Jeremy Hunt: UK not ‘in a position’ to know if it can cut taxes before election May 17, 2023 The government is currently not “in a position to know whether we’re going to have any headroom at all” to cut taxes in the run up to the next election, Jeremy Hunt claimed today. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) annual conference, the Chancellor said he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “have our [...]
Starmer: ‘We’re not going to re-enter the EU – but the trade deal needs to be improved’ May 17, 2023 Sir Keir Starmer said the Brexit deal needed to be improved after the owner of Vauxhall said it will be unable to keep its commitment to make electric vehicles in the UK without changes to the trade agreement with the European Union. The Labour leader made his comments after one of the world’s largest carmakers [...]
US debt ceiling drama – what is it and why does it matter May 17, 2023 Markets are keeping a close eye on the US debt ceiling debacle – seemingly an attempt by US politicians to tip their own country into default. The debt ceiling is a limit on how much the US government can borrow imposed by Congress. Currently it stands at $31.4trn, although it has been raised 78 times [...]
Renters to get more rights under sweeping new legislation after multiple delays May 17, 2023 A new bill that will bolster renters’ rights will be tabled in Parliament today after being delayed multiple times. The Renters’ Reform Bill will abolish “no-fault” evictions, which allow landlords to end tenancies without having to establish fault on the part of the tenant. The bill will also expand the Decent Homes Standard – which [...]
Ofwat £11m enforcement boost branded ‘drop in the ocean’ by sewage campaigners May 16, 2023 An £11m funding boost for water regulator Ofwat to help it take action against polluting water companies has been branded a “drop in the ocean” by a campaign group, who argued more was needed to address the scale of the problem. Ofwat said the funds, which would be provided by a future hike to the [...]
UK must solve labour issues and cut red tape to help ease food inflation, lobby group warns May 16, 2023 The UK government must address labour shortages and make sure regulations don’t weigh food producers down to help ease food price inflation, an industry lobby group has warned. Downing Street hosted a Farm to Fork event at No10 with retailers, traders and producers invited, as Rishi Sunak announced greater protections for farmers in future trade [...]
Krispy Kreme plays down impact of UK rules on unhealthy foods May 16, 2023 The boss of Krispy Kreme doughnuts has shrugged off the impact of new UK regulations on unhealthy food in supermarkets, insisting that consumers could simply be “trained” to look elsewhere in shops for their sweet treats. Major retailers have been banned from placing high fat, sugar or salt items near prominent store locations such as [...]
Kyiv wakes up to loud explosions as Russia launches drone and missile attacks – after Zelensky’s whirlwind Europe arms visit May 16, 2023 Loud explosions sounded above Kyiv early on Tuesday as Russia launched an intense air attack on the capital using a combination of drones, cruise missiles and possible ballistic missiles. Russia’s latest attack on Kyiv was “exceptional in its density — the maximum number of attacking missiles in the shortest period of time”, said Serhii Popko, [...]
Jacob Rees-Mogg brands Sunak’s Brexit bonfire row back ‘pathetically under-ambitious’ May 15, 2023 Jacob Rees-Mogg has attacked the Government’s decision to scale back post-Brexit plans to scrap EU laws as “pathetically under-ambitious”. The former cabinet minister used a speech at the National Conservatism conference on Monday to criticise Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for breaking his promise to complete a “bonfire” of remaining EU-era laws by the end of [...]
EU top body lifts economic growth forecast saying Europe dodged dreaded recession May 15, 2023 The European Union’s executive body has raised its economic growth forecast, saying Europe has dodged a winter recession that was feared amid an energy crisis. The outlook for the 20 countries using the euro currency improved to growth of 1.1 per cent this year from 0.9 per cent in the previous predictions in February, the [...]