NHS severs funding from bookies January 30, 2022 The NHS is set to cut all ties with the gambling industry for funding for its addiction clinics because of concerns that it may conflict with its work.
Truss: UK willing to sanction Russian oligarchs close to Putin over Ukraine January 30, 2022 The UK will level tough sanctions on Russian oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin if he invades Ukraine, Liz Truss has said. The foreign secretary said she would next week introduce legislation in parliament that will “target more Russian interests that are of direct reliance to the Kremlin” and that the sanctions would come in place [...]
‘Tax-cutting Conservatives’ Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak confirm tax rise is going ahead January 30, 2022 The Prime Minister and Chancellor have doubled down on a controversial planned tax hike to boost health funding, after it was reported that Boris Johnson was “wobbling” on the policy. The PM is under pressure from some Conservative MPs to scrap or at least delay the national insurance increase to win back support as he [...]
Weekend Read: Brexit and the pandemic have cost UK businesses £250bn, each January 30, 2022 The political choice of Brexit has cost UK businesses as much as the unforeseeable Covid pandemic. British companies have lost over £250bn to Covid and an equal amount to Brexit by the end of 2021, but the Brexit tally is now rising faster, The Centre for Economics and Business Research found that Covid-19 lockdowns had [...]
Weekend Read: Legal minds discuss how Sue Gray report could prejudice police probe into partygate January 30, 2022 Publishing the findings of Sue Gray’s inquiry could prejudice the police investigation into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, the Metropolitan Police said yesterday morning. However, lawyers have questioned how this could be the case, as they zoom in on both investigations and look at the legal aspects of finding the truth in what [...]
Fraud minister who resigned this week opens up: ‘I didn’t want to blow my top, but I was very angry’ January 29, 2022 The government minister who quit this week over the “schoolboy” handling of fraudulent Covid-19 business loans said of his resignation during a speech at the despatch box in the House of Lords: “I didn’t want to blow my top, but I was very angry.” Lord Agnew of Oulton, who was the Tories’ anti-fraud minister, says [...]
Sajid Javid to nationalise GPs in effort to reduce hospitalisations January 29, 2022 Health secretary Sajid Javid is considering whether to nationalise GPs as a way to reduce hospitalisations. Shaking to the core the 70-year-old NHS structure, Javid’s plan could mark the end of GP surgeries as doctors would directly be employed by hospital trusts. “Whilst there are some strengths to the system of primary care, it’s also [...]
Brexit border: UK and EU have ‘months to stop tourist traffic grinding to a halt’ if no deal is reached January 29, 2022 British tourists headed for city breaks in Paris or sunny getaways in Spain in September could be hit by new biometric checks set to be required at the border. In fact, the UK has just months to avoid huge disruption to holidaymakers when new EU rules come into force – despite knowing about the problem [...]
Sue Gray furious after police intervention as Scotland Yard contacts ‘partygate’ suspects January 29, 2022 Sue Gray, the civil servant looking into the lockdown-breaking parties allegedly held at No 10, is furious after the Met’s intervention. Gray, who was told by Scotland Yard on Friday to make “minimal reference” to the parties, was frustrated and angered by the situation, as her report is expected to be published within days, the [...]
Ukraine: Boris Johnson to call Putin and visit Eastern Europe January 29, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to call Russian President Vladimir Putin in the next days, visiting Eastern Europe as part of the UK’s diplomatic efforts to solve the Ukrainian crisis. Downing Street said Johnson will focus on Russia’s need to “engage diplomatically”, reiterating “the need for Russia to step back,” the BBC reported. In [...]