Aukus: Government signs £4bn deals to develop ‘hunter-killer’ submarines October 1, 2023 The Defence Secretary has announced £4bn of contracts with British firms for the “hunter-killer” submarine programme.
Government would be ‘crazy’ not to reconsider HS2 costs, minister says September 24, 2023 The government would be “crazy” not to reconsider the costs of the HS2 rail project, Grant Shapps has told the BBC. Shapps said Rishi Sunak was prepared to take “difficult long-term decisions” amid reports the Prime Minister is set to axe the northern leg of HS2. The defence secretary told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura [...]
Claire Coutinho replaces Grant Shapps as energy secretary August 31, 2023 Claire Coutinho has been appointed energy secretary in a promotion to a top cabinet role, amid a mini-reshuffle of the Prime Minister’s core team. It follows Grant Shapps moving over to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after defence secretary Ben Wallace resigned from cabinet ahead of stepping down as an MP at the next general [...]
Grant Shapps replaces Ben Wallace as defence secretary taking fifth post in a year August 31, 2023 Grant Shapps has been made defence secretary, in a mini-reshuffle sparked by predecessor Ben Wallace stepping down from cabinet. It comes after Wallace announced in July he would be leaving the role and stepping down as an MP as the next election – after a political career spanning almost a quarter century. Shapps, who has [...]
Sunak in China row over Confucius Institute U-turn May 18, 2023 Downing Street has refused to elaborate on Rishi Sunak’s decision not to ban controversial Confucius Institutes from operating in the UK. The Prime Minister previously pledged during his leadership bid to bar the 30 Beijing-linked organisations from running on UK soil. Confucius institutes are Chinese cultural and language outposts. But he has now walked back [...]
Net migration set for record high as Tories brace for backlash May 14, 2023 Net migration figures into the UK are reportedly set to reach a record high of up to one million with the Conservative party bracing for criticism over the issue. Official figures are expected to be released later in May, with net migration expected to be 650,000 to 997,000 – far higher than the previous record [...]
Tory heavyweights endorse former Boris Johnson adviser to run for London mayor April 25, 2023 A former Downing Street adviser to Boris Johnson has emerged as the Conservative front runner for London mayor next year after earning the backing of three party heavyweights. Energy secretary Grant Shapps and Northern Ireland Office minister Steve Baker, along with former home secretary Priti Patel, announced on Monday they were endorsing Samuel Kasumu to [...]
New hydrogen levy is ‘harmful’ and could stoke inflation, Tory MPs warn February 12, 2023 Plans for a new tax on energy bills to fund research into hydrogen have been opposed by senior Tory MPs arguing it would be “harmful."
Government ‘will not hesitate’ to ensure retailers give drivers fair fuel prices December 23, 2022 Fuel retailers have been threatened with state intervention over prices by the business secretary, who urged companies “to take any steps necessary” to ensure affordable prices for drivers. In a letter to retailers on Thursday, Grant Shapps said the government “will not hesitate to act to ensure competition is healthy and consumers get a fair [...]
Shapps ends flagship small business digital support scheme December 15, 2022 Grant Shapps has pulled the plug on the ‘Help to Grow: Digital programme’ following lacklustre participation and rising costs, sparking a backlash from industry bodies. In a statement on Thursday, Shapps who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said Government “cannot justify the continued cost” of the “Digital” [...]