Cronyism and incompetence: The government is undermining trust in the private sector November 10, 2020 It should surprise no one that a Conservative government turns to the private sector for the efficient delivery of services. Private enterprise is agile, responsive, innovative and provides good value for money (or at least, it can do), and public money should always be spent in the most effective way possible. This is the ideology [...]
Our Covid-hit young deserve a new social contract from older generations November 10, 2020 Covid-19 demands immediate action. It also demands a major reconsideration of policies to create a new social contract between the generations. We are all aware that the elderly have a higher risk of death from coronavirus than other age groups. We are also aware that protecting them by locking down the economy has had a [...]
Averting a dental disaster: Don’t let the pandemic take our smiles November 10, 2020 The first lockdown had a crippling effect on dentists, with two thirds of the practices I work with experiencing financial difficulty, and many even considering shutting down altogether. There was almost no clear guidance while dentists were closed — for practitioners or for patients — and confusion abounded. And thanks to gaps in the financial [...]
Ukrainian businessman allegedly asked to invent dirt on Hunter Biden November 10, 2020 Ukrainian businessman Hares Youssef has alleged he was promised a US visa in return for information that would damage Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Speaking on the Stories of our Times podcast, Youssef alleged he was asked to lie about Hunter Biden’s business dealings to damage the reputation of Joe Biden. In return he was promised [...]
Rishi Sunak announces post-Brexit outline for City of London November 9, 2020 Rishi Sunak has outlined the City of London’s future after Brexit, which will aim to provide stability for EU financial services firms operating in the UK while also trying to open up the sector to more international markets. Sunak said the Treasury today was unliterally publishing “a set of equivalence decisions for EU and EEA [...]
Lords look to defeat Brexit bill that breaks international law November 9, 2020 The House of Lords will today vote on whether to remove clauses from Boris Johnson’s controversial Brexit legislation that could breach international law. Peers, who are expected to vote to remove the clauses, voted overwhelmingly against Johnson’s Internal Market Bill in a symbolic “regret” motion last month. The bill would see the UK unilaterally override [...]
Confusion reigns ahead of introduction of Bounce Back Loan top-ups November 9, 2020 Businesses that took out Bounce Back Loans (BBLs) from non-bank lenders may struggle to access further funds as alternative lenders scramble to secure financing. The Treasury was forced to introduce top-ups and extend the application deadline for the 100 per cent state-backed loans to January after England was placed into another lockdown last week. From [...]
Covid: Downing Street ‘optimistic’ about Pfizer vaccine breakthrough November 9, 2020 Downing Street is “optimistic” Pfizer’s Covid vaccine breakthrough will be approved by UK regulators, however they warned no decisions can be made before safety data is published by the company. Boris Johnson’s official spokesman told journalists today that the UK has 40m units of Pfizer’s vaccine trial on order if approved by UK regulators, with [...]
Brexit: EU negotiator Michel Barnier outlines three ways to close trade deal November 9, 2020 Chief Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier has said a post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal can be done if there is bilateral respect for each other’s sovereignty and autonomy as he arrives in London for new talks. Barnier and chief UK negotiator David Frost agreed to “redouble” efforts this week in order to get a deal done as [...]
Keir Starmer backs call to end 10pm pub and restaurant curfew November 9, 2020 Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has reportedly backed calls to end the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants when the hospitality industry reopens following the ongoing nationwide coronavirus lockdown. The curfew, which forced hospitality businesses to close by 10pm, was criticised for funnelling punters into the streets and onto public transport all at once, making [...]