Government unveils more funding for businesses hit by Storm Eva and Storm Desmond January 1, 2016 The government today made more funding available for businesses hurt by storms which wrought havoc in parts of the UK over the festive period. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced a £6m package to help he estimated 2,500 firms on either side of the Pennines left flooded by the Boxing Day deluge in the wake [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron hails “great turnaround decade” in new year’s message January 1, 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday promised to deliver social reforms, including a clampdown on terrorism, in what he described as a "great turnaround decade". Cameron said the government will build on Britain's economic growth to give people "security at every stage" of their lives spanning education, employment and retirement. He stressed the sole driver of his efforts [...]
Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk suspended from the Labour party over “inappropriate behavior” December 31, 2015 Labour MP Simon Danczuk has been suspended by the party amid allegations that he sent a 17-year-old girl explicit text messages. The Sun claims the 49-year-old politician "bombarded" the girl with "sleazy" texts. Danczuk, who split up with his wife earlier this year, later tweeted that the story was “not entirely accurate” and referred to “an extremely [...]
New Year’s Eve 2015/16 tickets for London fireworks on sale from midday – here’s where to buy them December 30, 2015 If you're feeling uncomfortable about the fact retailers have already started promoting Christmas (including putting out advent calendars…), look away now. Tickets for New Year's Eve fireworks in the centre of London are going on sale at midday today (2 October). And you might want to get your skates on because the 100,000 available [...]
EU migrant crisis: More than one million refugees and migrants have reached Europe by sea since the start of 2015 December 30, 2015 More than one million refugees and migrants have reached the shores of Europe by sea since the start of the year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said. Some 1,000,573 people have made the sea journey to Europe, and close to half of those travelling came from Syria, mostly fleeing war and persecution. The figure represents [...]
US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump will “spend $2m a week on campaign” December 30, 2015 Donald Trump has said he will spend $2m a week on his campaign, as the year of the US presidential election looms. Speaking to CNN, Trump said: "I'll be spending a minimum of $2m a week and perhaps substantially more than that." The multi-billionaire said he will do "substantial" adverts in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tells cyclist Bradley Wiggins he enjoys leadership pressure and could become Prime Minister December 29, 2015 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he can see himself becoming Prime Minister, just months after sweeping to electoral victory in Labour's leadership contest in September. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 to Olympic gold medal winner and Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, Corbyn said "Yes, yes we could", in response to a question asking whether he can envisage becoming Prime Minister. Guest [...]
Political pay: Speaker of the House John Bercow now earns more than Prime Minister David Cameron December 28, 2015 Speaker of the House John Bercow now takes home more than Prime Minister David Cameron in his pay packet, after having accepted an extra pay rise on top of the 10 per cent given to MPs earlier this year. The speaker earns £150,236 a year, comprised of the MP's salary of £74,000 and the additional salary for [...]
How Labour has performed in by-elections since Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the Labour party December 23, 2015 There has only been one by-election so far this parliament for a seat in Westminster, which was won by Labour in leader Jeremy Corbyn’s first national electoral test. But there have been many more council by-elections since Corbyn took the reins of the Labour party, and there is a distinct regional pattern to how Labour [...]
EU referendum: New survey shows leading institutional investors are more concerned about Donald Trump than Brexit in 2016 December 23, 2015 Nearly half of leading institutional investors are concerned about Britain leaving the European Union next year, according to a new survey. Forty-seven per cent of global institutional investors polled by FTI Strategy Consulting and Research this month said that they were concerned about a 2016 Brexit harming their portfolio. Investors remain sceptical, however, that British [...]