Rabina Khan is a writer and a former councillor and special adviser in the UK House of Lords
June 02, 2022
Jonathan Brearley, the chief executive of Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulatory body, recently announced that his organisation is expecting an energy price cap of £2,800 in October, an increase from the current £1,971. Adam Scorer, chief executive of charity National Energy Action, said the predicted rise will "strike terror into the hearts of millions of people who are already unable to heat their homes".
European countries obtain approximately 40 per cent of their gas directly from Russia, while the UK imports less than 5 per cent of its gas from Russia, but its prices are nonetheless influenced by fluctuations in global markets. The UK also imports approximately 8 per cent of its oil from Russia, amounting to £4 billion in 2021. These prices have soared as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western governments’ subsequent economic ordeals. In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that “unfriendly countries” pay for their gas in roubles from Russian accounts to avoid having their supplies cut off. Gas deliveries have already been suspended to Finland for their refusals to pay in the currency.
It is not just energy prices that have risen exponentially, but food prices, too. Ukraine is the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil and is also a major producer of maize and wheat. The UN Food Prices Index, which measures the average prices of staple foods, reported that food prices are at their highest in 60 years, when records began.
East End resident Rachel who was diagnosed with cancer and who also cares for her severely disabled son with a spinal injury is struggling with the cost of food. She said: “How are we supposed to eat with food costs rising not by a penny but by 80 per cent? We are eating the bare minimum and living on basic food, which affects my health and that of my son. Luckily it's summer so I don’t use the lights. In the late evening I don’t turn on the lights and if I watch TV I use that as the light. I’m charging up my key meter to over £120 a month for me and my son – and that’s just electricity. I’m paying more for gas because I need to keep warm, even in the summer, due to our medical problems. I can’t bear to think how we are going to keep warm when the cold weather arrives.”
The UK's prime minister, Boris Johnson, is facing calls to step down over the "partygate" scandal. Reuters
Rachel and her son are just one of many thousands of families across the UK who cannot afford to eat. A survey by YouGov, a leading pollster, suggests that of the 10,674 adults questioned, one in seven were living in homes where people have skipped meals or reduced sizes due to expense. The Office for National Statistics reported that almost 90 per cent of households stated that their cost of living had increased in March as a result of rises in fuel, food and borrowing costs.
The cost of living crisis is all about survival. Millions of households have been plunged into debt, leaving many at risk of losing their homes and livelihoods, and affecting their mental and physical wellbeing. Dr Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians said: “The cost of living crisis has barely begun, so the fact that one in two are already experiencing worsening health should sound alarm bells, especially at a time when our health service is under more pressure than ever before.”
Earlier this month, Tory MP Lee Anderson – who earns £84,144 – said he had proven that people can make meals for 30 pence, demeaning the struggles of British families. Boris Johnson’s Government has been heavily criticised by all sides of the political spectrum, including some Tory MPs, for his catastrophic failure to address the escalating cost of living in the UK.
The question is why should a family in Britain go to such lengths to survive when the Conservative government breaks Covid-19 rules that they created, while lecturing poor families to live within their means?
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer visits a food bank in Glasgow. Getty
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey was the first party leader to call for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies over seven months ago, demanding that their excess profits help vulnerable people with spiralling energy bills. Even Tory MP Julian Knight said the Prime Minister needs to “wake up” and listen to his party on tackling the rising cost of energy. Engulfed in its own “partygate” Covid-19 rule-breaking saga, the Prime Minister and his Chancellor scrambled to announce a new package of emergency measures on Thursday, which intends to target pensioners, the poorest and the “squeezed middle” households.
The UK’s increasing cost of living crisis has been caused by multiple issues occurring simultaneously, including Brexit, Covid-19, the Ukraine crisis, rising taxes and inflation, all of which have impacted the price of essential items and services pushing people into poverty.
They say that we should look for opportunities out of crises. It's time for the UK Government to stop doing so. It is time to look for opportunities to take our struggling children and young people, our families, our older citizens and all our communities out of this fear of whether we turn the lights on or not, whether we keep warm and what we eat. To the UK government I say: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany - At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people - Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed - Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest - He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), EsekaiaDranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), JaenBotes (Exiles), KristianStinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), EmosiVacanau (Harlequins), NikoVolavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), ThinusSteyn (Exiles)
Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.
Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.
The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.
