Treasury minister ‘sorry’ for LCF minibond scandal and plans crackdown on online fraud April 21, 2021 UK Government apologises for LCF minibonds scandal and plans crackdown on online fraud
Boris Johnson government most ‘awful environment I’ve ever worked in’, says ex-minister April 21, 2021 Boris Johnson’s government is the “the most distrustful, awful environment I’ve ever worked in”, according to recently sacked veterans minister Johnny Mercer. Mercer said today that the government was guilty of a “gross betrayal of people who signed up to serve in the military”. Mercer, who set up the Veterans Office in 2019, was preparing [...]
Liz Truss to turn up pressure on Australian government in bid to land trade deal April 21, 2021 International trade secretary Liz Truss is preparing to pile pressure onto her Australian counterpart in a bid to land a free trade deal. She will meet with Australian trade minister Dan Tehan in face-to-face meetings in London this week to try and make progress on the deal, which has long been expected to be the [...]
Top lawyers in House of Lords rail against disclosing foreign interests April 21, 2021 Members of the House of Lords have criticised stricter rules on disclosing payments from foreign governments. The upper chamber decided without a vote there should be no exemptions from the tougher transparency regime, despite concerns expressed by senior members of the legal profession sitting on the red benches, due to the duty of confidentiality. One [...]
Hand it over: David Cameron ordered to show lobbying text messages April 21, 2021 Former prime minister David Cameron has been given two weeks to pass on the details of his text messages in which he attempted to lobby the chancellor on behalf of failed finance firm Greensill. In a letter to Cameron, the chairman of the Treasury select committee urged the former prime minister to release details of [...]
Cabinet ministers back Tory push against Sunak for lower taxes post-Covid April 21, 2021 Some of Boris Johnson’s highest profile cabinet members are among 46 Tory MPs that today backed a new campaign group aiming to push Rishi Sunak to adopt a more low-tax agenda post-Covid. The Free Market Forum, run by the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, will look to “refocus the political debate” toward “free enterprise [...]
Downing Street cancels televised press briefings after spending £2.6m on new studio April 20, 2021 Boris Johnson has moved to cancel plans to start White House style televised press briefings, after spending £2.6m on a new studio in Number 9 Downing Street. The Times is reporting that Allegra Stratton, previously hired as press secretary to run the press conferences, would become the Prime Minister’s spokesperson for the COP26 climate conference. [...]
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer sacked by Boris Johnson April 20, 2021 Veterans minister Johnny Mercer has been sacked by Boris Johnson, after earlier reports that he was preparing to resign over court cases involving ex-British soldiers in the Troubles. It was reported earlier today that Mercer had clashed with defence secretary Ben Wallace and Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis over the government not halting investigations into [...]
Quarter of people meant to isolate after arriving in the UK are not checked for compliance April 20, 2021 Up to a quarter of people who are meant to isolate at home when entering the UK from abroad do not get checked on by the authorities, the Home Office has admitted. In a letter to MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, home secretary Priti Patel admitted that for the week [...]
Pubs and restaurants to reopen in Scotland next Monday April 20, 2021 Scotland will reopen its pubs and restaurants for the first time in months from Monday 26 April, in a move that broadly brings Scotland into line with England’s current Covid-19 restrictions. Cafes, restaurants and beer gardens can open, along with shops, gyms, libraries and museums as lockdown eases. Rules and restrictions around the precise nature [...]