Liz Truss appoints two new trade commissioners for Europe September 1, 2021 Liz Truss has today appointed two new HM trade commissioners who will be charged with attracting greater foreign investment in the UK. Trade commissioners are appointed for nine different global regions and are tasked with working with diplomats and civil servants to promote the UK’s international trade interests. The international trade secretary hired her department’s [...]
Northern Ireland economy minister calls for Covid restrictions to end soon August 31, 2021 The devolved Northern Ireland government must set out a pass to end all Covid-19 restrictions, Stormont’s economy minister has said. Gordon Lyons, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has called on first minister Paul Givan to have all restrictions to be ended by the end of next month. Givan has previously indicated that [...]
Is he or isn’t he? Number 10 refuses to confirm if Boris Johnson is on a West Country holiday August 31, 2021 Downing Street has refused to confirm whether Boris Johnson is a on a three-day holiday, after the Prime Minister travelled to the West Country on Sunday night. Johnson’s spokesman said the Prime Minister would be away from Number 10 in the West Country until Thursday, but insisted that he would still be working during this [...]
City figures warn London’s financial crown at risk if UK does not roll out digital Sterling August 18, 2021 City figures have warned that London’s status as Europe’s financial capital will be in serious jeopardy if the Treasury and Bank of England are slow to introduce digital Sterling. Rishi Sunak said last month that the Treasury was looking into one day releasing a so-called “Britcoin”, but that no decision had been made. Sunak said [...]
The British Kebab Awards: Westminster’s unlikely mainstay event August 18, 2021 For the uninitiated, the British Kebab Awards probably sound like something attended exclusively by shop owners and those people from YouTube who eat the same food for every meal. While these two categories of people should not be taken for granted, the event is in fact better known in SW1 as a mainstay on the [...]
Tory MP Tom Tugendhat slams Joe Biden’s ‘shameful’ comments on Afghani soldiers August 18, 2021 Senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat has hit out at “shameful” comments made by Joe Biden on the efforts of Afghani soldiers defending the country from the Taliban. The Foreign Affairs Committee chair, who served in Afghanistan, said “those who have never fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have”. [...]
Boris Johnson: UK deployment of troops to stop Taliban ‘not an option’ August 18, 2021 Boris Johnson has today declared that deploying tens of thousands of UK troops to stop the Taliban in Afghanistan is “not an option” and that there was “no appetite” among Nato partners to intervene further in the country. Johnson told MPs today that “the west could not continue this US-led mission – a mission conceived [...]
Exclusive: UK eyes quick ‘interim’ trade deal with India as negotiations set to start this year August 17, 2021 The UK government is looking at wrapping up a quick “interim” trade deal with India, which could see tariffs slashed on products like Scotch whisky before a full agreement is in place. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is looking to start formal negotiations with India before the end of this year, after an initial [...]
Boris Johnson urges Pakistan to not unilaterally recognise Taliban in Afghanistan August 17, 2021 Boris Johnson has urged Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to not recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan’s new government without wider agreement from the international community. Number 10 said Johnson reiterated in his phone call to Khan today that “the legitimacy of any future Taliban government will be subject to them upholding internationally agreed standards on [...]
Dominic Raab: Speed of Taliban takeover of Afghanistan took UK by surprise August 16, 2021 Dominic Raab has said the Taliban’s lightning quick takeover of Afghanistan took the UK by surprise as 150 UK nationals are set to arrive home early tomorrow morning. Raab, speaking after a Cobra meeting chaired by Boris Johnson, said a further 350 British nationals and Afghani visa holders would be evacuated to the UK in [...]