City Hall and BBC under fire over stamp duty agreement for new Olympic Park studios January 29, 2019 City Hall has come under fire for agreeing to underwrite half of the stamp duty that could be levied on the BBC when it opens new studios in the £1.1bn Olympic Park development. Last summer the broadcaster announced it would build a brand new set of studios at the east London site by 2022/23, in concert [...]
Ireland would take four per cent economic hit in no-deal Brexit, says Irish finance minister January 29, 2019 Ireland’s economy will take a four per cent hit in a no-deal Brexit, the country’s finance minister has warned. Pascal Donohoe today told his government colleagues a “disorderly” Brexit would particularly impact on agri-food and manufacturing sectors in Ireland – leading to slower economic growth over the next five years. The Irish government were told [...]
Downing Street slaps down Sajid Javid over net migration target January 29, 2019 Downing Street has insisted reducing net migration to below 100,000 is still government policy – despite the home secretary saying there are no more targets. In the Commons on Monday, Sajid Javid was asked if the government was “formally dumping” its longstanding aim of getting net migration into the tens of thousands. The home secretary [...]
We’re all bored of Brexit, just as things start to get interesting January 29, 2019 This week will be crucial for Brexit as Theresa May sets out how she intends to take the departure process forward after her initial withdrawal agreement was defeated. But as Westminster gets to grips with the Brexit process, and the media pores over the ramifications of parliamentary votes on proposed amendments to the deal, most [...]
With just a dash of flexibility, the Brexit endgame is in sight January 29, 2019 In 1982, three years into Margaret Thatcher’s first term, a monograph was published about the government’s economic progress bluntly titled: “Could do better”. Was it published by the Fabian Society, with its close affiliation to the Labour party? Or perhaps it was released by the recently established Social Democratic Party, formed by people on the [...]
DEBATE: With the top taxpayers revealed, is there a case for lowering the highest rate of income tax? January 29, 2019 With the top taxpayers revealed, is there a case for lowering the highest rate of income tax? Kate Andrews, associate director at the Institute of Economic Affairs, says YES. With the tax burden at a 50-year high, there is almost always a case to be made for lowering whichever tax is up for discussion. This [...]
‘A farce!’ Tories react to Theresa May’s plan to back a change to her Brexit plan January 28, 2019 Theresa May is set for a showdown with the hard Brexit wing of her party on Tuesday as the war over her withdrawal plan intensifies. The Prime Minister will order her MPs to support a plan calling for the unpopular Irish backstop to be replaced with “alternative arrangements” to avoid a hard border on the island. [...]
Facebook tightens ad rules for EU political parties ahead of elections January 28, 2019 Facebook plans to toughen up rules surrounding paid political advertising in order to prevent foreign interference in elections. In his first public appearance since winning the job in October, former UK deputy prime minister and now Facebook global policy chief Sir Nick Clegg told reporters in Brussels today that Facebook will require political parties to [...]
Labour leadership accused of ‘weasel words’ over Venezuela by their own MPs January 28, 2019 Leading Labour MPs have been accused of “weasel words” on Venezuela after several signed a letter hitting out at the attempted ousting of the country’s dictatorial president, Nicolas Maduro. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and ten other MPs were among a host of signatories to the letter which appeared in the [...]
Is Yvette Cooper about to take back control of Brexit? Here’s what you need to know January 28, 2019 MPs are set for another vote on Brexit tomorrow, but it’s not quite the make or break moment some are spinning it as. In simple terms, MPs will vote to say whether the Prime Minister came to the Commons within three Parliamentary days of her historic defeat on the Withdrawal Agreement to set out her [...]