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Sajid Javid returns to government as health secretary

Sajid Javid returns to government as health secretary

FORMER chancellor Sajid Javid will replace Matt Hancock as the UK's health and social care secretary, Downing Street said on Saturday (26).

Javid resigned as chancellor early last year after he refused to fire his political advisers as demanded by Johnson.


The British Asian MP from Bromsgrove has previously held the so-called great offices of state - as home secretary and chancellor.

Javid, whose parents migrated from Pakistan, joins chancellor Rishi Sunak, home secretary Priti Patel and COP26 president Alok Sharma as Asians holding powerful portfolios in the UK government.

A former banker who became an MP in 2010, Javid was quickly promoted from economic and financial secretary to the Treasury to secretary for business, then culture and later, communities and local government.

Prior to his career in politics, Javid, who graduated from Exeter University, worked in business and finance. He is said to have been the youngest vice president at Chase Manhattan Bank, aged 25.

He later moved to Deutsche Bank in London to help build its business in emerging market countries.

One of five brothers (one of whom has passed away), Javid has often spoken of how he grew up in one of the roughest streets in Bristol. His father was a bus driver and his mum was a seamstress.

Javid and his wife Laura, who is English, are parents to four children.

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pub hotels UK

The group earned five stars for customer service and accuracy of descriptions.

coachinginngroup

Pub hotel group beat luxury chains in UK guest satisfaction survey

Highlights

  • Coaching Inn Group scores 81 per cent customer satisfaction, beating Marriott and Hilton.
  • Wetherspoon Hotels named best value at £70 per night.
  • Britannia Hotels ranks bottom for 12th consecutive year with 44 per cent score.
A traditional pub hotel group has outperformed luxury international chains in the UK's largest guest satisfaction survey, while one major operator continues its decade-long streak at the bottom of the rankings.
The Coaching Inn Group, comprising 36 relaxed inn-style hotels in historic buildings across beauty spots and market towns, achieved the highest customer score of 81per cent among large chains in Which?'s annual hotel survey. The group earned five stars for customer service and accuracy of descriptions, with guests praising its "lovely locations and excellent food and service.
"The survey, conducted amongst 4,631 guests, asked respondents to rate their stays across eight categories including cleanliness, customer service, breakfast quality, bed comfort and value for money. At an average £128 per night, Coaching Inn demonstrated that mid-range pricing with consistent quality appeals to British travellers.
J D Wetherspoon Hotels claimed both the Which? Recommended Provider status (WRPs) and Great Value badge for the first time, offering rooms at just £70 per night while maintaining four-star ratings across most categories. Guests described their stays as "clean, comfortable and good value.
"Among boutique chains, Hotel Indigo scored 79 per cent with its neighbourhood-inspired design, while InterContinental achieved 80per cent despite charging over £300 per night, and the chain missed WRP status for this reason.

Budget brands decline

However, Premier Inn, long considered Britain's reliable budget choice, lost its recommended status this year. Despite maintaining comfortable beds, guests reported "standards were slipping" and prices "no longer budget levels" at an average £94 per night.

The survey's biggest disappointment remains Britannia Hotels, scoring just 44 per cent and one star for bedroom and bathroom quality. This marks twelve consecutive years at the bottom, with guests at properties like Folkestone's Grand Burstin calling it a total dive.

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