Shapps says unions ‘gunning’ for strikes as summer of discontent looms June 19, 2022 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has accused the UK’s unions of “gunning” for strikes as a major union boss warns that widespread industrial action is likely this summer. When asked if there could be a so-called summer of discontent, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) boss Mick Lynch said: “I think there are [...]
Shapps confirms plan to use agency workers to replace striking rail staff June 16, 2022 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed he will use agency workers to cover for striking rail staff if industrial action drags on throughout the summer. Shapps today said the government was looking at a “look at a full range of options” to minimise disruption from striking workers, adding that people with “transferable skills” could be asked [...]
Johnson making ‘a mockery’ of Ministerial Code, says outgoing adviser Lord Geidt June 16, 2022 Boris Johnson is making “a mockery” out of the government’s Ministerial Code, according to the Prime Minister’s outgiong ethics adviser. Lord Christopher Geidt wrote that he was put in an “impossible and odious position” this week, when asked to defend what he saw as deliberate breaches of the code, which led to him quitting his [...]
Labour to announce review to ensure more start-ups list in London June 15, 2022 Labour will tomorrow launch a review that aims to ensure that the UK is the best place in the world for start-ups, with the party wanting more to go public in London. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has enlisted former Tory Treasury minister, and renowned economist, Lord Jim O’Neill to “explore how to ensure start-ups can [...]
Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser Lord Geidt resigns June 15, 2022 Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser Lord Christopher Geidt has resigned, just a day after telling a Westminster committee he almost resigned over partygate. “With regret, I feel that it is right that I am resigning from my post as independent adviser on ministers’ interests,” he said in a statement. Geidt told parliament’s Public Administration and Constitutional [...]
Patel: UK’s Rwanda immigration policy is ‘legally compliant’ June 15, 2022 Priti Patel has said the UK’s policy to send Channel migrants to Rwanda is “fully compliant” with domestic and international law, while not ruling out a move to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Responding to a decision by European judges to block the first flight of immigrants to Rwanda, the home [...]
Starmer says Johnson wants rail strikes so he can ‘feed off the division’ June 15, 2022 Boris Johnson wants this month’s widespread rail strikes to go ahead so he can “feed off the division” they will cause, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said. Starmer said during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) that “I don’t want the strikes to go ahead”, after a series of Tory attacks pinning the blame for the [...]
Boris Johnson’s new cost of living tsar called for him to quit just months ago June 14, 2022 Boris Johnson’s new cost of living tsar called for the Prime Minister to resign just months ago and has a long record of excoriating tweets directed at the government. David Buttress, co-founder of food delivery app Just Eat UK, said in January that Johnson “just has to” quit, while in April he said that voting [...]
Barclays teams up with Whitehall in bid to boost UK exports June 14, 2022 Barclays has agreed to a five-year partnership with the UK’s Department of International Trade, with the multinational bank tasked with helping boost British exports. Barclays will create a “Small Business High Value Exporters Pilot programme” for British businesses and conduct a series of roundtables with the department to help provide advice on selling overseas. The new [...]
Truss unveils ‘reasonable’ bill to rip up Northern Ireland Protocol June 13, 2022 The UK has unveiled new legislation that will rip up large parts of the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol, with a new bill handing ministers powers to unilaterally “fix” anything they deem to be problematic. The legislation will scrap most checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea and allow Great Britain’s businesses to designate themselves whether [...]