MPs call for parliament pension fund to divest from Chinese firms linked with Uyghur atrocities October 19, 2021 A cross-party group of 117 MPs have called for the Parliament Pension fund to divest from Chinese companies linked to Xinjiang – the region where Uyghurs are being ethnically cleansed. The group of MPs – which includes shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former cabinet minister Dr Liam [...]
UK and Bill Gates pledge to spend £200m each on new green technologies October 19, 2021 The UK government and Bill Gates have pledged to spend £200m each on new green technologies today at London’s Global Investment Summit. The £400m will go toward research and development of green technologies like green hydrogen, direct air capture and sustainable aviation fuel that are currently not viable for mass use. Boris Johnson and Gates [...]
Boris Johnson says supply chain shortages are due to ‘surging’ global economy October 19, 2021 Boris Johnson has claimed today that the UK’s supply shortages are the result of a “surging” global economy post-Covid and not post-Brexit worker shortages. The UK is suffering from goods shortages in some parts of the country due to shortages of key workers in a number of sectors, including the road haulage and agricultural industries. [...]
Fiscal watchdog to hike growth forecasts to highest on record at budget October 19, 2021 The government’s independent fiscal watchdog will make the biggest ever upgrade to the UK’s economic growth rate at the budget next Wednesday. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will hike its forecasts for the British economy’s annual expansion rate to 7.5 per cent, according to the economic think tank the Resolution Foundation. This would be [...]
Labour renews pressure on government to slash business rates October 18, 2021 Labour will tomorrow renew its calls to slash business rates as it airs concerns that nearly 1m British jobs are currently at risk. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will pile pressure on Rishi Sunak to entirely reform the taxation system in his autumn Budget, while pointing out that figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) [...]
Government pushes UK households to ditch gas boilers with £450m upgrade scheme October 18, 2021 The government is encouraging households to swap fossil fuel boilers for low carbon alternatives with a £450m upgrade scheme. Households will now benefit from £5,000 government grants to install low carbon technologies such as a hydrogen-ready boiler or a heat pump. The grants will be available from next April, and will mean consumers will pay [...]
Clear as mud: EU hints at extension to City’s equivalence deal for euro-clearing October 18, 2021 The EU’s head of financial services yesterday hinted at a possible extension to the post-Brexit carry-over deal which allows banks from the bloc to access clearing houses in the City. Mairead McGuinness told the Financial Times that Brussels was minded to avoid a “cliff edge” situation and avoid market instability. “We have to make sure [...]
Government to force big business to reveal green credentials October 18, 2021 The government will force big businesses, large money managers and institutional investors to reveal their sustainability credentials under a fresh green reporting regime launched today. Under the new rules, launched by the Treasury, every investment product must for the first time ever break down the environmental impact of the activities it funds. Businesses will have [...]
Boris Johnson announces city status for Southend in honour of murdered MP Sir David Amess October 18, 2021 Southend-on-Sea will be be given city status in honour of long-serving Essex MP Sir David Amess who was murdered on Friday, Boris Johnson today announced. Amess, who was stabbed to death during a routine constituency surgery, had fought for decades for his constituency of Southend to be made a city. “I’m happy to announce that [...]
Abuse in British politics: MPs open up about death threats following Sir David Amess tragedy October 18, 2021 Dozens of MPs have opened up about the often frightening and bizarre experiences of receiving death threats as they paid tribute to Sir David Amess in the wake of the Conservative backbencher’s murder on Friday. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab spoke of having received at least three threats on “life and limb” in the past two [...]
