UK-India trade agreement ‘about deal and not dates’, minister says March 23, 2023 The UK’s talks with India are “about the deal and not the dates”, a minister has insisted as a Conservative backbencher queried government progress towards a free trade agreement. Trade minister Nigel Huddleston told the Commons “we will not tie our hands in terms of setting an arbitrary deadline”. He spoke in response to Conservative [...]
Starmer rejects ‘heads must roll’ approach to Met Police reform March 23, 2023 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not believe in a “heads must roll” approach to reforming the Met Police after an excoriating review into the failing force. Starmer said he would resist a “structural, break-it-up, heads must roll model” to overhauling the force. “I’ve seen that too often before where something goes [...]
Defiant Boris Johnson insists ‘I did not lie’ and claimed boozy leaving do was ‘essential’ March 22, 2023 A defiant Boris Johnson insisted he “did not lie to the House” and claimed a boozy leaving do was “essential for work” in a fiery evidence session set to determine his political future. Johnson underwent a fierce grilling by the cross-party privileges committee, as MPs aimed to decide if he misled – intentionally or recklessly [...]
Rishi Sunak publishes tax return and reveals he paid £430k last year March 22, 2023 Rishi Sunak has published his tax returns and revealed he paid more than £430,000 in the UK last year. The prime minister paid £227,350 in 2019/20; £393,217 in 2020/21; and £432,493 in 2021/22. The prime minister’s documents, published on gov.uk, cover his time as prime minister and chancellor. Sunak first pledged to reveal his tax [...]
Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal passes despite 22 Tory MPs rebelling including Johnson, Patel, Truss and IDS March 22, 2023 MPs have voted in favour of regulations to implement the Stormont brake aspect of Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework Brexit deal by 515 votes to 29. The prime minister’s agreement with the EU on a revised plan for post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland (NI) was backed by a majority of 486 MPs in the House of [...]
Ministers shelve plans to lift state pension age due to fear over backlash from middle-aged voters March 22, 2023 Ministers have reportedly shelved plans to raise the UK’s state pension age, over concerns of a backlash from middle-aged voters in the run-up to the next general election. The UK’s state pension age is currently set to rise from 66 to 68 after 2044. The UK government had, however, planned to bring this date [...]
Tory rebellion grows as Liz Truss, Priti Patel and Iain Duncan Smith to REJECT Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal March 22, 2023 Rishi Sunak is facing down a growing mutiny on his backbenches as Liz Truss, Priti Patel and Sir Iain Duncan Smith are all set to vote against his Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. The former prime minister, ex-home secretary and previous Tory leader have said they will not support Sunak’s agreement negiotiated with the EU [...]
Brexiteer Tories waver on support for Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal March 21, 2023 A key group of Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs are yet to say whether they will vote for Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal. Parliament will vote tomorrow on the so-called Stormont brake – a key part of the prime minister’s Windsor Framework agreement that would allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to reject new incoming EU rules. European Research [...]
Boris Johnson claims reason for partygate fines ‘remains unclear’ March 21, 2023 Boris Johnson has claimed it “remains unclear” to him – and possibly to Rishi Sunak – why they were fined for breaching lockdown laws after the Met Police investigation into partygate. The former prime minister has released his defence dossier ahead of a marathon evidence session before the cross-party parliamentary privileges committee tomorrow. In the [...]
Bacon in Muslim officer’s shoes and rape kits in fridges: Five shocking takeaways about the Met from the Casey Review March 21, 2023 London’s Met Police force has been found to be “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic” by a blistering landmark review. Crossbench peer Baroness Louise Casey was commissioned to look into culture and standards at the Met after the murder of Sarah Everard by serving cop Wayne Couzens. Her review – which has been branded “damning” by [...]