No, minister, really: the David Cameron lobbying scandal and the death of advice in Whitehall April 20, 2021 The revelations of potentially undue influence on ministers over the past couple of weeks have been a happy hunting ground for purveyors of hyperbole and clutchers of pearls. A story which began with David Cameron texting the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on behalf of a company which employed him has blossomed ferociously into a soup-to-nuts scandal [...]
Young people hit disproportionately by Covid jobs crisis April 20, 2021 Those aged under 35 disproportionately lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as sectors like hospitality and retail were hit particularly hard by the crisis. In the year to March, nearly 635,000 under-35s saw payroll job losses in the UK, making up 80 per cent of the total payroll jobs lost during [...]
Furious landlord kicks Keir Starmer out of Bath pub following heated row over lockdown restrictions April 19, 2021 A furious pub landlord today shouted at Labour leader Keir Starmer to “get out of my pub” following a heated exchange between the two about coronavirus restrictions. Rod Humphris, landlord of The Raven pub in Bath, shouted “that man is not allowed in my pub” while being restrained by a person who appeared to be [...]
Treasury to move forward with recommendations set out in listings review April 19, 2021 The Treasury will move forward with recommendations made by Lord Hill to encourage more fintechs to list in the UK. Last month the former EU commissioner published a set of recommendations which called for a range of deregulatory measures. Among the recommendations was the use of dual class shares, which allow company founders to maintain [...]
UK banks launch new low-deposit mortgage scheme April 19, 2021 High street banks will today begin offering mortgages with a deposit of just five per cent under a new government-backed scheme. The scheme, first announced in the Budget, is designed to make home ownership more affordable for first-time buyers. Borrowers will be able to secure a mortgage with just a five per cent deposit on [...]
All living Prime Ministers out of politics set to give evidence at lobbying inquiry April 18, 2021 Every living former Prime Minister that is not still involved in Westminster politics will be asked to give evidence at a major parliamentary inquiry into lobbying and anti-corruption. The probe is set to be announced tomorrow and it will be ran by Westminster’s Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs committee (PACAC). David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair [...]
Cabinet minister says David Cameron did nothing wrong in Greensill lobbying scandal April 18, 2021 Environment secretary George Eustice has defended David Cameron for his role in the Greensill Capital lobbying scandal, saying the former Prime Minister did nothing wrong. Eustice said today that Cameron “meticulously observed the rules” around lobbying, but that he perhaps should have written instead of texted ministers when working for the failed finance firm Greensill [...]
National Audit Office launches investigation into Greensill’s involvement in Covid loan schemes April 16, 2021 The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched a probe into supply chain finance firm Greensill Capital following its collapse. Last month the supply chain finance firm appointed Grant Thornton as its administrators, warning it is in “severe financial distress” as its practices came under severe scrutiny. Now the NAO will investigate Greensill’s involvement in the [...]
An ethical dilemma: Penguin Random House made huge sales during the pandemic, but kept the furlough cash April 15, 2021 A little over twelve months ago, Rishi Sunak pumped unprecedented amounts of money into the economy to help ensure businesses could make it through the pandemic – saving as many jobs as possible. Now, as we begin to take our first tentative steps out of the third national lockdown, businesses are under no illusion that [...]
Number 10 defends taxpayer-funded vaccine film April 14, 2021 Number 10 has defended the production of a taxpayer-funded film documenting the UK’s “extraordinary” vaccine rollout, insisting it was produced in-house and within departmental budgets. The trailer for A Beacon Of Hope: The UK Vaccine Story was released more than four weeks ago, with the full version billed as “coming soon”. The 30-minute film was originally [...]