Transport Secretary resigns after old conviction emerges

📍Top line: Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has resigned after admitting to pleading guilty to an offence related to providing incorrect information to the police about a work mobile phone in 2013.

Key Points:

• Incident Details:

  • In 2013, Haigh reported a mugging and listed her work mobile phone among stolen items.

  • She later discovered the phone at home but did not immediately notify her employer, which she described as a "mistake."

• Resignation Statement:

  • Haigh called the issue a "distraction" from her ability to deliver on the government’s agenda.

  • She expressed regret for the error in her resignation letter.

• Response from Sir Keir Starmer:

  • The Labour leader thanked Haigh for her contributions to the government’s transport agenda and expressed confidence in her future contributions.

Restaurants under fire for serving ready meals

📍Top line: Restaurant chains in the UK are under scrutiny for serving processed "ready meals" to children instead of freshly prepared dishes, according to a study by the Soil Association. The food and farming charity highlighted widespread use of ultra-processed ingredients and a lack of transparency about meal preparation in popular chains.

Key Findings:

• Processed Meals Prevalent: Chains like Bella Italia, Prezzo, and TGI Fridays were found to reheat pre-made pasta sauces and other items rather than preparing meals from scratch on-site.

• Best and Worst Performers:

  • Top-rated: Wahaca ranked highest for offering freshly prepared meals at lower prices.

  • Bottom-ranked: Franco Manca was criticised for its lack of vegetables on children’s menus and a lack of transparency in sourcing and food preparation.

• Healthier Choices Limited: Only Wagamama, Nando’s, and Leon provided children’s menus without artificially sweetened or sugary drinks.

• Bella Italia’s Defense: A spokesperson defended its menu, citing freshly prepared pasta and pizza options, with sauces made to the chain’s recipes by suppliers.

Elsewhere in business:

☕ Typhoo Tea, a 120-year-old British brand, has entered administration following a sharp decline in sales, widening losses, and rising debts. Typhoo's pre-tax losses widened to £38m for the year ending September 2023, with sales falling to £25.3m from £33.7m. The company’s turnaround efforts were impacted by damage to its former factory in Moreton, Merseyside, caused by trespassers.

✈️ Spain has fined five low-cost airlines—Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian, and Volotea—a total of £150 million for "abusive practices" such as charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations. Ryanair received the largest fine of £90 million, followed by Vueling with £33 million and easyJet with £24 million. The fines aim to deter airlines from continuing these practices, with consumer associations encouraging passengers to claim reimbursement for these charges.

Housing affordability gradually improving

📍 Top line: Housing affordability in the UK is gradually improving as wage growth outpaces modest house price inflation, according to new research from Halifax. Despite high interest rates, the house price-to-income ratio has slightly decreased, indicating a shift towards more affordable homeownership.

Key Points:

• Affordability Gains: The house price-to-income ratio fell to 6.55, down from 6.62 last year, as wages for full-time workers grew by 5% to an average of £44,667, while house prices increased 3.8% to £292,508.

• Regional Variations:

  • Most affordable regions: Northern Ireland, Scotland, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

  • Least affordable region: South East, with a ratio of 8.96.

• Local Extremes:

  • Most affordable area: Kingston upon Hull (East Yorkshire), followed by Burnley and Blackpool.

  • Least affordable area: Elmbridge (Surrey), with a house price-to-earnings ratio of 17.54.

Elsewhere in the economy:

💷 Former Chancellor George Osborne has shared in a £30 million payout at Robey Warshaw, the boutique investment bank he joined as a partner in April 2021. The firm's profits rose to £70 million for the year ending March 2024, with Osborne and two other partners dividing £30 million, while co-founder Sir Simon Robey received £40.5 million.

🚨 Net migration to the UK reached a record 906,000 in the year to June 2023, significantly higher than previously estimated, according to revised figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised the Conservatives for what he termed an “open-borders experiment,” pointing to the sharp rise in net migration as evidence of mismanagement before Labour came to power.

Dior has opened applications to its 2025 Sales Internship in London. Successful applicants will receive training to develop the highest standards of customer service, product training and have the opportunity to work at the firm’s Selfridges concession. Applicants must have a desire to develop a career in luxury retail and be able to work full-time on the sixth-month scheme. Apply now here.

Gen Z spends record six hours daily online

📍Top line: Young adults are spending more time online than ever, averaging six hours and one minute daily in 2024, according to Ofcom. The surge is driven by the growing popularity of TikTok and Snapchat among Gen Z.

• Rising Screen Time: Gen Z's online time jumped from four hours and 36 minutes last year to over six hours this year.

• Gender Gap: Gen Z women spend 6 hours 36 minutes online daily, compared to 5 hours 28 minutes for men.

• App Trends: TikTok use increased to 64 minutes daily, up from 55 minutes, while Snapchat averaged 55 minutes.

• Wider Impact: The average UK adult now spends 4 hours 20 minutes online, with women clocking in 33 minutes more daily than men.

Ofcom also noted a rise in AI use, with over half of children aged 8-15 using tools like ChatGPT for schoolwork. The watchdog plans to enforce new rules against online harms next year, with further protections for women and girls set for 2025.

Elsewhere in tech:

🇺🇸 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has met with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, signalling a notable shift in their previously frosty relationship. Historically distant, with Trump barred from Meta platforms after the Capitol riots and issuing threats against Zuckerberg over alleged election interference, the meeting marks a potential turning point.

📺 Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News has solidified its dominance in the US cable news landscape, capturing nearly 75% of the total audience following Donald Trump’s re-election. Viewership on the conservative channel surged 40% since the November 5 election, while left-leaning competitors MSNBC and CNN saw declines of 38% and 27%, respectively.

👨‍🍳 TV presenter Gregg Wallace has announced his departure from MasterChef following misconduct allegations involving inappropriate sexual comments. The BBC received complaints, including claims from 13 individuals who worked with Wallace over a 17-year period, according to a BBC News investigation. The allegations include remarks made on multiple shows, with one of the accusers being journalist and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Kirsty Wark.

🎾 Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, ranked World No. 2, has been handed a one-month ban after testing positive for trimetazidine, a prohibited substance which increases blood flow. The ITIA ruled she bore “no significant fault,” proving the banned substance came from a jet lag supplement. Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, missed a number of key tournaments but has since returned to competition.

🍿 Richard Curtis, the writer and director of the 1999 romantic comedy "Notting Hill," revealed plans for a short sequel in which the lead characters, portrayed by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, would face divorce proceedings. Curtis intended this 10-minute special for a charity event like Comic Relief, aiming to depict the couple's separation and eventual reconciliation. However, Roberts opposed the concept, considering it a "very poor idea," leading to the project's abandonment.