Voting by pencil and paper is still the best way to keep elections secure and democracy safe August 26, 2020 Yesterday for City A.M., Christopher Flinos, co-founder of HAYVN, an online OTC and custody trading platform for cryptocurrencies, penned an article proposing that blockchain technology could be used to implement an electronic voting system for future UK elections. As the government minister responsible for our elections, I agree with anyone who advocates the importance of [...]
Top Department for Education civil servant to leave position August 26, 2020 The Department for Education’s top civil servant will leave his post in the wake of the A-level results fiasco and U-turn over wearing face masks in schools. Boris Johnson and education secretary Gavin Williamson have both tried to pass the blame for the disastrous release of A-level results in recent days. Williamson blamed Ofqual for [...]
UK quarantine list: Which European countries have the worst infection rates? August 26, 2020 Switzerland looks set to be added to the list of countries on the UK’s quarantine list after a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the country. Scotland has already reimposed self-isolation measures on travellers from the country, with ministers in England due to review its list today. If it is added to the [...]
Boris Johnson calls for a ‘transparent investigation’ into Alexei Navalny poisoning August 26, 2020 Boris Johnson has called for a “transparent” investigation into the poisoning of Russian political activist and Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny. The Prime Minister said the UK “stands in solidarity” with Navalny and that the country would “join international efforts to ensure justice is done”. Navalny, who is one of the Russian government’s most prominent [...]
Exclusive: UK-Japan trade deal in doubt for Monday’s deadline August 25, 2020 Doubts are growing in Whitehall that a UK-Japan trade deal will be completed by next week’s deadline, despite Downing Street saying just yesterday the target would be met. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told journalists yesterday that Boris Johnson expected the deal to be closed by next Monday’s deadline. However, City A.M. understands that Department [...]
UK-Japan trade deal to be completed by next week August 24, 2020 The UK is expecting to have a free trade deal with Japan wrapped up by next week, after just under three months of negotiations. A Downing Street official today told journalists that the government expects to complete the deal before September, meaning by next Monday at the latest. The completion of a deal would be [...]
Downing Street refuses to call for Londoners to go back to work August 24, 2020 Downing Street has refused to call for more people to return to their offices, despite increasing fears that decreased foot traffic in central London will cripple the economy. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said today that it was up to individual employers to decide whether to bring back employees, while also refusing to say if [...]
Boris Johnson: ‘Vitally important’ schools return next week August 24, 2020 Boris Johnson has said it is “vitally important” all English schools reopen next week and that he has a “moral duty” to ensure it happens. The government has begun its push to get English schools back full time for the start of the academic year in September, despite local lockdowns in some areas. Deputy chief [...]
EU trade boss Phil Hogan apologises for attending ‘golfgate’ dinner August 24, 2020 EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan apologised for attending a golf dinner that has caused outrage in Ireland as he tried to ride out pressure to resign. Adding to the scrutiny on Hogan, it also emerged that he had been stopped and cautioned by Irish police for using his phone while driving to the dinner. The [...]
DEBATE: Are the life chances of the Covid-19 generation damaged beyond repair? August 24, 2020 Are the life chances of the Covid-19 generation damaged beyond repair? Emma Revell, head of communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs, says YES. Young people have had a rough pandemic. Months of education gone, exam grades tainted by confusion and uncertainty even after the U-turn, the future burden of spiralling public debt against a [...]