‘Lavish’ spending culture of government ministers including £345,000 ‘restaurant and bar’ bill revealed February 13, 2023 Ministers are accused of overseeing a “lavish spending” culture in Whitehall with taxpayers’ money wasted on luxury items, after Labour analysis of government procurement cards. Concerns were raised over alcohol and dining purchases by the Labour Party including almost £345,000 by foreign office officials in 2021 under the heading “restaurants and bars”, as well as [...]
Sharp under pressure to quit BBC after report finds ‘significant errors’ over Johnson loan February 12, 2023 BBC chairman Richard Sharp has been told that his position is “increasingly untenable” today after a report found that “significant errors of judgement” were made in helping to arrange an £800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson while Sharp was applying for the top job at the BBC. Ex-JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs banker Sharp, who [...]
UK lost out on £320m AstraZeneca factory: Hunt ‘disappointed’ after drug giant choses low-tax Ireland instead February 10, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he was disappointed the UK “lost out this time” on a £320 million new AstraZeneca factory after the drugs giant chose the low-tax Republic of Ireland instead. The group had wanted to build a plant near its existing sites close to Macclesfield, Cheshire, but the “discouraging” tax rate had prompted a [...]
UK narrowly avoids recession as GDP remains unchanged but Jeremy Hunt warns country ‘not out the woods yet’ February 10, 2023 The UK very narrowly avoided a recession in the final months of last year but the economy contracted sharply over Christmas, official figures out today reveal. Gross domestic product (GDP) remained unchanged in the final three months of last year, meaning the country swerved the technical recession definition of two consecutive quarters of contraction, according [...]
Global Twitter outage as users told they have reached ‘tweet limit’ February 9, 2023 Many Twitter users found themselves unable to tweet, follow accounts or access their direct messages as Elon Musk’s platform experienced a slew of widespread technical problems. “Twitter may not be working as expected for some of you. Sorry for the trouble. We’re aware and working to get this fixed,” the company tweeted from its support [...]
CBI: Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak must use budget to prevent recession and bolster UK economy February 9, 2023 Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak need to use the spring budget to stimulate growth to prevent the UK tipping into a recession this year, the country’s biggest business group has urged today. The chancellor and prime minister should at the 15 March statement soothe the impact of a sharp rise in the UK’s profit tax [...]
Sunak says ‘nothing is off the table’ as Zelensky asks UK for fighter jets February 8, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said “nothing is off the table” after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asked the UK to supply him with fighter jets to battle Putin’s army. The two leaders spoke at a joint press conference at an army base today after the Ukrainian wartime president flew to the UK and implored the [...]
‘Unmitigated disaster’: Unions and Sadiq Khan slam transport sec Mark Harper’s rail reform plan February 8, 2023 Unions and Sadiq Khan have slammed the government’s plans to enhance the private sector’s role in railways, calling it “an unmitigated disaster.” It comes after transport secretary Mark Harper announced last night the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), saying the new public body will take “politics out of the railways.” According to Harper yesterday, [...]
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace February 8, 2023 Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has held an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. The Ukrainian leader was driven through the front gates of the royal residence and into the quadrangle. It is the first time the monarch has met Zelensky and comes after Zelensky made a historic address to MPs and peers in [...]
‘World needs Britain’s leadership’: Ukrainian president Zelensky says during historic Westminster Hall speech February 8, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the “world needs Britain’s leadership” during a historic address to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. The wartime leader used his address to urge the UK and the west to provide fighter jets, telling MPs: “Combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom.” Zelensky also directly thanked former prime minister [...]