Brexit: Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen to hold summit on Monday June 11, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will hold a virtual meeting on Monday to discuss the trajectory of post-Brexit trade negotiations. Joining the pair will be President of the European Council Charles Michel and EU Parliament President David Sassoli. The UK and EU have also agreed to an “intensified [...]
Priti Patel row: Matt Hancock says he ‘abhors identity politics’ from Labour June 11, 2020 Matt Hancock has said he “abhors” the identity politics he says Labour is pushing, after a group of opposition MPs told home secretary Priti Patel she was “gaslighting” BAME communities. The letter, signed by dozens of BAME Labour MPs, expressed “dismay at the way [Patel] used [her] heritage and experiences of racism to gaslight the very [...]
No-deal Brexit Q&A: What happens if UK-EU trade talks fail? June 11, 2020 Post-Brexit trade negotiations between the UK and EU have stalled after four rounds, leaving both sides just months to avoid a no-deal scenario. Brussels’ EU negotiator Michel Barnier complained yesterday that the UK was trying to “cherry pick” benefits of EU membership without the responsibilities. Chief UK negotiator David Frost and senior cabinet members have [...]
Robert Jenrick ducks questioning on his role in ‘unlawful’ planning decision June 11, 2020 Housing and communities secretary Robert Jenrick has been criticised for refusing to answer questions from MPs about his part in unlwafully granting planning permission to a £1bn property development. Jenrick instead sent his deputy Chris Pincher to face parliamentary scrutiny about the planning approval, drawing claims from Labour that he was “hiding from scrutiny”. Jenrick [...]
Government launches review into false Post Office fraud claims June 11, 2020 The government has launched a review into the Fujitsu Horizon IT system that caused Post Office branch mangers to be falsely accused of fraud. Business minister Paul Scully confirmed yesterday that there would be a review of “the failings that occurred at Post Office Ltd” in the scandal. More than 550 Post Office branch mangers [...]
Coronavirus lockdown: England zoos and outdoor attractions reopened June 10, 2020 Zoos and outdoor attractions such as drive-in cinemas will be able to open in England from Monday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that the government would allow these businesses to open, with social distancing restrictions required. In the case of zoos, they will need to close all inside areas such as reptile houses and [...]
Boris OKs a bunk-up: Household ‘bubbles’ announced for people alone in lockdown June 10, 2020 Boris Johnson has announced that people living alone and single parents with children under 18 in England will be able to visit one other household and form “safety bubbles”. The new policy will allow people who live alone, or with children, to visit the other household in their bubble, with no social distancing required. The [...]
Brexit: Michel Barnier says he cannot allow UK to ‘cherry pick’ in negotiations June 10, 2020 Brussels’ chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said he will not allow the UK to “cherry pick” benefits of EU membership in a free trade deal. Barnier told the EU’s Economic and Social Committee today that the UK was asking for “a lot more than Canada, Japan or any of our other free trade agreement [...]
Boris Johnson’s approval rating continues to plummet in new poll June 10, 2020 Public confidence in Boris Johnson continues to plummet, as new polling shows his approval rating drop to minus 7 per cent. A new YouGov poll shows that 43 per cent of Britons think the Prime Minister is doing a good job, with 50 per cent saying he is performing poorly. This is down from a [...]
Boris Johnson confirms pubs and restaurants will not open before 4 July June 10, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that pubs and restaurants will not reopen fully before 4 July. Johnson told MPs today that the government would follow its original plan to open the hospitality sector next month, despite speculation to the contrary. Some pubs and restaurants are still open for limited takeaway orders, however this has [...]
