EU will pursue legal action over Brexit rules in Northern Ireland for ‘as long as necessary’ April 16, 2021 The EU this morning warned that it would continue to pursue legal action against the UK “for as long as necessary” over post-Brexit trade issues in Northern Ireland. In talks last night, European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic urged his British counterpart David Frost to pursue jointly agreed solutions to the issues. In a statement [...]
135 City firms switch to Dublin for post-Brexit business April 16, 2021 Dublin has been crowned the most desirable place for City jobs, as 135 firms have relocated business to the Irish capital due to Brexit, new research has revealed. Think tank New Financial has found firms to favour Dublin over its city-competitors Paris, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. As firms moved to the Irish capital as a result [...]
European Parliament set to move closer to approving UK-EU Brexit trade deal April 15, 2021 MEPs are set to move closer to approving the UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal this week, before a final vote takes place later this month. The deal has been formally passed in the UK parliament, however it was only provisionally approved on the EU side by the bloc’s 27 ambassadors to ensure it came into effect [...]
Greensill: ‘No boundaries’ between civil servants and private sector, says cronyism watchdog April 15, 2021 The government’s watchdog on business appointments has claimed there are no boundaries between ex-civil servants and the private sector and that the system needs urgent reform in light of the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal. Lord Eric Pickles, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), has told MPs today that a former senior civil [...]
Greensill job allowed Bill Crothers to evade scrutiny, says former Home Office official April 15, 2021 Former Home Office permanent secretary Sir David Normington said that he was “absolutely amazed” that a top civil servant was permitted to work as a part-time adviser at Greensill Capital while still in Whitehall. Asked about the Bill Crothers case, Sir David told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme today: “Well actually, when I heard it, [...]
Prime Minister’s deputy chief of staff faces conflict of interest accusations April 14, 2021 Boris Johnson’s deputy chief of staff is facing accusations of a potential conflict of interest amid a lobbying scandal that has engulfed the Conservative party. Baroness Finn, who was appointed to her role in February, holds a 35 per cent stake in a company that advises governments including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kazakhstan. FMAP Limited [...]
Number 10 defends taxpayer-funded vaccine film April 14, 2021 Number 10 has defended the production of a taxpayer-funded film documenting the UK’s “extraordinary” vaccine rollout, insisting it was produced in-house and within departmental budgets. The trailer for A Beacon Of Hope: The UK Vaccine Story was released more than four weeks ago, with the full version billed as “coming soon”. The 30-minute film was originally [...]
Treasury Select Committee launches inquiry into Greensill Capital scandal April 14, 2021 Westminster’s Treasury Select Committee has today launched an inquiry the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal. Committee chair Mel Stride said MPs would “take a closer look” at the circumstances surrounding efforts by David Cameron and former senior civil servant Bill Crothers in lobbying on behalf of the failed finance firm. A statement from the committee said [...]
Keir Starmer hits out at ‘return of Tory sleaze’ over Greensill scandal April 14, 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of overseeing a “return of Tory sleaze” over the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal. Starmer told MPs today that the government needed to “overhaul the whole broken [lobbying] system”, while also calling for a full Westminster-led inquiry into Greensill Capital’s links with ministers. Labour is introducing an [...]
UK pubs lobby hits out at government plan to force venues to calorie label pints April 14, 2021 The UK’s pubs lobby has slammed government plans to force venues to disclose how many calories are in alcoholic drinks, saying the move would be akin to “kicking pubs and brewers when they are down”. The British Beer & Pub Association said the leaked plans were “ludicrous and “especially outrageous at this difficult time”. The [...]