UK Food Giants, Led by Tesco and Nestlé, Urge Government to Mandate Food Waste Reporting to Combat Climate Change
UK Food Giants Urge Mandatory Food Waste Reporting to Combat Climate Change
Over 30 prominent UK food businesses, including Tesco, Waitrose, and Nestlé, are urging the government to mandate food waste reporting to combat climate change. This initiative, supported by the British Retail Consortium and Jamie Crummie of Too Good to Go, aims to tackle the annual 10.7 million tonnes of food waste and align with the government's goal to halve food waste by 2030.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing for talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels about potentially overhauling the Brexit deal. Although Home Secretary Yvette Cooper opposes an EU youth mobility scheme proposal, the discussions could lead to an EU-UK summit next spring, with Labour maintaining its stance against rejoining the customs union or the single market.
In related international news, former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has criticized the UK for its secrecy surrounding 32 classified files from the Spycatcher affair. Turnbull, a defender of ex-MI5 officer Peter Wright, pointed out the UK's continued efforts to block the files' release, despite evidence of misleading actions by senior officials such as Robert Armstrong and Margaret Thatcher.
Back on domestic turf, Kemi Badenoch has faced backlash after commenting on "excessive" maternity pay, prompting accusations from TUC general secretary Paul Nowak that she and the Conservative leadership are out of touch. Badenoch later clarified her position, asserting support for maternity pay, yet her comments have underscored internal divisions within the Tory party.
At the Conservative party conference, Badenoch's remarks on maternity pay received additional criticism from her party rivals. As the backlash grew, she reiterated her support for maternity pay but emphasized concerns over business burdens, while candidates like Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat distanced themselves, supporting working parents and women's choices.
Turning to a tragic story from Blackpool, 27-year-old Jamie Pearson, a self-employed joiner, died by suicide after waiting nearly 24 hours for mental health care in a hospital's A&E department. His mother has condemned the NHS for the lack of timely support as an inquest is scheduled and investigations are ongoing into the circumstances of his death.