UK public procurement reforms could create £4bn ‘accountability gap’, campaigners warn January 8, 2023 Plans to overhaul the UK’s public procurement processes risk creating an “accountability gap” around the use of public funds, anti-corruption campaigners have warned. The plans, which aim to make it easier for small businesses to win contracts from the UK government, seek to simplify the country’s procurement processes and make them easier to navigate. The [...]
Rishi Sunak hits back at critics of inflation promise but warns government ‘can’t help anybody’ if prices don’t fall January 8, 2023 Rishi Sunak has today claimed halving inflation by the end of the year – one of his five promises to the British public – will happen “because of the plans [the government] have put in place”. Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the prime minister doubled down on a series of pledges [...]
Rishi Sunak calls for ‘radical’ action as NHS on ‘knife-edge’ January 7, 2023 Rishi Sunak has urged health leaders at an emergency meeting to take “bold and radical” action to alleviate the winter crisis in the NHS. The Prime Minister told them during Downing Street talks on Saturday that a “business-as-usual mindset won’t fix the challenges we face”. Critics said the discussions would be just a “talking shop” [...]
Iran executions condemned by Cleverly amid Tehran crackdown on Mesa Amini protests January 7, 2023 Britain has condemned Iran’s execution of two men connected to nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini as “abhorrent”. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged Tehran to “end the violence against its own people”, with four men known to have been executed since demonstrations began in September. Iran’s judiciary said Mohammad Karami and Mohammad [...]
Putin: Raab to host London conference on Russian ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine January 7, 2023 London will host a major international conference led by Dominic Raab on Russia’s alleged war crimes during Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The meeting will see justice secretary Dominic Raab join forces with Dutch justice minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius to co-host the conference in London’s Lancaster House. The conference aims to coordinate efforts to ensure the [...]
Putin’s 36-hour Ukraine truce will ‘do nothing’ for peace, James Cleverly warns January 6, 2023 Vladimir Putin’s plans for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine over the Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday period will “do nothing to advance the prospects for peace”, the UK’s Foreign Secretary has said. Russia’s President Putin has ordered Moscow’s armed forces to observe the 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine this weekend, when the Russian Orthodox Church, which uses [...]
Government to push through laws which would ban strikes among some public sector workers January 5, 2023 The UK Government is to introduce a set of strike-busting laws as public sector unions continue to ballot members on ongoing industrial action. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced the introduction of a bill in Parliament over the coming weeks, Over recent months, strikes – especially those on the railway [...]
Truce or a trap? Putin calls ‘Christmas Truce’ in Ukraine War January 5, 2023 Vladimir Putin has ordered a so-called Christmas Truce in the war on Ukraine for the Orthodox Christmas period – but Ukrainian officials fear a trap. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a Vladimir Putin ally, had called for both sides of the war in Ukraine to observe a Christmas truce. Many Orthodox Christians, including [...]
The verdict: Experts react to Keir Starmer’s plan for the economy January 5, 2023 Keir Starmer is right to harness the power of government and business working together to fix the UK economy, but “time will tell” whether Labour sticks to sensible spending, economists judged after his maiden speech of 2023 today. Speaking in East London, the opposition leader promised to work side by side with private firms to [...]
Under-pressure Putin to Ukraine: Give up territory before I’ll join negotiations January 5, 2023 President Vladimir Putin told Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday that Russia was open to dialogue over Ukraine but that Kyiv would have to accept the loss of territories claimed by Russia, the Kremlin said. “Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s openness to a serious dialogue, provided that the Kiev authorities fulfill the well–known and repeatedly voiced requirements [...]