Hunt: ‘No conceivable circumstances’ where HS2 does NOT reach Euston – as £1bn spend on its station is breached January 27, 2023 HS2 Ltd’s work at Euston started six years ago with more than £1 billion already spent, as chancellor Jeremy Hunt said it’s not “conceivable” it won’t reach London. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he did not see “any conceivable circumstances” in which HS2 would not run to its planned central London terminus at Euston, amid reports [...]
‘A different stage’: EU says Russia escalating Ukraine war with attacks on civilians to pile pressure on Nato, Germany, US and UK January 27, 2023 A senior EU official said Russia has taken its war against Ukraine to “a different stage” by making indiscriminate attacks on civilians and non-military targets. The official also accused Moscow of triggering recent moves by Germany and the United States to send advanced tanks to Ukraine. Stefano Sannino, secretary general of the European Union’s European [...]
Boris Johnson paid £500K advance for memoirs – as public foot £222K bill for his partygate legal fees January 27, 2023 Boris Johnson has picked up an advance of more than £500,000 for his forthcoming memoir, as it emerged taxpayers face a bill of £222,000 for his legal fees to defend himself in the partygate inquiry. The former prime minister’s latest entry in the Register of Members’ Interests says that he “received £510,000 as an advance [...]
HS2: Delayed AGAIN or scrapped for good? Govt refuses to say if expensive project will ever terminate at London Euston January 27, 2023 The Government has refused to confirm that HS2 will reach its central London terminus at Euston following reports that it may be delayed or scrapped. The Sun said soaring inflation means that the high speed rail project may not run to Euston until 2038 – or be scrapped completely, with trains instead stopping at a [...]
‘No penalties for innocent tax errors’: Head of HMRC piles more pressure on Zahawi January 26, 2023 The boss of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has told MPs there are “no penalties for innocent errors”, as he was quizzed on the tax furore surrounding Nadhim Zahawi. HMRC chief executive Jim Harra, appearing before the Public Accounts Committee where he was due to discuss tax compliance and the pandemic, was pressed on some [...]
Zelensky in tell-all English interview says it’s ‘not correct’ to say if ‘good guy’ Boris Johnson should return as PM January 26, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky branded Vladimir Putin a “nobody” as he suggested that it was too late for face-to-face talks with the Russian leader to make any difference. Zelensky, who turned 45 on Wednesday, also praised his “special bond” with Boris Johnson but declined to say whether he would like to see him return as [...]
Q&A: Fintech boss Janine Hirt on how London can stay ahead of EU rivals January 26, 2023 Fintech is an increasingly vital part of the UK’s financial ecosystem – so it’s high time to chat with Janine Hirt, the CEO of industry body Innovate Finance, on the challenges that come with keeping the UK out in front of Europe While the UK has historically been a global leader in FinTech – receiving [...]
Marks and Spencer’s chairman Archie Norman: Plans to ease post-Brexit trade ‘overbearing and baffling’ January 26, 2023 Marks & Spencer’s chairman has become the latest business leader to criticise the Government’s economic policy, with Archie Norman calling plans to ease post-Brexit trade “overbearing” and “baffling”. Norman, who is also an ex-Conservative MP, has urged the Foreign Secretary during talks with the EU not to consider separate labelling for goods sold in Northern [...]
Matt Hancock: Man arrested after footage shows alleged assault as I’m A Celeb MP gets on the London Underground January 26, 2023 A man has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting former health secretary Matt Hancock on the London Underground. The MP who appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is understood to have been unhurt in Tuesday’s incident which began at Westminster station before continuing on a Tube train. A spokesman for Hancock, who represents West [...]
Hackers from Iran and Russia have ‘ruthlessly’ hit British journalists and politicians, GCHQ’s cyber centre warns January 26, 2023 Officials warn Iranian and Russian hackers have been “ruthlessly” trying to steal sensitive information from British journalists and politicians. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, issued a fresh alert on increased hacking attempts directed at individuals and groups, though not at members of the public. “The Russia-based SEABORGIUM (Callisto Group/TA446/COLDRIVER/TAG-53) and Iran-based [...]
