Labour: ‘Reckless’ Priti Patel breached ministerial code over meeting with billionaire Tory donor September 12, 2021 Labour has accused the Home Secretary of being “reckless” and a “serial offender” in breaching the ministerial code after allegations involving a meeting between a billionaire Tory donor and British Airways. The Sunday Mirror reports today that Priti Patel arranged a meeting on 11 August at Heathrow Airport’s Hilton Garden Inn, which is part of [...]
Rishi Sunak hopes insurers could help fund social care costs September 11, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has told Treasury officials to start talks with the insurance industry over potential new products to help finance social care costs, a treasury source said, according to reports. The news follows plans set out earlier this week by the Prime Minister to raise taxes on workers, employers and some investors in an [...]
Lorry driver shortage: Govt promises 50,000 more HGV driving tests September 11, 2021 The government has announced that it will make 50,000 more Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) driving tests available a year in response to “the worldwide lorry driver shortage”. Covid has led to a major backlog of tests for new drivers – 28,000 as of May this year – while the recent ‘pingdemic’ has caused many drivers to [...]
Not for turning: Boris Johnson looking ‘to beat Thatcher’s 11 years in office’ September 11, 2021 Boris Johnson is hoping to be Prime Minister for another decade as he aims to outlast Baroness Margaret Thatcher’s 11-year tenure in No 10, according to various reports this weekend. The Times said Johnson wanted to build a legacy, with a view that reforms to the NHS and social care – through a rise in [...]
Support for Conservative party lags behind Labour days after NI tax hike September 10, 2021 Support for prime minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative party has slumped to its lowest level since 2019’s election, according to a new YouGov poll. The poll, first shared with the Times, showed that support for the Conservatives has dipped to 33 per cent, while Labour’s support has climbed to 35 per cent. While it is just [...]
Metropolitan Police Federation backs Cressida Dick extension, batting off ‘armchair critics’ September 10, 2021 The Metropolitan Police Federation has backed Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, batting off “armchair critics” who have called for her replacement. Dick is set to be offered a two-year extension to her tenure, according to the Evening Standard earlier this week, ahead of exiting the role in April next year after five years leading [...]
Brexit: EU boss Sefcovic warns Northern Ireland protocol haggling will prompt ‘instability’ September 10, 2021 European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic today said the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol – a policy of trade checks for good moving between Great Britain and the EU via the island of Ireland – must be “properly implemented”. The Brussels representative also warned the UK that any renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol would cause “instability, [...]
IFS: Tax hikes will not provide enough funds for NHS September 10, 2021 A leading economic think tank has warned the government’s decision to launch a tax assault will not raise enough funds for the NHS in the long run, in brand new research published today. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said ongoing cost pressures stemming from dealing with the long-term health implications of the Covid crisis will [...]
Scott Morrison confirms climate targets dropped from UK-Australia trade deal September 9, 2021 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has today confirmed the UK-Australia trade deal will not include binding commitments to climate change targets from the Paris Agreement. Morrison said it “wasn’t a climate agreement, it was a trade agreement”, which puts him at odds with the UK government who have claimed in the past 24 hours that [...]
No more green lists and amber lists? Traffic light system set to go by October September 9, 2021 The traffic light system for travel during the Covid era – detested by the industry as complex and unecessary – looks set to be replaced, with an announcement due by the end of the month. The UK government is due to assess the necessity of the system, which delegates destinations as green list, amber list [...]