Explainer: What’s inside Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland deal? February 27, 2023 As you’re reading this, Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen are getting ready for their joint presser in Windsor after their lunch-time “final talks” on the new deal for the Northern Ireland protocol. Sunak will then bring the news to his MPs with a statement in the Commons. A senior government source has confirmed [...]
Brexit deal done: Rishi Sunak signs breakthrough agreement with EU over Northern Ireland protocol February 27, 2023 Rishi Sunak has signed a breakthrough deal with the European Union over post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland and will now seek to win the backing of unionists and Tory Eurosceptics. The Prime Minister and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen finalised the long-awaited agreement to ease the trading issues created by the Northern Ireland [...]
Manchester beats London, as capital’s hotels struggle to return to pre-pandemic occupancy levels February 27, 2023 Manchester has trumped London in hotels occupancy levels for January, as the capital struggles to return to pre-pandemic levels. According to data by STR, a division of CoStar Group, occupancy rates in London were down six per cent in January to 65.1 per cent compared to 71.1 per cent by 6.0 per cent during the [...]
Government criticism of FCA’s consumer duty slammed by former watchdog official February 27, 2023 The City minister’s damning comments on planned consumer protection rules are a case of the government criticising the Financial Conduct Authority “for doing exactly what [it] has told it to do”, a former top regulator has said. City minister Andrew Griffith was reported to be scathing of the FCA’s planned consumer duty, which is set [...]
‘Constitutionally unwise’: King Charles warned about tea with EU’s von der Leyen over Brexit deal February 27, 2023 The King’s “constitutionally unwise” meeting with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has angered unionists as Rishi Sunak seeks their support over the new post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland. Leading Conservative Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was wrong to involve Charles in the “immediate political controversy” on the day the Prime Minister will sign a [...]
Sunak must face down the vocal ‘hard Brexit’ minority within his own party February 27, 2023 The terms of our Brexit deal are too important to become mired in the internal politics of a divided Conservative party “We have to stop thinking if there is a deal that is about to be done, it means we’ve been done over in some way.” So said the rational Eurosceptic George Eustice over the [...]
Brexit breakthrough? Sunak meets EU’s von der Leyen for ‘final talks’ as Rees-Mogg threatens revolt February 27, 2023 Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen are set to sign off on a new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland as Conservative Eurosceptics warn the “devil is in the detail”. The Prime Minister and the European Commission President will hold “final talks” in Windsor, Berkshire, on Monday in what is expected to produce a breakthrough. [...]
The DUP lives rent free in Sunak’s mind and our collective political memory February 27, 2023 How the DUP have carved out an outsized place in the post-Brexit political zeitgeist.
Fruit and veg shortage will get worse before it gets better, warn farmers February 25, 2023 The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned that shortages of some fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets could be “the tip of the iceberg”. NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said a reliance on imports has left the UK vulnerable to “shock weather events”. Soaring energy bills exacerbated by the war in Ukraine have also put [...]
Sunak faces criticism over plans for European Union chief to ‘meet the King’ February 25, 2023 The Prime Minister’s political judgement has been criticised after a meeting between the King and the leader of the European Union was cancelled. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had been expected to travel to Britain on Saturday amid speculation a deal to fix issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol is near. The German [...]