When social care is put in private hands | Letters
As someone who has worked in children’s homes since the 1960s and who is part of a community of people who have experience of generally good children’s homes, I don’t expect the government’s proposed reforms will have the desired effect (Overhaul of children’s social care in England will crack down on firms’ profiteering, 18 November),When care was put in the hands of profit-driven providers and local authorities and charities stopped providing the homes that some ran well in the past, what did we think would happen?When social workers are so restricted in time and resources that they are forced to turn to shameless profiteers to accommodate children who need a home, love and childcare expertise, why are we shocked that children are not getting the support they need?And what makes us think that “quality” can be injected into children’s homes by requiring them to comply with ill-conceived rules and regulations? Regulation that is more to do with the protection of policy and decision-makers than with the love, care and wellbeing provided by a good children’s home,Cost itself is not the issue,The security and community that good children’s homes created remain, even if the buildings are gone,They understand their purpose and stick to it.
Over time, they cost our society comparatively little and benefit us all,John BurtonTiverton, Devon Heather Stewart writes that improving working conditions at the coalface of social care is more important than the drive to cap consumers’ costs (Talks are a good place to start task of improving the UK’s social care, 17 November),But the funding crisis is so desperate that the first question asked of those who need it is whether they have the money to pay for it,If they do have savings, then however severe their need for medical care – which should be paid for by the NHS – they will invariably end up paying all the fees for their care home place, at a cost of thousands of pounds a month,When their savings run out, the council then pays.
The culture of collusion between councils and the NHS that has grown out of chronic underfunding has tainted assessments of people’s needs,It’s time for this to be dragged from under the carpet,Janet MaitlandLondon Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it,A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays,
Jaguar boss defends new ad and rebrand amid ‘vile hatred’ online
The boss of Jaguar has defended the company’s move away from “traditional automotive stereotypes” after a clip of its new advert was met with a barrage of “vile hatred and intolerance” online.This week, Jaguar Land Rover, the luxury UK carmaker owned by India’s Tata Motors, posted a 30-second clip on X featuring models in brightly coloured clothing set against equally vibrant backdrops, without a car or the company’s traditional cat logo.“If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we’ll just get drowned out. So we shouldn’t turn up like an auto brand,” Jaguar’s managing director, Rawdon Glover told the Financial Times of the company’s “copy nothing” campaign.The new ad and rebrand prompted a backlash with more than 100,000 comments, including from the platform’s chief executive, Elon Musk who responded: “Do you sell cars?”In response, Glover said, “Yes
Energy bills, mortgages, food: will cost of living surge again under Labour?
Labour swept to power in the wake of a cost of living crisis that hit households hard, with the price of food and energy rocketing alongside the impact of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget on mortgage rates.At 2.3%, inflation is nowhere the 10% peak after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it is creeping up, and could hit 3% in 2025, say forecasters.Here are some of the pressures households are likely to face in the coming months at a time when the government claims to be “fixing the foundations” of the economy.Ofgem announced its latest price cap on Friday morning, with average energy bills to increase by 1
Wire cutters: how the world’s vital undersea data cables are being targeted
The lead-clad telegraphic cable seemed to weigh tons, according to Lt Cameron Winslow of the US navy, and the weather wasn’t helping their attempts to lift it up from the seabed and sever it. “The rough water knocked the heavy boats together, breaking and almost crushing in their planking,” he wrote.Eventually, Winslow’s men managed to cut the cable with hacksaws and disrupt the enemy’s communications by slicing off a 46-metre (150ft) section.This was in 1898 off the cost of Cuba during the Spanish-American war. More than a century later, subsea communications cables remain a target during times of geopolitical tension
Tesla’s path in China clears as Musk courts both Trump and Xi
Billionaire CEO is well connected in the US and China, something that could smooth the road ahead for the electric vehicle maker amid a looming tariff warIf it pays to have friends in high places, few among us can claim to be better placed than Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and one of the only people to have cosy relationships with both Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. His commercial and political connections to both may prove pivotal as the feud between the US and China plays out over the next four years, particularly as Trump promises steep tariffs.Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, once supported Joe Biden. But his relationship with the current US president soured over the past four years as, among other insults, Musk felt that the White House gave Telsa, his car and green energy company, “the cold shoulder”. Trump, meanwhile, has described Tesla as “incredible” even while pledging to do away with subsidies for electric vehicles
India reap the rewards of patience after Australia hit the brakes | Geoff Lemon
Imagine you’re doing the Keanu Reeves bit in Speed. You’re on a bus that can’t drop below 50 miles an hour or it will explode. It’s high-octane stuff, even if the bus is running on diesel. You have to avoid collisions, do sick jumps, kindle a romance with Sandra Bullock. But then imagine there’s a change in script
Australia v India: first men’s Test, day two – as it happened
That’s all from us today, thanks for your company and correspondence. Time to knock this OBO cat humanely on its rock hard head. We’ll be back for day three tomorrow for what is normally known as ‘moving day’ although India have already manoeuvred themselves into a commanding position in Perth. Toodles!Here is Geoff Lemon’s report of day two of the first Test:While we wait for the full report of day two in Perth, here’s one Barney Ronay made earlier:That’s yer lot. What a day for India, they finish day two in the ascendancy with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten opening partnership making the Aussies toil
Electric shock: carmakers battle strict UK electric car rules as big fines loom
UK private sector is contracting as firms give ‘thumbs down’ to the budget, hitting pound – as it happened
Spain fines budget airlines including Ryanair total of €179m
Budget blamed for first contraction in private sector for a year
Bitcoin rises after SEC chair says he is to step down when Trump is inaugurated
The fierce reaction to Australia’s new Future Fund mandate reflects how much has changed since 2006 | John Quiggin