Anti Brexit activist Gina Miller warns ‘we don’t have a functioning democracy’ after party’s Monzo account shut July 28, 2023 Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has warned that “we don’t have a functioning democracy” if new political parties cannot access banking services after she was told her own party’s account would be shut. The Government and financial services watchdog must step in and ensure new parties and MPs can access banking to be able to operate, [...]
ULEZ: High Court backs London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s controversial emissions charge July 28, 2023 Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ plan got a major boost today after a court threw out a judicial review claiming the scheme to charge drivers who fail to meet emissions standards was unlawful. Plans to widen the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ), already in place across inner London, slated to expand throughout Greater London’s 32 boroughs from [...]
Russia claims it shot down a drone from Ukraine as war enters 18th month July 28, 2023 A Ukrainian drone has been shot down near Moscow, Russia’s defence ministry has said. It is the third drone strike or attempt on the capital region this month. There were no injuries or damage, the ministry added. It did not give details about where the drone was shot down on Friday morning, but said it [...]
Rishi Sunak and Sadiq Khan at loggerheads over London housebuilding July 27, 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has threatened to wade into mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s efforts on housebuilding in the capital. The politicians traded verbal blows today as the PM accused the mayor of failing to build enough homes for Londoners, while Khan branded his claims “desperate nonsense”. Speaking during a visit to a development in [...]
Met Police fail to solve 82 per cent of burglaries July 27, 2023 The Met Police failed to solve 82 per cent of burglaries in London last year, data has revealed. Figures from the Home Office for the 2022-2023 financial year show an average of 129 burglaries a day – or a total of 47,050 – were closed without a suspect being identified. While just six per cent [...]
Don’t ‘clobber’ Londoners with ULEZ, Rachel Reeves says July 27, 2023 Now is not the right time to “clobber” Londoners with the ULEZ charge, Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has said. The shadow chancellor has weighed in on the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) expansion row engulfing City Hall and Labour politics in the wake of the Uxbridge by-election defeat. She told the Sun she was [...]
Hunt tells banks and energy firms to use profits to support customers and avoid a ‘fiscal intervention’ July 26, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has urged big banking and energy firms to use their profits to help customers with the cost of living crisis, and avoid intervention from the Government. In an article calling on corporations to support the public through Britain’s ongoing economic woes, he appealed to firms to be more responsible, pitching a “social [...]
Poor tax scrutiny has enabled abuse and fraud, MPs warn July 26, 2023 Poor scrutiny of the “complex” tax system has led to relief abuse and even fraud, an influential finance committee of MPs have warned. The Treasury Committee is calling for a systematic review into the cost of over a thousand forms of tax relief which they say are “complex, un-costed and exploited” in a new report. [...]
Business groups cheer plans to speed up planning process for big infrastructure projects July 25, 2023 Top business groups have welcomed government plans to speed up the planning process for key infrastructure projects as a “major signal” on green growth. Ministers want to overhaul the system and create a new fast-track route for major schemes, such as offshore wind farms, transport connections, waste facilities and nuclear power stations. Prime minister Rishi [...]
Tory MPs pile pressure on Sunak to retain green policies July 25, 2023 Senior Tory MPs have warned Rishi Sunak against backing away from policies aimed at tackling climate change. Labour’s loss in the recent Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election has been interpreted by some as a de-facto referendum on the controversial ULEZ expansion. Danny Beales, who lost to the Conservative candidate Steve Tuckwell by just 495 votes, [...]