Labour MP leaves parliament for Sellafield, setting up by-election December 21, 2016 A Labour MP and critic Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership has gone for the nuclear option and announced he is to stand down from parliament, setting up a by-election. Jamie Reed is to quit as MP for Copeland in Cumbria at the end of January, moving on to become head of development and community relations at the [...]
Snooper’s charter: Bulk internet data collection ruled illegal by EU court December 21, 2016 Theresa May's attempt to introduce greater surveillance powers has suffered a major set back after an EU court ruled part of the UK's new laws are illegal. The highest court in Europe has ruled that electronic personal data from email and other online communications can not be retained on a general and indiscriminate basis such as [...]
Deloitte in humiliating apology to Downing Street for leaked Brexit memo criticising Theresa May December 21, 2016 Deloitte has apologised to the government for the leak of a note that was highly critical of a lack of strategic direction – and has been forced to give up bids for Whitehall contracts, according to reports. The accountancy firm said the note “was not a Deloitte point of view”, while acknowledging the “disruption” it [...]
The UK economy doesn’t need an industrial strategy – it needs liberation December 21, 2016 There seems to be widespread agreement within the political class that the British economy is in need of “rebalancing.” It is argued that too big a fraction of UK output is generated by the services sector, and too little by manufacturing. Changing the sectoral composition of British GDP is an explicit objective of Theresa May’s [...]
The death of cash, the rise of trade unions and other eclectic 2017 predictions December 21, 2016 It’s certainly been an eventful year. But rather than dwell on the past, what sort of things can we expect in 2017? Here are a few eclectic predictions. Sweden may become the world’s first cashless economy. Notes and coins are already fast disappearing as a means of payment, and retailers are legally entitled to refuse to [...]
Wanted for 2017: A leader with a strong moral compass December 21, 2016 It feels like 2016 is never-ending. As I sit here writing my final column of the year I’m looking at the news: 12 killed in a lorry attack on a Berlin Christmas Market and the Russian ambassador shot dead in Turkey. In the last 12 months, the UK voted to leave the EU, Donald Trump was [...]
Is Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon deluded to think that Scotland can get a special Brexit deal? December 21, 2016 Ruth Davidson MSP, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, says Yes. We want the best Brexit deal for Scotland and that means the UK coming together to negotiate hard in the interests of all of us. Nicola Sturgeon talks about compromise, but written in black and white in her own report is her true intention – [...]
Save the date: the last Spring Budget will be on 8 March 2017 – before Article 50 December 20, 2016 The next UK government Budget announcement will take place on 8 March 2017, before the government triggers Article 50, the Treasury has announced. Prime Minister Theresa May has outlined plans to notify the EU of the UK's intention to leave by the end of March 2017. Official negotiations with the EU will then commence. Philip [...]
Theresa May says Brexit talks will be done by March 2019, but there may be some transitional arrangements December 20, 2016 The Prime Minister has today been firm that she fully intends to polish off Brexit talks by March 2019, although there might be an implementation period that extends beyond the two year timetable. Speaking in front of the Liaison Committee, a parliamentary group formed of the chairs of the other committees, Theresa May made it clear it was her intention [...]
Russian hacking is a “fact” in post-truth strategy says UK government minister December 20, 2016 Britain must accept Russian hacking to influence elections in other countries as a “fact”, according to a government minister. Sir Alan Duncan, the minister for Europe and the Americas, also condemned the murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey as a "heinous attack", saying, "We obviously fully condemn this." Duncan said there was clear evidence [...]