Keith Vaz stands down from influential committee following allegations September 4, 2016 MP Keith Vaz will temporarily stand down from his position as the head of the influential home affairs select committee following allegations that he paid for male escorts. The Labour MP has led the committee since 2007 and the group investigates areas such as crime, policing, drugs, immigration and extremism. According to the report in the Sunday Mirror, the 59-year-old MP [...]
“No security issues” surrounding billion-pound data centre deal with China September 4, 2016 The company run by the billionaire Reuben brothers has denied there are security concerns around a potential sale of a stake in its data centre company Global Switch to Chinese investors. The former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind has called on the Prime Minister Theresa May to vet the potential multi-billion pound deal over concerns around access to data. Read [...]
Back of the queue? Barack Obama warns of UK-US trade “unravelling” September 4, 2016 US President Barack Obama has praised the special relationship between the UK and the US, but warned that both countries needed to do everything they could to prevent those strong ties from "unravelling" as he indicated other major global trade agreements are a priority. Speaking at the G20 Summit, Obama said the priority was to complete [...]
Theresa May talks up “golden era” for UK-China relations ahead of G20 September 3, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May has said this is a “golden era" for UK-China relations, amid doubts over the UK government’s commitment to Hinkley Point. Speaking at Heathrow ahead of her first international conference as PM at the G20 summit in China, May also said that Britain will be a “global leader” in free trade after the Brexit [...]
UK told there can be no “cherry picking” in Brexit negotiations September 3, 2016 The UK will not be able to “cherry pick” in its Brexit negotiations, the vice president of the European Commission has warned. Valdis Dombrovskis was speaking after Prime Minister Theresa May and her ministers agreed on Wednesday to pursue a “unique” model for the UK’s relationship with the EU. Read more: Britain can get a [...]
Donald Trump catches up with Hillary Clinton in new US presidential election poll September 3, 2016 A new poll in the US has pulled Donald Trump into an effective tie with Hillary Clinton in the US presidential race. A Reuters/ Ipsos poll of 1,804 likely voters between 26 August and 1 September found 40 per cent support for Trump, versus 39 per cent for Clinton. Read more: Trump praises "wonderful" Mexico… [...]
Theresa May travels to G20, but PM is expected to keep China waiting on Hinkley Point decision September 3, 2016 Theresa May is heading to the G20 summit in China for her first international conference as Prime Minister. May’s appearance in China comes at a time when the country is awaiting news from the UK government on the Hinkley Point nuclear power station. May is expected to use the conference to reassure world leaders that [...]
Could Labour learn from this? Green Party turns leadership into a job share September 2, 2016 Bored of the Labour leadership battle, which seems to have been rumbling on for decades? Perhaps the party could learn a thing or two from the Greens, who have concluded their own leadership election without fuss this afternoon. In fact, the Green Party has named not just one leader, but two. Read more: Green Party [...]
A free market think tank has joined calls to scrap “inefficient” corporation tax September 2, 2016 Margaret Thatcher's favourite think tank has joined calls to abolish corporation tax, blasting the failure of politicians to grasp the impact of the charge. The free market backing Institute of Economic Affairs said long overdue reform of the system has been held back by a “fiction” that the bill is foot by companies, instead of [...]
An embarrassment, a bailout and a failing franchise: Politicians blast Southern’s £20m funding deal September 1, 2016 Politicians from City Hall, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have blasted £20m of new funding for Southern Rail, announced earlier today. The Department for Transport (DfT) revealed the cash as part of a package of measures to improve performance on the lines. It will also see the appointment of a new project [...]