Liam Fox through to next round in WTO director general contest September 18, 2020 Liam Fox, Britain’s pick for the next director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has made it through to the second round of the selection process. The former international trade secretary was nominated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July, after current director general Roberto Azevedo stepped down following a seven-year tenure. Three candidates, [...]
Demand for UK coronavirus tests up to four-times higher than supply September 17, 2020 Demand for coronavirus tests in the UK is up to three or four-times greater than current capacity, according to the NHS Test and Trace boss. Baroness Dido Harding told parliament’s science committee today that the UK’s capacity is now 242,817 coronavirus tests a day, however more than a quarter of people getting tested do not [...]
MP accuses government of ‘interference’ in inquiry into Oneweb takeover September 17, 2020 The government has been accused of interfering in an independent inquiry of its acquisition of space tech unicorn Oneweb, after it attempted to prevent a witness from giving evidence. The business, energy and industrial strategy select committee was scheduled to interview three witnesses today regarding the takeover, however it received a letter from business secretary [...]
Barack Obama’s memoirs to be published after US election in November September 17, 2020 The eagerly-awaited memoirs of former president Barack Obama will be published in the wake of the US election in November. A Promised Land — the first of two volumes — will be released globally on 17 November, the book’s publisher confirmed today. “There’s no feeling like finishing a book, and I’m proud of this one,” [...]
No London coronavirus restrictions planned, says Downing Street September 17, 2020 Downing Street has said it is not planning any new London-specific coronavirus restrictions, despite speculation to the contrary. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said today that “no restrictions are currently planned” for London, but that “we will always keep it under review”. Health secretary Matt Hancock imposed fresh restrictions in a string of areas in the [...]
Coronavirus: Government dithering spikes huge fall in public approval ratings September 17, 2020 The government’s capacity to keep the British public onside over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic has waned significantly, according to a new poll. It comes as the latest figures from YouGov showed public approval of the government’s management of the pandemic throughout the last few months has dropped to its lowest levels yet. The [...]
David Cameron: Too early to consider fixing the UK’s budget deficit September 17, 2020 David Cameron has said the UK economy will need “generous help to reopen” and that Rishi Sunak should not consider measures to fix the budget deficit until an economic recovery is well under way. The former prime minister told Times Radio that “we’re going to have to think about fixing the roof again when the [...]
Government imposes fresh spate of local lockdowns across northern England September 17, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed a fresh round of local lockdowns across towns in the north of England, alongside a £2.7bn funding boost for the NHS. From today, additional lockdown measures will be imposed in Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham. These will include: Households only being allowed to [...]
Joe Biden: Northern Ireland peace deal cannot become ‘casualty of Brexit’ September 17, 2020 US Presidential nominee Joe Biden last night waded into the row over the UK’s Brexit negotiations, warning there will be no trade deal unless the UK upholds the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. Trade talks with the EU have ramped up increasingly over the past week, with this latest intervention likely to put Downing Street [...]
Coronavirus: Which English towns are at risk of a local lockdown? September 17, 2020 As the UK braces for the impact of a potential second wave of strict lockdown measures, some regions have been placed under close watch by health officials. A watchlist created by Public Health England, which is updated weekly, showed that 18 regions in England are now being monitored for case spikes, almost halved from 34 [...]