The UK needs a federal system of governance and not English votes for English laws, says the Institute of Economic Affairs November 4, 2015 The United Kingdom should develop a federal system of governance with limited responsibility for the UK government, according to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), which said English votes for English laws (EVEL) is no solution to the problems caused by devolution. This system of government would give more powers to individual countries – Scotland, Wales, [...]
Draft Investigatory Powers Bill is “a significant departure” from Snooper’s Charter, says home secretary Theresa May, but includes internet records storage November 4, 2015 The government's Draft Investigatory Powers Bill includes a provision where everyone in Britain will have their internet activity stored for a year by service providers. The Bill, home secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons, will not mean security services will have access to people's full web browsing history. The powers will mean security [...]
EU referendum: Morgan Stanley and Citi UK bosses issue stark warnings over Brexit November 4, 2015 The City could face severe backlash in the event of a so-called Brexit, senior investment bankers at Morgan Stanley and Citi have warned. “If Britain were to leave Europe you would see a significant backlash against London as a financial centre,” Morgan Stanley International chief executive Colm Kelleher said yesterday. Citi’s UK country officer James [...]
Investigatory Powers Bill: Reading someone else’s post is illegal, why should it be any different online? November 4, 2015 Today’s Investigatory Powers Bill would provide security services with the licence to “snoop” on private communications and browsing history for the first time. It gives provision for access to personal web and phone data using bulk collection powers. The home secretary has been at pains to highlight how the contentious elements of the “snoopers charter” [...]
Public Accounts Committee: Taxpayers still being let down by HMRC, with low levels of prosecutions for tax evasion November 4, 2015 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is still failing UK taxpayers, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has argued in a report released this morning. Although PAC’s Sixth Report of 2015-16, which examines how HMRC performed during 2014-15, praises the UK’s tax authority for increasing taxes collected while cutting running costs over the last five years, it [...]
Morgan Stanley analysts: There’s a one in three chance of Brexit – which could lead to recession, a divided Conservative party and second Scottish independence referendum November 4, 2015 There is a one in three chance of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley, who believe an "out" vote could lead to recession, rising inflation and uncertainty for the UK. The investment bank has placed a 35 per cent chance on the UK voting to leave the EU in [...]
Prime Minister’s Questions: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hammers David Cameron on tax credits again November 4, 2015 In this week's episode of Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn grilled Prime Minister David Cameron on tax credit changes again. Read more: David Cameron's first PMQs in full Tory goverment: The bunfight returns Corbyn said he had asked Cameron the same question six times last week and the Prime Minister failed to give him [...]
TalkTalk hack: Dido Harding and other execs could face grilling from MPs November 4, 2015 Executives at telecoms giant TalkTalk could face a grilling from MPs later this month as part of an influential parliamentary committee's investigation into the company's latest data breach. MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport committee announced this morning that they are launching an inquiry into the "circumstances surrounding" the recent cyber-attack on Talk Talk's website. The committee [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Labour candidate Sadiq Khan says he would reconsider City Airport November 4, 2015 Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has suggested that he would reverse Boris Johnson’s decision to block expansion at London City Airport, saying today that as mayor he would “reconsider” plans to enlarge the East London airport. Khan, a former transport minister, said that if elected he would “look again” at the decision “in detail”. “City [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn turns down invitation by the Confederation of British Industry to its annual conference November 3, 2015 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has declined an invitation from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to address its annual conference. The CBI said it invited the leader of the opposition to its annual conference immediately after he was appointed, but "we received a response on 26 October, saying he was unable to attend". Corbyn was invited [...]