UK will launch sanctions against people smugglers, David Lammy to say January 9, 2025 The UK government is set to launch sanctions against people smugglers in a bid to disrupt irregular migration, David Lammy will announce. Ministers are launching a new sanctions regime designed to cripple the people smuggling crime rings and starve them of illicit finance fuelling their operations. Described as a world-first, it will aim to prevent, [...]
Disastrous school reform agenda is a solution in search of a problem January 9, 2025 A long time ago I got involved in a battle to help a school leave council control and become an academy. This was shortly after Michael Gove, as education secretary, continued the reforming efforts of his Labour predecessors to inject more choice and freedom into the state education sector. The local council, faced with losing [...]
PMQs: Siddiq ‘acted appropriately’ by referring herself to adviser, Starmer says January 8, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has insisted Tulip Siddiq has “acted appropriately” by referring herself to the independent adviser on standards and said he would not give “running commentary” of the recently announced probe into her finances. The City minister referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on Monday, for [...]
Starmer: Funding rules may be changed amid Musk’s interest in Farage’s Reform January 8, 2025 The government will look at potential reforms to political party funding, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as0 the Liberal Democrats raised the “spectre” of Elon Musk’s possible donation to Reform UK. Leader Sir Ed Davey asked the Prime Minister to change the rules around party funding amid the US businessman’s continued interest in British politics [...]
Investors ‘are losing confidence’ in the UK economy January 8, 2025 The yield on the benchmark 10-year gilt, which reflects the cost of borrowing, hit 4.78 per cent on Wednesday afternoon, a post-financial crisis high.
The inbox from hell? Headaches and unpredictability await Starmer in 2025 January 8, 2025 New year, new Keir? Jessica Frank-Keyes looks at the pitfalls, rivals and online trolls threatening to ruin the PM’s 2025 For politicians, the dawn of a New Year can represent the opportunity for a fresh start, while avoiding that dreaded Westminster word ‘reset’. But for Keir Starmer in particular, looking ahead to the next 12 [...]
Pressure mounts as Bangladeshi authorities request Tulip Siddiq’s bank details January 7, 2025 Bangladesh’s anti-money laundering agency has demanded information on the bank accounts and transaction records of the UK’s City minister as part of a probe into allegations that her family embezzled billions from major infrastructure deals in Bangladesh. Tulip Siddiq, whose remit includes tackling corruption in business and finance, is accused by Bangladeshi authorities of having [...]
Downing Street asks ICC to support Afghan women amid boycott calls January 7, 2025 Downing Street has waded into the debate surrounding a potential England boycott of next month’s match with Afghanistan, calling on the International Cricket Council to “deliver on their own rules”. England are scheduled to take on Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan on 26 February but there have been calls for the England and [...]
The private health companies set to profit from Labour’s NHS plans January 7, 2025 A City broker has said Feedback and One Health Group are expected to be the main beneficiaries of the government’s plans to reform the NHS in the UK. The Elective Reform Plan, published yesterday by NHS England, set out a range of reforms to enable the government to hit the 18-week target for referral to [...]
Six months on, Labour’s pledge to restore trust in politics has proven nonsense January 7, 2025 Six months on, where have Labour's promises of radical reform gone, asks James Chapman in today's Notebook.