Paris terror attacks: Belgium police find possible bomb factory in Brussels during December raid January 8, 2016 Belgian police have found an apartment in Brussels where they believe explosives used in the Paris terror attacks were manufactured. Traces of explosive acetone peroxide and handmade belts were found in a dawn raid at the apartment in the district of Schaerbeek on 10 December, prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. The finding adds [...]
British National Party removed by Electoral Commission from its official list of political parties after BNP fails to register January 8, 2016 The Electoral Commission has removed the British National Party (BNP) from its official list of registered political parties after the BNP failed to confirm its registration details with the commission. Registering details of a political party with the Electoral Commission on an annual basis is a legal requirement. "The BNP’s statement of accounts were due on 7 July [...]
Vodafone joins Apple and Google in slamming UK government’s Investigatory Powers Bill, warning that the snoopers’ charter risks undermining trust January 7, 2016 Vodafone has slammed the government’s so-called snoopers’ charter, warning that the proposed legislation to monitor communication risks undermining trust in British telco firms. Vodafone has expressed concern that authorities’ power to tap into and access its network would be a “major imposition on the freedom of an operator”. In a submission to the Draft Investigatory [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron says he will not rule out imposing a new tax on sugary drinks January 7, 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron has left the door open to putting a new tax on sugary drinks, telling reporters this afternoon that he would not be "in the business of ruling things out" when it comes to tackling obesity. At a press conference in Hungary, Cameron said that while he would like to avoid imposing any [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meets with British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Confederation of British Industry (CBI) nearly four months after taking the reins of the Labour party January 7, 2016 Jeremy Corbyn is apparently launching a charm offensive to woo British businesses this week, meeting with executives at both the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the Confederation of British Industry for the first time since being selected as Labour leader last September. A BCC spokesman confirmed to City A.M. that Corbyn met privately with BCC director [...]
EU referendum: BMW executives say they want the UK to stay in the EU as Prime Minister David Cameron continues tour of Germany and Hungary January 7, 2016 Bosses at the German car giant BMW warned against Britain leaving the European Union today, as Prime Minister David Cameron toured the car company's manufacturing plant in Munich. Ian Robertson, director of sales at the company, said BMW would "regret" seeing the UK leave the EU. "The UK has the most diverse car industry in [...]
Mayor of London Boris Johnson: “I want to be part of a reformed EU” January 7, 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said he wants the UK to be part of a reformed European Union, but that if "we can't get the reform we need, Britain has a great, great future outside in a different relationship". Speaking to the BBC, Johnson would not say which side he would campaign for in the [...]
Treasury select committee chairman Andrew Tyrie slams the government over ONS and OBR, saying UK statistics are “scarcely fit for purpose” January 7, 2016 A leading MP has slammed the government over its number-crunching, saying some of the UK's statistics are "scarcely fit for purpose". Andrew Tyrie, who chairs the Treasury select committee, said today that the UK has "fallen behind other countries" when it comes to compiling national statistics. "The ONS has fallen a long way short, lacking intellectual [...]
EU referendum: Brexit makes winning a Scottish independence referendum more difficult January 7, 2016 Former foreign secretary William Hague made one of the more bizarre arguments for remaining in European Union when he asserted that a United Kingdom vote to leave the EU would “increase the chances … of Scotland leaving the UK.” It is true the Scottish National Party (SNP) says that a UK vote to leave the EU [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn finalises shadow cabinet reshuffle after resignations January 7, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has finalised his shadow cabinet after three shadow ministers resigned yesterday, leaving spots on the front bench open. Jonathan Reynolds, Stephen Doughty and Kevan Jones all quit yesterday over a number of issues with Corbyn's reshuffle. Read more: How this week has defined what politics in 2016 will look like Corbyn has [...]