George Osborne should turn attention from cutting corporation tax to helping smaller businesses July 6, 2016 The Chancellor’s biggest ever policy U-turn appears to have snuck under the radar amid the political resignations, betrayals and leadership bids currently dominating the headlines. On Sunday, Mr Osborne announced that he plans to cut corporation tax to less than 15 per cent in an effort to attract companies deterred from doing business in a [...]
Former Tory MPs Douglas Carswell and Sir Malcolm Rifkind have crossed swords over Theresa May’s leadership campaign July 6, 2016 Former Tory MPs Douglas Carswell and Sir Malcolm Rifkind have crossed swords over Theresa May's bid for the Conservative leadership, attacking the home secretary's “regrettable” failure to provide sufficient reassurance to EU nationals living in the UK. May declined to offer her backing for continued residence for EU nationals this weekend, stating on Peston on Sunday [...]
Chilcot report: Sir John says UK chose invasion before peaceful options had been exhausted while Tony Blair defends decision July 6, 2016 Failures in the intelligence, planning and execution of the Iraq War were laid bare today when the Chilcot Inquiry was published. The 2.6m word report found the government had failed to meet objectives, intelligence was flawed and post-conflict consequences were not properly considered. While not making a legal judgement, Sir John Chilcot said: "We have concluded that [...]
PMQs today: Jeremy Corbyn pressures David Cameron to admit the “fiscal rule is dead” July 6, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today asked David Cameron to admit the fiscal rule has been abandoned. "Will [Cameron] now confirm that the chancellor's fiscal rule is dead?" Corbyn asked, after having grilled the Prime Minister on regional investment having fallen. Corbyn asked if it was time to admit austerity was a failure and it was time [...]
Chilcot report: What are the key takes? July 6, 2016 The long-awaited, 2.6 million-word Chilcot report was published this morning, giving a comprehensive verdict on the UK's decision to go to war in Iraq. Yesterday Sir John Chilcot said: "The main expectation that I have is that it will not be possible in future to engage in a military or indeed a diplomatic endeavour on such a [...]
Theresa May’s pitch for Tory leadership: Distilling the persuasion July 6, 2016 Aristotle suggested that effective persuasive communication turns on three different elements: the character of the speaker (ethos), the emotions stirred within the listener (pathos) and the strength of the logical argument presented (logos). In her pitch for the Tory leadership – and Prime Minister – candidacy late last week, Ms May tapped into all three of these elements. [...]
Labour donor entices rebels with millions to defect over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership July 6, 2016 A Labour donor has said he will give rebels millions of pounds to defect amid concerns that the party can no longer provide effective opposition. Dr Assem Allam, who has donated more than half a million pounds to Labour, has said he fears Labour will never be be able to recover after Corbyn's leadership turned [...]
US Presidential Election 2016: Barack Obama takes the stage with Hillary Clinton as Donald Trump says her private email put “country in danger” July 6, 2016 President Barack Obama took to the stage with Democrat Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton last night to urge voters to support her on the same day the FBI cleared her over her personal email system use. While Obama said he was ready to "pass the baton" on to his former secretary of state, rival Donald Trump [...]
Tory race should come down to experience July 6, 2016 By Thursday night we'll know which two Tory MPs will face a ballot of the party membership. One will emerge as David Cameron's successor in No 10. Five aspiring PMs entered the first round of voting yesterday, and now just three remain. Liam Fox was the first to fall. Having stood unsuccessfully for the party [...]
Pensions under threat from Brexit July 6, 2016 Savers have faced the biggest shake-up to the pensions system in a generation under the watch of chancellor George Osborne. Many of the changes are controversial, and others have been announced yet not formalised. But Brexit has put a spanner in the works – as negotiations over a deal with Europe under a new Conservative leader [...]