Angry cleaners to stage protest outside Downing Street over partygate treatment May 27, 2022 Hundreds of people are expected to descend on Downing Street this morning as a protest is planned amid growing anger over revelations in the ‘partygate’ report over the way cleaners and security staff were treated. Sue Gray said in her report that she learned of multiple examples of “unacceptable” treatment of security and cleaning staff [...]
UK signs first US state-level trade deal with Indiana May 27, 2022 The UK will today sign its first US state-level trade deal, with an agreement to be inked with Indiana. The “trade and economic development Memorandum of Understanding” with Indiana aims to cut red tape for British firms wanting to trade, or operate, with the Midwest state. The deal will not lower tariffs or quotas on [...]
Sunak’s care package prevents severe UK living standards shock May 26, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s energy shock care package will prevent a severe erosion of living standards among the UK’s poorest households. That’s according to top wonks’ assessments of today’s round of measures designed to cushion the hit to households from soaring inflation and energy bills. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said: [...]
UK to review Altice’s 18 per cent stake in BT on national security grounds May 26, 2022 The government will launch a national security review into Altice’s 18 per cent stake in BT, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced today. Kwarteng has used new powers as a part of the National Security Act to examine the French telecommunications group’s stake in BT amid speculation that Altice’s chair Patrick Dahi wants to make a [...]
Nadine Dorries launches impartiality review into the BBC May 26, 2022 Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has today launched a charter review of the BBC, which will examine if reforms are needed to ensure greater impartiality at the public broadcaster. The mid-term review of the BBC will examine whether the broadcaster is “delivering for licence fee payers” and “consider if reforms are needed to help it achieve [...]
MP Claudia Webbe loses appeal against harassment conviction May 26, 2022 Independent MP Claudia Webbe has lost her appeal against a conviction for harassment. The Leicester East politician was slapped with a 10-week suspended jail sentence and 200 hours of community service, in September 2020. She was found guilty of harassing a woman, Michelle Merritt, who was having a relationship with her partner at the time, [...]
Sunak hits energy firms with windfall tax to pay for £15bn cost of living package May 26, 2022 Rishi Sunak has hit British oil and gas firms with a 25 per cent windfall tax to pay for a £15bn package to help households with the cost of living crisis. The chancellor’s interventions this year will see every household in the UK given £550 to help pay their energy bills, but with the country’s [...]
Today: City hold its breath as Rishi Sunak is expected to confirm windfall tax on soaring energy profits May 26, 2022 Energy giants across the UK and investors in the City are awaiting what will come out of Westminster today as Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to cave in to pressure to impose a windfall tax on the soaring profits of oil and gas firms. Treasury sources did not deny reports he would use his announcement [...]
Ex-Brexit chief David Davis boasts he forced previous PM out: “I knew my resignation would be the end for May” May 26, 2022 Former Brexit secretary David David claimed when he resigned from the cabinet in July 2018, “I knew that it would be the end” for Theresa May as PM. The veteran politician and Brexiteer hit out at the former leader, while also taking a swipe at the current resident of Number 10, reiterating his call for [...]
UK launches national security probe of Chinese purchase of Welsh chip plant May 25, 2022 The UK has today launched a national security review of a Chinese takeover of a key Welsh semiconductor plant.