Central planning of airline take-off and landing slot allocation is driving up costs for consumers and incentivising airlines to run ‘ghost’ flights, warns the Institute of Economic Affairs Liberalisation of the aviation industry has democratised travel, with flying no longer reserved for the better-off. But the allocation of take-off and landing slots continues to be centrally planned.

Around two in five have been forced to reduce or stop spending on clothes (44%), eating out (39%), non-essential food items (39%), and takeaways (38%) over the last six months. Three in ten have been forced to cut back or stop spending on household essentials (29%) and essential food items (31%) Includes one in five for each (20%) who have done so by switching to cheaper alternatives. Similar proportion have had to reduce or stop spending on day trips (31%), holidays (30%), and fuel (27%)

Commenting on reports today (Sunday) that ministers may draw up laws requiring minimum numbers of staff to work during a strike, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Ministers have spectacularly failed to deal with the cost of living crisis. Now they are trying to distract from their failure by picking a fight with unions. “The right to strike is crucial in a free society.

A new survey from Acas has found that over one in five employers plan to implement a ‘no jab no job’ policy in the year ahead for both new and existing staff. Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about whether they plan to make it a requirement for staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

Part time workers up and down the country could be stripped of their state pension entitlement under new plans laid out by the Department for Business Education and Skills (BEIS).

To mark Mental Health Awareness week on 9-15 May May, Headspace Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Dora Kamau is on hand to help the nation achieve good mental health and notice when loved ones are struggling.

New Mental Health Awareness Week survey of 6,000 UK adults. A quarter of UK adults (25%) have felt lonely some, or all of the time, over the previous month. A quarter of UK adults (25%) feel ashamed about being lonely. More than one third (35%) of UK adults say they would never admit to feeling lonely. One in two (44%) say feelings of loneliness have made them feel sad. One in four UK adults(25%) said feelings of loneliness made them feel worried or anxious. One in eight (12%) of UK adults have had suicidal thoughts and feelings because of feeling lonely.

The face of Omaze UK, skilled presenter, and sought-after voiceover actor, Jo Pickard has signed with leading London agency, Carey Dodd Associates. Principle agent Samantha Dodd will be representing Jo for all acting talent opportunities as well as voice acting in the gaming industry.

Chris Etherington a Private Client Partner in the Leeds office at audit, tax and consulting firm RSM says: There is no formal requirement for someone claiming to be a tax adviser to be qualified to do so and, as The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP noted in last year’s consultation on raising standards on tax advice, there are a “minority of incompetent, unprofessional and malicious advisers whose activities harm their clients, reduce public revenue, and undermine the functioning of the tax advice market”.

The 2022 May local election results make troubling reading for the Conservative Party, but were also a mixed bag for their Labour opponents. With victories in Barnet, Wandsworth and Westminster Labour exceeded expectations in London, but are still in recovery mode elsewhere in the country, particularly in the Tees Valley and the North East.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of their regular dialogue.

The GMB Union says today’s decision by the Bank of England to raise interest rates again will further compound the damage done to the economy and hit jobs and investment, leaving the UK teetering on the brink of recession. The UK will narrowly miss a technical recession this quarter, but the Bank’s own forecast predicts a contraction in the economy as a whole next year.