London airport expansion: Sadiq Khan ramps up support for second Gatwick runway over Heathrow November 20, 2015 Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan will today up the ante in the London airports row by coming out stronger than ever in making the case for a second runway at Gatwick. The Tooting MP will meet with senior executives at the Sussex airport to conduct a charm offensive aimed at laying out his pro-Gatwick position. Khan [...]
EU cracking down on bitcoin after Paris attacks to stop terrorism funding November 19, 2015 EU ministers are hoping to tackle terrorism funding by cracking down on digital currencies like bitcoin, according to news agency Reuters. The news agency has seen a draft document from EU ministers calling on the European Commission to clamp down on anonymous online payments used to finance terrorist organisations. According to the document drafted ahead [...]
Think Nick Clegg’s fee is steep? Here’s how much former Presidents, Prime Ministers and central bankers make on the after-dinner speaking circuit November 19, 2015 Leading politicians may not earn as much as top entrepreneurs or chief executives while they are in office, but their influence and expertise sure do make for a pleasant afterlife. Last week former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg joined the ranks of those making a post-politics income from their experiences. And while Clegg was mocked [...]
French MPs vote in favour of extending emergency powers, including blocking websites and social media accounts November 19, 2015 French MPs have voted in favour of extending emergency laws in the wake of terror attacks that gripped Paris last Friday. The National Assembly voted for extending emergency powers for three months, after French President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency for 12 days following the attacks, according to AFP. The result means anyone [...]
London mayoral election 2016 candidates Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan warn chancellor George Osborne on police cuts November 19, 2015 Conservative London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith said last night that the government is likely to back down on police funding cuts in the wake of the Paris terror attacks. Chancellor George Osborne is widely expected to swing the axe on policing in next week's Autumn Statement but pressure is mounting on him to back track [...]
Campaign Against Living Miserably launches male suicide prevention bid on International Men’s Day November 19, 2015 RUSH-hour commuters on the Tube today will be given a stark reminder that the largest killer of men aged under 45 is suicide. The Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm) charity will be handing out more than 25,000 Mind the Chap Oyster cardholders across 12 participating Zone 1 stations in time for International Men’s Day. MPs [...]
Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon “prepared to listen” to case for air strikes in Syria November 19, 2015 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon has said while she is "not convinced" that a compelling case for air strikes in Syria has been made, she is "prepared to listen" to arguments for targeting the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Speaking to BBC Scotland, Sturgeon said some tests need to be passed for the case for air strikes to [...]
Sajid Javid calls for EU market reforms November 19, 2015 The business secretary Sajid Javid will later today call for the European Union to move “further and faster” towards single-market reform. In a speech at Chatham House, Javid is expected to say the EU needs an “efficient free trade mechanism” to support the UK’s financial services, service sectors, investment, and high-value manufacturing. It follows a speech [...]
Government promises of “fiscal neutrality” are a red herring: Changes to business rates are going to hurt firms November 18, 2015 Last week, Britain’s biggest high-street retailers publicly urged the government to reform its business rates regime ahead of next week’s Autumn Statement. Many find the current system complicated, unfair to small business and counterproductive to UK growth. Calls for reform have now reached fever-pitch. The government has pledged that any reforms to the current business [...]