Rishi Sunak calls on other G20 countries to finalise global tax deal July 9, 2021 Rishi Sunak has called on other G20 countries to “maintain momentum” over a global tax deal on the eve of a Venice summit. Sunak will meet with other G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in a bid to endorse the global tax plan that has been agreed by the G7 and the Organisation for [...]
‘Is my camera on?’: Sajid Javid pokes fun at Matt Hancock over office CCTV July 8, 2021 Health Secretary Sajid Javid has poked fun at his predecessor as he addressed a conference from his office in the Department of Health and Social Care. “I hope my camera is on, is my camera on?” he asked as he dialled in to the conference, adding: “I mean, the one on my laptop, not the [...]
Not over yet: UK ‘liable to pay EU €47.5bn’ in Brexit divorce bill July 8, 2021 The UK is reportedly liable to pay €47.5bn (£41bn) to the EU as part of a post-Brexit financial settlement. The EU’s consolidated budget report for 2020, seen by RTE News, states that the UK owes the bloc €47.456bn under a series of articles to which both sides agreed as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. [...]
UK puts pen to paper on Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein trade deal July 8, 2021 The UK has officially signed a £21.6bn trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein in a London ceremony today. The deal was agreed in principle last month and includes things a cut on tariffs for Norwegian fish exports and British pork and poultry exports. The Department for International Trade also said “the deal’s cutting-edge digital [...]
NHS app self-isolation tracker could change if Covid cases see a summer spiral July 8, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hinted that the way the NHS app ‘pings’ people for self-isolation could change as Covid-19 cases are expected to rise over the summer. Businesses have become increasingly frustrated with high staff absences due to employees being told to self-isolate. “I’ve spoken to the Health Secretary about this and he’s aware of [...]
Expelled Labour members lose High Court antisemitism battle July 8, 2021 Eight former and current Labour members have lost a High Court claim against the party over how its disciplinary body handled antisemitism complaints. The group claimed their suspensions or official warnings over alleged antisemitism should be revoked as the party’s disciplinary process was unfair. An Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report into Labour antisemitism [...]
Frost warns UK-EU relationship doomed without agreement over Northern Ireland Protocol July 8, 2021 Boris Johnson’s defacto Brexit minister has warned that UK-EU relations post-Brexit will not succeed unless the issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are solved. Lord David Frost said today that the future of Northern Ireland is “so fundamental to getting this relationship right”. “The issues around the protocol are central to the tensions between us,” [...]
South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma begins jail sentence July 8, 2021 Jacob Zuma, former president of South Africa, has handed himself over to police to begin a 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court. Zuma was given the jail term last week, after he failed to attend a corruption enquiry. He initially refused to hand himself in, but on yesterday The Jacob Zuma foundation confirmed in [...]
Boris Johnson cleared of wrongdoing over luxury £15,000 Mustique trip July 8, 2021 Boris Johnson has been cleared of wrongdoing over his £15,000 trip to Mustique, but was criticised by a parliamentary committee for not cooperating more in the probe. Johnson had been investigated by the MP standards watchdog Kathryn Stone and then the House of Commons Committee on Standards over donations he received for the Caribbean holiday in [...]
One-in-three working Britons had wages subsidised by government during Covid July 8, 2021 One-in-three of the UK’s workforce had their pay subsidised by the government during Covid-19, new figures from the Treasury revealed today. The figures showed that 11.6m people were on the furlough scheme at some point throughout the pandemic, while 2.9m self-employed people made use of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The furlough scheme has seen [...]