Gove ‘doesn’t know’ how many customs agents UK has ready for Brexit, says lorry group December 1, 2020 The country’s largest lorry lobby group has said Michael Gove does not know how many customs agents the UK will have available post-Brexit and that there will be chaos at the border on 1 January deal or no deal. Gove, the minister responsible for Brexit preparations, today refused in an interview to answer how many [...]
UK MPs join push to support Australian wine in face of China tariffs December 1, 2020 British MPs have backed a call to support Australian wine, after China slapped 212 per cent tariffs on imports of the product. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), which involves MPs from across the world, is calling for people to buy and drink Australian wine this month. America’s National Security Centre has also shown solidarity [...]
Alok Sharma slammed for swerving parliamentary scrutiny on Brexit December 1, 2020 A row has erupted between a Westminster committee and Alok Sharma, after the business secretary refused to attend a hearing on Brexit next week. Labour MP Darren Jones, and chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) Committee, hit out at Sharma saying it “is a very poor show when a secretary of state [...]
Covid restrictions: PM gives London’s ‘wet pubs’ who cannot open £1000 each December 1, 2020 All London pubs that cannot open tomorrow when Covid restrictions are eased will be given £1,000. London’s pubs can only open tomorrow if they are able to offer “substantial meals” to punters, meaning that scores of venues will stay closed in the lead up to Christmas. Boris Johnson made the announcement at the start of [...]
Boris Johnson faces Tory rebellion in today’s Covid restrictions vote December 1, 2020 Up to 100 Tory backbenchers could vote against the government’s new Covid restrictions regime in what may be the largest party revolt against Boris Johnson’s government so far. Dozens of Tory MPs have said they will today vote against the new regionalised Covid restrictions, after the government’s analysis of the new system, released yesterday, was [...]
Tory MPs urge PM to sanction UK banks in Hong Kong for China cooperation December 1, 2020 Boris Johnson should threaten to sanction UK financial services firms operating in Hong Kong to push back against Beijing’s draconian security laws, according to a new report from top Tory backbenchers. A report from Westminster’s China Research Group, which is led by Conservative MPs Tom Tugendhat and Neil O’Brien, says the UK should sanction banks [...]
Labour calls for government to ‘strengthen’ new security and investment laws November 30, 2020 Labour is calling for the government to go even further on its new legislation that seeks to curb foreign investment that is a threat to national security. The party has said it supports Boris Johnson’s Security and Investment Bill, but it wants the government to enshrine in law the type of threats that would count [...]
Retailers allowed to open 24 hours over Christmas period, says minister November 30, 2020 Retailers will be able to operate 24 hours during the Christmas period through a relaxation of trading rules in a bid to boost spending on the UK’s High Streets. Communities secretary Robert Jenrick wrote for the Telegraph that he wanted councils to temporarily waive rules that restrict the hours shops can stay open in the [...]
Liz Truss names new chief negotiator for UK-US trade talks November 30, 2020 International trade secretary Liz Truss has today named a new lead negotiator for UK-US trade talks in preparation for an incoming Joe Biden administration. Amanda Brooks OBE will now lead talks, after her predecessor Oliver Griffiths moved to become the chief of the newly formed Trade Remedies Authority – an independent trade watchdog. Brooks was [...]
Today: UK to outline roadmap to removing Huawei equipment from its 5G networks November 30, 2020 The UK will today set out its plan to remove all “high risk” Huawei equipment from its 5G networks by 2027. The government announced earlier this year that it will be illegal to purchase Huawei equipment to use in UK 5G networks from the end of this year. All existing equipment procured from the Chinese [...]
