The Festival of Words: From Gyles Brandreth to Anthony Scaramucci – all you need to know about the Fleet Street Quarter festival
Despite £20bn drop in exports, Jacob Rees-Mogg sees no evidence Brexit has hit trade: ‘Evidence is few and far between’ February 17, 2022 Jacob Rees-Mogg, the brand new minister for Brexit opportunities, has said that “Brexit was already a success” and businesses have not been hurt by the UK’s departure from the EU. On the contrary, because when asked whether Brexit had reduced UK trade, Rees-Mogg replied: “I think Brexit has been extremely beneficial for the country.” “I [...]
Conflict of interest claims: While looking for Brexit opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg holds stake in $8bn emerging market investment fund February 17, 2022 Experts have pointed out that Jacob Rees-Mogg holds a substantial stake in a multi-billion investment fund specialised in emerging markets, while at the same time he is now tasked with finding ‘Brexit opportunities’ in those same countries. Rees-Mogg is a major shareholder in Somerset Capital, an investment firm he co-founded and focuses on investment projects [...]
Barrister Jolyon Maugham QC apologises for falsely claiming court victory against Matt Hancock February 17, 2022 The well-known London-based barrister Jolyon Maugham QC made a rare apology yesterday for falsely claiming he had won a High Court case against former Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Maugham said his office was “under-staffed” when a Twitter user wrote that his campaign group – The Good Law Project – had falsely claimed victory. On Tuesday, [...]
Post-Brexit immigration ‘unlikely to move the dial on big-picture economic outcomes’ or wages February 17, 2022 A shortage of migrant workers alone is “unlikely” to increase wages in the longer term and the UK’s post-Brexit immigration system “will do little to change the UK’s economic trajectory”, according to the Resolution Foundation. The think tank said its research shows immigration has changed the size and shape of the UK’s workforce in recent decades, [...]
9m bedrooms have vanished as nearly half of all homeowners change property to suit post-pandemic needs February 17, 2022 Close to nine million bedrooms have been “lost” as people have adapted their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a property website. Four in 10 (41%) homeowners have changed their property to better suit their needs, Zoopla found. Among those making changes, more than half (53%) have entirely repurposed at least one bedroom while [...]
Ofcom urged to probe Royal Mail’s performance as millions of Brits are left without mail February 17, 2022 Close to 15m people were left waiting for post over the Christmas period, including 2.5m who missed important documents, health appointments, or were unable to pay a fine or bills, according to new research. More than half of those left waiting (54 per cent) reported going at least a week without letters, while 3 per [...]
‘Golden visas’ for wealthy foreign investors to be scrapped amid dirty Russian money concerns February 17, 2022 The government is expected to scrap so-called “golden visas” for wealthy foreign investors amid concerns over links between Russia and the UK. Those eligible for the tier one investor visa, launched in 2008, must have at least £2m in investment funds and have a UK bank account. It has been under review due to repeated [...]
Power cuts, snow, ice and travel disruption across the UK as Storm Eunice takes over Britain February 17, 2022 The Met Office has issued an amber warning for strong winds covering central Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and northern England above Hull over the evening, with yellow wind warnings in place as far south as Birmingham. The UK faced strong winds and heavy rain last night, causing power cuts and travel disruption with Storm [...]
Brexit shaves off record £20bn from UK exports in one year alone with imports from EU also dropping February 16, 2022 UK exports to EU countries shrunk by a record £20bn in just 20 months, according to new figures. Sales to the EU dropped more significantly in 2021 than exports to any other country in the world, the ONS data shows, as UK to EU exports nosedived 12 per cent between January and December of last [...]
Belgium formally introduces four day week and creates right for employees to ignore bosses after hours February 16, 2022 The government of Belgium is moving ahead with plans to formally introduce a four day week in the country. Under a series of labour market reforms, announced yesterday, works in Belgium will soon be allowed to opt for a shorter work week or more flexible schedules. Moreover, the proposals create a right for Belgians to [...]
