Free the e-scooters and unleash a British transport revolution February 6, 2020 The e-scooter revolution is happening at breathtaking speeds — but because of archaic laws, the United Kingdom is missing out. E-scooters can be legally purchased in Britain, and have become an increasingly common sight on the streets. They are, however, unlawful for use on public roads, cycle paths and pavements under the Highways Act 1835 [...]
A PM with no tribe leaves himself vulnerable when things go south February 5, 2020 Even after the huge success of December’s general election, the Conservative tribes remain fully intact. The big question is which of the tribes, with competing and in many cases conflicting ideologies, Boris Johnson belongs to – and which of them he’s prepared to upset over the course of his term. The Tory party is not [...]
Handing John Bercow a peerage would be a ‘scandal’, says David Leakey February 5, 2020 Former speaker John Bercow should be blocked from the Lords, or risk plunging Westminster into “a scandal that parliament would struggle to live down”, the former Black Rod has claimed. David Leakey, who served as Black Rod for seven years, told the BBC that Bercow’s nomination for a peerage by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was [...]
Trump’s peace plan has shifted the Palestinian direction of travel February 5, 2020 History is usually a cruel mistress to its losers, particularly in the case of peoples attempting to create new nations who failed in their aspirations. Not much is heard today of the Republic of Biafra, for example, an attempt led largely by the Igbo people to create an independent state carved out of Nigeria’s eastern [...]
Champion of free trade? Prime Minister Boris Johnson must match rhetoric with action February 5, 2020 For believers in free trade, Boris Johnson’s speech in the Painted Hall on Monday was, in many ways, highly encouraging. The Prime Minister emphasised the role that free trade has played in lifting some of the poorest people on the planet out of poverty, name-checked Adam Smith and his invisible hand of the market, and [...]
Amber Rudd joins City firm Teneo to offer “strategic advice” February 4, 2020 Former home secretary Amber Rudd today announced she will be joining City PR giant Teneo Blue Rubicon, offering the firm’s clients “strategic advice”, after stepping down as a member of parliament before the December election. Rudd campaigned for ‘Stronger In’ during the EU referendum, where she worked closely with new Teneo colleague Sir Craig Oliver, [...]
UK pledges to be free trade champion as it takes independent seat at WTO February 4, 2020 The UK has pledged to be a champion for free trade in its first independent speech given at the World Trade Organization (WTO), having moved away from the EU bloc after Brexit Day last Friday. The move – first revealed by City AM two weeks ago – saw ambassador Julian Braithwaite take the seat next to [...]
Leave voters not keen on divergence, despite PM’s rhetoric February 4, 2020 People who voted Leave in 2016 do not believe the UK should insist on its own regulatory regime after Brexit, but want certain standards maintained after transition, a new survey has found. Yesterday Prime Minister Boris Johnson made much of the UK government’s plan to reject the EU’s insistence of a level-playing field, saying: “There [...]
Welcome to stage two of the Brexit battle: the ‘level playing field’ February 4, 2020 The battle of visions has begun. Boris Johnson views non-alignment with the major common EU rules as sacrosanct — unsurprising, since the UK has now withdrawn from the bloc. The European Commission, meanwhile, seeks an alignment of standards across a vast body of EU policy in return for a good trade deal. The essence of [...]
Boris Johnson says Brexit deal must be ‘predictable’ for the City February 3, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sought to reassure the City about a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, saying it should provide a “predictable, transparent and business-friendly” environment for financial services firms. In a written statement to parliament, the PM also said there should be “obligations on market access and fair competition”. The statement [...]