Brexit: UK-EU free trade deal ‘now unlikely’ after last round of talks July 23, 2020 It is “now unlikely” the UK and EU will agree to a free trade deal before the 31 December deadline, according to the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier. UK chief negotiator David Frost also said a no trade deal exit from the EU’s single market and customs union was a real possibility now, but that [...]
US senators warn that UK digital sales tax could stop free trade deal July 23, 2020 Senior members of the US Senate’s finance committee have warned that the new UK digital sales tax could be a major barrier to a future free trade deal. Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Ron Wyden said the new levy “unnecessarily complicates the path forward for a US-UK trade deal”, while also calling for the UK [...]
Brexit: No progress expected in latest round of UK-EU trade talks July 23, 2020 UK and EU negotiators are expected to announce today that no significant progress had been made in the latest round of Brexit trade deal negotiations. Boris Johnson last month said he wanted the framework of free trade deal agreed between the UK and EU by July, however it looks like this deadline will pass with [...]
UK companies lobby Mike Pompeo to ease travel restrictions and end tariff dispute July 22, 2020 A group of prominent UK companies used a meting to pressure US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and foreign secretary Dominic Raab to ease aviation restrictions and settle a long-running tariff dispute. Members of the BritishAmerican Business (BAB) lobby group met with Pompeo and Raab in London yesterday to discuss the two countries’ future trading [...]
Oliver Dowden: Joe Biden presidency will not change UK Huawei sanctions July 22, 2020 The UK’s sanctions on Huawei are unlikely to be lifted if Joe Biden wins the November US election, according to digital secretary Oliver Dowden. The UK banned Huawei from supplying any more equipment to build the UK’s new 5G network, beginning from next year, after the US leveled sanctions on the Chinese telecoms giant. All [...]
Labour calls for review of Russia Today’s UK TV licence July 22, 2020 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for state-backed broadcaster Russia Today (RT) to have its TV licence reviewed on the back of fresh warnings about Kremlin interference in the UK. Starmer called on Boris Johnson at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) to “stop the spread of Kremlin-backed disinformation”, adding that the UK’s High Court [...]
Robert Jenrick says decision to save developer £40m was ‘perfectly fair’ July 22, 2020 Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has defended his controversial decision to approve a 1500-home housing development a day before taxes would have cost the developer £40m as “perfectly fair”. The housing secretary has come under fire for alleged links with the developer, and Tory donor, Richard Desmond, with Labour calling the saga an example of “cash [...]
Coronavirus: Cobra and Sage committees sidelined, says Matt Hancock July 21, 2020 The government’s crisis committees Cobra and Sage are no longer leading the UK’s coronavirus response, according to health secretary Matt Hancock. Hancock told a parliamentary committee today that new coronavirus committees have been set up across government, with the new Joint Biosecurity Centre taking charge on major decisions. Sage (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) [...]
Mike Pompeo calls for global coalition to ‘push back’ against China July 21, 2020 US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has called for “every nation” to form a coalition to “push back” against China at a press conference today in London. Pompeo took aim at Chinese leader Xi Jinping, saying that his government’s “exploitation of [the coronavirus] disaster to further its own interests has been disgraceful”, while also calling [...]
Boris Johnson tells Mike Pompeo ‘justice must be done’ on Harry Dunn death July 21, 2020 Boris Johnson has told US secretary of state Mike Pompeo about the “need for justice to be done” in regards to the death of Harry Dunn and that his killer should be extradited to the UK. Dunn, 19, was killed in a traffic collision in Northamptonshire when former CIA operative Anne Sacoolas hit him while [...]
