Downing Street says post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol in current form should be scrapped May 17, 2021 Downing Street has said the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol cannot continue in its current form and that it should be “urgently” changed. Boris Johnson’s spokesman told journalists today that Northern Irish businesses “have made extraordinary efforts to adjust” to the Brexit treaty’s terms, but that “it’s hard to see the way the protocol is operating [...]
Sadiq Khan calls for Londoners to ‘support British businesses’ as restrictions eased May 17, 2021 Sadiq Khan has called on Londoners to “support British businesses” and to come back into central London as Covid restrictions are eased further in England today. Khan said people outside the capital should not despair about the limited opportunities to currently travel overseas and that “everything you need is in London”. Tens of thousands of [...]
Rishi Sunak does not back Joe Biden’s global business tax plan May 17, 2021 Rishi Sunak is withholding support for Joe Biden’s draft plan to implement a minimum 21 per cent global business tax rate, with the chancellor wanting more assurances on taxation on US tech giants. Sunak, who is chairing this year’s G7 meetings for finance ministers, has reportedly said he would only support a minimum tax rate [...]
Caution urged as rules around hugging, socialising and travel are eased May 17, 2021 The Prime Minister has called for a “heavy dose of caution” as lockdown rules are eased today in England, Wales and most of Scotland. People can now socialise indoors and hug loved ones for the first time in months, and the ban on foreign travel has been lifted and instead replaced with a traffic light [...]
Brexit: Northern Ireland Protocol ‘dead in the water’, says Johnson ally May 16, 2021 The post-Brexit Northern Ireland treaty is reportedly seen as “dead in the water” by Downing Street as negotiations between the UK and EU over the protocol continue. Lord David Frost earlier this week said the Northern Ireland Protocol, which sees Northern Ireland follow EU customs union and single market rules, posed “significant challenges” for businesses, [...]
Hancock: ‘Increasing confidence’ vaccines work against Indian variant May 16, 2021 The government and its health officials have “increasing confidence” that vaccines work against the new Indian Covid variant, according to health secretary Matt Hancock. Hancock said the government has a “high degree of confidence” the new variant transmits faster, but that “the early data suggests the vaccines are effective against the Indian variant”. Boris Johnson [...]
Weekend Read: Foreign investors flee Myanmar as regime strengthens grip May 16, 2021 Businesses have continued to bow out of Myanmar after the bloody coup has killed more than 750 people and seen over 5,000 arrested for protesting the military’s forced reign. Companies began to flee Myanmar in March, like Japanese beverage group Kirin which had a $1.7bn stake in Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited, a company [...]
Pension transfer scam crackdown risks delaying thousands of transfers May 14, 2021 The government tabled proposals to tackle pension scheme fraud today, but it could risk blocking or delaying thousands of legitimate transfers, AJ Bell’s chief executive has warned. The plans outlined by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could push providers to ask people transferring to a pension scheme not on the government-approved ‘safe destination’ [...]
Boris Johnson to address nation at 5pm as Indian variant Covid cases spike in UK May 14, 2021 PM to address nation at 5pm as Indian variant Covid cases spike in UK
World Uyghur Congress hits out at City of London Corporation’s China stance May 14, 2021 A non-profit group representing the world’s Uyghur Muslims has accused the City of London Corporation’s bosses of siding “with oppressive Chinese forces” for not holding Beijing to account for its human rights abuses. The World Uyghur Congress sent a letter, seen by City A.M., to City of London Lord Mayor William Russell and the powerful [...]