HS2 route: England’s Tree of the Year 2015, Cubbington pear to be cut down to make room for high-speed rail line November 8, 2015 A much-beloved Warwickshire pear tree in line to be cut down to make room for the government’s HS2 high speed rail line has just been voted Tree of the Year 2015. The Cubbington pear tree, near the synonymous village, won the competition run by the The Woodland Trust after receiving more than 10,000 votes. It is believed [...]
EU referendum 2017: Prime Minister David Cameron to warn over Brexit as he unveils European Union reform wishlist November 8, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron will warn this week over the potential ramifications of Britain leaving the European Union, if his demands for reform are "met with a deaf ear". In a speech on Tuesday, Cameron will say that if no deal can be reached, he could back a British exit when an in/out referendum is held [...]
Senior Corbyn adviser Andrew Fisher suspended by Labour November 6, 2015 Andrew Fisher, a senior adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, has been suspended from the Labour Party following a stream of controversial tweets. Fisher suggested that the Class War candidate should be backed as leader of the party instead of Corbyn, and has also called Tony Blair a “scumbag” and Jack Straw a “vile git”. His selection [...]
Remembrance Sunday: Ukip asks Queen to intervene so Nigel Farage can lay wreath at Cenotaph service November 6, 2015 The UK Independence has written to the Queen appealing to be included in this year's Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Westminster. Ukip MEP and former soldier Mike Hookem asked the monarch to "intervene on the part of over 3.8m of your people" and allow Ukip to have a representative on Sunday. As "the [...]
Sinai plane crash: Prime Minister David Cameron calls Russian President Putin, holds press conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi November 5, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said in a joint press conference this afternoon that they will work together to address security concerns in Sharm el-Sheikh after Number 10 grounded all British flights arriving in, and departing from, the Egyptian resort. Cameron said the two leaders were "committed to work together". “It’s in our mutual [...]
British Chambers of Commerce: “lazy assumptions” guide MPs’ decisions November 5, 2015 A leading business group has launched an attack on prevailing wisdom in Westminster, saying that “lazy assumptions” guide government decision-making. In a new report out today, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) questions popular conceptions about the role of public debt, productivity, education spending, infrastructure projects, trade policies and other business-focused initiatives, saying there is [...]
Resolution Foundation: Treasury could stop tax credit cuts and still run surplus November 5, 2015 The Treasury could reverse plans to cut tax credits and still meet its goal of eliminating the deficit, according to a new report out today from the Resolution Foundation. The report suggests five policy changes that would raise significant revenue for the government, including slowing the rate of increase in the personal allowance by tying [...]
Sinai plane crash: British government grounds all flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh November 4, 2015 The British government has grounded all flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to the UK, blaming security concerns following the crash of Metrojet flight 9251 to St Petersburg on Saturday. Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a COBR meeting last night, where ministers agreed to temporarily suspend flights to and from Sharm, to work urgently with airlines and the Egyptian authorities to [...]
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 [...]