Brexit: Boris Johnson to meet EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels TODAY December 9, 2020 Boris Johnson will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this evening in Brussels for showdown Brexit talks. The pair will be briefed by their respective chief negotiators tonight about the outstanding issues holding up a trade agreement, before trying to hammer out a last minute deal one-on-one. Last night von der Leyen [...]
Use furlough scheme to help sick employees isolate, says think tank December 9, 2020 The government should use the furlough scheme to encourage more workers to self-isolate at home, as the current statutory sick pay regime does not go far enough. Self-isolating has continued to be a major factor used to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus throughout the pandemic, with all those with coronavirus symptoms urged to [...]
Brexit: City of London lobby slams EU for damaging confidence in UK financial services sector December 9, 2020 The City of London’s most influential lobby group has hit out at the EU for politicising decisions on the UK’s financial services sector’s access to Europe post-Brexit. The CityUK chief executive Miles Celic told a Westminster committee today that Brussels has created uncertainty for Square Mile firms through the “regrettable politiicsation” of the equivalence assessment [...]
Britain ditches controversial Internal Market Bill clause in Brexit divorce deal December 8, 2020 The government will ditch parts of the Withdrawal Agreement that would have seen the UK break international law, after reaching an “agreement in principle” on Brexit divorce issues. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said he was “delighted” to have reached a compromise with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovicon on post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border. [...]
‘Step forward for your country’: Matt Hancock urges Brits to get coronavirus vaccine December 8, 2020 Matt Hancock has told Britons to “step forward for your country” and get the coronavirus vaccine, as the NHS today started the largest vaccination programme in British history. “Today marks the start of the fight back against our common enemy coronavirus,” said the health secretary told the Commons this afternoon. “And while today’s the day [...]
Brexit: France reiterates veto threat over fishing rights December 8, 2020 France is still threatening to vote down a Brexit deal it considers to “sacrifice” its fishermen, in what is the latest barrier in trade talks. French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune today said France would oppose any pact that “sacrifices” its fisherman. “On fisheries there is no reason to yield to Britain’s pressure. We can [...]
Brexit talks to continue today after Boris Johnson and von der Leyen call December 8, 2020 Brexit talks will continue this week in Brussels after Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed to give negotiations a final shot. Johnson and von der Leyen are believed to have spoken for about an hour last night to discuss if a deal can be finally agreed before the 31 December deadline. They will [...]
The government must fix the broken procurement system before the next crisis hits December 8, 2020 The two caricatures of how the government has worked with the private sector during this pandemic do not add up. In one, championed by ministers in press conferences and interviews on a daily basis, the government has leveraged the best of British and international business to answer the biggest challenge this country has faced in [...]
Could Goldman Sachs teach the UK how to level up organically? December 8, 2020 Almost exactly one year ago, a freshly elected Conservative government made “levelling up” one of its core priorities. Facing a new parliament with a healthy majority and a dynamic Prime Minister (remember that?), the government promised to bring individual prosperity to regions of the UK which had been “left behind”: not just the big cities [...]
Brexit: UK and EU to resume talks after reported breakthrough on fishing December 7, 2020 The UK and EU will continue Brexit talks this week in Brussels after Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed to give negotiations a final shot today. Johnson and von der Leyen are believed to have spoken for two hours this evening to discus if a deal can be finally agreed before the 31 [...]