Rishi Sunak ‘pushing’ for cut in UK’s aid budget in spending review November 17, 2020 The Treasury is reportedly pushing Number 10 to slash the UK's annual foreign aid budget of 0.7 per cent of gross national income
UK Brexit chief says trade deal could be struck ‘early next week’ November 17, 2020 The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost has reportedly told Prime Minister Boris Johnson to expect a trade deal with the EU “early next week”. The Sun reported that Frost said there was a “possible landing zone” that could be reached as early as next Tuesday. Britain and the EU are entering a key phase [...]
DEBATE: Is there a case for a ‘working from home’ tax? November 17, 2020 Richard Tice, businessman and chairman of Reform UK, says YES Nightmare: your business loses half its customers overnight. You must react: do you double your prices, adjust your cost base, or seek a bailout? This is the dilemma facing public transport companies, as millions of customers suddenly choose to work from home. Double fares, halve [...]
Boris Johnson in hot water after calling Scottish devolution a ‘disaster’ November 17, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has riled Scottish independence campaigners and some of his own party after calling the devolution of powers to Holyrood “a disaster”. The comments came during a call with around 60 English Conservative MPs, during which Johnson promised to pump money into infrastructure projects in the north. His comments were seized upon [...]
Whinging car giants are giving business a bad name November 17, 2020 News broke last week that the UK government is reportedly planning to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. As night follows day came the inevitable howls from the car industry. It’s not possible. It’s all too quick. Our societies are not ready for it. And on it goes. The reality is [...]
Cabinet confidential: Who will Joe Biden pick as the next US Secretary of the Treasury? November 16, 2020 President-elect Joe Biden has made it clear he wants his government to “actually look like America”, with pundits expecting the most diverse cabinet ever assembled. Speculation is rife Biden will appoint female and Bame candidates to top cabinet roles, including to Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State. The former Vice President will have [...]
Sadiq Khan forced to cut budget by £38m after Covid leaves black hole November 16, 2020 Sadiq Khan has revised the Greater London Authority’s budget downward by £38m after a drop in revenue due to the Covid crisis. A statement from City Hall said the drop in spending is “because of a forecast unprecedented loss of business rates and council tax income, caused by Covid-19, and the government’s refusal to adequately fund local and [...]
Rishi Sunak considers new UK road pricing scheme to plug £40bn black hole November 16, 2020 Plans to charge motorists to use the UK’s roads are being considered by chancellor Rishi Sunak in a bid to claw back £40bn in tax revenues lost by switching to electric cars. Sunak has been given the new Treasury proposal in light of Boris Johnson’s plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel [...]
Anti-vaxxers may be barred from pubs and offices: Senior Tory MP November 16, 2020 People who refuse to take a Covid-19 vaccine may be barred from restaurants, pubs and offices, a senior Conservative MP has suggested. Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told HuffPost UK he could “certainly see the day” when people are refused entry into pubs and restaurants, [...]
Brexit sovereignty is on the horizon, if the government would only seize it November 16, 2020 With just 45 days to go until the Brexit transition period expires, negotiations between Brussels and London are heading into a final frenzy. At the same time, the political battle is heating up. Last week, the government’s proposed Internal Market Bill, designed to correct the most pernicious aspects of the Brexit withdrawal agreement signed last [...]