PEP talk: City minister urges FCA to review bank account closures after Farage claims July 5, 2023 Andrew Griffith has called on the financial regulator to ensure bank accounts of prominent public figures – PEPs – are not closed due to fears about political exposure. The City minister tweeted a letter to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) calling on the body to speed up its investigation into politically exposed persons (PEPs) account [...]
Just Stop Oil removed by Harrods security after attempting slow march in luxury London store July 5, 2023 Just Stop Oil (JSO) supporters have marched through luxury department store Harrods in the latest stunt in the group’s ongoing protest action. The activists were pictured holding placards on an escalator in the Knightsbridge shop, before security bundled a photographer out of the building, JSO said. A number of slow marches were held on Wednesday [...]
Public ‘expect’ council staff to work full five-day week, Michael Gove says July 4, 2023 Michael Gove has said people “expect” council staff to be working a full five-day week, amid a row over the government telling a local authority to cease a four-day week trial. The levelling up secretary has said he is a “strong believer” in the rule that council employees should be working Monday to Friday. It [...]
Meet the AI ‘pioneers’ behind Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects July 4, 2023 Businesses can benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) regulation creating “trusted brands”, the man using the technology to power the restoration of parliament – among other major infrastructure projects – has said. Rishi Sunak’s calls to regulate AI can benefit the industry, nPlan founder Dev Amratia has said, by allowing startups to position themselves as “safe, [...]
Sunak REFUSES to put percentage on chances of halving inflation this year July 4, 2023 Rishi Sunak has refused to put a percentage figure on his chances of halving inflation this year. The prime minister appeared at parliament’s Liaison Committee this afternoon where he was quizzed by MPs on subjects from Ukraine and national security to the cost of living. It came almost exactly six months after he made his [...]
‘Stay in your crease’: Australian PM hits back at Rishi Sunak as Ashes row rumbles on July 4, 2023 Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at Rishi Sunak’s criticism of the tourists’ sportsmanship in the current men’s Ashes series in England. A row over the controversial stumping of England wicketkeeper-batter Johnny Bairstow in the second Test has rumbled on ahead of the third match, which starts on Thursday. British PM Sunak waded [...]
Tories urge Sunak to cut migration amid record Channel crossings July 4, 2023 A group of Tory MPs have launched an alternative Conservative manifesto urging Rishi Sunak to slash migration figures amid a record number of Channel crossings in small boats. The New Conservatives group say their 12-point plan would see net migration down by around 400,000 before the next election and warn the PM “risks eroding public [...]
Cleverly hails ‘close and friendly’ UK-EU ties after Brexit in landmark Brussels speech July 3, 2023 James Cleverly hailed the “close and friendly” cooperation between London and Brussels in a speech to EU parliamentarians. The foreign secretary said the “level of trust” between him and European Commission diplomat Maros Sefcovic was part of the reason the Windsor Framework was secured. He accepted that it had taken “slightly longer” than many would [...]
Sue Gray: Partygate investigator broke Whitehall rules with Starmer talks July 3, 2023 Partygate investigator Sue Gray broke civil service rules “as a result of the undeclared contact” between her and the Labour Party, according to a Whitehall investigation. The former senior civil servant is due to take up the role as opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff after being cleared to start the job in [...]
Javid: Truss ‘ignored’ Treasury warnings on balancing books – and Britain ‘paid consequences’ July 3, 2023 Liz Truss “ignored” warnings from the Treasury orthodoxy meaning the country “paid the consequences” for her disastrous mini-budget, Sajid Javid has said. The former chancellor said the focus in HMT on “balancing the books in the medium term” was a good thing, and without that the UK “would have constant financial crisis”. Speaking at an [...]