Theresa May keeps delaying the Brexit vote, but the clock is ticking for business to prepare for a no-deal outcome February 25, 2019 On her way to an EU-Arab League summit over the weekend, Theresa May announced that she would not provide British parliamentarians with a meaningful vote on an altered Brexit deal until perhaps 12 March. Politicians wanted that opportunity this week, but instead, the embattled leader has once again sought to delay proceedings as she struggles [...]
Sadiq Khan gets green light to increase council tax and business rates to tackle violent crime February 25, 2019 The London Assembly has backed Sadiq Khan's budget which includes plans to give an extra £234m to policing and tackling violent crime through council tax and business rate hikes. Around £95m has already been announced for the Metropolitan police, which has to make £263m worth of cuts by 2022-23. The £95m announced last December will be funded mostly from [...]
Revealed: Cancelling Commons’ recess cost taxpayers £400,000 – and MPs didn’t even vote on Brexit bills February 25, 2019 An extra week in parliament for MPs to tackle Brexit cost taxpayers’ £400,000 – yet no bills relating to the UK’s departure from the EU were voted on. City AM has learnt the decision to cancel last week’s parliamentary recess meant the Commons coffers were hit from cancelled tours, extra staff payments and postponing building works. Read [...]
Theresa May refuses to say if ministers will be sacked if they vote to delay Brexit February 25, 2019 Theresa May has refused to say whether ministers will be sacked if they vote for a plan which could see Brexit delayed beyond March 29. A proposal put forward by Labour’s Yvette Cooper could force the government to get an extension to the Article 50 negotiating process if a withdrawal agreement has not been agreed [...]
Lord Tyrie says consumers must be put at heart of competition law regime February 25, 2019 The chair of the competition regulator Lord Tyrie today said consumers would be put at the heart of a new competition law regime to help fix the “erosion of trust” between the public and the authorities. Speaking in London at the launch of a set of proposed reforms, Tyrie said there is a “growing sense that [...]
Blackrock chief executive Larry Fink calls UK ‘irresponsible’ over Brexit uncertainty February 25, 2019 Blackrock chief executive Larry Fink has slammed the UK as “irresponsible” due to the continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit. The boss of the world’s largest asset management fund told CNBC that a lack of understanding surrounding the UK’s future relationship with the EU has forced firms to take action in order to prepare. Read more: Businesses, [...]
Theresa May poised to extend Article 50 beyond March to head off a no-deal Brexit February 25, 2019 Theresa May is poised to ask the EU to delay Brexit after Tory MPs drew up an amendment to grant the Prime Minister more time in the negotiations. Last night May caused more anger in the business community when she announced that she would in fact hold the meaningful vote on 12 March, just two [...]
What will it cost to refurbish our crumbling Houses of Parliament? February 25, 2019 From an engineer’s perspective, renovating historic or listed buildings is one of the trickiest projects you can undertake. Such is the case with the Palace of Westminster, which has long been unfit for purpose and is in dire need of a complete overhaul to bring it up to current working standards. It is a gargantuan [...]
Critics hit out at Sadiq Khan’s ‘blunt’ junk food advertising ban to tackle child obesity February 24, 2019 Sadiq Khan's advertising ban on junk food across London's transport networks has come into force today, as part of the mayor's bid to tackle child obesity in the capital. Junk food advertising will be banned on the London Underground and at bus stops across London following a public consultation in May which received 1,500 responses, with 82 [...]
With time running out for Theresa May’s deal, are we heading for a Brexit delay? February 24, 2019 MPs will once again march through the voting lobbies in parliament on Wednesday to give their views on Brexit. The motion put forward by Theresa May will only be an endorsement for her to carry on negotiating with Brussels in a bid to get legally binding changes to the Irish backstop plan. However, there is [...]