Dominic Cummings claims UK originally pursued ‘herd immunity’ policy May 23, 2021 Boris Johnson’s former aide has claimed the UK originally pursued a policy of herd immunity to combat the pandemic, and claimed all three lockdowns could have been avoided if someone “competent” had been in charge. Dominic Cummings took to Twitter on Saturday night to reveal the “shocking truth” that the government was pursuing a herd [...]
BBC: Boris Johnson ‘very concerned’ about Princess Diana interview scandal May 21, 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today waded into the row over the BBC’s infamous interview with Princess Diana, saying he was “obviously very concerned” about the findings of a new report. The damning report by Lord Dyson, published yesterday, found the broadcaster had covered up the “deceitful” tactics used by reporter Martin Bashir in securing the [...]
BoE eyes a climate-conscious corporate bond purchase scheme May 21, 2021 The Bank of England (BoE) has tabled plans to make its £20bn of corporate bonds better aligned with government net zero targets today. Set to begin later this year, the bank will not immediately sell off bonds issued by businesses that have high carbon emissions, such as energy and oil firms. “Divestment is a powerful [...]
Westminster must stop City of London ‘neglect’, says ex-Johnson adviser May 21, 2021 The government must stop its “policy of benign neglect” toward the City of London and urgently bring in financial services regulation reforms, according to Boris Johnson’s former economic adviser. In a report released by centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, Dr Gerard Lyons called for a strong stance on parting from the EU’s financial services regulations [...]
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan lags behind Boris Johnson’s housing completions record May 20, 2021 Sadiq Khan has completed just over half the amount of affordable housing in his first five years that Boris Johnson did when he was mayor of London. Numbers from the Greater London Authority (GLA) show Johnson completed 62,387 affordable homes in his first five years, while Khan has completed 34,659 in that same time period. [...]
Labour steps up pressure on Rishi Sunak over Biden’s global tax plan May 20, 2021 Labour has stepped up its push to get Rishi Sunak to agree to Joe Biden’s plan for a minimum business tax rate among the world’s biggest economies. The party is calling on the government to put together a review of the effects of Biden’s proposal to implement a 21 per cent minimum on global business [...]
Sunderland ’til I die: Labour’s Jonathan Reynolds on reviving the Red Wall May 20, 2021 The highlight of Jonathan Reynolds’ Westminster office is a 1960 election poster of John F Kennedy that hangs above his desk. JFK sits over Reynolds’ shoulder as we speak as a kind of liberal guardian angel to the shadow work and pensions secretary. “Not a perfect President, but he brought hope and optimism,” Reynolds says. [...]
Golden eagles and wildcats could return to England May 19, 2021 The UK government announced a scheme to reintroduce wildcats and golden eagles back into the country. Reintroductions and habitat restoration work will help reverse decline of wildlife and meet new legally binding biodiversity targets, said the government in a new announcement. Golden eagles have been almost completely absent from English skies for around 180 years, [...]
English farmers to be offered £100k to call it a day May 19, 2021 Older farmers in England will be paid to retire under a government scheme aimed at attracting new, younger, entrants into the industry. The plans, which are still subject to consultation, are part of a post-Brexit shift to a subsidy system and an overhaul of farm grants to encourage farmers to protect the environment. Environment Secretary [...]
Trump calls criminal probe ‘corrupt’ and claims he is ‘unfairly attacked and abused’ May 19, 2021 Former US President Donald Trump said he was “being unfairly attacked and abused” in response to reports that New York’s attorney general has launched a criminal probe into his family business. “There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime,” Trump said in a statement. He added that “we will overcome” any [...]