Greensill: ‘No boundaries’ between civil servants and private sector, says cronyism watchdog April 15, 2021 The government’s watchdog on business appointments has claimed there are no boundaries between ex-civil servants and the private sector and that the system needs urgent reform in light of the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal. Lord Eric Pickles, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), has told MPs today that a former senior civil [...]
Australian navy top brass treated to ‘inappropriate’ twerking performance at ship naming ceremony April 14, 2021 Australia’s Royal Navy has taken the Queen’s absence to have some fun during a ceremony that left the country’s most esteemed defence force figures red faced. It may have been a sunny 25 degrees in Sydney yesterday, but it was a dance performance replete with synchronised twerking by a female dance troupe that left the [...]
Treasury Select Committee launches inquiry into Greensill Capital scandal April 14, 2021 Westminster’s Treasury Select Committee has today launched an inquiry the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal. Committee chair Mel Stride said MPs would “take a closer look” at the circumstances surrounding efforts by David Cameron and former senior civil servant Bill Crothers in lobbying on behalf of the failed finance firm. A statement from the committee said [...]
Keir Starmer hits out at ‘return of Tory sleaze’ over Greensill scandal April 14, 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of overseeing a “return of Tory sleaze” over the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal. Starmer told MPs today that the government needed to “overhaul the whole broken [lobbying] system”, while also calling for a full Westminster-led inquiry into Greensill Capital’s links with ministers. Labour is introducing an [...]
UK pubs lobby hits out at government plan to force venues to calorie label pints April 14, 2021 The UK’s pubs lobby has slammed government plans to force venues to disclose how many calories are in alcoholic drinks, saying the move would be akin to “kicking pubs and brewers when they are down”. The British Beer & Pub Association said the leaked plans were “ludicrous and “especially outrageous at this difficult time”. The [...]
Northern Ireland: UK asks for more time to respond to EU legal action April 14, 2021 The UK has asked for more time to respond to EU legal action over its unilateral decision to postpone checks on goods going to Northern Ireland. The EU launched legal action against Britain last month for unilaterally changing trading arrangements for Northern Ireland. Brussels said the move breached the Brexit divorce deal agreed last year [...]
Labour turns up pressure on Rishi Sunak over his role in Greensill Capital scandal April 13, 2021 Labour is calling for Boris Johnson to conduct a more thorough inquiry into the David Cameron lobbying scandal, with Anneliese Dodds today also calling for Rishi Sunak to answer questions over his contact with Greensill Capital. The shadow chancellor criticised Sunak for not answering questions in parliament today about how Greensill Capital was allowed to [...]
Boris Johnson wants to ‘understand intention’ behind David Cameron lobbying April 13, 2021 Boris Johnson has today said a review into the David Cameron lobbying scandal will seek to “understand what the intention was” behind efforts to implement supply chain financing into government departments. Johnson yesterday launched an independent review into Cameron’s efforts to lobby ministers on behalf of failed finance supply chain finance firm Greensill Capital. The [...]
Boris Johnson warns more people will die of Covid as England eases lockdown April 13, 2021 Boris Johnson has today warned that more people will die of Covid-19 as England unlocks, while adding that it has been the lockdown and not the UK’s vaccine rollout that has driven down rates of infection. The Prime Minister urged people in England to be cautious and to still follow social distancing rules, after pubs, [...]
Enforcement of judgments: Brussels opposes UK entry to the Lugano Convention legal pact April 13, 2021 Brussels is pushing for the UK to not be able to join the Lugano Convention, an international legal pact, after officials held a crunch meeting yesterday. The EU is reportedly against allowing the UK to join the convention on the grounds that it is not a member of the European Economic Area or the European [...]
