‘Shameful’: Boris Johnson condemns threats to Churchill statue June 12, 2020 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday it was “absurd and shameful” that a statue of Winston Churchill was at risk of attack by protesters. In his strongest statement yet on a growing trend to challenge the legacies of past leaders, the PM pushed back against a wave of protests against statues of historic [...]
Coronavirus UK death toll rises by 202 June 12, 2020 Deaths in the UK from coronavirus rose by 202 today, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. As of 9am this morning, there have been 6,434,713 tests, with 193,253 tests conducted yesterday. A total of 292,950 people have tested positive so far. As of 5pm yesterday, of those who had tested positive for [...]
Boris Johnson urges public to avoid ‘hijacked’ London protests and defends Churchill statue June 12, 2020 Boris Johnson has urged the public to stay away from Black Lives Matter protests planned in London this weekend amid fears of violence after being “hijacked by extremists”. Black Lives Matter organisers have cancelled London protests that were set to start at 1pm in Hyde Park tomorrow after right-wing groups planned to join. Today’s protest [...]
Britain ‘formally confirms’ it will not extend Brexit transition period June 12, 2020 Britain has “formally confirmed” to the EU that it will not extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of this year. Making the announcement this morning, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said “the moment for extension has now passed,” following a video meeting of the EU Joint Committee. The announcement follows a call for [...]
Churchill statue and the Cenotaph: London monuments boarded up ahead of protests June 12, 2020 London’s iconic statue of Sir Winston Churchill and the Cenotaph have been boarded up as fears of violence grow over Black Lives Matter protests set to take place this weekend. Protective fences were placed around both memorials overnight as officials anticipate they could become hotspots for clashes between protesters during demonstrations this weekend. London mayor [...]
Brexit trade talks: UK ‘U-turns’ on full border checks for EU goods June 12, 2020 The UK government has reportedly U-turned on its plan to implement full border checks with the EU from 1 January 2021 after Brexit. Ministers are under increasing pressure from businesses not to deliver a no-deal Brexit as the UK’s recovery from coronavirus looks likely to be a slow one. So far Boris Johnson’s government has [...]
Hong Kong lashes out at UK’s ‘biased’ remarks June 12, 2020 The Hong Kong government today hit back at the UK’s criticisms over Beijing’s move to impose national security laws on its neighbour, saying the report was “inaccurate and biased”. The British government earlier this week said Beijing’s plans to introduce legislation against separatism and subversion of state power in Hong Kong was a violation of China’s [...]
Brexit vs. Business: Thanks to Covid-19, we’ll never know who was right June 12, 2020 Let’s start with some good news: Unilever has put its faith in Britain. The Dutch-Anglo consumer goods giant, owner of iconic brands from PG Tips to Marmite, announced on Thursday that it was unifying under its UK listing. How times have changed. A mere 18 months ago, Unilever was trying to move its headquarters to [...]
Priti Patel row: Matt Hancock says he ‘abhors identity politics’ from Labour June 11, 2020 Matt Hancock has said he “abhors” the identity politics he says Labour is pushing, after a group of opposition MPs told home secretary Priti Patel she was “gaslighting” BAME communities. The letter, signed by dozens of BAME Labour MPs, expressed “dismay at the way [Patel] used [her] heritage and experiences of racism to gaslight the very [...]
No-deal Brexit Q&A: What happens if UK-EU trade talks fail? June 11, 2020 Post-Brexit trade negotiations between the UK and EU have stalled after four rounds, leaving both sides just months to avoid a no-deal scenario. Brussels’ EU negotiator Michel Barnier complained yesterday that the UK was trying to “cherry pick” benefits of EU membership without the responsibilities. Chief UK negotiator David Frost and senior cabinet members have [...]