Foreign Office staff told not to say ‘hostile state’ for fear of upsetting China August 21, 2023 Government officials have reportedly been told not to use the term “hostile state” by the Foreign Office in case it upsets China. The term cannot be used in documents and internal messages via email and WhatsApp between advisers, civil servants and ministers, The Times reported today. One official in another department was reportedly told by [...]
UK spent over £46m on Australia and New Zealand trade deals August 20, 2023 The UK government spent more than £46m on negotiating just two trade deals last year, it has been revealed. Ministers shelled out £46.2m during 2022-23 securing and implementing new trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, according to a recent parliamentary written question. Concerns have been raised over the expected benefit from the Australian and [...]
Rishi Sunak says we’ll feel better off next year – but is the PM right? August 18, 2023 Rishi Sunak has pledged Brits will all feel better off next year, as he said he “passionately believes” he can bring down inflation and ease the cost of living crisis. Speaking to the Times, the prime minister vowed to be disciplined on public spending and tax rates in a bid to revive the UK’s economic [...]
Energy bills expected to fall £150 a year from October, say analysts August 18, 2023 The amount that an average household is expected to pay for its energy bills will fall by around £150 per year from the start of October, according to a new forecast. Ofgem’s next price cap, which will be announced on Friday next week, will drop to around £1,925, according to the latest forecast from Cornwall [...]
More than 130 leaks in Westminster buildings – but not THOSE kind of leaks…. August 18, 2023 More than 130 sewage leaks have sprung up in government buildings over the last year, new data has revealed. The majority of the 138 leaks were at Ministry of Defence (MoD) buildings, with 102 incidents at sites including Royal Naval airbase Culdrose, Cornwall and RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire. The Liberal Democrats, who obtained the information via [...]
Women’s World Cup final: ‘We wouldn’t think twice for the men’ so open pubs early for Lionesses, councils urged August 18, 2023 Pubs across England are hoping a minister’s letter to councils across England means venues can open early for the World Cup final on Sunday. 4.6m people tuned in on a working day to watch the Lionesses progress to their first World Cup final with the win being the most-watched game of the tournament so far. [...]
Economics now one of UK’s top ten most popular A-levels August 17, 2023 Economics is now one of the UK’s top ten most popular A-levels, after students flocked to study the subject amid a period of instability for the UK. More than 39,000 students received results for the qualification this summer, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications, a 7.3 per cent increase on last year. It marks [...]
Sunak commits to triple lock hinting pensions could rise by eight per cent August 17, 2023 Rishi Sunak has signalled that state pensions could go up next year by almost eight per cent as he committed to maintaining the “triple lock”. Under the triple lock, the state pension is uprated in April by inflation, wages or 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher. Wage growth is currently the highest of the three [...]
British firms face ‘debanking’ for trading with Ukraine, business leaders warn August 16, 2023 UK businesses reportedly face being ‘debanked’ over trading relationships with Ukraine, business leaders have warned. Firms are increasingly “afraid to trade with Ukraine from the UK” due to the risk of having their accounts forcibly closed by overly risk-averse financial institutions, it has been claimed. According to Politico, both the British-Ukrainian Business Council (BUBC) and [...]
How is Sunak doing on halving inflation, cutting NHS lists and stopping boats? August 16, 2023 In January, Rishi Sunak unveiled the vision for his government. Five pledges; five clear goals; five ambitions for his ministers. His aim was clear: be seen as an effective, solutions-focused administration and, hopefully, reap the electoral rewards. “No tricks, no ambiguity; we’re either delivering for you or we’re not,” he vowed. Eight months in, and [...]