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Advance UK News Diary

November 7-13: COP27 climate summit and US midterm elections

Silhouetted person reading phone by a COP27 billboard
November 4, 2022
  • Slice 1

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News. Delivered to your inbox on Fridays.

Leading the week

The first full week of the COP27 summit begins in Sharm El-Sheikh as heads of state and government meet for the World Leaders Summit on Monday and Tuesday (November 7-8) to focus on key objectives around how countries are reducing their emissions, how they adapt to tackle climate change challenges, and debates around global climate finance. Numerous G20 leaders including Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak (eventually) and Emmanuel Macron have already confirmed their attendance at the conference, but China’s Xi Jinping is likely to be the grouping’s highest-profile absentee. The UN has already attempted to focus minds ahead of proceedings through its Emissions Gap report, warning delegates that progress on their agreed COP26 targets has so far been ‘woefully insufficient’, while Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the world ‘will be doomed’ without a ‘historic pact’ between rich and poor nations. The expectation, then, to hammer out landmark climate agreements over the next fortnight is already sizeable.

Biden will miss the leaders’ summit but arrives for Decarbonization Day on Friday (November 11), though his appearance could well be overshadowed by planned mass protests which have already seen Egyptian security forces make a number of arrests. The UK delegation is facing more direct pressure, as the family of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah have ramped up action in recent days pushing for his release ahead of the summit. El-Fattah, who has been on a hunger strike since April, will begin refusing water as well as the conference gets underway. His family have warned he could die during the summit, and that world leaders in attendance will have blood on their hands if they fail to act.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at COP26
Former UK Prime Minister addressed last year’s COP26 Summit in Glasgow

Once the leaders have gone, negotiators will get to work – look out for media activity focused around each day’s theme, as well as interventions from high-profile attendees and activists. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will both make an appearance, while Greta Thunberg will be noticeably absent, having criticised the summit as an opportunity for ‘greenwashing’ that won’t encourage systemic change.


Looking abroad

The midterm elections taking place in the US on Tuesday (November 8) will shape the remainder of President Joe Biden’s first term. Republicans are widely expected to seize control of the House of Representatives, which in and of itself will severely hamper the Biden administration’s ability to pass any major legislation. Losing control of the Senate – which Democrats only currently hold due to Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote – is also a real possibility with many key races tightening as the election approaches. Republicans have been relentless in their criticism over inflation, crime and immigration, and while Democrats have been hammering Republicans over the issue of abortion in particular, it’s unclear if they’ve done enough when it comes to firing up their base.

US Senate candidate John Fetterman

The outcome will almost certainly hinge on the results in the races in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina, though the contests in New Hampshire, Colorado, Washington, Florida and even Utah are worth watching for upsets. Beyond the Congressional races, governors are being elected in 36 states, and there’s a host of state referendums on issues including abortion, marijuana legalization, and voting rights.

For more details on the midterms, download the state-by-state guide from our US team, which tracks when the polls close and the key races to look out for that could determine control of the House and Senate.


 

Also look out for...

November 7

Strike action on Network Rail services

Civil servant strike ballot closes

Inquest into the Shoreham Airshow disaster opens

EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly meets in London

Closing submissions in Mermaids-LGB Alliance tribunal

National bird flu housing order in effect

November 8

Court of Appeal hears challenge to NI abortion services direction

Revised constituency proposals for England and Scotland published

Huw Pill at Lords committee session on UK labour supply

Means-tested cost of living payments begin

Wrexham Council discusses Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney freedom nominations

November 9

PMQs and Northern Ireland questions in the Commons

Second round of strike action on Network Rail services

Man sentenced over murder of Jacqueline Kirk

Media Freedom Awards

Earliest date for launch of NOAA polar satellite system

New season of The Crown airs

November 10

Strike action by London Underground and Overground staff

Bank of England temporary repo facility closes

UK chief medical officers address Leaders in Healthcare Conference

November 11

UK Q3 GDP figures

Ballot of midwives in England and Wales opens

Emmanuel Macron speaks at Paris Peace Forum

Cambodia hosts ASEAN summits

Armistice Day

November 12

Strike action by Royal Mail staff

Women’s Rugby World Cup final

Premier League season pauses ahead of World Cup

Joe Biden visits Cambodia

Parliamentary elections in Bahrain

November 13

King Charles lays wreath at Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday

Joe Biden visits Indonesia

Slovenian presidential run-off

ICC T20 World Cup final

Brazilian Grand Prix

Statistics, reports and results...

November 7

WTO World Trade Report 2022

Oxfam report on billionaires' carbon emissions

Results from: BioNTech, Lyft

November 8

UK house building statistics

BRC Retail Sales Monitor

Results from: Associated British Foods Walt Disney, Nintendo

November 9

Annual stats on the nature of violent crime in England and Wales

UK Council Taxbase estimate 2022

Health Index for England: 2015 to 2020

Forbes China Rich List

Results from: Marks & Spencer, E.ON, Taylor Wimpey, Tata Motors, FirstGroup

November 10

NHS key services data

Financial Stability Board report on non-bank financial intermediation

Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, 2019-2022 (ONS)

Gambling Commission annual survey of youth gambling

US inflation data

Results from: National Grid, AstraZeneca, RWE, WHSmith

November 11

Quality of life in the UK (ONS)

UK Trade statistics

Hong Kong Q3 GDP

Results from: SoftBank Group, Toshiba

Anniversaries and awareness days

November 7

Talk Money Week (to November 11)

National School Meals Week (to November 11)

November 8

Nuclear testing veterans hold Parliament Square 'LABRATS' protest

World Town Planning Day

November 9

World Adoption Day

November 10

World Science Day for Peace and Development

Guinness World Records Day

November 11

Singles' Day (China)

National Independence Day (Poland)

November 12

World Pneumonia Day

University Defection Day

November 13

Remembrance Sunday

Seven years ago: Paris attacks on Bataclan and other locations

Kindness Day UK

World Day of the Poor

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