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       1. Boris Johnson: Unions are harming those they are meant to help

       Boris Johnson has accused trade unions of “harming the very people they claim to be helping” as Britain faces the biggest rail strikes in 30 years.

       In his strongest intervention on the walkout, the Prime Minister rejected demands for a pay rise of at least seven per cent and dismissed suggestions by union bosses that this could be paid for through fares. Read the full story.

       2. Seeing a GP remotely is greener, says NHS

       Having fewer face-to-face GP appointments is good for the environment because it saves pollution from people travelling to the doctor, the NHS has said.

       Remote appointments saved around 276 kilotonnes (kt) of CO2 emissions “principally” from avoided journeys over the last year, Dr Nick Watts, the head of sustainability at the NHS, told a recent conference. Read the full story.

       3. Labour frontbenchers banned from picket lines

       Labour frontbenchers have been told they are banned from picket lines, as a transport union begins three days of strikes that will cripple rail networks.

       Shadow cabinet members and their aides have been urged to "show leadership" and stay away from protests, amid major disruption to train and London Underground services on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Read the full story.

       4. BBC lets Lewis Goodall leave Newsnight ‘to solve Left-wing bias’

       BBC bosses believe they have solved the problem of perceived Left-wing bias on Newsnight, after Lewis Goodall announced he was leaving to join Emily Maitlis at a commercial rival.

       The Telegraph understands that the corporation did not make a counter-offer when Goodall, the programme’s policy editor, told them he had been approached by Global. Read the full story.

       5. NHS pay demands would gobble up ￡4.8bn from National Insurance rise

       NHS pay demands could wipe ￡4.8 billion off the additional funding from the National Insurance rise, an analysis by The Telegraph has found.

       A number of the biggest health service unions have now threatened to consider strike action unless their requests are met, with the largest increase a 22 per cent rise demanded by junior doctors. Read the full story.

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