Nadine Dorries hints at upcoming axing of BBC licence fee as funding is frozen January 16, 2022 Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has hinted the BBC licence fee will soon be scrapped as she oversees a two-year freeze on funding for the public broadcaster. Dorries took to Twitter today to confirm a Mail on Sunday story about the BBC licence fee being frozen for two years, which will lead to an effective funding [...]
Starmer accuses No 10 of ‘industrial-scale partying’ during pandemic January 16, 2022 Labour leader Keir Starmer has accused Downing Street of “industrial-scale partying” during the pandemic, and the UK’s first lockdown. “I think he broke the law. I think he has as good as admitted he broke the law,” said Starmer, referring to Downing Street’s apology to the Queen for one party which occurred the night before [...]
Protests in London as Priti Patel’s Policing Bill heads into critical vote January 16, 2022 Protesters flocked London’s streets over the weekend to protest Priti Patel’s Policing Bill, which will be tabled for a critical vote by peers tomorrow. The Bill, if passed, will grant police new powers to clamp down on demonstrations, including extended stop and search powers and longer sentences. The so-called ‘Kill the Bill’ protests have cropped [...]
England on track to shed all Covid restrictions this month, Dowden says January 16, 2022 England is on track to shed Covid restrictions implemented last month including the country’s work from home advice, Tory party chair Oliver Dowden has said. Dowen said “it all seems to be heading in the right direction” as Omicron cases in the UK begin to sharply drop and hospitalisations plateau. Patients in intensive care have [...]
BBC to swallow licence fee freeze to buffer cost of living January 16, 2022 The BBC is set to swallow a two-year license fee freeze, which could see the broadcaster having to find savings of more than £2bn over the next six years. Ministers will unveil the plan this week, though it has been reported to be one of a number of announcements being tabled in Downing Street in [...]
Tory party chair says Johnson will ‘improve’ boozy Downing Street culture January 16, 2022 Boris Johnson is committed to “upping [the government’s] game” and “improving” the boozy culture in Downing Street, Tory party chair Oliver Dowden has said. Dowden said the many lockdown-breaking parties that happened in Downing Street were “unacceptable” and that “I’m angry about what happened”. There is now overwhelming evidence there was a culture of Covid [...]
Calls for Boris Johnson to resign grow louder as Downing Street gears up to sacrifice key staffers January 16, 2022 The Prime Minister is reportedly preparing to oust members of his inner circle over the partygate affair as another Conservative MP called for him to resign. Boris Johnson is devising a policy announcement blitz and a cull of his top team as he looks to survive the publication of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report [...]
Western nations push back against China’s rare earth dominance January 15, 2022 The UK and US are pushing back against China's "chokehold" on global supplies of rare earth metals, used to manufacture key electronic items.
Johnson hangs by a thread as fresh details of No 10 party culture emerge January 15, 2022 Boris Johnson is under pressure following fresh revelations about a string of lockdown-breaching parties held at No10 Downing Street.
Exclusive: Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz OBE on why local boroughs should capitalise on Londoners’ data January 15, 2022 Having received £40m from the Government’s levelling up fund to help build a ‘data corridor’ in London, Rokhsana Fiaz, the Mayor of Newham, argues open data is vital for the capital’s economy. The Council recently launched ‘Newham Sparks’, an initiative to attract investors to develop a data corridor in London, targeted at businesses working in [...]