Coronavirus: Which English towns are at risk of a local lockdown? September 17, 2020 As the UK braces for the impact of a potential second wave of strict lockdown measures, some regions have been placed under close watch by health officials. A watchlist created by Public Health England, which is updated weekly, showed that 18 regions in England are now being monitored for case spikes, almost halved from 34 [...]
Boris Johnson sees off potential Tory rebellion on Brexit bill September 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has quelled a potential Tory backbench rebellion next week by agreeing to give MPs a final say on a controversial Brexit bill that could breach the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Downing Street put out a statement today to say it would amend its Internal Market Bill, which is going through parliament this week, to [...]
Raab accuses EU of threatening Irish peace in Brexit negotiations September 16, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said any threat to the Good Friday Agreement has come from EU negotiators, as he attempts to assuage concerns in the US about a post-Brexit trade deal. Raab is currently visiting US politicians to convince them about the latest developments in Brexit negotiations, appearing today at a press conference alongside [...]
Boris Johnson plan for millions of coronavirus tests each day ‘a long way off’ September 16, 2020 The government’s plan to administer millions of daily tests in a bid to scrap social distancing restrictions is “still a long way off”, according to Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister last week unveiled his plan to eventually have everybody take coronavirus tests, which give a result in under an hour, each morning that show if [...]
Boris Johnson signals that targeted furlough extension is on the cards September 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has given the clearest indication yet that the government is considering extending the furlough scheme for some sectors beyond next month. When asked about an extension of the scheme for sectors unable to function due to coronavirus restrictions, the Prime Minister said today that that the government “will continue to show great creativity [...]
Government extends ban on commercial evictions until end of 2020 September 16, 2020 Businesses cannot be evicted by landlords for getting behind on rent payments until the end of 2020, the government said today, announcing an extension on an earlier policy. The moratorium on commercial tenant evictions may deepen the rift between retailers and landlords, as the high street continues to struggle amid dampened footfall. The government is [...]
Exclusive: London employment levels will not recover until 2023, says new analysis September 16, 2020 Levels of employment in London will not reach pre-coronavirus levels until 2023 at the earliest, according to new figures from City Hall. The Greater London Authority’s latest macroeconomic analysis, seen by City A.M., shows that London unemployment is expected to rise by 5.5 per cent by next year. The figures show that the capital’s economy, [...]
Tory mayoral candidate Bailey hits out at Khan over TfL delays September 15, 2020 Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has accused London mayor Sadiq Khan of “failing to deliver reliable transport” in the capital, as public transport delays across the latter’s tenure continued to rise. Khan, who is also responsible for monitoring Transport for London’s (TfL) performance in his role as mayor, launched an independent review of body’s future [...]
Former Tory MP Charlie Elphicke jailed for two years for sexual assault September 15, 2020 Former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke has been jailed for two years for sexually assaulting two women. Elphicke, who previously served as MP for Dover, was convicted of committing the first offence against one woman in 2007 and two further offences against a second woman in 2016. He denies the charges but was found guilty on [...]
Rishi Sunak hints at potential targeted furlough scheme extension September 15, 2020 Rishi Sunak has assured MPs that he will be “creative” in protecting jobs after the furlough scheme ends, potentially hinting at a limited extension of the emergency measure. When asked if he would provide sector specific sectoral support after the end of the furlough scheme next month, the chancellor said he had “not hesitated to [...]