31 Aug 2023

UK: Air traffic chaos, Foreign Secretary in China, Nadine Dorries finally resigns

From Nine To Noon, 9:45 am on 31 August 2023

UK correspondent Dan Bloom joins Kathryn to look at the flight chaos in the UK after an air traffic control glitch caused the cancellation of thousands of flights.

He'll also talk about James Cleverly's visit to China - it's the first visit by a Foreign Secretary in five years and comes amid mounting frustration among many Tory MPs that the government's policy on China is too soft. And the Mid-Bedfordshire by-election will finally be held after Boris Johnson-ally Nadine Dorries kept her promise to resign...months late.

Could the safe Tory seat fall to the opposition - and in that case, which one? The battle is on between Labour and the Lib Dems.

Dan Bloom is deputy editor of Politico London Playbook

Cancelled flights are displayed on a departures board at Stansted Airport, north of London, on August 29, 2023 after UK flights were delayed over a technical issue. Flights to and from the UK were experiencing disruptions after Britain's air traffic control systems were temporarily hit by a technical fault. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said it had "identified and remedied" a technical issue which forced it to impose traffic flow restrictions. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP)

Photo: AFP / Daniel Leal