The Spectator

Portrait of the week: Rise in sick leave, more rights for renters and moving mountains

issue 20 May 2023

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The number of people not working due to long-term sickness rose to a record 2.5 million, many with mental sickness or back pain, according to the Office for National Statistics. Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said that income tax could be cut by 2p in the pound if Britons who had left the workforce during the pandemic returned to work.

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