Peter Mandelson calls on Labour to ‘redouble’ its private donation efforts August 24, 2022 Lord Peter Mandelson has called on Labour to “redouble” its efforts to bring in private donations amid claims the party is struggling to fill its coffers. The party grandee, and New Labour architect, told City A.M. that Sir Keir Starmer “cannot allow himself or the party” to become beholden to “hard-left trade unions” that “are going to [...]
Raab vows to break barristers’ ‘near-monopoly’ over Crown Court trials August 24, 2022 Justice secretary Dominic Raab is seeking to undermine the barristers’ strike by breaking their “near-monopoly” over crown court trials, government sources told the Daily Mail. As the UK government faces the prospect of an all-out barristers strike from the start of next month, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is weighing up plans to expand the [...]
Boris Johnson makes surprise Kyiv visit on Ukraine independence day August 24, 2022 Boris Johnson has made a surprise visit to Kyiv today to mark Ukraine’s independence day. Johnson said that “I believe Ukraine can and will win this war” in what will be his final trip to the country as UK Prime Minister. Johnson also said higher energy bills were worth paying to support Ukraine and that [...]
City Hall Tories call on Sadiq Khan to stop Extinction Rebellion occupation of Hyde park August 24, 2022 Sadiq Khan has been urged by the Tory caucus in City Hall to stop Extinction Rebellion’s planned occupation of Hyde Park next month. Susan Hall, leader of the London Assembly Tories, said Khan must intervene to stop the “hypocritical and lawless” climate change protest from taking up police resources. A spokesperson for Khan said the [...]
Candy floss and burnt out tanks: Ukraine marks independence day and six month anniversary of Russia’s invasion August 24, 2022 Ukraine celebrated its 31st independence day and six months since the country was invaded by Russia, by displaying charred Kremlin tanks on the streets of Kyiv. Residents of the capital were pictured eating candy floss and celebrating the national holiday, three decades on after freeing itself from Moscow, as the remains of the Kremlin’s military vehicles [...]
UK and Ukraine launch talks on digital trade agreement August 24, 2022 The UK and Ukraine have agreed to launch talks on a new digital trade agreement as Kyiv prepares to celebrate independence day. UK trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan met with Ukraine’s economy minister Yuliia Svyrydenko yesterday to confirm the talks, which are centred around supporting “Ukrainian businesses by cutting red tape and helping them to trade [...]
Truss attacked over emergency Budget as she steps up Number 10 preparations August 23, 2022 A close ally of Rishi Sunak attacked Liz Truss today over her plans to hold an emergency Budget in September as the foreign secretary steps up her preparations for entering Number 10. Mel Stride, one of Sunak’s campaign whips, wrote to the Treasury in his role as chair of Westminster’s Treasury Select Committee to say [...]
Business secretary clears deal for BT shares by French billionaire Patrick Drahi August 23, 2022 The acquisition of BT shares by French billionaire Patrick Drahi’s Altice has been cleared by the business secretary after a review under the National Security and Investments Act (NSIA). Drahi’s company is now set to increase its BT stake from 12 per cent to 18 per cent, after announcing the decision in December. In a [...]
Truss accused of doubling sewage dumping and cutting £235m during time at DEFRA August 23, 2022 Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss has been accused of having cut £235m from the environment agency during her time at the helm, which doubled sewage dumping/ Labour accused the foreign secretary of presiding over the cuts during her time at the helm of the environment agency (EA) at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural [...]
Rishi Sunak vows to make UK ‘science superpower’ if he becomes PM August 22, 2022 Rishi Sunak has set out his plans to make the UK a “science and technology superpower” on the eve of the Birmingham Tory leadership hustings. Sunak tonight said he would increase annual public spending on Research and Development to £20bn, up from around £15bn, by 2024-25 if made Prime Minister. He also vowed to create [...]