On airports to rail chaos, business just wants somebody to take responsibility June 21, 2022 Well, at least the weather’s looking alright. That’s about the best that can be said for the rest of the week, with rail strikes, flight cancellations and the strong possibility of further industrial action to come. Those who have been asked to work from home may well come back with a healthier tan next week. [...]
Conservatives received £500,000 donation from crypto lobbyist before crypto push June 20, 2022 The Conservative Party received a £500,000 donation from a crypto lobbyist two months before the government announced plans to make the UK a “global cryptoasset technology hub.” Thailand-based businessman Christopher Harborne donated the amount on 9 February 2022, the Electoral Commission website showed. The Conservatives announced in April their intentions to make the country a [...]
UK to take ‘back seat’ as EU leads the way for Big Tech regulation June 20, 2022 Departing chief of the UK competition watchdog has warned that the UK risks falling behind its European cousins after the government backtracked on giving the regulator enhanced powers to hold Big Tech to account. Speaking to the Financial Times, Andrea Coscelli said that the UK will become a “rule taker” rather than leader in this [...]
‘Carrie-gate’ swells as Downing Street admits it did speak to The Times before story about £100k job for Boris Johnson’s girlfriend was dropped June 20, 2022 In a dramatic new development, Downing Street reluctantly admitted this afternoon there were indeed talks between Number 10 and The Times before Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper dropped a story that claimed Boris Johnson tried to appoint his now wife to a Government role when he was Foreign Secretary. According to the story in The Times on [...]
Johnson stares down major electoral tests in two by-elections June 20, 2022 Boris Johnson will face a major electoral test this week as voters go to the polls in two by-elections. The Tories are increasingly expected to lose both the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections on Thursday, after a bruising six months for the Prime Minister. A series of scandals – including a flow of Tory [...]
London councils expect inflation to burn £400m hole in finances amid cost of living crisis June 20, 2022 London boroughs are expecting inflation to burn a £400m hole in their finances, according to a local government association. London Councils, the cross-party organisation which covers all 32 London borough councils and the City of London, said today that rising inflation has cut £100m from the financial uplift boroughs received for 2022-23. Inflation levels, currently at a [...]
Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg accused of ‘playing silly games’ with security staff by refusing to wear parliamentary pass June 20, 2022 Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has been accused of “playing silly games” with parliamentary security, by not wearing his pass to enter the Westminster estate. The eccentric Tory politician who is also responsible for government efficiency was criticised this week by the PCS union, over claims he refused to wear the pass on him at [...]
Pfizer injects £77m into Valneva, days after French firm settles dispute with UK government June 20, 2022 Pfizer will inject $95m (£77.6m) into French pharmaceutical firm Valneva for an eight per cent stake, just days after the French pharmaceutical firm settled a Covid-19 dispute with the UK government. Pfizer, a Big Pharma firm behind one of the world’s Covid-19 vaccines, has entered an equity subscription agreement with Valneva, as it plans to [...]
Mystery deepens around Times story that claimed Boris Johnson planned to make girlfriend Carrie £100k chief of staff June 20, 2022 Questions are growing about a story that appeared in The Times newspaper, claiming that Boris Johnson planned to hand his then-girlfriend Carrie a £100k a year role. The story, which ran on page 5 of an earlier edition of The Times late last week, disappeared in later editions. According to multiple reports, there were concerns [...]
Missing out on £142 per week: More older Brits slide into poverty after rise of state pension age from 65 to 66 June 20, 2022 Roughly around one in seven 65-year-olds were in income poverty in late 2020 as a direct consequence of the state pension age rising from 65 to 66, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Between late 2018 and late 2020, the state pension age for men and women rose from 65 to 66, leaving [...]