkout across country
4. Tensions after US drone downed
5. Migrant bill ‘will harm children’
6. Study finds WFH shift
7. Three-digit inflation in Argentina
8. May knighted at Buckingham Palace
9. Police speak to Sunaks about dog
10. Queen ‘kissed Trump’s ass’

published 15 March 2023

1. Budget risks ‘back-bench revolt’

The chancellor will “trigger a Tory back-bench revolt” as he pushes ahead with a rise in corporation tax, despite warnings it will harm the economic recovery, said The Telegraph. Jeremy Hunt will deliver his first budget today against a “slightly more benign economic backdrop than for his autumn statement last year”, said The Times, but “the fundamentals are still bleak”. Free childcare for working parents in England is expected to be expanded to cover one and two-year-olds. Energy support is expected to be maintained and is Hunt set to increase the lifetime allowance on pensions.

Leaked messages show that BBC editors asked their reporters to avoid using the word “lockdown” at the start of the pandemic and to be more critical of Labour after pressure from Downing Street. In one WhatsApp message, from Sunday 24 October 2021, a senior editor said that Downing Street had complained that the BBC was not being critical enough of Labour’s plans. “Can we turn up the scepticism a bit on this?” the message concludes. The Guardian said it was shown the messages “amid concern among some BBC insiders that the corporation has been too cowed by the government”.

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Hundreds of thousands of workers will walk out today in what could be the biggest day of industrial action since the current wave of strikes began. Timed to coincide with the chancellor’s budget, teachers, civil servants, junior doctors, London Underground drivers and BBC journalists will “form picket lines around the country”, said Sky News. As many as 150,000 people are expected to take part in total. “Quite the backdrop for the chancellor’s big day,” said the BBC.

US forces have accused a Russian jet of “recklessly” colliding with one of its drones, causing it to crash into the Black Sea. However, a diplomatic row is underway after Russia denied involvement, with a senior figure describing the incident as a “provocation”. Meanwhile, RAF and German fighter jets have intercepted a Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace. Although the interception was routine, it is the first time such an operation has been carried out together by the two countries.

The government’s Illegal Migration Bill is “not fit for purpose” in its present form and risks adding to the trauma of trafficked young people, said the children’s commissioner. Speaking to The Times, Dame Rachel de Souza, whose own mother came to Britain as a refugee in the 1950s, revealed her “deep concerns” about Rishi Sunak’s plans to prevent the arrival of small boats in the UK. She said the bill means children who are allowed to stay will be removed once they turn 18, which would allow them to be “drawn into abuse and exploitation”.

Over a third of employees have said they would quit if they were told to return to the office full-time, according to LinkedIn. Research by the professional social media site also showed that demand for remote working roles is particularly prevalent among women, with more than half reporting having left or considered leaving a role because of a lack of flexibility. However, last month, the number of fully remote roles advertised in the UK fell for the tenth successive month.

The inflation rate in Argentina has soared past 100% for the first time since the end of hyperinflation in the 1990s. The country’s data agency said inflation hit 102.5% in February, meaning the price of many consumer goods has more than doubled since 2022. The news is “another blow” for President Alberto Fernández, said the Buenos Aires Times, after he struggled to “tamper down” inflation since taking office in December 2019. Argentina has been in economic difficulty for several years.

Sir Brian May has received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace. The Queen guitarist, astrophysicist and animal welfare advocate was recognised for his services to music and charity. After he was knighted by the King, Sir Brian said: “I am very happy, smiling from ear-to-ear, particularly because it was the King, which means a lot. We’ve had a certain amount of contact over the years and we’re of an age, so I have a strong feeling for him and it was a lovely moment.”

Rishi Sunak and his wife have been seen walking their Labrador without a lead in an area where dogs are not allowed to roam free. The PM and his family were spotted in Serpentine Road, in Hyde Park on Saturday afternoon. They were spoken to by a police officer after they allowed their dog off the lead. “An officer, who was present at the time, spoke to a woman and reminded her of the rules,” said the Metropolitan Police. The officer involved was one of the prime minister’s close protection team.

Donald Trump claimed that Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, Richard Nixon, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton and others “kissed my ass”. Promoting a forthcoming book of letters, called Letters to Trump, the former US president told Breitbart News: “I knew them all – and every one of them kissed my ass, and now I only have half of them kissing my ass.” The book, Letters to Trump, will contain 150 missives from a range of figures also including Kim Jong Un and Ronald Reagan.

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