Boris Johnson promises ‘no children will go hungry’ as free school meals row escalates October 26, 2020 Boris Johnson has promised “no children” in England “ go hungry this winter”, as the Prime Minister faces mounting pressure to U-turn on a decision not to extend free school meals over the October half-term. “We certainly recognise that there is an issue. We have been dealing with it continuously throughout the period of the [...]
Government risks ‘wasting taxpayer money’ through emergency loan schemes October 26, 2020 The chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee has criticised the government over its management of emergency loans for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Darren Jones MP warned that unless ministers “learn lessons” from initial rounds of support, they risk “wasting more taxpayer money”. In particular, he raised concerns over the fact [...]
Prime Minister warns “time is very short” for a Brexit deal October 26, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that “time is very short” to overcome key stumbling blocks in Brexit negotiations, as EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier meets with ministers today to try and hammer out a last-minute trade deal. “There is much work to be done if we’re going to bridge what are the significant gaps [...]
Number 10 extends Brexit talks until Wednesday October 26, 2020 Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU have been extended until Wednesday, Number 10 said today, as the two sides hold crunch talks in the hopes of hammering out a last-minute trade deal. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier arrived in London on Thursday to restart discussions with UK envoy David Frost after talks stalled last [...]
High-flying City figures to be exempt from quarantine rules October 26, 2020 City dealmakers, hedge fund managers and executives flying into the UK are set to be exempt from the current 14-day quarantine period in a bid to “promote global Britain”, according to reports. Fresh guidelines being drawn up by the government would see the fortnight self-isolation period scrapped for senior bankers, hedge fund managers and executives [...]
How much is Donald Trump worth? Judging by his Scottish golf resorts, not as much as you think October 26, 2020 You might have missed the news in the avalanche of election stories pouring out of America, but earlier this month, Donald Trump received planning approval for a new golf course at his Aberdeenshire resort. But before you get too excited (or outraged), understand that it is unlikely to ever be built. The President’s Scottish properties [...]
The world’s great power rivals must not underestimate American blundering October 26, 2020 I love the peerless movie Casablanca beyond all others for its wit, intelligence, charm. I love it for its beating heart of romanticism, all lying just under the strata of the most delightful cynicism imaginable. But most of all I love it for its politics. A perfect geopolitical allegory of the early 1940s, it finds [...]
Exclusive: Just 16 per cent of firms trust government on Brexit, according to poll October 24, 2020 Only 16 per cent of UK businesses trust the government to manage Brexit effectively, according to polling shared exclusively with City A.M. Just over 40 per cent of firms said the coronavirus pandemic had derailed their Brexit planning, the polling commissioned by logistics firm One World Express showed. The UK and EU gave themselves less [...]
City of London to provide schoolchildren with free food vouchers over half term October 23, 2020 The City of London Corporation will provide food vouchers for schoolchildren eligible for free school meals over half term. It is the latest local authority to announce the step after the government elected not to make free meals available over the next six months. Other London councils such as Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, and Southwark [...]
‘Reality check’ time: Mel Stride thinks Boris Johnson will break triple tax lock promise October 23, 2020 The UK needs a “reality check” when it comes to public spending levels and Rishi Sunak is almost certain to break the Tories’ triple tax lock election pledge, according to the chief of Westminster’s Treasury committee. Conservative Central Devon MP, and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Mel Stride told City A.M. in an interview [...]