George Osborne may earn more talking about the economy on the dinner circuit than he did running it August 17, 2016 Former chancellor George Osborne could start to earn far and above his previous salary after being permission to sign up to the after dinner speaking circuit. Osborne could earn thousands of pounds per speech after being told he was allowed to sign up to the Washington Speakers Bureau, which already has Tony Blair, Nicolas Sarkozy [...]
Theresa May has penned a personal letter to the Chinese president in a bid to steady relations with Beijing August 17, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May has written to Chinese President Xi Jinping to reassure him of the UK's commitment to ties with Beijing ahead of her visit to China next month. May will travel to China for the G20 leader summit in Hangzhou early next month, and has taken steps to ease concerns in Beijing after [...]
Rough & the smooth: Sadiq Khan’s first 100 days as mayor of London August 17, 2016 London mayor Sadiq Khan has celebrated his first 100 days in City Hall. So, how’s his mayoralty shaping up? Khan was elected on 5 May, after his rival Zac Goldsmith sank in a pit of his campaign’s own making. The Tory candidate would probably have made a perfectly decent and thoughtful mayor, but his campaign [...]
A new trade commission has warned the UK to treat China with “kid gloves”, and focus on attempts to secure deals with countries with “similar values” August 17, 2016 A group of global trade experts are calling on the UK to focus on negotiations with culturally similar nations, warning the UK to treat China “with kid gloves”. The new, independent special trade commission will operate through think tank Legatum, and features former advisers to both President Obama and former President George W Bush. The [...]
Blame Jeremy Corbyn for the increasing number of public sector strikes August 16, 2016 The total number of working days lost through labour disputes last year was, at just 170,000, the second lowest annual total since records began in 1891. What a difference a year can make. Southern Rail commuters have endured months of misery due to the prolonged series of strikes called by the RMT. Union members on Eurostar [...]
A German minister has called for the UK to be granted “special status” in Europe following the vote to leave the EU August 16, 2016 Germany's European Affairs minister has called for Britain to win "a special status" following Brexit, while calling for talks to begin early next year. Theresa May has repeatedly stated that she will not activate Article 50, which gives the UK two years to secure new terms, until 2017. And Michael Roth has told Reuters the UK [...]
Jeremy Corbyn unveils renationalistation transformation plans for Britain’s transport system August 16, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has laid out his plans to rebuild and transform the UK's transport system through renationalisation as the fight for the Labour crown continues. Corbyn set out how he would "rebuild and transform Britain's transport system", extending public ownership from rail to bus networks. He said that enough money from public ownership [...]
Billy Bragg says he still backs Jeremy Corbyn, despite calling the Labour leader a “20th century man” and warning against “tribalist” moves August 16, 2016 Singer and Labour activist Billy Bragg has denied withdrawing his support for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, despite warning the party risks becoming “tribalist” under Corbyn. Speaking at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Bragg, who has repeatedly lent Corbyn his backing, said Labour was failing to articulate new ideas, such as federalism for English regions. According to [...]
US Presidential Election 2016: Donald Trump wants “extreme vetting” for immigrants August 16, 2016 There is a necessity to conduct "extreme vetting" of immigrants into the US to fight against radical Islam, Donald Trump has said. The Republican presidential candidate said new arrivals should be tested to ascertain if they share Western values such as religious tolerance and the acceptance of LGBT rights. The suggestion comes months after Trump first [...]
Resolution Foundation argues Brexit won’t solve the low-skilled pay squeeze August 16, 2016 Reducing levels of migration will do little to end the pay squeeze for low-income workers, new research by a leading think tank has found. A report published today by the Resolution Foundation claims while net migration has reduced earnings for some people in the UK, a tighter, post-Brexit clampdown on the numbers of people coming [...]