The Northern Ireland Protocol was only ever a placeholder to get Brexit over the line – now the real work begins July 26, 2021 Mention Northern Ireland to a British politician and he or she will edge towards the door. With some notable exceptions such as John Major and Peter Mandelson, our leaders have tended to regard Northern Ireland as a strange land where normal rules do not apply: sectarian divisions they don’t understand and political parties which don’t [...]
Government refuses to rule out ban on unvaccinated students going to university July 26, 2021 The government has refused to rule out a ban on unvaccinated students returning to university amid reports Boris Johnson is actively pushing the issue. The Prime Minister has reportedly made low take-up rates of the Covid vaccine among 18-30-year-olds one of his priorities, particularly over the autumn and winter months. The Times reported today that [...]
Pingdemic: How the self-isolation exemption scheme will work July 23, 2021 The Government has announced workers in certain sectors can now be exempted from self-isolation rules as supply chains slow down and supermarkets experience empty shelves. How the new rules will work in practice are still being figured out. Here, City A.M. takes a look at the main issues. Who is exempt? Sixteen sectors are entitled [...]
Tory party conference may only be open to double-vaxxed amid talk of boycott July 23, 2021 A Cabinet minister today did not rule out that vaccine passports may be required to gain entry to the Conservative Party conference, in a move that has sparked talk of a boycott. Environment Secretary George Eustice said there “could be a case” for attendees at the Tory conference in October having to prove they have [...]
Police chiefs urge Home Secretary to U-turn on freezing pay for officers on £24k+ July 23, 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel has been told it is “not too late” for her to win back the trust of police by U-turning on the decision to freeze officers’ pay. The Police Federation of England and Wales said on Thursday that it no longer has confidence in Patel, branding the bitterly-opposed pay freeze for officers [...]
10 Team GB medal hopes for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, including Dina Asher-Smith, Adam Peaty, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Sky Brown July 23, 2021 Team GB head into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics somewhat in limbo. Having won a record 67 medals, including 27 golds, at Rio 2016, it seems they might be more difficult to come by over the next few weeks. Stars of past Games Mo Farah, Nicola Adams and Alistair Brownlee, who won four golds between them [...]
Opening match of The Hundred sets UK TV record for women’s cricket July 22, 2021 The opening match of The Hundred, English cricket’s new competition, attracted a record UK television audience for a women’s match. A peak audience of 1.95m watched as the Oval Invincibles beat the Manchester Originals in a closely-fought curtain-raiser to the tournament. The figures marked an encouraging start for a competition that has divided opinion since [...]
Tokyo 2020: What Covid-19, no fans and public opposition mean for sponsors and the International Olympic Committee July 22, 2021 The 60,000 seats of Japan’s national stadium, built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, are coloured in muted shades of green, brown, beige and grey. Architect Kengo Kuma chose those tones to fit his vision of the stadium, which he wanted to look as natural and organic as possible. Timber is the most visible material and [...]
‘We cannot go on as we are’: UK outlines proposed changes to Northern Ireland Protocol July 21, 2021 The UK has today outlined proposed changes to the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol, with a cabinet minister saying that “we cannot go on as we are”. The move is set to ignite a furious row with the EU, with one of its top officials saying there is no room for renegotiation of the protocol. Northern [...]
England captain Eoin Morgan hails strength in depth after dramatic T20 series win against Pakistan July 21, 2021 Captain Eoin Morgan has praised England’s strength in depth after his side’s T20 series win against Pakistan on Tuesday. England beat Pakistan by three wickets on an exhilarating night at Old Trafford to secure a 2-1 series win. Jason Roy proved the highlight with an excellent 64 in pursuit of Pakistan’s 154-6. Needing 61 from [...]