Sunak: Politics no longer ‘box set drama’ as local elections open May 4, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said politics is moving away from a “box set drama” style following months of turbulence. His comments came on the eve of local elections across England today (4 May) with requirements for voters to present photo ID at the ballot box coming in for the first time. Sunak is facing [...]
Covid cash lost to fraud down by third because we’re ‘going after everybody’, Sunak claims May 3, 2023 Government cash lost to fraud and error via Covid-19 business and jobs support schemes has been reduced by a third thanks to “hundreds of criminal investigations”, Rishi Sunak has claimed. The prime minister defended the pandemic business loans and job support and vowed his government was “going after everybody” in a bid to reclaim the [...]
Analysis: Sunak’s cringey love-in reminds us he’s a PM who wants to ‘do business’ April 25, 2023 There was no lectern for Rishi Sunak at the Business Connect conference. Striding across the stage at the glossy King’s Place venue in Islington, the PM was happily, confidently, on home turf; his equivalent of Starmer’s efforts to channel his inner toolmaker. While it was a slick suit and tie, as opposed to shirt sleeves [...]
Watchdog extends investigation into PM’s declaration of interests April 24, 2023 Parliament’s standards watchdog has expanded the investigation into Rishi Sunak’s potential breach of the rules on declaring financial interests. The Prime Minister is also being investigated over whether he broke the MPs’ code of conduct relating to disclosing details surrounding active inquiries, it emerged on Monday. Standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg opened the inquiry following concerns [...]
Sunak pledges £100m ‘world leader’ AI boost as firms wooed at business summit April 24, 2023 Prime minister Rishi Sunak has insisted his government is undertaking “the most transformative changes to financial services regulations since the Big Bang”. Sunak insisted the Financial Services and Markets Bill was a “very significant piece of legislation”. He pledged that once the law was implemented, Solvency II reforms would “unlock tens of billions of pounds [...]
Hunt for Britain’s next top lobby begins as CBI crumbles under scandal April 24, 2023 The hunt for the heir to the CBI’s throne has begun as industry chiefs begin casting around for Britain’s next top business lobby organisation. It comes as the “hopefully temporary” stand-in group BizUK emerged this weekend, in a bid to help steer political parties’ approach to industry ahead of the general election. City grandees suggested [...]
Civil service could see ‘politicisation’ in wake of Raab row April 23, 2023 The government’s civil service advisor is considering plans to increase the “politicisation” of Whitehall, in the wake of Dominic Raab’s resignation following a report into bullying claims. Writing in the Observer, Tory peer and ex-Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said the government should be “more robust and less mealy mouthed about ‘politicisation’”. Maude, who is [...]
UK borrowing tipped to have jumped to £23bn in March but Hunt and Sunak are on course to hit OBR forecasts April 23, 2023 Britain is tipped to have borrowed nearly £23bn last month to help pay for capping energy bills at £2,500, according to City analysts’ consensus forecast. Fresh numbers out from the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday are expected to show the gap between what the government generates in revenue from taxes and spends on public [...]
After Raab resigns with scathing letter Sunak brings in two allies Chalk and Dowden April 21, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promoted two close allies to replace the departing Dominic Raab. Alex Chalk is the new Justice Secretary and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden will take over the role of Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Raab resigned from his dual roles after an inquiry found he acted in an [...]
Dominic Raab resigns from the government in wake of bullying report April 21, 2023 Dominic Raab has quit Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet following the conclusion of an inquiry into bullying allegations. He resigned after the PM received the report from senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC’s investigation on Thursday and had been considering the findings since. There was speculation as to when the Prime Minister would respond formally to the report, [...]