EU financial services czar warns City that Brussels won’t bend on rule-taking demands April 22, 2021 The EU is in “no rush” to grant the City of London renewed access to its financial markets post-Brexit, according to a senior Brussels official. Mairead McGuinness, the European Commissioner for financial services, said today that Brussels will “not be recreating access to the single market for the UK as they have chosen to move [...]
Downing Street launches inquiry into Boris Johnson’s leaked texts with Sir James Dyson April 22, 2021 Downing Street is launching an inquiry into how Boris Johnson’s personal text messages with one of the UK’s richest men were leaked to the BBC. It was revealed yesterday that Sir James Dyson had lobbied Johnson for his staff to get tax exemptions for their work in building ventilators during the start of the Covid [...]
Sadiq Khan and Shaun Bailey row over ‘ludicrous’ £4.68bn tax bombshell claims April 22, 2021 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Sadiq Khan have today clashed over claims that the incumbent London mayor would raise taxes by £4.68bn over the next three years if re-elected. Bailey said today that Khan’s plans would mean households would have to pay £1,339 more in tax, however this figure comes mostly from a proposed [...]
HSBC open to climate talks but cannot ‘condone vandalism’ April 22, 2021 Following a climate protest which saw windows smashed at its City headquarters, HSBC has said that it welcomed discussion on climate change but that it could not ‘condone vandalism’. “We welcome meaningful dialogue on our climate strategy; however, we cannot condone vandalism or actions that put people and property at risk,” a spokesman said. “We [...]
MPs call for ‘greenwashing’ ban in financial services April 22, 2021 The UK should take steps towards banning ‘greenwashing’, MP’s have written today, by making environmental labelling compulsory for consumer financial products and task regulators to stop misleading claims. It comes as climate activists smashed windows at HSBC’s Canary Wharf headquarters this morning, in protest of the bank’s investment policies. In the run-up to the UK’s [...]
Treasury minister ‘sorry’ for LCF minibond scandal and plans crackdown on online fraud April 21, 2021 UK Government apologises for LCF minibonds scandal and plans crackdown on online fraud
Boris Johnson government most ‘awful environment I’ve ever worked in’, says ex-minister April 21, 2021 Boris Johnson’s government is the “the most distrustful, awful environment I’ve ever worked in”, according to recently sacked veterans minister Johnny Mercer. Mercer said today that the government was guilty of a “gross betrayal of people who signed up to serve in the military”. Mercer, who set up the Veterans Office in 2019, was preparing [...]
Liz Truss to turn up pressure on Australian government in bid to land trade deal April 21, 2021 International trade secretary Liz Truss is preparing to pile pressure onto her Australian counterpart in a bid to land a free trade deal. She will meet with Australian trade minister Dan Tehan in face-to-face meetings in London this week to try and make progress on the deal, which has long been expected to be the [...]
Top lawyers in House of Lords rail against disclosing foreign interests April 21, 2021 Members of the House of Lords have criticised stricter rules on disclosing payments from foreign governments. The upper chamber decided without a vote there should be no exemptions from the tougher transparency regime, despite concerns expressed by senior members of the legal profession sitting on the red benches, due to the duty of confidentiality. One [...]
Hand it over: David Cameron ordered to show lobbying text messages April 21, 2021 Former prime minister David Cameron has been given two weeks to pass on the details of his text messages in which he attempted to lobby the chancellor on behalf of failed finance firm Greensill. In a letter to Cameron, the chairman of the Treasury select committee urged the former prime minister to release details of [...]