Truss to label China an official ‘threat’ to the UK for the first time October 12, 2022 Liz Truss is set to label China as a threat to the UK for the first time in a major shift in the government’s diplomatic position. Last year’s Integrated Review of foreign and defence policy under Boris Johnson said Russia was an “acute and direct threat”, but that China was only a “systemic competitor”. The [...]
CMA and food safety regulators ‘struggling to recruit’ post-Brexit, says MPs October 12, 2022 British food safety and competition regulators are “struggling to recruit and retain the skills they need to regulate effectively” post-Brexit, according to a Westminster committee of MPs. A new report from the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today said some regulators need more staff post-Brexit to handle new responsibilities, leading to labour shortages. This has [...]
City minister defends ‘safety valve’ call-in power over financial regulators October 11, 2022 A proposed new power that allows Whitehall to overrule financial regulators will only be a “safety valve”, City minister Andrew Griffith has said. Griffith told a Westminster committee today that the new call-in power would only be used “sparingly” in the face of concerns that it will reduce the independence of the UK’s regulators. The [...]
Kwarteng promises ‘upbeat’ Halloween fiscal plan amid speculation of cuts October 11, 2022 Kwasi Kwarteng today promised his Halloween fiscal plan will be “upbeat” amid widespread speculation he will unveil spending cuts. The chancellor batted away a series of questions in the House of Commons around whether he will introduce real-terms cuts to benefits and promised more details would be unveiled on 31 October. The Treasury has said [...]
Number 10: BoE announcement will bring bond-buying scheme to ‘orderly end’ October 11, 2022 The Bank of England’s decision to extend its emergency bond-buying scheme today will bring the programme to an “orderly end”, according to Liz Truss’ official spokesperson. The Number 10 official told journalists today that today’s announcement was “in line with” the Bank’s “financial stability objective”. The central bank announced this morning it would purchase an [...]
London Labour MP Sam Tarry questions ‘integrity’ of deselection vote October 11, 2022 London Labour MP Sam Tarry has questioned the “integrity” of the vote to deselect him in his constituency and is reportedly considering challenging the process. Tarry, MP for Ilford South and boyfriend of Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, today said he was “extremely concerned about the result” and is asking the party to share extensive [...]
Sturgeon says she’ll ‘never give up’ on independence as referendum court hearing to start October 10, 2022 Nicola Sturgeon has said she will “never, ever give up” on Scottish independence, just a day before a Supreme Court hearing will begin over the legality of a new referendum. The Scottish First Minister claimed at the SNP’s annual conference that “the nations of these islands will work together better with independence than we do [...]
Truss U-turns on her choice of new top Treasury official October 10, 2022 Liz Truss has reportedly U-turned on her choice for the new top Treasury official and will install the former top Number 10 civil servant under David Cameron. Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng were set to appoint Antonia Romeo – permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice and someone considered an outsider to the “Treasury orthodoxy”. [...]
Truss to reset premiership as parliament returns from conference recess October 10, 2022 Liz Truss will hope to reset her premiership as parliament returns today, after warning her MPs that the Tories face electoral wipeout unless they row in behind her. The Prime Minister is reportedly planning to bring forward more supply-side reforms this week in a bid to grasp the agenda and provide more clarity around her [...]
Kwarteng to meet with IMF after it cautioned chancellor over mini-Budget October 9, 2022 Kwasi Kwarteng will travel to Washington, DC this week to meet with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the first time as chancellor. Kwarteng is travelling to the US for the IMF’s annual meeting, the first of its kind in-person since Covid, where he is expected to meet with its managing director Kristalina Georgieva. He [...]
