Syria air strikes vote: Yvette Cooper, Margaret Beckett and Tim Farron say they’ll vote for bombing during all-day debate December 2, 2015 Labour, Liberal Democrat and DUP MPs have all backed British air strikes against Islamic State (Isis) targets in Syria in today's all-day debate in the House of Commons. High-profile Labour backbenchers, including former shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and former deputy Labour leader Margaret Beckett, have said they will vote in favour of the government's proposals for [...]
EU referendum: Disunited Kingdom – how far apart are we on the EU and could England vote to take the UK out despite other nations voting to stay in? December 2, 2015 The surprise outright victory of David Cameron’s Conservative party at this year’s General Election means that we are now certain there will be a referendum on Britain’s future in the European Union (EU). At some point before the end of 2017, we will be asked whether we think the UK should remain a member of [...]
Labour MP Diana Johnson claims to have received threatening email over Syria airstrikes as protesters gather outside Stella Creasy’s house December 2, 2015 Labour MPs have been sent threatening emails, faced crowds of protesters gathering outside their house, and even had their own councillors call for them to be deselected if they vote in favour of airstrikes in Syria today. Hull North MP Diana Johnson has received an email saying those who voted in favour of the government's plan would face [...]
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro threatens “bourgeois parasite” Heinz management over “sabotage” of economy December 2, 2015 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has threatened to arrest senior members of the food group Heinz for "sabotaging the national economy". The country's leader, who earlier this year arrested a number of businessmen for "conspiring" to create long queues outside their shops, went on TV last night to warn that an inspection would be carried out against the "bourgeois [...]
EU referendum: Chancellor George Osborne says EU cap on bankers bonuses has been “entirely counterproductive” December 1, 2015 Speaking to MPs on the influential Treasury Select Committee, chancellor George Osborne has called the EU cap on bankers bonuses counterproductive. In response to a question from Conservative MP Mark Garnier, Osborne said: "The bonus cap to my mind has been entirely counterproductive, it has led to higher base pay within banks, it hasn't reduced overall [...]
Defence secretary Michael Fallon beefs up argument for air strikes in Syria saying UK is already a target December 1, 2015 Ahead of the one-day House of Commons debate on where the UK should its allies in bombing the so-called Islamic State in Syria, defence secretary Michael Fallon has warned that IS is "a very real threat to us here in Britain". Speaking to MPs on the defence select committee, Fallon said the UK is "already a [...]
EU referendum: British commissioner Jonathan Hill could be harming the UK just at the crucial pre-Brexit moment December 1, 2015 While David Cameron recently released his unambitious ideas for renegotiating the terms of the British membership in the EU, British commissioner Jonathan Hill seems keener to focus on building an ever-closer banking union. Although he is aware of Germany’s fundamental opposition to mutualising deposit insurance, he strongly advocates a project which will fuel the revolt of German depositors against [...]
Oldham West and Royton by-election 2015: What does history tell us will happen? December 1, 2015 One thing’s for sure in the up-coming Oldham West & Royton by-election: neither Labour nor Ukip are taking electoral victory for granted in what is going to be a bitterly fought contest. In leader Jeremy Corbyn’s first electoral challenge since taking the reins of the Labour party, his party won’t take any chances: it’s up [...]
London airport expansion: Heathrow plan set for a bumpy landing December 1, 2015 An influential group of MPs has poured cold water on calls for a swift government decision on airport expansion today by questioning the legality of building a third runway at Heathrow Airport. In a new report out this morning, the environmental audit committee told the government not to give the go-ahead to expanding the west [...]
Lord Lamont talks Osborne, Varoufakis and the EU referendum December 1, 2015 One wouldn't normally expect a former Conservative chancellor to agree with a controversial left wing ex-finance minister, but Lord Norman Lamont robustly defends his friend Yanis Varoufakis. “Varoufakis was disputing the rules of the European Union, rather than what they had discretion over, whereas the EU was responding by saying these are the rules; you [...]