Rishi Sunak: City should show ‘restraint’ on pay – but no u-turn on banker bonuses November 15, 2022 Rishi Sunak said Britain’s top business bosses needed to show ‘restraint’ on pay this year amid inflation concerns. “In a situation like this, I’m sure executives of most companies will be thinking about pay settlements for senior management, for their workers, and making sure they are fair,” the Prime Minister told broadcasters whilst in Bali [...]
Autumn Statement: Another windfall tax raid would further damage Britain’s reputation November 15, 2022 We are now less than 48 hours from the Autumn Statement, and knowing quite what medicine Jeremy Hunt feels it necessary for Brits to choke down to fix the so-called ‘black hole’ in the finances. One hopes the rumours of higher council tax, a reversed bank surcharge reduction and a variety of other pocket-pinching measures [...]
MPs and peers urge Sunak to sanction pro-Beijing Hong Kong officials November 15, 2022 Rishi Sunak must slap sanctions on pro-Beijing Hong Kong officials for alleged human rights abuses, a group of cross-party MPs and peers has said. The All Parliamentary Party Group (APPG) on Hong Kong today said the British government should financially sanction Hong Kong chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu, ex-chief executive Carrie Lam and other senior [...]
Hunt says council tax hikes coming in Thursday’s fiscal statement November 15, 2022 Jeremy Hunt has said he will hike council tax on Thursday, with the increase set to help pay for social care. The chancellor told MPs today that he will “be asking people who have more, to contribute even more” and that this “will be reflected in our decisions on council tax”. Thursday’s statement will have [...]
Sunak says UK-China dialogue needed to solve ‘global challenges’ November 15, 2022 Rishi Sunak has said the UK and China need to stay in dialogue to solve “big, global challenges” in a backdown from his hawkish stance during the Tory leadership contest. The Prime Minister today said China was a “systemic challenge both to our values and our interests” and the “biggest threat to our economic security”, [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Tax rises? Make it someone else’s problem November 15, 2022 As the Autumn statement looms this week, Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are trying, desperately, to do anything except break the manifesto promise not to raise income tax. But by freezing income tax thresholds people will wind up paying more anyway, without actually having to break the promise. Elsewhere, there were suggestions council tax could [...]
Raab row: Civil servants union boss says bullying concerns exist over ‘dozens of ministers’ November 15, 2022 As Dominic Raab faces allegations of bullying, the head of the civil servants union has raised concerns about “dozens of ministers” conduct. Dave Penman, chair of the FDA union, made his comments on Sky News after reports about Dominic Raab being labelled the ‘incinerator’, and Sir Gavin Williamson also quitting over bullying claims. He said [...]
Rishi Sunak commits to warship expansion as war in Ukraine continues November 15, 2022 Rishi Sunak has said that the UK plans to build five more British warships as the war in Ukraine continues to rage on. The Prime Minister is currently attending the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, which has been dominated by talk of Russia’s invasion. Sunak announced that defence manufacturer BAE Systems had been awarded a £4.2bn contract [...]
Defence giant BAE Systems secures £28bn worth of orders so far this year November 15, 2022 BAE Systems, one of the largest defence companies in the UK, has secured £10bn worth of orders in the second half of this year so far. The London-listed defence firm, which builds military-grade jets, submarines and satellites, has kept its guidance in place while many businesses in the UK nudge them lower amid the economic [...]
Hunt readies for biggest budget since Cameron and Osborne’s first outing November 15, 2022 Thursday’s budget (okay, Autumn Statement) is the biggest since David Cameron and George Osborne’s first statement in 2010, just after they seized the keys to number 10 (with a little help from the Liberal Democrats) from Gordon Brown’s Labour. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt faces a daunting task. Weaker than expected economic growth, high inflation and a [...]