US threatens ‘no free trade deal’ unless UK scrap digital tax plans August 3, 2019 The US is set to demand that the UK drop a new digital services tax if a free trade deal is to be agreed between the countries The measure, introduced by former chancellor Philip Hammond in 2018, is due to come into effect in April next year. Read more: Global markets recoil and China wants [...]
Government to announce emergency £2bn NHS funding injection August 3, 2019 The government will announce an emergency injection of cash into the NHS this weekend as Boris Johnson puts the public health service at the centre of his appeal to voters. Some of the plans are set to be revealed on Sunday as the Prime Minister looks to make an impact in his first 100 days [...]
Home secretary Priti Patel wants criminals to ‘feel terror’ August 3, 2019 New home secretary Priti Patel wants criminals to “literally feel terror” at the prospect of breaking the law. Patel said she wants to “empower” the police and put more officers on the streets, but distanced herself from previous comments supporting the death penalty. Read more: Johnson to begin recruiting 20,000 new police officers in next [...]
Boris Johnson visits damaged Derbyshire dam as storms expected August 3, 2019 Work to repair a damaged dam in Derbyshire and prevent it bursting has entered its third day as the Met Office warns of thunderstorms and possible flooding. Despite work being carried out to reduce the water level, the risk of collapse is still at a “critical level”, and there is a yellow weather warning in [...]
Europe select Kristalina Georgieva for IMF top job August 3, 2019 The Bulgarian chief executive of the World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva, has been selected as Europe’s choice to become the IMF’s managing director following a day of voting. Georgieva narrowly beat former chair of the eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, and is now favourite for the role. Read more: Europe votes on IMF candidate [...]
Europe votes on IMF candidate as Finland central bank governor withdraws from contest August 2, 2019 Finland’s central bank governor Olli Rehn has withdrawn himself from the race to become the IMF’s managing director. European finance ministers have been battling to take on the role, but unable to come to a unanimous decision, resulting in a vote. Read more: Mark Carney misses cut for IMF top job However, Rehn, joined another [...]
Work and Pensions Committee chair Frank Field to stand against Labour in next election August 2, 2019 Work and Pensions Committee chair Frank Field is to fight for his seat at the next election against his former party, he said today. Field resigned the Labour whip last year, blaming the party’s problems with anti-semitism and accusing Labour of “intolerance, nastiness, and intimidation”. Read more: Labour MP Frank Field resigns, claiming party is [...]
Brecon by-election reaction: Brexit Party could damage Tory vote in face of Remain alliance August 2, 2019 The Liberal Democrat victory in yesterday’s Brecon and Radnorshire by-election has raised the spectre of an alliance of Remain-supporting parties and highlighted the threat the Brexit party poses to the Conservatives. Remain-supporting parties Plaid Cymru and the Greens agreed not to field candidates yesterday to avoid splitting the pro-European vote. Read more: Boris Johnson’s majority [...]
UK to create up to 10 freeports to boost trade after Brexit August 2, 2019 The UK is planning to create up to 10 freeports to boost trade after Brexit, it said today. New Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is committed to taking the UK out of the EU by 31 October, floated the idea during his campaign for the Conservative leadership. The government said ports and airports around the [...]
Mark Carney warns no-deal Brexit shock would be ‘instantaneous’ August 2, 2019 Bank of England governor Mark Carney has hit back at accusations that he is stirring fear about Brexit, warning that the UK would be hit by an “instantaneous” economic shockwave if it cannot strike a deal with the EU. Carney said this morning it is “not helpful” to deny the challenges that a no-deal scenario [...]