Exclusive: Food safety concerns spark cabinet row over UK-India trade deal November 30, 2021 Ruptures have once again emerged across government over the direction of the UK’s post-Brexit trade policy, with environment secretary George Eustice raising concerns about a potential deal with India. Whitehall sources told City A.M. that India’s food safety standards have been a cause for concern for Eustice and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural [...]
Sadiq Khan admits entire Tube line may close if government doesn’t stump up emergency TfL cash November 30, 2021 Sadiq Khan has confirmed he may have to close an entire Tube line if the government does not quickly come up with a financial settlement for cash-strapped Transport for London (TfL). Khan today said any one of London’s 11 Tube lines could potentially be closed as tensions continue to flare between City Hall and Whitehall [...]
Boris Johnson: Every vaccinated adult should be offered booster by the end of January November 30, 2021 Boris Johnson has set a target for all vaccinated adults to receive their booster jab by the end of January as the government prepares to ramp up its vaccination efforts. Johnson said 400 military personnel will be deployed to help “ramp up capacity”, with more than 1,500 community pharmacies set to be open to offer [...]
Leading UK businesses hand over half of their income to government through taxes November 30, 2021 The UK’s leading businesses are handing over half of the money they generate to the government in taxes, according to a fresh study published today. FTSE 100 companies gave up 53.2 per cent of their income to the public coffers last year, illuminating the heavy tax burden British businesses are being shackled with. Over one [...]
UK’s biggest businesses should be reinvesting, not plugging Treasury’s holes November 30, 2021 So now we know: those with the broadest shoulders really are taking on their fair share of the burden. This is hardly a surprise, of course, except perhaps to those who still pine for the Corbynista dream of taxing British business out of existence, but the PwC research in today’s City A.M. does at least [...]
Omicron: Face masks now mandatory in shops and public transport November 30, 2021 People are now required by law to wear face masks in shops and public transport as a part of the government’s efforts to fight the new Omicron variant found in South Africa. The new laws, that came into effect at 4am this morning, also include a stricter testing regime for international arrivals. All international arrivals [...]
Yvette Cooper made shadow home secretary in comprehensive Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle November 29, 2021 Yvette Cooper has returned to frontline Westminster politics, after being appointed shadow home secretary in Labour’s comprehensive shadow cabinet reshuffle today. Cooper, a former rising star under Gordon Brown and husband to Labour heavyweight Ed Balls, formerly served as shadow home secretary between 2011 and 2015. Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle also saw David Lammy promoted [...]
Treasury minister warns crypto regulation now ‘more complicated and difficult’ November 29, 2021 Regulating cryptocurrency and stopping fraud is becoming increasingly “complicated and difficult”, according to Treasury minister John Glen. Glen told Westminster’s Treasury Select Committee today that there needed to be a “level playing field” on regulation between cryptocurrency traders and the wider financial services industry in the wake of crypto’s increasing popularity. There is mounting evidence [...]
Two new cases of Omicron coronavirus variant confirmed in London November 29, 2021 Two more cases of the Omicron variant have been discovered in the capital, as England prepares to tighten Covid rules tomorrow. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the two cases have links to travel in southern Africa. The pair are not connected to each other and are not linked to the previously confirmed cases, [...]
Westminster standards watchdog calls for ban on MPs working as paid consultants November 29, 2021 MPs should be banned from working as paid political consultants and ministers should need to more clearly record potential conflicts of interest, according to parliament’s internal standards watchdog. A new proposal from the House of Commons’ Committee on Standards also calls for MPs to have written contracts for any outside work that says they cannot [...]