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 [...]
OECD Pisa education report: Reading and science scores climb as maths struggles December 6, 2016 The UK is climbing the world rankings in both reading and science according to the latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) international student assessments. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is undertaken once every three years and tests 15-year-olds' abilities in the core academic disciplines of reading, maths and science. It found the [...]
Wanted: A bold government housing strategy that delivers for the young rather than the old December 6, 2016 If Brexit wasn’t dominating British politics, then one other issue would be: the lack of housing. If you know someone under 30, living in London and able to afford their first home, then your friend belongs to the country’s richest percentile. For most people, even for those on what used to be a decent median income, owning [...]
Donald Trump takes aim at Boeing for expensive Air Force One contract December 6, 2016 President-elect Donald Trump has called for Boeing’s contract to build Air Force One to be cancelled because it’s too costly. The Republican tweeted today that the contract costs were “out of control” at “more than $4bn”. Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, [...]
UK tech is putting its top post-Brexit demands to government December 6, 2016 Keeping the country's emerging tech talent in the UK and guaranteeing to fill any startup funding shortfall from Europe are just two of the measures being demanded from government by a group of top entrepreneurs and investors after the vote to leave the EU. Brent Hoberman, the entrepreneur behind Lastminute.com, Made.com and Founders Fund, Betfair founder Edward Wray, [...]
Theresa May wants a red, white and blue Brexit, but her opponents say that’s “jingoistic claptrap” December 6, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to deliver a "red, white and blue" Brexit for the UK, refusing to comment on whether that will include continued contributions to EU budgets, but her opponents say the comments are "jingoistic claptrap". Speaking from Bahrain, May was asked about comments from some of her ministers, which has suggested the [...]