PMQs sketch: Starmer stands up for the Tory backbenches February 22, 2023 As Rishi Sunak tries to keep unity together in Northern Ireland - and build some on the Conservative backbenches and Starmer prepares to unveil the Five Missions no one asked for, Sascha O’Sullivan on today’s Prime Minister’s Questions.
Piers Morgan speaks out over Roald Dahl books being edited February 22, 2023 Piers Morgan has spoken out about how the Roald Dahl books have been edited to bring the language in line with the modern day. Characters like Augustus Gloop have been referred to as “enormous” rather than “fat” in new editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda and The Twits have also been edited [...]
UK will become ‘innovation wasteland’ if Hunt pushes through R&D tax relief cuts, FSB warns February 22, 2023 The UK will become an “innovation wasteland” if the government pushes ahead with plans to slash research and development (R&D) tax relief, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. The UK’s largest business group urged ministers today to reverse plans to gut the R&D tax relief scheme, announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in November, [...]
Jeremy Hunt faces calls for March budget giveaways after UK borrows £30bn less than forecast February 21, 2023 The UK government spent less than it reaped in from taxpayers last month helping to push yearly borrowing £30bn lower than projected by forecasters, officials figures out today reveal. The difference between what the government generated in revenue and spent hit a positive £5.4bn, meaning the UK’s public finances were in surplus last month, according [...]
SNP race: Humza Yousaf ‘clear favourite’ to replace Nicola Sturgeon after Kate Forbes equal marriage controversy February 21, 2023 Health minister Humza Yousaf has gained an advantage in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon after Kate Forbes was forced to apologise for her comments on equal marriage. Yousaf, who has emerged as the continuity candidate after Sturgeon’s sudden resignation announcement last week, has vowed he will “always fight for the equal rights of others”. [...]
Explainer: How the Conservatives lost the farmers’ vote February 21, 2023 The Conservatives have lost Britain’s farmers. In December, support for the Tories among farmers dropped to 42 per cent. For the first time in living memory, less than 50 per cent of the farming community said they would vote Conservative if there was an election tomorrow. In December 2021, that number was 57 per cent. [...]
Putin blames Ukraine and the West for starting war ahead of one year mark February 21, 2023 Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine and the West for starting the war in an address to the Russian parliament ahead of the one year anniversary of the conflict. The Russian president referred to the “war” in Ukraine for the first time during his State of the Nation speech, after previously only referring to it as [...]
A British Silicon Valley won’t happen with wishful thinking February 21, 2023 Jeremy Hunt wants Britain to be the next Silicon Valley, but the one organisation which might’ve made it true has lost its government funding, the soon-to-be former CEO of Tech Nation gives his experience on a transformation made of nothing but hard work.
Pressure mounts on Sunak over planned six per cent rise in corporation tax February 20, 2023 Prime minister Rishi Sunak is facing down the prospect of a rebellion over next month’s budget as renewed pressure mounts over a planned increase in corporation tax increase. Seven top Tory backbenchers and business owners including Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin have urged Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt to scrap the planned six per cent rise. [...]
US President Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine ahead of Russian invasion’s first anniversary February 20, 2023 US president Joe Biden has been spotted in the Ukraine capital Kyiv on a surprise visit this morning. The 46th president was filmed walking the city streets with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine this Friday. Biden and Zelenskyy visited the Wall of Remembrance of the [...]