Kremlin-backed Cozy Bear hackers target UK coronavirus vaccine secrets July 16, 2020 Kremlin-linked cyber criminals have been allegedly hacking universities and organisations developing coronavirus vaccines in an attempt to steal sensitive information, according to the UK’s cyber security body. The hacking group known as APT29 – also known as Cozy Bear and The Dukes – has allegedly been trying to steal information across the globe from vaccine [...]
Report into Russian interference in UK politics to be published next week July 16, 2020 A long-awaited report into Russian interference in British politics will be published by Westminster’s Intelligence and Security Committee within the next week. The committee announced this morning that the report would be released before the summer parliamentary recess, which begins next Thursday. It comes just a day after Julian Lewis prompted a mini-coup to win [...]
Julian Lewis calls Tory party sacking ‘strange’ after Grayling plot July 16, 2020 Sacked Conservative MP Julian Lewis has called his removal from the party “strange” and labelled Downing Street’s attempt to install its own candidate to the chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) as “improper”. Former transport secretary Chris Grayling had been handpicked by Boris Johnson to take the reins of the powerful committee, however [...]
Privacy Shield: Top court rejects US-EU data transfer tool July 16, 2020 The European Court of Justice has struck down a data sharing deal between the EU and the US over surveillance concerns, in a huge blow for thousands of companies that rely on it. Judges at Europe’s top court expressed concern that data shared between the bloc and US via the Privacy Shield agreement is “not [...]
Prime Minister suggests moving Parliament to York July 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has suggested that MPs could temporarily decamp to York while the Palace of Westminster undergoes renovation, in what could count as one of the most radical shake ups to to Parliament in decades. In a letter to David Goldstone, chief executive of the Palace of Westminster’s multibillion pound restoration, the Prime Minister said [...]
Time for an energy revolution? Creating opportunity after a crisis July 16, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic is a tragic event we hopefully will not see again in our lifetime. The human destruction and the strain on global healthcare systems have been devastating. There are no winners from this crisis. Still, it was Winston Churchill who said “never let a good crisis go to waste”. That certainly rings true [...]
Government must tackle £35bn corporate debt crisis, warn City bosses July 16, 2020 The government must take urgent action to prevent a wave of defaults on £35bn of corporate debt taken on during coronavirus wreaking havoc in the economy, a new report backed by some of the City’s biggest names has said. Policymakers should create a “UK Recovery Corporation” to turn risky debts into more manageable forms like [...]
UK unveils plans for frictionless post-Brexit trade between UK nations July 15, 2020 The government will tomorrow outline plans to ensure post-Brexit regulatory alignment on trade across the four UK nations in a bid to ensure frictionless internal trade. The white paper will propose a principle of “mutual recognition” whereby regulations that are set by devolved governments are recognised across the country to allow for internal trade. It [...]
Chris Grayling loses committee chair vote in Tory rebellion July 15, 2020 Former cabinet secretary Chris Grayling has failed to win the chairmanship of the Intelligence and Security Committee, despite being handpicked by Boris Johnson for the role, with fellow Tory MP Julian Lewis instead elected. The ex-transport secretary was expected to be voted into the role, however some Conservative MPs on the committee rebelled and instead [...]
Rishi Sunak shoots down speculation he will raise capital gains tax July 15, 2020 Rishi Sunak has distanced himself from reports that he is looking at increasing capital gains tax to help pay for the government’s Covid-19 spending. The Treasury announced yesterday it was commissioning the Tax Simplification Office to conduct a study “asking for “evidence to seek views about capital gains tax”, prompting speculation from financial services firms [...]