BBC defends Brexit bias accusations September 25, 2016 The BBC has defended itself against claims that it was bias in its coverage of Brexit. The broadcaster's head of news James Harding has hit back at claims by the Leave camp that post-referendum coverage has been "gloomy or hysterical" while Remainers have accused it of being too impartial. "The BBC’s coverage of the EU referendum was [...]
Boris Johnson hints Article 50 should be invoked before May 2017 September 25, 2016 Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has indicated Article 50, the official signal for Britain leaving the EU, should be triggered before May next year to avoid Britain having to participate in European elections and send new MEPs to Brussels. Britain is due to participate in electing candidates to the European parliament in elections set for May 2019, but [...]
Tata and unions take steelworkers pensions talks to Labour conference September 25, 2016 Talks over a rescue plan for British steelworkers are set to move to Merseyside this week as both Tata and unions seek an end to a deadlock over pensions. Both Tata and union leaders are attending the Labour party conference in Liverpool, with talks continuing as the Indian steel giant seeks to make sure its [...]
EU funds for 600 startups have been unfrozen after Brexit pause September 25, 2016 Millions of pounds in funding for startups from the European Union that were put on hold after the vote to leave Europe have been unfrozen. Cash from the EU Regional Development Fund was paused by the Treasury almost immediately following the vote for Brexit putting at risk a shot in the arm for the country's tech [...]
MPs warn smart meters carry cyber attack risk September 24, 2016 MPs have warned today that the government's plan to install smart meters in every house and business across the UK by 2020 carries cyber security risks. The science and technology committee called on the government "to do more to convince and reassure customers that the technology is safe from being hacked". This came despite it finding "GCHQ’s involvement [...]
Jeremy Corbyn re-elected as Labour Party leader September 24, 2016 Jeremy Corbyn has won his second Labour leadership contest despite concerns over his ability to take the party to victory in a General Election. The Islington North MP extended last year's winning margin after attracting 313,309 votes, which amounts to a share of 61.8 per cent. The figure put Corbyn comfortably ahead of challenger Owen Smith who received 193,229 [...]
Treasury minister Jim O’Neill quits amid China and Northern Powerhouse spat September 23, 2016 Lord Jim O'Neill has resigned as a minister in Philip Hammond's Treasury team amid speculation of differences of opinion with Prime Minister Theresa May. O'Neill, a former Goldman Sachs economist who is known for coining the term BRICS (the acronym for the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), first cited problems with Prime [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan writes to Uber and other private hire drivers setting out his commitment to the industry September 23, 2016 London mayor Sadiq Khan has written to tech firm Uber in response to its email campaign about the future of the capital's taxi and private hire industry. Transport for London (TfL) plans to introduce new rgulations for the sector including a requirement that private hire vehicles have "hire and reward" insurance in place for the duration of the licence, [...]
Far from finding it difficult to strike trade deals post-Brexit, the UK is in a prime position. Here’s why September 23, 2016 In the weeks since the referendum there has been much gnashing of the teeth over the UK’s future trade relationship with both the EU and the rest of the world. Much of the negativity expressed by commentators is exaggerated or misguided. The UK remains in a strong position, and can in fact prosper under existing [...]
With two of the worst candidates around, expect reality TV rather than a clash of ideas September 23, 2016 This election may be Hillary Clinton’s to lose, but ever-increasingly it is looking like Donald Trump’s to win. Going into the first debate next Monday, Clinton is still the favourite in the polls. The majority of top pollsters have her hovering over Trump by a few percentage points, and the electoral map still swings in [...]