Matt Hancock hired close friend as Health Department adviser November 22, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock appointed a close friend, who works as a high profile lobbyist, to a £15,000-a-year government role, it has been revealed. Hancock failed to declare that he had given university pal Gina Coladangelo, 42, an unpaid paid advisory role and then later appointed her to the board of the Department of Health [...]
Brexit: London Lord Mayor says government ignored City of London in negotiations November 22, 2020 The government has neglected the City of London in Brexit negotiations, according to the Lord Mayor of London. Lord Mayor William Russel, a former investment banker, said he had been disappointed by the government’s approach and that it had “missed the point” of the City of London. Russell is the 692nd Lord Mayor and acts as [...]
Government to scrap 10pm hospitality curfew November 22, 2020 The government is expected to scrap the 10pm curfew for hospitality businesses when the current UK-wide lockdown ends. The Prime Minister is reportedly planning to extend pub and restaurant opening hours until 11pm when restrictions are eased on 2 December. Last orders will still be called at 10pm but customers will be given an extra [...]
China lobby tells UK: Embrace Beijing or ‘suffer’ business backlash November 22, 2020 The UK will lose billions of pounds in private sector investment if it does not reverse its growing hostility toward China, according to a pro-Beijing business lobby. The China Chamber of Commerce in the UK – which counts Huawei, ZTE and Air China as members – warned that its members may rethink their future UK [...]
Rishi Sunak set to raise taxes in spring to pay off Covid debt bill November 22, 2020 Rishi Sunak has signalled that he will raise taxes in the spring of next year to pay off the country’s Covid spending bill. The chancellor told the Sunday Times today that by spring the conutry must start “returning to sustainable public finances”, after spending more than £200bn on the Covid crisis. This year’s deficit is [...]
City watchdog probes Airbnb ahead of New York float November 22, 2020 The UK’s financial watchdog is investigating Airbnb over concerns about the tech firm’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems. The Financial Conduct Authority last year called on UK electronic money institutions to review their compliance on safeguarding customer funds. Airbnb Payments UK (APUK) told the City watchdog that it had identified gaps in its compliance [...]
Rishi Sunak confirms end of England Covid lockdown on 2 December November 22, 2020 Rishi Sunak has confirmed England’s national Covid lockdown will end on 2 December and that the country will instead move into regionalised restrictions. The chancellor said this morning that Boris Johnson will make an announcement tomorrow setting out the details of the post-lockdown Covid plan. A statement from Downing Street this morning said that the [...]
In pictures: Westminster gets festive as parliament unveils Christmas tree November 21, 2020 Westminster is gearing up for the start of the festive period after parliament’s mammoth Christmas tree was unveiled. The 43-feet tall Sitka spruce took up its traditional place in the grounds of the historic House of Commons. The prodigious plant began its life in Northumberland’s Kielder Forest, before being transferred to SW1 by Forestry England. [...]
Twitter to hand over @Potus account to Joe Biden on 20 January November 21, 2020 Twitter will hand over the official account of the US president to the Joe Biden administration on 20 January, the company said today. The @Potus account is the president’s official account, and is separate from the personal account used to tweet by Donald Trump to tweet. “Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of [...]
UK signs rollover trade deal with Canada ahead of post-Brexit talks November 21, 2020 Britain today secured a continuity trade deal with Canada, ensuring the two countries’ £20bn trading relationship will be maintained after Brexit. The government said it has secured an “agreement in principle” to roll over current EU-Canada trading arrangements when the transition period ends on 31 December. This will pave the way for negotiations on a [...]
