Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to make Treasury ‘new radicals’ in spending shake up July 26, 2020 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are set to transform the Treasury’s approach to public spending by prioritising high-risk, high-growth projects. Chief secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay will give a speech next week that outlines plans to operate the Treasury like a Silicon Valley firm by choosing projects that “move quickly, start small and fail [...]
Dominic Raab defends decision to scrap Spain travel corridor July 26, 2020 Dominic Raab has defended the government’s decision to scrap its travel corridor with Spain at short notice, saying that “we took the decision as swiftly as we could”. The Department for Transport announced yesterday that all travellers coming back from Spain to the UK from today would have to quarantine for 14 days. Spain recorded [...]
PM Johnson: ‘Open questions’ on whether lockdown was too late July 24, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said there are “open questions” on whether lockdown measures were implemented too late in the UK, as coronavirus remained a mystery to scientists at the time. Asked whether lockdown came too late, Johnson said: “When you listen to the scientists, the questions that you’ve just asked are actually very open [...]
Don’t believe the Scottish independence hype — I’d bet on Johnson’s tortoise to beat Sturgeon’s hare July 24, 2020 For his first significant political event outside the Westminster bubble, timed for his one-year anniversary of becoming Prime Minister, Boris Johnson chose to go to Scotland. The significance of that choice cannot be overestimated. Politics is as unpredictable as ever, and despite chancellor Rishi Sunak hosing Scotland with the billions confected by the Bank of [...]
Johnson wages war on junk food ads in bid to tackle UK obesity July 24, 2020 Boris Johnson is set to announce sweeping measures to overhaul junk food advertising in the UK, which could include a 9pm watershed on TV adverts. The Prime Minister’s long-awaited obesity strategy, which could be announced as soon as next week, will likely involve a ban on online advertising of unhealthy foods, a 9pm watershed on [...]
Luton residents told to stay at home amid fears of local lockdown July 24, 2020 Council leaders in Luton have told residents to stay at home as much as possible amid fears that a rise in infections in the town could lead to a local lockdown. Luton has been designated as an “intervention area” by the government, meaning the town’s infection rate is being monitored closely and further spike in [...]
Face masks in England: The new rules on where and when to wear them July 24, 2020 Face masks are now mandatory in enclosed public spaces in England, after new government rules came into effect on Friday, 24 July. So when do you need to wear them, and in what settings? In shops and supermarkets Face masks are now compulsory if you are entering a shop or supermarket in England, at any [...]
Johnson calls anti-vaxxers ‘nuts’ as fears mount over second wave of coronavirus July 24, 2020 Boris Johnson has described vaccine opponents as “nuts”, as the Prime Minister warned that coronavirus “could come back again” in the winter. “There’s all these anti-vaxxers now,” Boris Johnson told nurses at GP surgery in London today. “They are nuts, they are nuts.” Speaking on the first anniversary of his premiership, the PM said he believes that [...]
Where is the no-deal planning we need to extract a deal from the EU? July 24, 2020 The UK ended its fifth round of negotiations this week, and still there has been no agreement on the principles of a future trading deal — let alone an actual deal. This was all too predictable. The EU is seeking a deal founded in ideology, and the UK simply wants to trade. Back in January, [...]
After a year in the job, Boris Johnson is a disappointment to even his biggest fans July 24, 2020 On the Institute of Economic Affairs’ Live With Littlewood show this week, I was asked to score Boris Johnson’s first year as Tory leader. I am accustomed to being the token left-winger (relatively speaking) on the IEA’s show, which tends to feature economists and journalists who identify firmly on the Conservative right. I was therefore [...]