Scottish police decide not to use codename ‘Operation Bunter’ for Johnson visit August 2, 2021 Scottish police have U-turned on a plan to codename Boris Johnson’s trip north of the border as “Operation Bunter” out of fears that it would offend the Prime Minister. The name was a homage to chubby fictional schoolboy Billy Bunter who appeared in novels, television series’, stage plays and comic strips throughout the 20th century. [...]
Tory row erupts over government plans to start amber watchlist for travel August 2, 2021 A government plan to bring in a watchlist for countries at threat of being put on the red travel list has been heavily criticised a growing group of Tory MPs. The government is expected to make the announcement later this week in a move that some say will cripple the aviation and travel industry. The [...]
Morrisons counterbid set to come from another US private equity giant August 1, 2021 American private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is reportedly preparing to submit a counterbid for British supermarket chain Morrisons, after a £6.3bn bid from a rival. US buyout giant Fortress had a £6.3bn bid for Morrisons provisionally accepted last month, after weeks of takeover rumours. The Sunday Times reports today that CD&R are [...]
Olympics broadcaster Discovery mulls bid for Channel 4 August 1, 2021 American broadcaster Discovery is considering a bid for Channel 4 as the government attempts to privatise the channel. Discovery, which owns Eurosport and a number of other UK channels, is reportedly looking to challenge ITV with the potential move. The Sunday Telegraph reports that Discovery is holding preliminary talks around putting in a bid for [...]
Aldi increases drivers’ pay amid labour shortages August 1, 2021 Aldi has moved to increase the pay of its drivers in a bid to overcome labour shortages and ensure its supermarkets shelves are not empty. A multitude of factors – including Brexit, high training costs and the pandemic – have led to a shortage of lorry drivers in the UK, threatening supply chains. The Sunday [...]
Tory donors warn Boris Johnson that tax rises will kill off economic recovery August 1, 2021 Prominent Tory donors have urged Boris Johnson not to implement tax rises this autumn as they fear it could hamper the post-Covid economic recovery. Johnson and Rishi Sunak are expected to soon announce a 1 per cent increase in National Insurance in a bid to fix gaps in the health and social care sectors. Sunak [...]
Pizza and shopping discounts to be offered to boost vaccine take-up August 1, 2021 People will be offered discounts on pizza, cinema trips and ride sharing apps if they get vaccinated as a part of a campaign by the government to get more young adults to take the vaccine. The government is reportedly speaking to dozens of companies, including coffee and cinema chains, about rolling out a voucher scheme [...]
New travel rules are a stark reminder of previous government failures July 29, 2021 Even Boris Johnson’s most vocal supporters would admit the government’s Covid travel policy, insofar as it has had one, has been wracked with inconsistencies, confusion and inaction. Dominic Cummings’ suggestion that Johnson outright refused to implement a coherent travel policy in the second half of last year appears to be painfully true when confronting the [...]
Westminster Holocaust memorial approved by government July 29, 2021 The government has approved the Westminster Holocaust memorial after years of wrangling and disagreements over its design and placement. Housing minister Christopher Pincher announced today that the plans had been approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) after approval powers were taken away from Westminster Council last year. The memorial will [...]
Cost of the UK’s new royal yacht increases by £100m in one week July 29, 2021 The cost of the UK’s new royal yacht appears to have increased by £100m in the past week alone before any contract has even been awarded. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) last week said the total budget of the new ship – branded officially as a “national flagship” – was £150m in a formal invitation [...]
