Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will have to quit by 2020, warns GMB leader Sir Paul Kenny February 15, 2016 Jeremy Corbyn will have to resign as leader of the Labour party by the 2020 General Election as he is failing to provide a "credible alternative" to the Conservative party, a top union leader has warned. General secretary of the GMB Union Sir Paul Kenny said that Corbyn never actually "wanted to win" the leadership [...]
EU referendum: Former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond and Ukip leader Nigel Farage agree to debate February 15, 2016 As the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU nears, leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage and former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond have agreed to go head to head in a debate. The former First Minister of Scotland said he would be "delighted" to take on Farage ahead of the [...]
Budget 2016: Anti-smoking restrictions lobby group Forest calls on chancellor George Osborne to avoid hiking tobacco duty in next month’s Budget February 15, 2016 Campaigners have warned George Osborne not to hike tobacco taxes in next month’s Budget, as they step up their fight to end automatic yearly increases to the levy on cigarettes. Forest, a lobby group which campaigns against measures to restrict smoking in the UK, has urged the chancellor to abandon the “escalator” system, which increases [...]
Audit watchdog’s new powers signal shift February 15, 2016 The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is still dealing with the fallout from the financial crisis. The accountancy regulator has attracted criticism recently for its decision not to investigate KPMG over its role in the collapse of banking giant HBOS in 2008. Chief executive Stephen Haddrill is in the middle of drafting a response to the chairman [...]
Treasury is saddling British businesses with £29bn in extra costs from National Living Wage (NLW), apprenticeship levy and business rates – Confederation of British Industry (CBI) February 15, 2016 British businesses will be hit with a bill for almost £30bn in additional costs as a result of government policies including the National Living Wage (NLW) and the apprenticeship levy. The flagship schemes, along with the existing business rates regime, will cost British businesses around £9bn every year by 2020-21, according to new analysis out [...]
Brexit would cause flight costs to soar, travel bosses Carolyn McCall of EasyJet and TUI’s former chief Peter Long warn February 14, 2016 The cost of flights would go up if Britain left the EU, two top travel bosses have warned. EasyJet chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said the EU was behind the fall in air fares across Europe over the past two decades, and that before its creation air travel was "reserved for the elite". Writing in the Sunday Times, [...]
EU referendum: The five Labour heavyweights backing David Cameron on EU deal renegotiations February 14, 2016 Five Labour heavyweights have backed the Prime Minister in his attempts to renegotiate Britain's membership of the European Union. Neil Kinnock, Margaret Beckett, David Blunkett, Jack Straw and Hilary Benn have signed a letter in support of the Britain Stronger in Europe cross-party campaign group. The five supported Britain leaving Europe in the referendum of 1975. [...]
EU referendum: United States wants a strong UK to stay in a strong EU, says US secretary of state John Kerry February 13, 2016 The United States has a "profound interest in a strong UK staying in a very strong EU", according to the US secretary of state John Kerry. Speaking in Munich, Kerry said that recent events had "overwhelmed" many Europeans, but that America is confident that Europe will emerge stronger. Read more: Cameron – UK will not "retreat from the [...]
Russian prime minister Dmirtry Medvedev warns of “new cold war” after airstrikes on Syria February 13, 2016 The prime minister of Russia has warned that the world is edging closer to a "new cold war" after European leaders accused his nation's airstrikes on Syria of attacking the civilian population. Dmirtry Medvedev told the 52nd annual Munich Security Conference that a lack of cooperation in Syria was pushing Europe to where it was "40 [...]
Trident allows the UK to punch above its weight, says US defence secretary Ash Carter February 13, 2016 If Britain wants to maintain a significant role in the world it must keep its nuclear weapons, the US defence secretary has warned. Speaking to the BBC, Ash Carter said it is an "important part of the deterrent structure of Nato", allowing the UK to punch above its weight. Read more: Scottish Labour vote not to [...]