Should the government unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals in Britain? March 3, 2017 Jon McLeod, chairman of UK corporate, financial and public affairs at Weber Shandwick, says Yes. We have already heard the moral case for guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens in the UK. While it is important, the main reason to take the step endorsed by the House of Lords is naked self-interest. For a start, [...]
Editor’s Notes: It’s hard to see how Corbyn’s Labour party could sink any lower, Brexiteers attempt some cheer and Michael Gove takes to Twitter like a duck to water March 3, 2017 An American has taken out an advert in the Times to lay claim to the British throne. Allan Evans, of Colorado, says he is a descendant of a royal Welsh line dating back to the third century, and that “in 30 days’ time” he “shall claim his royal estate”. I was reading about Evans’ dubious [...]
Theresa May’s industrial strategy has come under fire from an influential committee of MPs March 3, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May's flagship industrial strategy runs the risk of failure without more long-term planning, an influential committee of MPs has warned. May has made the strategy a central tenet of her premiership, but has today been told that it lacks cross-government co-ordination and any framework for future decision-making. One week before chancellor Philip [...]
City minister Simon Kirby loses Brexit responsibilities to Treasury peer March 2, 2017 City minister Simon Kirby has seen his responsibilities for Brexit handed to Baroness Neville-Rolfe. Kirby was handed the role of economic secretary to the Treasury after the Brexit vote when May came to power. The Treasury has stressed that Kirby's remit remains the same as his predecessors, with the added Brexit work hived off to commercial secretary Neville-Rolfe. Neville-Rolfe [...]
Labour’s John McDonnell wants to force high-earners to publish their tax returns March 2, 2017 Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has revealed new plans designed to improve trust in the UK's tax system, including forcing anyone earning over £1m to publish their tax returns. McDonnell announced the plans at a pre-Budget speech in London earlier today, adding that Labour also shares the widely-held goal of clamping down on tax avoidance. "Transparency and [...]
Up to 30 Tory MPs will join the Article 50 Bill rebellion on EU nationals, according to a peer March 2, 2017 Up to 30 Conservative MPs could join together to force the government to defend the rights of EU nationals, according to one member of the House of Lords, The Lords last night forced an amendment on to the Article 50 Bill on the topic, handing Prime Minister Theresa May her first parliamentary defeat on Brexit. [...]
Tinkering with business rates won’t fix a fundamentally broken tax on investment March 2, 2017 Business rates reform is crucial for the health of local communities across the country. Retailers pay a quarter of all business rates and it is the single largest tax paid by the industry. Put simply, the burden of property taxation is too high. It is a disincentive to invest in physical space. A system where [...]
With Francois Fillon limping on, is centrist Emmanuel Macron going to be the next French President? March 2, 2017 Famke Krumbmüller, partner at OpenCitiz, the political risk consultancy, says Yes. Once he qualifies for the second round, Emmanuel Macron will win it against Marine Le Pen. The ex-Rothschild banker is able to attract votes from across the political spectrum and is hence best placed among all candidates to beat the far-right (with 61 per [...]
Academics are becoming more and more left-wing, this free market think tank has warned March 2, 2017 The UK's academics are increasingly dominated by the left-wing, according to a new study from a free-market think tank. An estimated three-quarters of academics are left-liberals, according to the Adam Smith Institute, which said the figure reveals the dangers of groupthink in the UK's universities. By contract, just 12 per cent of British academics consider [...]
Liam Fox facing questions over demands that government contractors are a “cultural fit” on Brexit March 1, 2017 Liam Fox's international trade department is facing questions over procurement rules after demanding government contractors are a 'cultural fit' with Brexit plans. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has written to civil service chief Jeremy Heywood to demand an investigation and an apology from ministers. Adverts from the Department for International Trade said companies must “be committed [...]