The Post Office is proposing a big hike in the fees that banks pay to allow their customers to access its network as it attempts to secure additional funding to boost postmasters’ pay.
Sky News understands that more than two dozen banks and building societies are considering a proposal submitted to them recently by the Post Office that would see the next banking framework costing them between £350m and £400m annually – up from about £250m-a-year under the current deal.
Banking sources said the roughly 30 high street lenders were due to respond to the Post Office’s proposal in the early part of the spring.
A deal costing the banks at least £350m a year is expected to be finalised by the autumn, the sources added.
The additional proceeds from the next agreement, which expires at the end of this year, will be used in part to strengthen the new deal for sub-postmasters unveiled by Post Office chairman Nigel Railton in November.
Under the banking framework agreement, the 30 banks and mutuals’ customers can access the Post Office’s 11,500 branches for a range of services, including depositing and withdrawing cash.
The service is particularly valuable to those who still rely on physical cash after a decade in which 6,000 bank branches have been closed across Britain.
In 2023, more than £10bn worth of cash was withdrawn over the counter and £29bn in cash was deposited over the counter, the Post Office said last year.
A new agreement with the banks will come at a critical time for the Post Office, whose new leadership team is trying to place it on a sustainable long-term footing.
Reliant on an annual government subsidy, the reputation of the network’s previous management team was left in tatters by the Horizon IT scandal and the wrongful conviction of hundreds of sub-postmasters.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “Our partnership with 30 banks and building societies ensures that no one who relies on cash is left behind, made possible by our postmasters in almost every community of the country.
The prime minister is visiting Norway to launch a new green energy deal before attending a defence summit in Estonia.
Sir Keir Starmer will travel to a carbon capture and storage site and meet his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store to discuss the new Green Industrial Partnership.
Number 10 said both leaders intend to sign the deal in spring 2025.
Read more: Major shake-up of UK energy system could ‘lower bills for good’
Sir Keir said the energy partnership with Norway, which has a border with Russia, would help to boost growth and protect against spikes in international energy prices like those seen when President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“It will harness the UK’s unique potential to become a world leader in carbon capture – from the North Sea to the coastal south – reigniting industrial heartlands and delivering on our plan for change,” he said.
“Our partnership with Norway will make the UK more energy secure, ensuring we are never again exposed to international energy price spikes and the whims of dictators like Putin.”
The announcement comes days after Labour signed the first carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) contracts in the UK.
Read more: Labour has decided its colossal net zero plan is worth the risk
Carbon capture is seen by some as a way of tackling climate change, by removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it away.
Its critics, however, argue it allows big polluters to carry on polluting and it is much more efficient to simply reduce emissions in the first place.
The first major commercial floating wind development in Europe, based off the northeast coast of Scotland, also announced new contracts to progress the project.
It is estimated the plant, which is a joint venture between Norwegian Vargronn and UK firm Flotation Energy, will deliver power to about one million homes when it starts operating in 2028.
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Mr Gahr Store said: “We need co-operation, knowledge and innovation to better equip us to face the future.
“The partnership with the UK will be important to facilitate more green jobs both in Norway and the UK, and for advancing the green transition.”
The prime minister’s whistlestop tour through Norway and Estonia will see him join leaders from the Netherlands, Latvia, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Lithuania in Tallinn to discuss security.
Meanwhile, back in the UK, foreign secretary David Lammy and defence secretary John Healey will meet their Australian counterparts in London to discuss shared security challenges.
They will discuss cooperation on issues including Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
Bar staff will be trained to deal with incidents of drink spiking under government plans to tackle violence against women and girls.
Workers in the night-time economy will be instructed on how to spot and prevent cases as well as help “collect evidence” under a new pilot programme to be rolled out from December, Number 10 announced.
The plan is for up to 10,000 bar staff across the country to be trained by spring next year.
Further details will be discussed at a meeting in Downing Street on Monday between the prime minister and chief constables, transport bosses and industry executives.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “My government was elected on a pledge to take back our streets, and we will never achieve this if women and girls do not feel safe at night.
“Today, I will bring together police chiefs, heads of industry and transport bosses to demand coordinated action to stop women being targeted, whether they are out with friends or simply travelling home.”
He added: “Cracking down on spiking is central to that mission.
“We know it can be incredibly difficult for victims to come forward to report this awful crime, and these cases can be very hard to prosecute. We must do more to bring the vile perpetrators who carry out this cowardly act, usually against young women and often to commit a sexual offence, to justice.”
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2:36
December 2023: Drink spiking laws to be modernised
Read More: What are the symptoms of spiking? Kate McCann reveals ‘brazen’ spiking incident Mum’s warning after video of daughter unable to walk or speak
The Labour Party pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there has been little detail about it since.
Spiking is already a crime that falls under assault, but campaigners say creating a specific offence will help stamp it out by showing a “zero tolerance” approach.
London’s Metropolitan Police said reports of spiking increased by 13% in 2023, with 1,383 allegations.
Sir Keir reaffirmed his commitment to the manifesto pledge on Monday, which the government says is part of its promise to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.
It is unclear when the legislation will be introduced, but ministers and officials are understood to be working to bring it forward as soon as possible.
Monday’s meeting will also hear about tactics already being deployed by police, with 20 forces in England and Wales sending plain clothes officers to areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour.
Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, of British Transport Police, will highlight the relaunch of the text-to-report number, 61016, which is now free across all major networks and invites women to contact the force for help in the event of harassment on the train.
Other figures attending the meeting include Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality and chairwoman of the Institute of Licensing, and Chief Constable Maggie Blythe, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for VAWG.
The UK is “not the target” of potential US tariffs after Donald Trump’s presidential election victory, a trade expert has told Sky News.
Duncan Edwards, the chief executive of BritishAmerican Business, said Mr Trump‘s return to the White House could also mean fresh free trade agreement talks with the US.
Discussions stalled under Joe Biden due to the current president’s concerns over Northern Ireland and the legality of post-Brexit regulations.
President-elect Trump has frequently mentioned his support for trade tariffs.
He said they could increase revenues, and also encourage internal US trade rather than using international markets.
“Well, the first thing to say is the UK is not the target,” Mr Edwards said.
“And there will be an opportunity for the UK to re-enter trade negotiations as they did four years ago.
“And let’s see if they’re practical and agile about how they approach that process… they have a chance of an agreement.”
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1:34
What are ‘Trumponomics’?
Mr Trump wants to impose the highest tariffs on China.
He said before he won the 5 November election that he would raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 60% and impose a “universal” tax of at least 10% on imports from other countries.
One US governor – Democrat Phil Murphy of New Jersey – believes Mr Trump will not impose tariffs on the UK.
Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Treasury minister Darren Jones said the UK was considering “lots of different scenarios”.
He added that his government’s position was to “support free trade” – including between the United States and United Kingdom.
Mr Jones said: “It’s a very strong, very fruitful relationship, both for us but also for the American economy and of course we want to protect that and strengthen it in the years ahead.”
He added: “And I think President-elect Trump has said that.
“He recognises the important relationship the US has with the UK, and that’s the basis on which we will be co-operating in future years.”
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Read more: Trump’s unpredictability takes UK into unknown Trump’s top team: Who is in – and who could be in?
There were several rounds of free trade negotiations between the UK and the US under the last Trump administration.
However, with President Biden pulling support for such a deal, the UK has in the meantime signed agreements with various states, including Texas and Florida.
Talk of a trade deal with the US might raise the spectre of issues like “chlorinated chicken” being allowed into the UK.
Mr Edwards said that, due to the wide support Mr Trump has in agricultural areas, any deal would likely need to allow US food products into the UK – and vice versa.
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“That’s where the political difficulty will be,” he said – while insisting US food was safe.
He said chlorinated chicken was “a shorthand”, and that the difference between food standards was “not a safety issue” and would make groceries cheaper.
TGI Fridays will remain on UK high streets after a rescue deal was secured for the restaurant chain – but more than 1,000 staff have lost their jobs.
Thirty-five restaurants are closing immediately after they were not included in the sale, resulting in 1,012 redundancies.
However, 51 sites have been rescued in the sale to Breal Capital and Calveton, a day after Sky News reported a deal was being finalised.
It means nearly 2,400 jobs have been saved across the chain.
Trade union Unite said on X that staff had been shut out of restaurants with padlocks on the doors changed, while others were invited to a video call with members of the head office with one hour’s notice.
Other workers said they had not been told whether or not they will be paid, according to the trade union.
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TFI Fridays’ parent company Hostmore said it was filing for administration last month due to debt problems.
The restaurants being saved are:
Bluewater
Trafford Centre
Meadowhall
Aberdeen Union Square
Metrocentre
Basildon
Glasgow Fort
Milton Keynes Stadium
Braehead
Wembley
Birmingham NEC
Glasgow
Junction 27
Castleford
Lakeside Quay
Teesside
Bolton
Norwich
St Davids
Doncaster
Lakeside
Fareham
Liverpool One
Stevenage
White Rose
Cribbs Causeway
Rushden Lakes
Stoke-on-Trent
Southampton
Silverburn
Watford Central
Aberdeen Beach
Braintree
Bournemouth
Stratford
High Wycombe
Cheshire Oaks
Walsall
Milton Keynes
Sheffield
Nottingham
Edinburgh
Coventry
Ashton-Under-Lyne
Telford
The O2
Staines
Crawley
Reading
Cheadle
Leicester Square.
Julie McEwan, chief executive of TGI Fridays UK, said: “The news today marks the start of a positive future for our business following a very challenging period for the casual dining sector as a whole.
“We are devastated for our colleagues who will be leaving TGIs and thank them for their loyalty and contribution during their time with us.
“We are doing everything possible to retain our team and support those impacted.”
New private equity owners Breal and Calveton jointly own upmarket restaurant chain D&D London, and between them have had investments in Byron Burger and wine bar chain Vinoteca.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to one count of espionage as part of a plea deal with US authorities.
His court appearance took place on the US territory of Saipan. He left the UK on Monday after being released on bail from Belmarsh high security jail.
Addressing the court, Assange said that he broke US law by encouraging classified leaks, but said he believed the Espionage Act violates free speech.
As per the deal, the judge sentenced Assange to time already served in a British prison and told him he would be able to leave court a free man.
The US request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on spying charges has been dropped and he is now on his way to his home country of Australia to be reunited with his wife Stella and their two children, Gabriel and Max.
Mrs Assange posted on X after her husband walked out of court: “Julian walks out of Saipan federal court a free man. I can’t stop crying.”
Image: Julian Assange, middle, leaves the court in Saipan. Pic: Reuters
Image: Julian Assange leaves the federal court. Pic: AP
WikiLeaks said Assange is expected to arrive in the Australian capital of Canberra at 6.41pm local time (9.41am GMT).
The 52-year-old arrived at court in a dark suit, with a loosened tie, after flying from Stansted Airport in London on a charter plane and stopping to refuel in Bangkok.
The flight cost him $500,000 (£394,000) with Mrs Assange calling for “emergency” donations to cover the “massive debt” for the jet.
She said her husband was “not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia” and any contribution would be “much appreciated”.
Inside court, Assange answered basic questions from judge Ms Manglona and appeared to listen intently as terms of the deal were discussed.
Read more: Timeline of Assange’s 13-year legal battle Plea deal marks end of a transatlantic tug of war Artist’s threat to destroy masterpieces ‘helped free Assange’
Image: Assange arriving at court. Pic: Reuters
Image: A map showing Julian Assange’s journey from the UK to Australia
As a condition of his plea, he will be required to destroy information that was provided to WikiLeaks.
Assange left court in a white SUV without speaking to reporters, but his lawyer Jennifer Robinson said it was because of support around the globe that “today’s outcome is possible”.
Image: Assange didn’t speak to reporters as he left court. Pic: Reuters
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0:45
Julian Assange’s father awaits son’s arrival
She said: “Julian has suffered for more than 14 years because of risk of extradition to the US… today he pleaded guilty to an offence for having published information in the public interest… this sets a dangerous precedent, this prosecution sets a dangerous precedent.”
Thanking Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ms Robinson said he “did what he needed to do to ensure Julian’s freedom”.
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2:36
Julian Assange released from prison
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Mr Albanese has publicly supported Assange as leader of the Australian Labour Party and as prime minister. He said in a statement earlier on Wednesday: “Regardless of what your views about Mr Assange’s activities, his case has dragged on for too long.
“There is nothing to be gained from his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.”
The hearing took place in Saipan – the US Commonwealth territory – because of Assange’s opposition to travelling to one of the 50 US states and the court’s proximity to Australia.
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The US department of justice said following his sentencing, Assange will leave the US and will be “prohibited from returning” without permission.
American prosecutors had alleged Assange put lives at risk when he helped former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files WikiLeaks put online in 2010.
He had been locked in a legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which included him entering the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 prior to his detention in Belmarsh – where he had been since May 2019.
UK Home Office spokesperson said this morning: “The US government has agreed to withdraw their extradition request for Julian Assange following his conviction in a US court on 26 June UK time. This longstanding extradition request has now been resolved.
“It is in our national interest to have effective extradition relationships. As is standard practice as soon as an extradition request is made it is dealt with on an individual basis in accordance with UK law.”
US authorities have agreed to drop their demand for Julian Assange to be extradited from the UK after reaching a plea deal with the WikiLeaks founder.
In return for pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, Assange will be sentenced to time served, 62 months – the time he has already spent in a British prison, according to court documents.
Once the guilty plea is accepted by a judge, the 52-year-old will be free to return to Australia, the country of his birth.
Read more: Timeline of Assange’s 13-year legal battle for freedom
American prosecutors had alleged that Assange put lives at risk when he helped former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks put online in 2010.
He has been locked in a legal battle in the UK over his extradition, which included him entering the Ecuadorean Embassy in London in 2012 prior to his detention in Belmarsh prison – where he has been since May 2019.
Image: Assange at the airport after leaving prison. Pic: WikiLeaks
‘Julian is free!’
In a post on X, WikiLeaks said Assange left Belmarsh on Monday morning after being granted bail by the High Court. By the afternoon he was at Stansted Airport where he boarded a plane and left the UK.
“After more than five years in a 2×3 metre cell, isolated 23 hours a day, he will soon reunite with his wife Stella Assange, and their children, who have only known their father from behind bars,” the organisation said.
Mrs Assange also took to social media, sharing a video montage of her husband in a car and then boarding a plane.
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She wrote: “Julian is free!!!!
“Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU – yes YOU, who have all mobilised for years and years to make this come true. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.”
Image: Stella Assange speaking in London on 26 March. Pic: PA
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1:55
Assange leaves UK after deal with USA
Assange’s plea and sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, local time (Tuesday evening UK time) on Saipan, one of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The hearing is taking place in the US Commonwealth territory because of Assange’s opposition to travelling to one of the 50 US states and the court’s proximity to Australia.
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Craig Murray, a friend of Assange, told Sky News the news was “absolutely wonderful”.
He said: “The whole family is totally elated that we have finally got an end to this terrible saga.”
Mr Murray said the entire ordeal has been “very taxing” on Assange with his imprisonment taking a toll on both his physical and mental health.
Analysis: Plea deal marks end of a transatlantic tug of war
He added: “We are lucky that he is a very resilient man and he will recover and we will get our Julian fully back.”
More than a decade-long fight
Assange has been fighting extradition to the US for more than a decade.
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3:00
Who is Julian Assange?
In a January 2021 ruling, then district judge Vanessa Baraitser said he should not be sent to the US, citing a real and “oppressive” risk of suicide, while ruling against him on all other issues.
Later that year, US authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way towards Assange’s extradition.
Why has the US dropped the extradition demand?
The US formally asked the UK to extradite Julian Assange to face charges that he conspired to hack government computers and violated an espionage law in 2019.
After five years, this request has been dropped, with the US having come to a plea deal with the WikiLeaks founder – but why now?
Former CIA chief of staff, Larry Pfeiffer, says it is not unusual for these sorts of espionage cases to be adjudicated through plea deals.
“In these sorts of cases justice may not be the only issue that needs to be dealt with,” he told Sky News.
Mr Pfeiffer said if the case ever went to trial it would have risked “sources and methods” that the US military and government use being exposed.
“[This case] also served as a thorn in UK-US relations and US-Australian relations,” he added.
“It was creating issues surrounding what we all love, which is liberty and freedom of the case. By resolving this we resolved some of those troublesome issues.”
Mr Pfeiffer says overall he thinks the plea deal is a “win, win”.
In June 2022, the UK government approved the extradition of Assange to the US, with then home secretary Priti Patel having signed the extradition order.
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In February of this year, he made one final attempt under UK law to avoid being sent to the US.
In March, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed most of Assange’s legal arguments – but said unless assurances were given by the US, he would be able to bring an appeal on three grounds.
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These assurances were that Assange would be protected by and allowed to rely on the First Amendment – which protects freedom of speech in the US – that he would not be “prejudiced at trial” due to his nationality, and that the death penalty would not be imposed.
Three months later, in May, two High Court judges ruled that he would be allowed to appeal against being extradited,would not face the death penalty and that he could rely on the First Amendment if he faced a trial for spying.
The Australian government said it continues to provide consular assistance to Assange.
“Prime Minister Albanese has been clear – Mr Assange’s case has dragged on for too long and there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration,” a spokesperson said.
Morrisons has agreed to sell its petrol forecourts to Motor Fuel Group (MFG) as part of a £2.5bn deal that will also help drive the provision of electric vehicle charging.
The supermarket chain and MFG – both majority-owned by US private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) – confirmed the agreement months after Sky News first reported on the infancy of the talks.
The deal will see Morrisons’ 337 fuel forecourts acquired by MFG, along with 400 other sites nationwide for the development of ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging.
Morrisons also takes a 20% stake in MFG under the proposals, which will allow the formation of a strategic partnership.
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Morrisons said the transaction would not result in any compulsory redundancies.
A statement also committed to supermarket-style fuel pricing, which is typically market-leading, amid sharp criticism of the industry from the competition regulator last year.
The sector was found to have overcharged customers in 2022, prompting the creation of a price transparency mechanism.
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1:38
What happens to fossil fuel jobs?
“Value-for-money supermarket fuel will remain the offering on Morrisons forecourts, with the Morrisons brand above the door,” the company said.
“Morrisons will continue to supply food and groceries across the 337 Morrisons petrol forecourts, with the opportunity to expand its supply into the MFG estate over the medium term through its fast-growing wholesale operation.
“MFG will invest and install ultra-rapid EV charging infrastructure across the sites acquired by MFG, significantly expanding MFG’s market leading nationwide EV network.
“MFG is targeting the installation of 800 ultra-rapid 150kW EV chargers, in hubs, within the first five years alone. These chargers can add 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes.”
The statement added: “The proposed transaction will create significant synergies across fuel retail and ancillary services, as well as scale advantages and growth opportunities for both businesses.”
If completed, it will echo a deal announced last year that saw Asda acquiring EG Group’s petrol stations in the UK and Ireland.
Morrisons was expected to use a significant chunk of the proceeds of the deal to pay down part of its £5.7bn debt pile and allow wider investment in areas such as convenience shopping.
CD&R’s £7bn takeover of Morrisons in 2021 was scrutinised by competition regulators partly on the basis of the buyout firm’s existing ownership of MFG.
The Competition and Markets Authority ruled that the sale of 87 of MFG’s petrol forecourts would be sufficient to alleviate its concerns.
The BBC is selling its Elstree Centre – including the famous EastEnders set – as it continues to find ways to make millions in savings.
The BBC has exchanged contracts with Axa Investment Managers for the 16-acre site in Hertfordshire, which includes seven stages as well as workshop, office and post-production facilities.
However, the corporation has agreed to lease part of the studio campus for 25 years – meaning EastEnders will still be filmed on site.
BBC Elstree Centre was the first of several similar complexes in the area, which are collectively known as Elstree Studios.
The value of the sale has not been revealed, but the broadcaster is currently looking to find £500m in annual savings. It was reportedly looking for £70m, according to a BBC news report.
Alan Dickson, the BBC’s chief financial officer, said the sale was part of an ongoing review of the BBC’s property portfolio in order to provide the best value for licence fee payers.
“As part of the sale, the EastEnders site has been secured on a long-term lease and Elstree will continue to be the home of Albert Square,” he said.
“Moreover, AXA’s investment ensures the Elstree site remains a fantastic asset for the UK’s creative economy.”
The sale comes two years after the BBC finished rebuilding the EastEnders set at a cost of £87m, which was £27m over budget.
Last summer, Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer bought the corporation’s famous Maida Vale Studios in London in a partnership with three film producers.
And in November it was announced that Newsnight was being cut by 30 minutes and losing more than half its staff.
Image: Maida Vale Studios was bought by Hans Zimmer in 2023
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BBC Elstree Centre was originally created as a film studio for Neptune Films in 1914 and converted for use as a television studio in 1960.
It was sold to the BBC in 1984 as the production base and set to launch EastEnders and has previously been used for shows including Children In Need, Casualty, and Top Of The Pops.
The wider Elstree Studios is one of the world’s most famous film and television production campuses in the world, where blockbusters such as Star Wars have been filmed, and is not included in the sale.
John O’Driscoll, global co-head of real estate at AXA IM Alts, said the company aimed to continue the legacy of producing “celebrated films and television series”.
“With the signing of BBC Elstree Centre we will be acquiring one of the oldest working TV and film studios in the UK, with a history dating back almost 110 years,” he said.
“The structure of the transaction allows the BBC to continue its production on the site for at least another 25 years, while providing us with the opportunity to invest in the site to create new world-class studios.”
Mr O’Driscoll said the move was “underpinned by increasing demand from an ever-broader array of production houses, content creators and broadcasters”, coupled with a limited supply of high-quality modern film and production space, “particularly in and around London where new construction is hindered by a lack of available land in the right locations”.
