London airport expansion: Back Heathrow group says Zac Goldsmith has serious questions to answer after saying Volkswagen changes the debate December 22, 2015 A group campaigning for the expansion of Heathrow Airport has hit out at Tory mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith, accusing the Richmond Park MP of making “misleading” comments about air quality. Back Heathrow says Goldsmith has “serious questions to answer” after saying that the Volkswagen emissions scandal “changes everything” in the airports debate. Goldsmith recently told journalists [...]
EU referendum: The City must speak out to avoid a Brexit December 22, 2015 The City of London is a global financial powerhouse and the largest financial centre in Europe. It should be a significant player in the EU debate. However, while the industry is in general supportive of the UK remaining a member of the EU, direct expressions of support have been thin on the ground. City executives [...]
Scottish National Party’s lead in the polls grows with under six months to go until Scottish parliamentary elections December 21, 2015 With less than six months to go until the elections for the Scottish parliament, support for the Scottish National Party has swelled, increasing its lead in a new survey by TNS. The survey of 1,035 people aged 16 and over found support for the SNP steady at 58 per cent, while Labour dropped three per cent to [...]
England’s nurse shortage: 90 per cent of hospitals don’t have enough to cover all shifts December 21, 2015 NHS hospitals in England are suffering a “dangerous” shortage of nurses, according to new figures published in the Health Service Journal. A study of 232 hospitals across the country revealed 90 per cent did not meet “safe staffing” levels to cover all daytime shifts, raising concerns the NHS is not equipped to deal with the [...]
Government accused of doing too little to protect UK steel industry December 21, 2015 A committee of MPs has accused the UK government of taking “little action” to safeguard the nation's steel industry. The group said unlike other European nations, Britain was not alert enough to the implications of falling prices, and as a result didn't do enough to stop the crisis from escalating. Thousands of jobs have been slashed [...]
Treasury says senior civil servant will be chief executive of National Infrastructure Commission December 21, 2015 A senior civil servant has been tapped to lead the government’s efforts to deliver more infrastructure projects. Phil Graham, a longtime civil servant in the department for transport, will be chief executive of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), a new independent body chancellor George Osborne first announced at this year’s Conservative Party Conference. At the [...]
CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn says apprenticeship levy will inevitably lead to job losses as new poll shows 5 in 6 businesses think levy is the wrong approach December 21, 2015 The government's apprenticeship levy could lead to “significant” job losses, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director-general Carolyn Fairbairn has warned, as a new CBI survey shows just one in six businesses think the new tax is the right approach. Chancellor George Osborne first announced the apprenticeship levy in July’s summer budget, and revealed in last [...]
Spain in political limbo as Mariano Rajoy loses majority in general election and Podemos gains ground December 20, 2015 Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's centre right People's Party has won the country's general election, but will struggle to form a majority even in coalition, according to the latest results with 90 per cent of the vote counted. The country now faces a period of political uncertainty during while coalition negotiations will take place. The PP are on track [...]
EU referendum: Liam Fox tells David Cameron to let ministers campaign for Brexit December 20, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron is facing fresh divisions in the Conservative party over the EU referendum, as more senior MPs call for a "free vote" for Cabinet ministers. Earlier today, former defence secretary Liam Fox called for ministers to have the freedom to take sides in the EU referendum debate, even if they disagree with the [...]
Spanish elections: Voter turnout rebounds in the afternoon December 20, 2015 Spanish voter turnout recovered in the afternoon, taking total voter numbers above 2011 levels. Of those eligible to vote, 58.3 per cent had hit the voting booth by 6pm, Spain's interior ministry said today. It marks a rise from 58.6 per cent in 2011. Turnout had risen strongly in the north and east of Spain compared [...]