Leaked rail letter: Grayling said he wanted suburban rail “out of the clutches” of Labour December 7, 2016 The transport secretary has been criticised for "political point scoring" and faced calls to resign, after a leaked letter said he wanted to "keep suburban rail services out of the clutches of any future Labour mayor". Yesterday Chris Grayling rejected Sadiq Khan's bid to take over commuter routes, saying the mayor hadn't proved his alternative would [...]
The Liberal Democrats have been hit with the largest possible penalty over 2015 election spending December 7, 2016 The Liberal Democrats have been hit with a £20,000 fine by the UK's election watchdog. The fine is the maximum possible penalty the Electoral Commission can issue, with the watchdog claiming that more than 300 payments totaling £184,676 were excluded from party spending returns. The Lib Dems suffered from “systemic failures” during last year's General [...]
A man has been arrested for making racist threats against Gina Miller December 7, 2016 A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats against anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, it has been reported. The Metropolitan Police said officers from its Falcon Unit arrested the man after detectives were made aware of threats made against a 51-year-old woman from 3 November. Read more: Gina Miller condemns "disgraceful" media coverage [...]
SoftBank shares surge after chief exec announces $50bn US investment with President-elect Trump December 7, 2016 US President-elect Donald Trump and Masayoshi Son, chief executive of SoftBank, announced today that Son would invest $50bn (£39.5bn) in the US and create 50,000 new jobs. SoftBank's shares soared 6.2 per cent, helping push Japan's Nikkei up 0.7 per cent, Reuters reported. In the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, Son said his telecommunications and tech [...]
One more step along the road to Brexit December 7, 2016 The Great Brexit dance continues. Yesterday, the Labour party rediscovered its opposition role and bounced the government into accepting demands that it set out its Brexit plans to parliament. Fearing that dozens of Remain-backing Tory MPs would support the Labour motion, No 10 agreed to go along with it. The shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer [...]
A small band of Remain useful idiots wrongly thinks Brexit won’t happen December 7, 2016 We have a problem. An odd little group of people – who make up with fervour and confidence what they might lack in numbers and logic – is presently touring the world of the commentariat. Unlike most Remain campaigners, principled and reasonable people able to accept a decision contrary to their will and move on, [...]
May doubles-down on Brexit timetable with a challenge to Remainers December 6, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May has moved to see off a potential Commons defeat by accepting a Labour motion requiring the government to set out its Brexit plans to MPs. However, the PM also doubled-down on her Brexit timetable. While the Prime Minister has accepted the Labour motion the government has tabled an amendment which further [...]
Corbyn-backing Unite general secretary Len McCluskey resigns to seek early re-election December 6, 2016 The Corbyn-supporting boss of Britain’s biggest trade union has resigned to seek a fresh term at the helm. Len McCluskey will seek a third term as Unite general secretary early next year in a contest due to run to 28 April. Unite is the biggest donor to the Labour party, and provided support to Jeremy Corbyn’s [...]
Miller’s star QC centre stage at Supreme Court arguing June’s referendum does not give ministers power to enact Brexit December 6, 2016 Lord Pannick QC was centre stage yesterday at the Supreme Court, contesting the right of Prime Minister Theresa May to begin Brexit talks without Parliament's approval. Acting on behalf of investment manager Gina Miller – the driving force behind the legal challenge to the government’s right to trigger Article 50 without parliamentary approval – he [...]
Theresa May bids to head off Tory rebellion by agreeing to publish some Brexit planning December 6, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May has responded to the threat of a Brexit rebellion by agreeing to publish a plan on quitting the EU if MPs back her plan to trigger Article 50 before April. A Labour motion due for debate tomorrow had called for May to publish details of her plans on Brexit ahead of [...]