More than £115m of public money spent on Crossrail 2 consultants January 18, 2021 More than £115m of taxpayer money has been spent on Crossrail 2, before the project has even been green lit. The £33bn project, which would see a new north-south Tube line through London, was put on hold earlier this year as Transport for London (TfL) were forced to seek a government bailout. Delays and budget [...]
UK announces inquiry into alleged corruption in British Virgin Islands January 18, 2021 The UK has launched an inquiry into claims of widespread corruption and misuse of taxpayer money on the British Virgin Islands. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced today that British Virgin Islands governor Augustus Jaspert had called for a federal investigation into a range of claims, including “political interference and coercion in relation to appointments in [...]
Brussels to extend deadline for Brexit deal ratification by EU Parliament January 18, 2021 Brussels is set to extend the deadline the European Parliament has to ratify the UK-EU Brexit trade deal. The deadline is reportedly set to be extended from February to April to give MEPs more time to scrutinise the 1200-page text. The deal has already been ratified by the EU’s 27 ambassadors, which ensured it came [...]
British Army to establish 80 new vaccine centres in Scotland January 18, 2021 British Army soldiers will help to launch 80 new Covid-19 vaccine centres throughout Scotland over the next four weeks. The deployment follows a ‘patchy’ vaccine roll-out in Scotland, according to the British Medical Association. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said it had deployed 98 soldiers to identify suitable sites and support vaccine deliveries. Matt Hancock [...]
Govt gets 123 complaints over tendering of public procurement contracts January 18, 2021 The government has received 123 official complaints over the tendering of public procurement contracts, commercial law firm EMW said this morning. The research follows scrutiny of government procurement practices throughout the pandemic, with questions being raised over how PPE contracts have been awarded during Covid-19. Principal at EMW James Geary said: “Covid PPE contracts have [...]
Johnson to discuss ‘Singapore of Europe’ plans with business leaders January 18, 2021 Boris Johnson will hold talks with business leaders today about cutting red tape, as ministers draw up plans to turn Britain into the “Singapore of Europe” now it has left the EU. The Prime Minister will speak to 30 senior leaders about “regulatory freedom” and reforming EU rules, The Times reported today. Leaders from BP, [...]
24-hour vaccination sites to be piloted in London by end of January January 18, 2021 Vaccination sites open 24 hours a day will be piloted in London by the end of January, as the government looks to speed up the UK’s vaccination progress against coronavirus. Speaking on Sky News this morning minister for vaccine deployment Nadhim Zahawi said the UK was vaccinating 140 people per minute on average. “You’ll see [...]
UK firms urged to increase preparations for post-Brexit trading conditions January 18, 2021 British firms who have links to EU countries are being urged to complete a six-point checklist to ensure they will not face post-Brexit disruption. Business minister Paul Scully has told British companies that trade with the EU to get an EORI number and to complete customs declarations, while telling lorry companies that cross the channel [...]
Nathan Law: I’m not entitled to lose hope in Hong Kong’s struggle January 17, 2021 City A.M. Editor Andy Silvester talks to Nathan Law, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong and one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people on the planet – discussing the territory’s battle against repression, Beijing’s war on free expression and the need for a global solution to authoritarianism Nathan Law should not be in London [...]
Alexei Navalny detained after returning to Russia January 17, 2021 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been arrested at the Moscow airport, after flying back to Russia five months after being poisoned with the deadly nerve agent Novichok . Local media has reported that Navalny was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport “for multiple violations of his suspended sentence”. Navalny, who almost died from the poisoning and [...]