Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the pressure on the NHS is 'truly unprecedented' - adding that there are around 1,200 people in hospital in Scotland with COVID. Latest here: 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube
Sky News and Tortoise Media have worked for months to put together the Westminster Accounts - which details the money entering UK politics.
Sara Gorton, the head of health at Unison, and Onay Kasab, Unite's lead national officer, are meeting with Health Secretary Steve Barclay this morning. As we reported earlier this morning, it is understood that the government may be reconsidering previously parked plans to offer nurses a one-off payment to attempt to get a deal over the line.Rishi Sunak, speaking from a visit to a community health centre in West Yorkshire this morning, gave a glimmer of hope to striking NHS staff of a new approach to break the deadlock.
Number 10 is understood to be warming to the idea, but it's fraught with difficulty - not least how you could justify a payment to nurses but not offer one to teachers. Three teaching unions are now balloting for strikes with the prospect of most schools in England being closed in February and March if they go ahead.
This is very much not a denial that the offer is being considered - and he again failed to deny the government was contemplating such an offer when pushed."But the most important thing is that the conversations are happening, that people are talking. While it is unlikely there will be a breakthrough today, the summits may help identify a landing zone.
Downing Street and the Treasury rejected this proposal at the time, but an attempt is being made to try and revive the plan.Giving a fixed sum means those at the bottom of the pay scale get an above-inflation rise, but those at the higher end do not add a significant burden with a percentage bump. Tory MP Tobias Ellwood has responded to the Westminster Accounts project - a joint venture by Sky News and Tortoise Media which has shone a light on the way money and politics interact in the UK.
He said it would be"misleading" to think he was the"beneficiary" of that amount of money - once again pointing out his work done abroad.By business reporter James Sillars He told Sky News:"I don't think MPs, on the face of it, should have second jobs. I think they should be focused on their constituents and making sure that they're represented not just in parliament but in the constituency as well."I know, for instance, one of my colleagues who is an eminent cancer surgeon, volunteers some of their time in order to provide that service to people - a justifiable service. I think that is important.
"So if he's not personally affected by the crisis that we're seeing, then he's got less personal investment in solving the problem."
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