Johnson says he’s more optimistic than Barnier on post-Brexit trade deal July 3, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he is more optimistic than European officials about the prospect of Britain securing a post-Brexit trade agreement, but said the UK could still leave the bloc without a deal if needed. Johnson said he was a bit more optimistic than chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier, who said this week that [...]
Rishi Sunak to make an announcement on jobs support next week, says PM July 3, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak will make an announcement on the government’s coronavirus jobs support schemes next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today. “You’ll be hearing more about what we’re going to do to support people next week from the chancellor Rishi Sunak,” he told LBC in response to a question about what would happen once [...]
Boris Johnson: UK through the worst of it but ‘let’s not blow it now’ July 3, 2020 Boris Johnson has said the UK is through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic but said: “Let’s not blow it now, folks”. The Prime Minister spoke ahead of the easing of lockdown restrictions in England, and urged Brits to “enjoy summer sensibly”. Pubs, bars and restaurants will open their doors for the first time in [...]
Minister defends PM Johnson’s father for visit to Greece July 3, 2020 Stanley Johnson was within his rights to travel to a second home in Greece, transport minister Grant Shapps has said. Johnson, who is the father of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, likely travelled to Greece via Bulgaria as it is currently not possible for Brits to visit Greece due to coronavirus-related restrictions in the country. “It’s [...]
HSBC and Standard Chartered have put profits before principles and betrayed Hong Kong July 3, 2020 Increasingly, companies are being asked to take a moral stand on the great issues of the day. From clothing retailers to tea bag brands, every company is being asked where their values lie. While many organisations proudly broadcast their internationalist and liberal values in the west, some are willing to undermine those principles as soon [...]
Young people face economic ‘scarring’ from Covid, says top think tank July 3, 2020 The coronavirus recession has dealt a double blow to young people in the UK, who are more likely to have lost their jobs amid the lockdown and now face bleak career prospects, a leading think tank has warned. New research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) today said the carnage in the hospitality and [...]
Covid Recovery Commission: FTSE 100 bosses unite to set UK economy back on track July 3, 2020 Some of the biggest names in UK business have teamed up to create a pressure group to ensure the economy emerges from coronavirus “stronger and fairer”, its members announced today. The group will be called the Covid Recovery Commission, and will involve the chairs of FTSE 100 powerhouses Tesco and Shell and the chief executives [...]
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds to renew calls for July budget July 2, 2020 Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds will renew calls tomorrow for a July “back to work budget” in her first major set piece speech since being appointed to the role. She will urge chancellor Rishi Sunak to “recognise the scale of the challenge we face” and pledge a summer budget that focuses on “jobs, jobs, jobs”. Dodds, [...]
Brexit: UK vows to complete City of London assessments in two weeks July 2, 2020 The government has vowed to hand over paperwork to ensure the City of London maintains post-Brexit EU access within the next two weeks, after missing the initial deadline. The UK was supposed to hand over 28 regulatory equivalence assessments by Monday for the EU to assess if it would allow access to Britain’s financial services [...]
Brexit talks finish early with ‘significant differences’ still to bridge July 2, 2020 The latest round of Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU finished a day early this week, with “significant differences” still remaining between the two sides. A statement from chief UK negotiator David Frost said that he was still committed to coming to a principle agreement for a future trade deal this month. This [...]