Most of England now in a Tier 4 lockdown after Covid cases hit record high December 30, 2020 Around three-quarters of England is now in lockdown, after areas like Greater Manchester, the entire North East and Birmingham were placed in Tier 4 by the government today. A statement from the Department of Health also said that “almost all remaining areas” have been escalated into Tier 3 including Liverpool, York and North Yorkshire and Cornwall. [...]
Brexit trade deal passes House of Commons after quick vote December 30, 2020 MPs have voted to pass Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal after just five hours, clearing the first hurdle for it to come into law in two days’ time. The Brexit vote was passed by 521 to 73. The bill was introduced to the House of Commons at 9.30am and will be rushed through both houses [...]
Defying Trump, McConnell puts off vote on $2,000 checks, urges override of defense bill veto December 30, 2020 By David Morgan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday put off a vote on increasing COVID-19 relief checks from $600 to $2,000 and urged senators to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense bill, in a rare challenge to his fellow Republican three weeks before Trump leaves [...]
Theresa May slams Brexit trade deal for not including financial services December 30, 2020 Former Prime Minister Theresa May has slammed Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal for not including provisions on financial services. May told MPs today that her failed deal was “a better deal” than the Prime Minister’s and said she was “disappointed” his trade agreement does not have a wide-ranging services agreement. MPs will vote at around [...]
Boris Johnson: UK to begin ‘new chapter in our national story’ on Friday December 29, 2020 Boris Johnson will say tomorrow that the UK will “open a new chapter in our national story” before MPs vote on his post-Brexit trade deal. Johnson is expected to tell MPs that the trade deal shows how the UK can be “at once European and sovereign” and that “we have nothing to fear if we [...]
The Tories’ ERG backbenchers will vote for Brexit deal tomorrow December 29, 2020 The Tories’ group of hardline Brexiteers will vote for Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal tomorrow in the House of Commons. The European Research Group’s (ERG) “star chamber”, which is its legal committee, met today and decided that the deal is “consistent with the restoration of UK sovereignty”. The meeting was led by Eurosceptic Conservative MP [...]
Brexit: Top law firm says City of London won’t get a quick EU financial services deal December 29, 2020 One of the world’s largest law firms has heaped doubt on claims by the UK that it can negotiate a post-Brexit financial services settlement with the EU within the next three months. US firm Baker McKenzie – the fourth largest law firm in the world by revenue and the top firm for multinational mergers and [...]
Boris Johnson under pressure to cancel school reopenings December 29, 2020 Boris Johnson is under pressure from senior cabinet ministers to delay next week’s planned school reopenings as the UK recorded more than 40,000 new Covid cases yesterday – a new record. Health secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove are pushing Johnson to cancel the planned reopening of schools next week for students [...]
EU and China on the brink of sealing historic trade pact December 29, 2020 The European Union and China are close to signing a trade and investment pact, according to multiple reports. The deal would be the first fissure in trade policy to develop post-Brexit between the UK and the continental trading bloc. The pact is said to open up China’s manufacturing and construction sectors to EU companies. Whilst [...]
Brexit: Boris Johnson hails ‘new starting point’ in UK-EU relationship December 28, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today hailed a “new starting point” for the UK’s relationship with the EU after the two sides agreed a post-Brexit trade deal. In a call with European Council president Charles Michel this afternoon, Johnson welcomed the agreement as a fresh start “between sovereign equals”. “We looked forward to the formal ratification [...]