Creative industries get £50m boost as Tories drive ‘level up’ opportunities February 1, 2022 The government injects £50m into creative industries as the Tories hammer home their level up programme and invest in "world class" arts.
Rishi Sunak urged to allow National Crime Agency to probe ‘astronomical levels’ of Covid loan fraud February 1, 2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak should allow the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate “astronomical levels of fraud” that was allegedly committed during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Labour party. The party will use an opposition day debate in the Commons later today to attempt to get Government backing for an investigation after it was revealed [...]
Javid calms new variant fears as government announces NHS vaccine U-turn February 1, 2022 Sajid Javid attempts to calm fears for new variants as he reassures the public that “part of living with COVID means living with new variants and subvariants”. “While some countries remain stuck on a zero-COVID strategy and others think about how they will safely open up here, we’re showing the way forward, and showing the [...]
‘Upset’ Ruth Davidson does not think Boris Johnson can recover from partygate February 1, 2022 Tory grandee Ruth Davidson does not think Prime Minister Boris Johnson can recover from ‘partygate’, as the former Scottish Conservative leader said she has been left “upset” by Downing Street partygate allegations. Baroness Davidson said the allegations of lockdown breaching parties in No 10 and Whitehall “makes a mockery of all of the sacrifices that [...]
Boris Johnson should be ‘very worried’ after partygate apology, says Tory heavyweight William Hague February 1, 2022 William Hague, the former Conservative Party leader, has said the Prime Minister “should be very worried” and criticised his apology to the House of Commons. He said Boris Johnson had the opportunity to propose real change in response to Sue Gray’s report and squandered it. Writing in The Times, Hague said the PM had plenty [...]
Economists call hike in national insurance tax during cost of living crisis ‘extremely perverse’ February 1, 2022 Raising national insurance contributions during a cost of living crisis is the wrong thing to do, economists have warned. Giving evidence to the Treasury Select Committee, Tom Clougherty, from the Centre for Policy Studies, said it was “extremely perverse” to raise the tax currently and it should be delayed. Clougherty said it was “extremely perverse [...]
Humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is so bad that families are selling their children February 1, 2022 Non-governmental organisations and charities have warned the government that the humanitarian emergency in Afghanistan is so bad that families are selling their children. Organisations including Save the Children UK, International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Concern Worldwide have written an open letter to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, telling her that the window to save lives is [...]
Fresh doubts over Nord Stream 2 pipeline as EU put approval process on hold February 1, 2022 Approval for Nord Stream 2 has been put on hold, and the European Commission will scrutinise the project's compliance with EU energy policy.
Equity interest requirement removed from new £800m taxpayer-funded research agency February 1, 2022 Proposals to create a new taxpayer-backed £800m research agency have been considered further by MPs. The Government wants the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) to focus on “high-risk, high-reward” research to explore new ideas while having “strategic and cultural” independence and the freedom to fail. The House of Lords had supported an amendment which [...]
Hasta la vista: Arnold Schwarzenegger vows to ‘terminate pollution’ at climate change summit February 1, 2022 Former California governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to “terminate pollution” at the sixth annual Austrian World Summit climate conference. The former bodybuilder and actor said he and Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen would be welcoming “climate action heroes” from around the world for the event. The conference will take place in [...]
