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 [...]
Starmer looks Down Under to Australian Labor for election blueprint August 22, 2022 David Milliband once said only politically “brilliant” leaders can win elections from the centre-left in Western countries. He was referring to the type of once in a generation progressive politicians – like Sir Tony Blair, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Harold Wilson – who swept to electoral victories on the back of their stunning personal [...]
One dead after Range Rover collides with Tesla and ends up on Underground tracks August 22, 2022 A woman has died following a collision between a Range Rover and Tesla, leaving the 4×4 on the tracks of the London Underground. Met Police officers are asking for witnesses after the dramatic coming-together of the two vehicles in the early hours of the morning in West London. They were called at 3.48am following the [...]
NGOs including Oxfam and Save the Children call on Covid-19 Inquiry to probe global impact of UK vaccine buying August 22, 2022 A string of NGOs, including Oxfam, have called on the chair of the Government’s Covid-19 Inquiry to probe the impacts of UK pandemic policy on the global stage. In a letter to chair Baroness Hallett today, the NGOs said: “Given the inquiry’s focus on the impact of the pandemic on inequalities, this should include [...]
Poll shows Tory members still prefer Johnson to remain PM despite Truss 66 point lead August 22, 2022 With just two weeks to go in the Conservative leadership race, a new poll has claimed Boris Johnson is still more popular than Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Figures released by YouGov shows Liz Truss has 66 per cent Tory members’ support compared to Rishi Sunak, on 34 per cent. The 32-point lead however pales [...]
London faces higher inflation than rest of UK, new figures show August 22, 2022 Astronomical renting costs in the capital have led to a higher inflation rate in London than the rest of the UK, according to new figures released by City Hall. The figures show underlying inflation has been 1.5 per cent higher in London than the rest of the country over the past six months, after annual [...]