UK News

The UK economy will continue to grow throughout this year, with GDP growth expected to pick up in 2014, according to the CBI’s latest economic forecast published today. But while recent economic data have been more promising, clear challenges remain both at home and abroad, the UK’s leading business group warned.

The CBI is forecasting GDP growth of 1% in 2013, unchanged from its previous forecast after official first quarter figures came in line with its expectations. Quarter-on-quarter growth is expected to gather pace gradually. The CBI is forecasting growth of 0.3% in the...

Commenting on today’s Queen’s Speech, setting out the programme of Government legislation, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said:

"The Government proposals on reforms to the National Curriculum, examinations and the deregulation of teachers’ pay are ill thought out and plain wrong. They will certainly not ensure a world class education system.

"Michael Gove now needs to stop and reflect on its plans for curriculum and examination reform. Many teachers are genuinely in despair about the curriculum proposals...

The dairy coalition has called on Defra Farming Minister David Heath to call in milk buyers failing to implement the voluntary code. Processors were given until 31 March 2013 to comply with the terms of the code by offering fairer and more balanced contracts to farmers. The code was agreed voluntarily between farming and processing representatives, and has been adopted by Defra as the favoured policy alternative to legislation as proposed by the European Commission. The Dairy Coalition, the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland, TFA, WFU and the RABDF has written to Farming Minister David Heath...

This May Day (1 May) a badger flash-mob - led by Queen’s Brian May - will descend on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), protesting the Conservative-led badger cull.

Brian May will front the flash-mob – dressed as a badger and with a black stripe in his hair – as they dance and call for the badger cull to be replaced by badger vaccination.

The flash-mob will last five minutes as the badgers dance to May’s own version of the YouTube Badgers song (with over 17 million hits) which he has produced about the badger cull and was inspired by Queen's hit...