Housing fraud trial: Labour MP Apsana Begum found not guilty July 30, 2021 Jurors today found Apsana Begum, Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse, not guilty of three charges of dishonestly failing to disclose information relating to her social housing application. Ms Begum, 31, had been accused of withholding her true living conditions from Tower Hamlets council officials in an attempt to secure a social housing flat. The [...]
One of two men charged for assaulting Chris Whitty pleads guilty July 30, 2021 One half of a duo that was caught on video in an incident involving England’s chief medical officer (CMO) Chris Whitty has pleaded guilty to assault in court. Lewis Hughes, 24, today pleaded guilty to assault at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. It comes after Hughes was charged with common assault at the beginning of [...]
UK Government won’t insist workers are jabbed to return to office, but rules out Covid passports July 30, 2021 Workers being double-jabbed before returning to the office is a “good idea” but will not be a legal requirement, Grant Shapps said, and he today ruled out Covid passports for pubs and shops. The Transport Secretary said some companies will require their staff to be fully vaccinated but it won’t become law. Shapps said that [...]
Hong Kong: First person charged under national security law sentenced to nine years July 30, 2021 The first person to be charged under Hong Kong’s national security law has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Tong Ying-Kit was arrested following a pro-democracy protest in the city last July in which he rode a motorbike into three police officers flying a flag with the phrase “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our [...]
Budget delay hinted at as Rishi Sunak fails to name day July 30, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has sparked speculation of delays to the budget, after failing to announce a date when publishing new forecasts, as is normally expected. Sunak said he had instructed the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to prepare to present an economic and fiscal forecast to parliament on October 27, according to reports. The forecast [...]
New travel rules are a stark reminder of previous government failures July 29, 2021 Even Boris Johnson’s most vocal supporters would admit the government’s Covid travel policy, insofar as it has had one, has been wracked with inconsistencies, confusion and inaction. Dominic Cummings’ suggestion that Johnson outright refused to implement a coherent travel policy in the second half of last year appears to be painfully true when confronting the [...]
Westminster Holocaust memorial approved by government July 29, 2021 The government has approved the Westminster Holocaust memorial after years of wrangling and disagreements over its design and placement. Housing minister Christopher Pincher announced today that the plans had been approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) after approval powers were taken away from Westminster Council last year. The memorial will [...]
Chinese billionaire sentenced to 18 years in prison for ‘picking quarrels’ July 29, 2021 A Chinese billionaire has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in China, according to reports. Pig farming mogul Sun Dawu, a prominent figure in China, was also fined nearly $500,000 under the charge that has previously been used against activists and dissidents. Around 20 family [...]
Cost of the UK’s new royal yacht increases by £100m in one week July 29, 2021 The cost of the UK’s new royal yacht appears to have increased by £100m in the past week alone before any contract has even been awarded. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) last week said the total budget of the new ship – branded officially as a “national flagship” – was £150m in a formal invitation [...]
Marlboro maker takeover of Vectura raises public interest eyebrows in government July 29, 2021 The takeover of respiratory drug firm Vectura by tobacco company Philip Morris International has raised government eyebrows over public interest concerns, according to the business secretary. The deal, worth more than £1bn, will be ‘closely monitored’ by the government after a letter from Labour shadow ministers urged the government to consider blocking it. Under the [...]
