London mayoral election 2016: Zac Goldsmith insists only he can deliver Crossrail 2 while Sadiq Khan launches manifesto with Dame Tessa Jowell March 9, 2016 Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has accused his Labour rival Sadiq Khan of being unable to deliver key infrastructure projects for the capital, on the same day that Khan launches his campaign manifesto. According to Goldsmith’s campaign, £44.2m in investment has been committed to the Crossrail 2 project so far – just a fraction of [...]
Sunday trading laws: More than 100 Tory council leaders back the government ahead of vote to devolve powers over Sunday trading to local authorities March 9, 2016 More than 100 Tory council leaders have backed government plans to devolve powers over Sunday trading laws to local authorities, ahead of a vote today in the House of Commons on whether to give councils in England and Wales the freedom to decide if larger stores can stay open for more than six hours on Sundays. [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan to press the government on new runway March 8, 2016 Britain’s biggest business group is calling on the next London mayor to commit to building 50,000 homes a year and lobby the government to build a new runway in the south east. In its London Manifesto out today, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said Boris Johnson’s successor should “keep a relentless focus on business [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Labour candidate Sadiq Khan leads Conservative Zac Goldsmith by five points according to new poll March 8, 2016 Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan is now five points ahead of his Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith in the race to replace Boris Johnson as mayor of London, according to a new poll out today. Khan has the backing of 31 per cent of London voters, compared to 26 per cent supporting Goldsmith, according to a poll conducted [...]
US presidential election 2016: Why has Michael Bloomberg ruled out running as an independent candidate? March 8, 2016 Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has ruled out making a bid for the White House as an independent candidate, fearing it would increase the chances of Ted Cruz or Donald Trump becoming the next President. Bloomberg has liberal views on key issues such as gun control, but is also viewed as business friendly, thus appealing [...]
EU referendum: British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) hits back at claims over government interference in John Longworth’s resignation March 8, 2016 The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has rejected reports that the government played a role in the initial suspension and ultimate resignation of its former boss, John Longworth. In a new statement out this morning, a BCC spokesperson said: "No politician, official, or external interest had any influence on the BCC board’s decision to suspend [...]
EU referendum: Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney denies claims that he is making pro-Remain-esque claims about the EU March 8, 2016 Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney has said that the bank will not be make any formal recommendation on the European Union ahead of the impending referendum. Speaking in front of MPs, Carney said that the bank's report on the EU referendum is not comprehensive, but simply looks at how the EU affects the [...]
EU referendum: Low turnout on the vote feared by pressure group as just 16 per cent of public feel informed March 8, 2016 Low turnout is feared in the impending EU referendum, as the public is ill-informed about the consequences, according to the Electoral Reform Society. New polling shows that just one in six people feel well informed about the upcoming EU referendum, as 12 per cent feel "well informed" and a further four per cent feel "very [...]
EU referendum: Mayor of London Boris Johnson makes U-turn claiming “nobody has been gagged” after City Hall email demands staff back London Mayor’s pro-Brexit stance March 8, 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson has made a U-turn after it emerged he had warned officials to toe his line on the EU referendum. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has been vocal about "agents of 'project fear'" attempting to silence pro-Brexit voices, and backed down on the warning after being accused of hypocrisy. An email [...]
EU migrant crisis: Turkey and EU agree to principles of deal including resettlement policy in exchange for benefits for Turkey March 8, 2016 The European Union and Turkey have agreed on a broad outline on how to tackle the ongoing migrant crisis at a summit of leaders in Brussels. The deal will give benefits to Turkey in exchange for the the country taking back all economic migrants reaching the Greek islands in an effort to close off the [...]