UK Column News – 19th March 2025

Mike Robinson, Vanessa Beeley, Charles Malet and Sandi Adams with today’s UK Column News.

Wendy Jane and Steve join us for UK Column News Extra.

 

Government Allocates £5 Billion to Reduce Welfare Costs Amid Post-Pandemic Surge

00:18 GOV.UK: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper 

GOV.UK: Personal Independence Payment Official Statistics to January 2025

The Times: Labour announces major PIP and benefit cuts

Robert St. Ephen (on X): Robert’s post

I’m 76, and had worked since i was 16. Explain to me how the UK’s State Pension is a benefit. Where has the money i paid into it gone? You talk Ponzi scheme? I give you the UK Government.

Image: Total Outstanding Debt chart

 

Trump on the Warpath: Pushing for War with Iran and the Wider Resistance Bloc

07:50 France24: Israel strikes military targets in southern Syria over national security concerns

Al Mayadeen English: Around 50 martyred, injured in US-UK aggression on Yemeni cities

Al Mayadeen English: USS Harry S. Truman attacked for second time within hours: Saree

The Cradle: Ben Gvir to rejoin Netanyahu coalition praising mass killings in Gaza

The Cradle: Yemen launches ballistic missile at Israel, says ‘no dialing down’ despite US war

Al Mayadeen English: Israeli raids target missile battalion in Homs, Syria

Iran Screenshot (Telegram): US bases in Arab world, Exposed to Yemen

 

Net Zero and GB Energy: A Farce of Hot Air and Empty Promises

16:51 GOV.UK: Great British Energy

Great British Energy will be a new, publicly owned, clean energy company. Great British Energy works with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Institute For Public Policy Research: Push ahead on ‘most ambitious’ approach to Great British Energy or risk disappointing voters, IPPR urges government 

Digital Catapult: Accelerating the digital future

The Telegraph: Net zero makes UK dangerously dependent on China, warns Badenoch (Archived)

Carbon Brief: Factcheck: Why Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is wrong about UK’s net-zero goal

IPPR: A second wind: Maximising the economic opportunity for UK wind manufacturing 

China is the global wind superpower: China accounts for three-fifths of the world’s capacity in wind nacelles and blades.

Energy Dashboard: Live and historical GB National Grid electricity data

Nuclear Energy Institute: Land Needs for Wind, Solar Dwarf Nuclear Plant’s Footprint

 

Shady Actions in Bristol: Roadblocks Installed Under Cover of Night

24:25 Bristol City Council: View a map of Bristol’s Clean Air Zone

BBC: Questions about police response to bus gate protest

Bristol Live: Bus gate branded ‘absolute rip-off’ as judge says signage should be improved

Bristol 24/7: Police & crime commissioner ‘investigating’ heavy police presence in Barton Hill

GOV.UK: English Devolution White Paper: Power and partnership

 

Cheltenham Event Tickets — UK Column Is Member Funded, Please Join Us

31:57 Support Independent Journalism from the UK Column with only £5 a month

Access UK Column News Extra Today—UK Column Community

UK Column shop: UK Column On Location — Cheltenham — 5 April 2025

Billetto (Event): Supporting Farmers for Food Security Symposium, March 2025

The Food Finders Hub: The Food Finders Hub is a free online platform dedicated to connecting communities with fresh, local food sources across the UK

Fatsoma (Event): Thetford Truth and Freedom Festival

 

Ursula von der Leyen’s Wild Proposal: Eye-Watering Sums for EU Defence

34:48 EU Debates (YouTube): Ursula von der Leyen’s Urgent Call: Europe Must Prepare for War to Secure Peace! Historic Speech

GOV.UK: UK and EU to ramp up pressure on Russia and boost defence initiatives

 

The Fallout of the West’s Syria Gamble: Replacing Assad with Al-Qaeda Will Not End Well

43:23 The Cradle: Former Al-Qaeda in Syria founder named as caretaker Foreign Minister

GOV.UK: UK pledges up to £160 million to support Syria’s recovery and stability in post-Assad era 

GOV.UK: Update on Syria: Lifting asset freezes on 24 entities

Kurdistan 24 English (on X): Captagon seizure

Vanessa Beeley (Telegram): Kids in Aleppo

Vanessa Beeley (Telegram): Shocking video from Jableh shows bodies dumped after HTS massacre

 

Starmer’s Not-So-Secret Mission: Brexiting Brexit

51:28 GOV.UK: Strengthening ties with Europe

The House of Commons Library: Debate on the UK applying to join the European Union

 

Met Police Lose Bid for Anonymity in Tribunal Over ‘Gender Critical’ Beliefs Case

53:42 Sex Matters: Met Police tribunal anonymity bid rejected

Google Drive: Melanie Newman -v- Metropolitan Police Service – Statement Of Melanie Newman

I have “gender critical” (GC) beliefs, by which I mean I know there are two sexes with immutable biological differences between them.

Legislation: Equality Act 2010, Section 15

Acas (2020): The Equality Act 2010, a:gender and me (Emma Dunn, Chair, a:gender)

 

And Finally: DOGE UK A Genuine Plan or Just More Lies?

1:00:02 GOV.UK: Mass cancellation of government credit cards in crackdown on wasteful spend

Keir Starmer (on X): Keir’s lies

Taxpayers’ money should be spent on improving people’s lives – not wasteful government credit cards.

 

From UK Column News Extra

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