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 [...]
More public sector bosses will have to return their golden goodbye bonuses under clawback rules December 20, 2015 More highly paid public sector workers who leave their job with a generous golden goodbye, only to return to another public organisation soon after, will have to return the payout as the government cracks down on so-called boomerang bosses. Clawback laws introduced earlier this year will be expanded and the threshold for those the law applies to will be [...]
Syria crisis: Security Council adopt UN resolution for Syria peace process December 19, 2015 The UN’s Security Council has reached a rare agreement backing an international plan for a Syria peace process. The council adopted a resolution late last night, having previously been divided on the issue of the civil war that has ravaged the country for nearly five years, with China and Russia vetoing a number of Western [...]
Ukip break up? Douglas Carswell calls on Nigel Farage to step down as leader December 18, 2015 Ukip are facing the threat of civil war after its only MP Douglas Carswell called on leader Nigel Farage to step down. Clacton MP Carswell argued that the party needed a "fresh face" in charge to go to "the next level" after its comprehensive Oldham by-election defeat – but ruled out making a bid for the [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron issues plea to EU leaders to back his reform proposals December 18, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron used a working dinner in Brussels last night to make an impassioned plea to European leaders to back his proposals for “substantial” reform of the European Union. In a lengthy appeal to European heads of state and government from all 27 other EU member states, Cameron said that if the leaders wanted the [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Sadiq Khan says he wants Tech City to be in the hands of City Hall as he matches Zac Goldsmith pledge for super-fast broadband December 18, 2015 Labour City Hall hopeful Sadiq Khan will today call for Whitehall to devolve certain powers relating to “Tech City” to the mayor of London. “London has made a great fist of carving out a leading position as a centre of tech but there’s much more to do to ensure we build on this success,” Khan [...]
Security Council adopt UN resolution to choke off funding for Islamic State December 17, 2015 The 15 finance ministers of UN Security Council nations have moved to starve funding for the so-called Islamic State (Isis) and other terrorist groups. At tonight’s meeting, the first of finance ministers since the Security Council was formed in 1945, a resolution was adopted urging countries to “move vigorously and decisively to cut the flow [...]
UN Security Council urged to do more as George Osborne vows to choke off funding for Isis December 17, 2015 In an unprecedented move, chancellor George Osborne met with finance ministers from members of the UN Security Council in New York today as part of an international effort to choke off sources of funding for the so-called Islamic State (Isis) and other terrorist groups. But while the meeting – the first of finance ministers since [...]