Innovation

Council spends £4.56m on agency workers

by Amelia
written by Amelia

A council has spent £4.56m on 66 agency workers in the 2024/25 financial year with many needed to work in social care.

The figures were shared at a Wiltshire Council committee and were lower than the previous financial year, with a high of £8m in 2018/19 according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Wiltshire Council said they spent less compared to similar local authorities and without the agency workers there would be impacts on service users and the wider Wiltshire community.

The council has just approved a new three-year contract for agency workers too, with the option to extend for a further 12 months, at an estimated cost of £20m over four years.

The £4.65m equates to around £75,000 per agency worker, which would be well above the average council pay of £35,000.

However, the council said when it comes to agency hiring "a simple average does not accurately reflect the true cost of these roles."

Innovation

'We have more in common with America than the rest of Canada'

by Charles
written by Charles

Even those within the separatist movement have different ideas on how best to achieve their goals.

Lorna Guitton, a born-and-bred Albertan and a volunteer with the Alberta Prosperity Project, told the BBC in Lethbridge that her aim was for the province to have a better relationship with the rest of Canada.

She described the current union as "broken", and believes a referendum, or the threat of it, will give Albertans "leverage" in future negotiations with Ottawa.

But Ms Guitton also dismissed any notion of it becoming a 51st US state.

"They've got enough of their own problems. Why would I want to be part of that?" she said. "I would rather be my own independent, sovereign province, or a province with a better deal in Canada."

  • Patriotism surges in Quebec as Trump rattles Canada
  • Who's who in Canada's federal election
  • Canada's top candidates talk up fossil fuels as climate slips down agenda

At his ranch outside of Calgary in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Mr Rath has a different view.

As he tended to his race horses, he spoke of the political and social attitudes of free enterprise and small government that are shared by Albertans and many Americans.

"From that perspective, I would see Alberta as being a good fit within the United States," he said.

He is currently putting together a "fact-finding" delegation to travel to Washington DC and bring the movement directly to the Trump administration.

Many voters in Alberta, however, dismiss the notion of independence altogether, even if they agree that the province has been overlooked.

Steve Lachlan from Lethbridge agrees the West lacks representation in Ottawa but said: "We already have separation, and we need to come together."

And the Liberals are not entirely shut out from the province. Polls suggest that Alberta may send more Liberal MPs to Ottawa than in 2021, partly due to changing demographics that led to the creation of new ridings in urban Edmonton and Calgary.

James Forrester, who lives in the battleground Calgary Centre district, told the BBC he had traditionally voted Conservative but has leaned left in recent years. This time, he will vote Liberal because of the "Carney factor".

"I feel he's the best guy to deal with Trump," he said. As for the separation sentiment: "I'm not worried about it."

Economy

Council calls for asylum seekers' housing support

by Jose
written by Jose

A west London council is calling for more government funding to support asylum seekers, as it struggles to accommodate more than double the national threshold.

Hillingdon has a much higher number than average partly because of the large number of hotels near Heathrow Airport.

Once asylum seekers are evicted from this accommodation by the Home Office, the responsibility for them passes to the local council.

The Home Office has said it "remains committed to working closely with local authorities to work towards a fair and equitable spread of accommodation".

Work is taking place in a block in Hillingdon to provide temporary accommodation

The borough said it was proud of its work in providing sanctuary, but it needed more money for asylum seekers.

Councillors have estimated a funding shortfall of approximately £5m over the past financial year, leaving residents to foot the bill.

Steve Tuckwell, cabinet member for planning, housing and growth, showed BBC London a newly refurbished temporary accommodation block in the borough.

He said the numbers of people it needed to house was "a huge burden and comes at a cost to the Hillingdon tax payer".

Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council's cabinet member for Planning, Housing and Growth
Susanne Carter-Penrose is head of housing needs at Hillingdon Council

Some asylum seekers are deemed ineligible for housing support after leaving hotel accommodation – and as a result the council said there had been "a significant increase" in rough sleeping.

The number of referrals to Street Link has grown, with "tented communities" that have sprung up at several locations, including under bridges.

Susanne Carter-Penrose, Hillingdon Council's head of housing needs, said: "Our rough sleeping numbers are increasing because they're impacted upon by the Home Office's evictions from hotels."

She added: "We can't help everybody…and [some] end up rough sleeping, unfortunately."

Joe Devine from the homeless charity Thames Reach

Not far from the newly-repurposed temporary accommodation block, BBC London met Joe Devine from Thames Reach, a London-based charity which helps those experiencing homelessness.

He and his colleagues were doing outreach work at a park in Hillingdon, where an encampment of asylum seekers were living in tents.

He said they come out to engage with people who are sleeping rough, and try to help them into temporary – or other appropriate – accommodation.

He added: "We can then work to address whatever support needs they might have."

London Councils, the body representing London's boroughs, said asylum accommodation pressures "are felt by boroughs across the capital and are especially acute in port authorities like Hillingdon".

The group said it welcomed the government's recent announcement of asylum grant funding for boroughs this financial year.

The payment will see each local authority accommodating asylum seekers on 30 March 2025 receive a £1,200 payment per asylum seeker in all accommodation types.

An encampment of tents in a Hillingdon park where asylum seekers are living

However, London Councils has said more funding is needed – especially considering high housing costs in the capital.

The group added it "hoped to work with the government" to develop a multi-year funding package for asylum and resettlement.

Any solution would have to "take account of London's rising homelessness pressures… in the context of extreme pressures facing London boroughs' finances".

It said it estimated a funding shortfall "of at least £500m this year, across all services".

A Home Office spokesperson said: "This government inherited a broken asylum system, with tens of thousands stuck in a backlog and claims not being processed, wasting millions in taxpayer money.

"We are immediately speeding up decisions and increasing returns so we can end the use of hotels and save the taxpayer £4bn by 2026."

Industry

Bat hurdle for man seeking to demolish 'flood' home

by Kimberly
written by Kimberly

A man is seeking permission to demolish his own cottage in Wellington, near Hereford, because repeated flooding has made it a liability.

However, a Herefordshire Council ecology officer has opposed the bid to take down the former stable near the village's brook.

In his application, homeowner Nick Jones said he had spent 10 years maintaining and repairing his home, including installing flood defences, but Vinery Cottage in Mill Lane was uninsurable, uninhabitable and could not be rented.

Ecology officer James Bisset said the building offered potential features for bat roosting which "has previously been recorded in the locality".

Storm damage costs

Papers said Mr Jones was not able to insure the building or contents, and maintenance and repair costs after successive floods exceeded any realistic rental value.

He said: "I spent 10 years converting it at considerable cost. Then we had the storm damage, which has cost me about £40,000 each time to repair."

He fitted flood gates and reinforced walls after Storm Dennis in 2020, but they weren't enough to keep out two floods last winter, Mr Jones said, adding: "If someone can think of another option I'd jump at it."

The building is not listed and has no adjacent properties or trees that would be affected, the application said.

The closest building is the Vinery, also owned by Mr Jones.

Comments on the plans can be made until 13 June.

Market

Man accused of school threats moved to secure unit

by Heather
written by Heather

A 30-year-old man from Exeter accused of sending malicious communications to local schools has been transferred to a secure hospital from a jail, where he was being held on remand during legal proceedings.

Alfie Pilkington, of Redlands Close, Exeter, had been remanded into custody after being charged with two counts of sending malicious communications on social media on two days in April.

Exeter Crown Court heard the allegations concerned threats to go to a local nursery and other educational establishments near his home to kill children.

A judge has ordered a mental health assessment of the defendant, who did not appear before the court. The case has been adjourned until July.

Pilkington has been transferred from HMP Bristol to the Langdon secure hospital in Dawlish.

Tech

Will Saturday Night Live spin-off make Britain laugh?

by Ella
written by Ella

US TV institution Saturday Night Live has entertained viewers and created comedy stars for 50 years. Can a British version reach the same heights?

For five decades, the phrase "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" has boldly opened episodes of Saturday Night Live, with its tried and tested mix of topical sketch comedy, celebrity cameos and big-name musical guests.

Now, the stateside staple is to come live from London after Sky announced that a "star-studded" UK spin-off, fronted by British comedic talent, will launch next year.

Overseen by the US original show's creator Lorne Michaels, now 80, the broadcaster is promising the same "live, fast-paced style" as its American cousin.

Comedy heritage

Since being launched by Michaels in 1975, SNL has been a livewire springboard for comedic talents like Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and Mike Myers.

Famed for its ever-revolving cast, Joe Piscopo of the 1980s cohort summed it up in a documentary marking the show's 50th anniversary: "They took sketch comedy to a whole other level," he said. "Comedy slowly became rock 'n' roll."

The unpredictable live premise, combined with its longevity, has helped maintain its status. No other show has been nominated for (331) or won (90) more Emmy Awards.

Getty Images
Musician Stevie Wonder appeared in an episode with comedian and actor Eddie Murphy in 1983

"I don't think you can underestimate that heritage when accounting for its current success," says the Guardian's TV and comedy writer Rachel Aroesti. "Which is something the UK version obviously won't be able to emulate."

The heritage is one reason why the show still attracts major young stars like Timothee Chalamet, who grew up watching it even as linear TV audiences have dropped sharply in the streaming age.

"In the US, the guests' involvement is often newsworthy in itself – they also know their presence will generate a lot of publicity, so it's a win-win situation," Aroesti adds.

"I would be surprised if the UK version is able to attract the same calibre of guest."

'Courageous' move

The Atlantic writer Helen Lewis says the general industry reaction has been that commissioning a UK version is a "courageous" move – wishing the team luck with the "difficult proposition".

There are some notable differences between the two transatlantic TV industries.

The US SNL budget will be far bigger than UK TV norm, paying for a large cast and a team of writers working to the wire to keep jokes current.

"In the American version, it's a very expensive format, having a writers' room and keeping a cast of actors on retainer, essentially, the whole time. That's really expensive," Lewis told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.

Getty Images
Saturday Night Live cast members past and present recently celebrated its 50th anniversary

The US comedy culture is also different, Lewis believes.

"The humour can sometimes be much more slapsticky. Quite a lot of the time, Americans struggle with British humour because they think we're extremely mean."

Comedy writer Jack Bernhardt agrees that there are different comedic traditions. UK sketch groups often form through friendships and showcase their talent at the Edinburgh Fringe, whereas many US comedians train at improv and sketch clubs, specifically honing their skills for shows like SNL.

Bernhardt says these differences "can't necessarily be fixed by commissioning the UK version of SNL – it's an entire comedy culture that would need to shift".

"That's not to say one can't do the other," he adds. "Just that this version of a sketch show isn't necessarily playing to the unique strengths of the UK comedy scene. And that's even before we get into the difficulties of doing a live show."

ITV/Shutterstock
Harry Enfield made his name with characters like Loadsamoney, pictured on Channel 4's Friday Night Live in 1988

Given these challenges, importing a legacy brand name like SNL may seem a gamble, especially at a time when the UK TV industry is faltering.

However, the US show's fortunes have held relatively firm this decade, even if ratings are well below the pre-streaming era.

Vulture found that SNL averages 8.4 million weekly viewers, outperforming all other late-night shows combined. It's also US network TV's top entertainment series among adults aged 18 to 49.

"You rarely hear anyone asking whether SNL will 'survive', only how once Michaels moves on," wrote reporter Josef Adalian. "Linear TV may be fighting for its life, yet SNL seems safe."

Crucially, the sketch format lends itself perfectly to social media age, being easily digestible on digital platforms. According to the Economist, online SNL clips are averaging about 216 million views per episode on TikTok, X and YouTube. Sure, these viewers are not watching live, but the content undoubtedly lives.

Getty Images
Timothee Chalamet, a major star of Hollywood's new wave, has hosted and performed on SNL multiple times

Previous attempts to translate US late-night shows to the UK have often struggled.

However, in the 1980s, Saturday Live – later renamed Friday Night Live – ran for four seasons and helped the careers of Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall, while Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show gave breaks to Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen.

British comedy producer Jimmy Mulville, whose company Hat Trick Productions has made shows including Have I Got News For You and Whose Line is it Anyway?, says the opportunity to develop new talent will be one of the key draws for Sky, despite the risks.

Getty Images
Tina Fey (left) with Amy Poehler on SNL's satirical news segment Weekend Update

"If Sky get this right, they'll create new stars, and from that they can spin-off other shows with those performers," he explains. "These shows can be fantastic, they can go on for years, and they can show off new talent all the time."

He says the producers will need to assemble the right team of writers and performers.

"If it's well-produced, I've no reason to see why it shouldn't be successful," says Mulville, who co-hosts Insiders: The TV Podcast.

He recently took the BBC's long-running topical panel show Have I Got News For You to the US, where it has been commissioned for a second season by CNN. One US talent agent warned that the show was "too British" to work across the pond, he recalls.

"I said, 'Yes it is, but I'm going to get it written by Americans and performed by Americans for Americans'."

The reverse will be true for SNL. "In the UK, you're going to have it written by British writers with British performers for a British audience. So it's not an American show any more."

Indeed, being "live from London" won't be enough on its own to succeed, and SNL UK will need to feel like a truly British comedy creation and not just a reheated imitation of an American hit.

Economy

Winter fuel 'in total chaos', and Ukraine 'fury' at US

by Mila
written by Mila

The Times reports that ministers are considering changes to "soften" planned cuts to the welfare system, after criticism from their own backbench MPs.

A government source is quoted as saying that "tweaks" are being sought. The paper says this could include offering affected disability benefit claimants more time to find new support.

According to the front page of the Daily Express, "Labour's U-turn" on the winter fuel allowance has "descended into total chaos".

Aides for No 10 are said to be "scrambling" to find a way to ensure more older people get the payment, after Sir Keir Starmer changed tack last week.

An investigation by the Guardian has found that only a third of the recommendations from major reports commissioned to tackle endemic racism in the UK over the last 40 years have been implemented.

The analysis has been published to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The Times says Britain is to ask Kosovo to take small boat migrants as part of the government's plan to open a series of so-called "return hubs" overseas.

The country is said to be on a shortlist, drawn up by ministers and officials, where rejected asylum seekers would be sent after they have exhausted all their avenues of appeal in the UK.

The Daily Telegraph reports that a "world-first brain scanning technique" could help to identify signs of Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms appear.

The team behind the tool, which works by analysing the cell structure of the brain, has said it could bring hope for millions of people with concerns about dementia.

And most of the papers reflect on the life of the former BBC executive and presenter, Alan Yentob, who has died at the age of 78.

The Times remembers him as "dominant creative force" who had an unwavering commitment to the BBC's mission to inform and educate. But the paper notes that the long list of popular comedies and dramas he commissioned show he "never forgot the requirement to entertain".

The i Paper calls him a champion of culture. The Sun and the Daily Mail describe him as the "King of TV".

Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.

Market

More than 780 jobs set to be cut by NHS trust

by Chloe
written by Chloe

More than 780 full time positions at an NHS trust are set to be axed as part of cost-saving measures.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said it would have to reduce its workforce in mostly non-clinical roles to "protect frontline services".

The trust's CEO David French said the decision to close positions had been made as the organisation tries to "live within our financial means".

The shake-up has been driven by the government, which has called on the NHS to reduce waiting lists, improve care and operate in a more financially viable way.

Mr French said: "Our core purpose is to provide outstanding care for our patients, and that, along with supporting our staff, is guiding every decision that we're making."

He said the trust had received a financial settlement with the government that was "lower than we'd hoped for and anticipated", and had to save £110m as a result.

"As a publicly funded organization with a responsibility to the taxpayer, it is our job to do the best we can within that money," he said.

A lack of financial reserves, along with a financial settlement that was less than the trust currently spends, had caused "action of this scale", Mr French said.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
David French is the trust's chief executive

In total, 620 permanent staff members and 165 temporary employees will see their positions close under the plans.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust currently employs about 13,000 people – with many based at its flagship hospital, Southampton General.

Mr French told the BBC the trust had to "do everything we can to protect frontline services and use all of the assets that we've got as productively and as efficiently as possible".

He said the "majority" of roles closing would be "non-patient facing" positions, adding that the trust had looked "particularly hard" for any possible savings.

Positions being lost are thought to be within HR, finance and communications.

The trust was "working hard to minimise the impact" of the job cuts for "staff and patients", Mr French said.

"Our expectation and the government's expectation is that the waiting list will continue to reduce," he added.

Getty Images
Southampton General Hospital is the largest run by the trust

The announcement follows the news last month that neighbouring NHS trusts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had earmarked up to 800 jobs to be cut as part of cost-saving measures.

"This isn't just Southampton, many trusts across the country and are in exactly the same situation," Mr French said.

Further losses of up to 50% are also expected at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) and other ICBs in the region.

In March, the government announced plans to abolish NHS England, the body responsible for commissioning and improving health services across the UK.

The shake-up is driven by the Department of Health and Social Care, which has said it is part of a wider plan to protect frontline services and help improve patient care.

A spokesperson for the government department previously said: "We are reforming the NHS to cut bureaucracy and make savings so we can focus on empowering frontline staff to deliver better care for patients, while getting value for taxpayers' money.

"We are investing an extra £26bn in health and care, and have already made progress on our mission to cut waiting lists – delivering an extra three million appointments in six months and cutting the waiting list by 219,000 since July."

Tech

Three arrests after man stabbed in head

by Andrew
written by Andrew

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another man was stabbed in the head.

The victim, in his early 20s, was involved in an altercation with about 10 people in Aylesbury on Monday evening, Thames Valley Police said.

Officers believed the man was attacked with a screwdriver. He has since been treated and discharged from hospital.

Two men, aged 18, and another aged 20, remain in police custody. Police have appealed for witnesses.

The attack happened in the area of Oxford Road, Whitehall Street and Buckingham Street at about 18:40 BST.

Det Insp Philip Turner-Robson said: "This was a disorder involving multiple people which quickly escalated from a verbal altercation into violence.

"A man sustained stab wounds to his head in the incident, believed to be with a screwdriver, but thankfully his injuries are not life-threatening and he is no longer in hospital.

"We have made three arrests, and I would like to reassure the local community that we are investigating this incident as a priority, and there has been and will continue to be a presence of officers in the area while this investigation continues."

Business

No need to see GP for hay fever, says pharmacist

by Jasmine
written by Jasmine

A pharmacist is urging the public to go to their local pharmacy if they struggle with hay fever – rather than "bothering" their GP.

The advice comes as the Met Office forecasts very high levels of ash and birch pollen across the South West this week.

Mike Hewitson, a community pharmacist in Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset, said pharmacies offer treatments without the need for an appointment.

He said hay fever has a "big impact on people but we can do lots about it".

Pollen counts tend to be high during warm, dry, and breezy weather conditions, as these factors promote pollen production and dispersal from trees, grasses, and weeds, according to the Met Office.

"Different types of plants flower at different times," Mr Hewitson added.

He said trees are generally earlier in the season, and grass pollen then hits us in June and July.