UK risks moving backwards in science amid government turmoil, say industry leaders July 21, 2022 The government’s pledge to make the UK a science superpower by 2030 is in “disarray”, after the minister responsible resigned earlier this month. Science minister George Freeman exited his position on 7 July, amid a rebellion against prime minister Boris Johnson. Andrew Catchpole, chief scientific officer at London-listed Open Orphan, which ran tests on Covid-19 [...]
Government’s plans for Solvency II shakeup will force insurers to hold more capital on their books, sector warns July 21, 2022 Insurers have called on the UK government to reconsider their plans to shake up the Solvency II rules that govern the country’s insurance sector, after warning the current plans could backfire. The government’s current plans to reform the European Union’s Solvency II regulations could see life insurers forced to hold more capital than they are [...]
Tory leadership race: Truss claims her tax cuts would decrease inflation July 21, 2022 Liz Truss has today claimed her plan to introduce tax cuts worth £30bn+ would “decrease inflation” as she begins her campaign to win over Tory party members and become Prime Minister. The foreign secretary denied claims by economists, and her leadership rival Rishi Sunak, that her tax plans would further fuel the UK’s 40-year high [...]
Hasta la vista! Boris waves goodbye but casts a shadow for his successor July 21, 2022 THERE’S always an awkward moment when you start a new job, and someone comes round asking you to contribute to a collection for someone you barely know. That moment came unusually quickly for the dirty double dozen that Boris Johnson shuffled into the Cabinet room, with ministers who had been serving him for less than [...]
Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will be the next UK Prime Minister July 20, 2022 Either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will be the UK’s next Prime Minister, after coming out top in a series of Conservative MP votes that finished this afternoon. Rishi Sunak picked up the most votes in the final round with 137, followed by Truss on 113 and Penny Mordaunt on 105. The next Conservative leader [...]
Brexit: UK lays foundation to scrap hundreds of EU financial services rules July 20, 2022 Ministers have today tabled landmark post-Brexit legislation in parliament that will lay the foundation to scrap hundreds of retained EU rules on financial services. The long-awaited Financial Services and Markets Bill sets up a mechanism to bin EU financial services regulations one-at-a-time and either replace them with completely new rules or with none at all. [...]
UK in talks with Israel for post-Brexit trade deal as £34bn contract up for grabs July 20, 2022 Black cabs, whiskey and lucrative contracts for Tel Aviv’s Metro are all on the table, as Britain and Israel enter talks for a post-Brexit trade deal to the tune of £78m per year. Negotiations have been held between International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan and the Israeli envoy, Tzipi Hotovely, today. Trevelyan is looking to expand [...]
British music exports hit record high as big hitters dominate charts July 20, 2022 The value of British music exported overseas has hit a new annual high, up 13.7 per cent to £590.8m in 2021.
Rishi Sunak says tax cuts are a fairy tale, but he is chasing a Sleeping Beauty fantasy July 19, 2022 TIMES are tough. We need a bold plan to tackle the cost of living and get growth going. I have heard my friend Rishi Sunak argue that this is not the time to cut taxes, despite people facing the heaviest burden since the 1940s. With all due respect to the former chancellor, he is acting [...]
If the FCA is given a mandate for competitiveness, it could set us up for a 2008 re-run July 19, 2022 The Financial Services and Markets Bill is set to be published this week, to reshape our future outside of the European Union. But even with newfound freedom, we must not forget the lessons of the financial crisis. The UK has a chance to rethink the rules that shape our critical finance sector. In the face [...]