China retaliates with sanctions in US row over Uighur Muslims July 13, 2020 China will levy “corresponding sanctions” against the US, it said today, after Washington penalised senior Chinese officials over the treatment of minority Uighur Muslims. The sanctions targeted US senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, US representative Chris Smith, ambassador at large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback and the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Rubio and Cruz [...]
Boris Johnson: People should wear face masks in shops July 13, 2020 The Prime Minister has said people should wear face masks in shops and will decide whether to make them mandatory in the next few days. Last week Boris Johnson indicated the government was looking at toughening up the rules and went further today to say a decision “in the next few days.” Speaking to Sky [...]
UK launches Brexit awareness ad blitz for tourists and businesses July 13, 2020 The government today has launched a £93m advertising blitz to prepare businesses and tourists for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. Advertising will focus on incoming changes to travel insurance and passport requirements for tourists heading to the EU, while also highlighting new trading regulations with Europe. Titled “the UK’s new [...]
Europe is no longer America’s sidekick when it comes to China July 13, 2020 With the death of the thrilling composer Ennio Morricone this past week, I have been thinking (and humming) a lot about the Spaghetti Westerns that made his name. For the spaghetti trilogy contains just about every human emotion it is possible to think of. Love, hate, revenge, loyalty, honour, cruelty, and power — they are [...]
Brexit: A quarter of British businesses ready for end of transition period July 13, 2020 Less than a quarter of British business leaders are ready for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December, according to a new survey. A new survey from the Institute of Directors out today showed just 24 per cent of company directors thought their businesses were “fully prepared” and 19 per cent are [...]
An open letter to the PM: Britain must build Sizewell C — nuclear sits at the heart of a green recovery July 12, 2020 An open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, business secretary Alok Sharma, and chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak We are writing as engineers, nuclear experts, scientists and concerned citizens to applaud your commitment to fighting climate change through energy policy, in particular the commitment to proceed with new nuclear construction at the same time [...]
Liberal Democrats secure coronavirus briefing with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey July 12, 2020 Liberal Democrat MPs will get a briefing from Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey on Thursday in order to get a more “realistic” view of the British economy. The closed door meeting will give the party’s 11 MPs a chance to quiz the Bank of England boss about the UK’s economic recovery prospects and the [...]
Labour to boycott Facebook for one month over BLM concerns July 12, 2020 Labour has begun an advertising boycott of Facebook, after the platform has been accused of not removing racist posts in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. The party, which spent more than £1m on Facebook advertising during the last election, will not use the social media giant to place ads for the next [...]
Michael Gove annonuces £700m Brexit border force July 12, 2020 The government will spend £700m preparing the UK’s borders for Brexit as it begins a widespread information campaign to prepare businesses for next year. The funding is being spent on 500 new border guards, IT systems and essential infrastructure at Dover and other ports of entry as the UK prepares for the end of the [...]
Michael Gove: Face coverings will not be mandatory in shops July 12, 2020 Face coverings will not be made mandatory inside shops by the government but it is “basic good manners” to wear one, according to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. Gove said today that he trusted “people’s good sense” to wear face coverings where necessary, without forcing people to do it by law. Pressure has begun to [...]