EU referendum: Who are the cabinet ministers most likely to campaign to leave Europe? June 8, 2015 David Cameron is facing a split in his party as he attempts to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the European Union. With a slim majority in the House of Commons, and a referendum battle to face after his negotiations, he may face future rebellion in his own cabinet over the EU. Some 50 Tory MPs have [...]
David Cameron tells expenses watchdog to “think again” on MPs pay rise June 8, 2015 David Cameron has called on the MPs' expenses watchdog to "think again" on plans to increase MPs' pay by 10 per cent. The Prime Minister has insisted that Ipsa (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) should shelve its plans for the salary increase, saying that he does not think it is "the right approach". He said he [...]
BCC downgrades UK’s 2015 growth forecast – but predicts earnings are set to rise June 5, 2015 The British Chambers of Commerce has downgraded its UK growth forecast for 2015, following weaker than expected growth at the start of the year. The BCC's forecast for UK GDP was revised downwards from 2.7 per cent to 2.3 per cent. However, the business group said that, despite the downgrade, it expected the slowdown to [...]
London’s Garden Bridge faces uncertain future after opposition at London Assembly June 4, 2015 London's proposed Garden Bridge's future may be under threat as it faced opposition at the London Assembly. The bridge, which is designed as a pedestrian crossing with 270 trees and 2,000 shrubs, is to be partly funded by the Treasury and Transport for London (TfL) – each contributing £30m. However, London Assembly members voted 11-3 [...]
Greece delays €300m IMF payment until the end of the month June 4, 2015 Greece has informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it plans to bundle its June debt repayments into one payment of €1.5bn due on 30 June. Originally, the Greek government had a €300m payment to the IMF on Friday. However, Green has announced that it will bundle this, along three other payments, into one at [...]
Culture secretary says BBC licence free is “regressive” and hits poor hardest June 4, 2015 Culture secretary John Whittingdale has dubbed the BBC licence fee "regressive", saying that it hits the "poorest people" hardest. Speaking in Parliament, Mr Whittingdale told MPs that charging all viewers the same annual fee forced those on lower incomes to pay more for the BBC's television services. It is his most critical comment on the [...]
Plans to turn London into a national park get a boost from the London Assembly June 4, 2015 Turning the UK's capital city into a national park may sound far-fetched, but a campaign to do just that has been given a boost. The plan was officially proposed on Wednesday at the London Assembly, where a motion was passed supporting in principle the creation of a Greater London National Park. The formation of a [...]
UK acts dominate global music sales – accounting for one in seven albums sold June 4, 2015 UK music acts account for one in seven albums sold around the world, sharing a 13.7 per cent stake in global sales, according to new figures. While Taylor Swift sold the most albums around the world in 2014, British artists One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay took the positions of second, third and fourth, helping [...]
New guidance issued for payday loan adverts to prevent trivialisation of short-term high-cost borrowing June 4, 2015 New guidance has been published on the regulation of adverts for payday loan products, designed to prevent ads from trivialising taking out short-term high-cost loans. The Committee of Advertising Practice's rules, which come into immediate effect, say that ads must be responsible to the audience and society, and should not encourage consumers to make ill-considered or [...]
Labour leadership race: Party gives positive reaction to Corbyn’s candidacy June 4, 2015 Many politicians and commentators from across the political spectrum have welcomed the addition of Jeremy Corbyn to the Labour leadership race, standing on a "clear anti-austerity platform". As Corbyn announced his candidacy on Wednesday, he said: This decision to stand is in response to an overwhelming call by Labour members who want to see a [...]
