Budget delay hinted at as Rishi Sunak fails to name day July 30, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has sparked speculation of delays to the budget, after failing to announce a date when publishing new forecasts, as is normally expected. Sunak said he had instructed the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to prepare to present an economic and fiscal forecast to parliament on October 27, according to reports. The forecast [...]
New travel rules are a stark reminder of previous government failures July 29, 2021 Even Boris Johnson’s most vocal supporters would admit the government’s Covid travel policy, insofar as it has had one, has been wracked with inconsistencies, confusion and inaction. Dominic Cummings’ suggestion that Johnson outright refused to implement a coherent travel policy in the second half of last year appears to be painfully true when confronting the [...]
Westminster Holocaust memorial approved by government July 29, 2021 The government has approved the Westminster Holocaust memorial after years of wrangling and disagreements over its design and placement. Housing minister Christopher Pincher announced today that the plans had been approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) after approval powers were taken away from Westminster Council last year. The memorial will [...]
Chinese billionaire sentenced to 18 years in prison for ‘picking quarrels’ July 29, 2021 A Chinese billionaire has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in China, according to reports. Pig farming mogul Sun Dawu, a prominent figure in China, was also fined nearly $500,000 under the charge that has previously been used against activists and dissidents. Around 20 family [...]
Cost of the UK’s new royal yacht increases by £100m in one week July 29, 2021 The cost of the UK’s new royal yacht appears to have increased by £100m in the past week alone before any contract has even been awarded. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) last week said the total budget of the new ship – branded officially as a “national flagship” – was £150m in a formal invitation [...]
Marlboro maker takeover of Vectura raises public interest eyebrows in government July 29, 2021 The takeover of respiratory drug firm Vectura by tobacco company Philip Morris International has raised government eyebrows over public interest concerns, according to the business secretary. The deal, worth more than £1bn, will be ‘closely monitored’ by the government after a letter from Labour shadow ministers urged the government to consider blocking it. Under the [...]
Dominic Raab says only countries with ‘high trust’ could join US and EU in quarantine exemption July 29, 2021 Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the introduction of a quarantine exemption for double-jabbed people entering from the US and EU I would only be extended to countries using similar vaccines to the UK. The new exemptions were introduced as part of the government’s “easing out of lockdown” plan, according to Raab. The Foreign Secretary emphasised [...]
Lords committee: UK and EU both to blame for Northern Ireland Protocol mess July 29, 2021 A House of Lords committee has laid the blame for the mess around the Northern Ireland Protocol at the feet of both the UK and the EU, urging the two to come to a compromise solution. The Lords’ European Affairs Committee report into the protocol said Brussels needed to implement the protocol in a more [...]
US scientists: China is developing its nuclear force with a second base July 28, 2021 Researchers in the US said they have gathered evidence that China is expanding its ability to store and launch missiles, amid concerns it is amassing more nuclear capacity. China is building 250 silos for nuclear missiles in “the most significant expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal ever,” according to a new report from the Federation [...]
Watch: Boris Johnson worried about his dog Dilyn’s romantic urges July 28, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that his dog Dilyn had “romantic urges” and was “endlessly on people’s legs” in Downing Street. Watch the full report.