General election 2019: Tories unveil plan for Australian-style, points-based immigration system November 8, 2019 Boris Johnson is to tackle both the issues of health and immigration as the Conservatives unveil plans to introduce an Australian-style, points-based immigration system. The Prime Minister is to announce a new visa that aims to attract more doctors and nurses to the NHS following Brexit. The immigration points-based system is thought to be popular [...]
Spare a thought this winter for our poor under-valued MPs November 8, 2019 Why would anyone want to be an MP? If the number of prominent parliamentarians who have announced that they are standing down in this election — now more than 70, including some shock names like Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, and Tom Watson — is any indication, that question is getting more complicated to answer. MPs, [...]
The Tories and Labour both seem happy to throw fiscal responsibility to the wind November 8, 2019 The “money men” are at it again. Yesterday, chancellor Sajid Javid and shadow chancellor John McDonnell took part in a spending showdown, announcing pledges and making their cases for different economic visions for Britain in years to come. Labour’s spending promises are staggering. Essentially doubling the figures from the 2017 manifesto, the party has ditched [...]
General Election 2019: Labour promises ‘workplace revolution’ November 7, 2019 Labour will tomorrow promise a “workplace revolution”, as part of a radical step-change in how women are treated as work. Shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler will set out how a Labour government will create a ‘Workers’ Protection Agency” that would have the power to fine firms for failing to report or tackle their [...]
General Election 2019: Tory candidate throws in the towel after backlash from ‘unacceptable’ rape comments November 7, 2019 A Conservative election candidate who said that women should “keep their knickers on” during a conversation about rape has stood down from the contest. Nick Conrad, a BBC Radio Norfolk host, made a series of comments during a live debate about footballer Ched Evans, who was convicted of rape five years ago, before the sentence [...]
Update UK electoral law on political ads, says Facebook November 7, 2019 Facebook has called for UK politicians to regulate online political adverts, and said Britain’s electoral law “needs to be brought into the 21st century” as they defended the social media giant’s controversial decision to allow political adverts on its platform. Head of UK public policy Rebecca Stimson said Facebook was “better prepared than ever before” [...]
UK lowers security risk for Straits of Hormuz shipping November 7, 2019 The UK today lowered the security risk for UK-flagged tankers travelling through the Straits of Hormuz, more than a month after the Stena Impero was released from detention by Iran. The Gulf state’s revolutionary guards seized the British tanker was seized in response to Britain’s capture of an Iranian vessel off Gibraltar. Read more: Saudi [...]
Brexit inspires Collins’ first-ever ‘Brexicon’ November 7, 2019 The Collins Dictionary put a spin on its annual word of the year announcement today by releasing its ‘Brexicon’, a list of ten words brought to prominence by Brexit – “for better or for worse.” ‘Cakeism’ – a wish to enjoy two desirable and incompatible alternatives – rubs shoulders with ‘Brexiety’ – a state of [...]
Let’s get fiscal: How the Tories’ and Labour’s spending plans compare November 7, 2019 The UK’s two biggest parties have today pledged a major shake-up of current fiscal rules, paving the way for the greatest level of investment in over a generation. Under a Conservative government, fiscal rules would be relaxed to create “a decade of renewal”, boosting investment from around 1.8 per cent to three per cent of [...]
Bank of England: Brexit deal and trade wars will limit UK growth November 7, 2019 Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and global trade tensions are likely to hold back growth in the UK economy over the next three years, the Bank of England has said. British national income will be one per cent lower by 2022 than originally thought, the Bank predicted today in its quarterly deep-dive into the economy. Read [...]