Your commercial news round-up: Jeremy Clarkson, warm banks, refugees, Boris Johnson, airport restrictions

Reading time: three minutes 

Jeremy Clarkson is under fire for “vile” and “abusive” comments aimed at the Duchess of Sussex, warm banks are popping up across the UK, the high court has found the deportation of migrants to Rwanda to be legal, Boris Johnson is still bringing home the bacon through extortionate public speaking payments, and the day where you can take a two-litre bottle of water or a full-sized shampoo on a plane is finally coming. Our final commercial news round-up of 2022 is here, so put the star on top of your Christmas tree, and these crucial stories on the top of your radar. 

• Jeremy Clarkson has come under fierce criticism after a column he wrote for The Sun detailed how he dreams of the day Meghan Markle “is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘shame’, and throw lumps of excrement at her”. The column was released after the Queen Consort hosted a lunch attended by two of the Duchess of Sussex’s most vocal critics, Clarkson and Piers Morgan. The day after the lunch, Netflix released the three final episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s documentary series which highlights their experiences within the royal family. The following day The Sun published Clarkson’s column which details how he “hates” the duchess. Clarkson’s comments, which have been labelled as “vile” and “abusive” by social media, and “a blatant appeal to incite humiliation and violence” by John Bishop, have also been shamed by his own daughter Emily, who took to social media to state she stands against everything her father wrote.  

• A report by Save the Children has revealed more than half of councils in England and Wales are rolling out warm banks where those struggling to afford putting the heating on can shelter from the cold. Of the 355 councils in England and Wales, 194 are directly involved in, or supporting, local groups in opening warm spaces, while 143 are working to set up warm bank initiatives. Warm spaces are being created within libraries, theatres, art galleries, museums, children’s centres and various religious buildings to help those dealing with the financial turmoil caused by the cost-of-living crisis. Dan Paskins, director of UK Impact at Save the Children, said: “It’s totally unacceptable that in modern Britain we need a vast network of warm banks to get us through the winter. We need a permanent solution to this energy crisis. The scale of preparations under way to provide warm spaces this winter shows how communities and councils are doing their best to help people through these tough times. Now we need the government to match this commitment, step up and do their job.” 

• The UK government’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal, high court rules. Lord Justice Lewis found that the Conservative government’s plans to deport migrants to Rwanda are consistent with the Refugee Convention, Human Rights Act, and other legal obligations, The Independent reports. He remarked that although the policy had been the “subject of considerable debate, the role of the court is only to ensure that the law is properly understood and observed and that the rights guaranteed by parliament are respected”. Raza Husain KC, a representative of a group of claimants indicated that they’re considering appealing the ruling, with applications for permission to appeal to be considered at a hearing on 16 January.  

• Boris Johnson has made more than £1 million from just four speaking engagements in the past two months since leaving No 10. His speeches include £277,723 from Centerview investment bankers in New York, £261,652 from the Hindustan Times in India, £215,275 from Televisão Independente for a speech in Lisbon and £276,000 from insurance brokers in the US. The former prime minister also received more than £40,000 in free accommodation from Conservative donor Lord Bamford, as reported in the Guardian. 

• The biggest shake-up of airport security rules in decades is on its way for passengers flying from the UK. The government has set a deadline of June 2024 for all UK airports to install new security technology that’ll see the end of the 100ml rule, and the need to remove electricals from carry-on bags. Not only will this change mean greater convenience for travellers, as the need for numerous small bottles of liquid and repeated unpacking and repacking of bags in security queues is removed, but passenger safety will also be enhanced as airport security staff will have more detailed images of what passengers are carrying on board. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “By 2024, major airports across the UK will have the latest security tech installed, reducing queuing times, improving the passenger experience, and most importantly detecting potential threats.”

​