Labour turns spotlight on Covid deals between government and Tory donors November 15, 2020 The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Valerie Vaz, has said a public inquiry is needed following the publication of a ‘map’ of deals between the UK government, multiple Conservative Party donors, several Tory MPs and some of their family members. Vaz, Labour MP for Walsall South, calls for an investigation into claims made [...]
Cummings to leave Downing Street with immediate effect November 13, 2020 Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings is leaving Downing Street immediately. Cummings will continue to work until mid-December, and another senior aide will serve as temporary chief of staff, Johnson’s office said on Friday. “The Prime Minister has today asked Sir Edward Lister to take on the role of chief of staff for an interim [...]
Khan: By 2022 40% of new Met recruits should come from BAME background November 13, 2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan is launching an action plan to address the low level of trust and confidence that many Black Londoners feel towards the Metropolitan Police Service. Writing in today’s Independent, Khan said as part of his action plan he would like to see as many as two in five new recruits to the [...]
Treasury advisor sacked by Dominic Cummings wins five-figure payout November 13, 2020 A former government aide who was fired by Boris Johnson’s top advisor Dominic Cummings will receive a five-figure settlement from the government. Sonia Khan, who worked as a media adviser for the Treasury, had been sacked by Cummings in August of last year. She was “frogmarched” out of Downing Street by police, according to a [...]
China urges US to stop ‘arbitrary suppression of investments’ November 13, 2020 China hit back at Trump’s ban on U.S. companies investing in firms linked to the Chinese military. During a press conference earlier today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin answered a reporter’s question on the ban by saying the US should stop its “arbitrary suppression of investments”. He added that the US government had been [...]
China congratulates Joe Biden on presidency after week-long silence November 13, 2020 China’s foreign ministry has broken its week-long silence to congratulate US President-elect Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris on their White House victory. “We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular daily briefing. In a faint [...]
Dominic Cummings ‘set to resign’ by end of the year November 13, 2020 Boris Johnson’s top advisor Dominic Cummings is expected to resign from his role in Downing Street by the end of the year. Transport secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News this morning: “As he [Cummings] wrote right at the beginning of the year in his own words, he planned to make himself largely redundant this year [...]
Trump bans US investments in firms controlled by Chinese military November 12, 2020 Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning U.S. investments in Chinese firms that Washington says are owned or controlled by its military. The order could impact some of China’s biggest companies, including telecoms firms China Telecom Corp Ltd, China Mobile Ltd and surveillance equipment maker Hikvision. The move is designed to deter U.S. investment [...]
Editorial: Downing Street’s political infighting mirrored in Brexit strategy November 12, 2020 Downing Street's political infighting mirrored in Brexit strategy
Former Vote Leave spokesperson tipped as Number 10’s new chief of staff November 11, 2020 Boris Johnson is poised to appoint his current head of communications and former Vote Leave spokesperson as Number 10’s chief of staff, according to reports. Lee Cain, who headed up the Vote Leave campaign alongside Johnson’s aide Dominic Cummings during the Brexit referendum is set to be promoted to one of Downing Street’s top jobs, [...]