Johnson is ‘asleep at the wheel’, says Labour’s Starmer June 29, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been too slow at making decisions during the coronavirus crisis, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said today. “I think the Prime Minister has been asleep at the wheel, he has been slow, the comms, the communications has been terrible,” Starmer told ITV. “It began to break down frankly when Dominic [...]
China has miscalculated — India will be the big winner of this new world order June 29, 2020 My friend, the Indian diplomat and politician Shashi Tharoor, once wisely said: “Everything in India is recycled, even dreams.” And now in our new era, India’s rightful pride in its fabulous history — and perennial fervent desire to return to the top table in global politics — is about to at last be realised. Delhi [...]
Sadiq Khan backs proposal for quicker 5G rollout in London June 29, 2020 Sadiq Khan has backed a new report that calls for a quicker rollout of 5G infrastructure in London and beyond. A new report out today by former Treasury economist Matthew Oakley, and commissioned by Vodafone, found that an upgrade from 4G to 5G infrastructure would have a £120bn benefit to the UK economy over 10 [...]
Brits struggle to pay household bills as coronavirus crisis deepens June 29, 2020 Arrears on UK household bills continued to swell last month amid abrupt falls in employment, earnings and incomes, as the coronavirus crisis batters the British economy. A report released today by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) showed that mortgage payments slumped 14 per cent last month, as people made use of temporary payment holidays [...]
Boris Johnson to launch £1bn schools building programme June 28, 2020 Boris Johnson will announce a new schools and further education building programme worth more than £1bn tomorrow. The Prime Minister will announce that the first 50 projects of a ten-year rebuilding programme will get under way in 2020-21. A further £560m and £200m has also been earmarked for repairs and upgrades this year for schools [...]
UK’s top civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill resigns June 28, 2020 The UK’s top civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill has resigned from his three-pronged role as cabinet secretary, national security adviser and head of the civil service. Sedwill announced his resignation today and will step down from his role in September, after 30 years in the civil service. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has nominated Sedwill for [...]
Sir Keir Starmer overtakes Boris Johnson as preferred PM June 28, 2020 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has overtaken Boris Johnson in polling as the UK’s preferred prime minister for the first time. An Opinium Poll out last night showed 37 per cent of people thought Starmer would do a better job as prime minister, compared to 35 per cent for Johnson. Starmer has a +27 per [...]
Robert Jenrick warned by civil service about £1bn development before approving it June 28, 2020 Under fire housing secretary Robert Jenrick was urged by civil servants to block a controversial £1bn East London housing development by Tory donor Richard Desmond before he approved it. Jenrick went on to ignore the advice of his mandarins and instead reversed the Tower Hamlets Council’s decision to reject the planning application. The Sunday Times [...]
Boris Johnson prepares spending splurge for ‘thunderclap’ economic downturn June 28, 2020 Boris Johnson has pledged to spend tens of billions of pounds on a raft of infrastructure projects and jobs programmes to help the UK economy bounce back from the coronavirus crisis. Johnson said he would “double down” on his election commitment to “level up” the country and would fast track a swathe of infrastructure projects. [...]
Priti Patel confirms likely Leicester lockdown June 28, 2020 Leicester could become the first city to be placed into a local coronavirus lockdown, home secretary Priti Patel has confirmed. Patel said today that there had been a coronavirus flare up in a hospital and that “there will be support going into Leicester”. Speaking to the BBC, she said: “The health secretary [Matt Hancock] was in [...]