Conservative election spending is under investigation by prosecutors March 15, 2017 Files from 12 police forces relating to allegations of electoral fraud have been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service. Prosecutors are investigating claims that more than 20 Conservative MPs broke stringent spending limits during the 2015 general election. If charged, they could be challenged by their political opponents to a rerun. Read more: By-election results: [...]
Donald Trump’s second travel ban has been blocked nationwide March 15, 2017 A federal judge in Hawaii has blocked Donald Trump's second travel ban nationwide with a temporary restraining order. The last-minute order put an emergency hold on the US President's ban, which was meant to take effect tomorrow. Trump's revised executive order removed Iraq from the list of countries barred from entering the US, among other changes. The new measures were designed [...]
Was Philip Hammond right to U-turn on his national insurance hike for the self-employed? March 15, 2017 Julian Jessop, chief economist at the Institute of Economic Affairs, says Yes. It is increasingly hard to justify why the self-employed should pay much lower national insurance contributions (NICs) than those who work for others. Nonetheless, this distortion should have been tackled as part of a fundamental rethink of the tax and benefit system, rather [...]
International trade secretary Liam Fox: The cabinet is still divided over migration figures March 15, 2017 International trade secretary Liam Fox has revealed the continuing divides at the heart of Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet over migration numbers. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has previously rejected government policy on migration statistics, arguing student numbers should be excluded. But Downing Street has rejected any change to the way the numbers are compiled. Today, Fox [...]
How nine City experts reacted to Philip Hammond’s NIC u-turn March 15, 2017 It's official: Philip Hammond has bowed to criticism and scrapped his controversial plans to hike National Insurance Contributions for the self-employed. Reactions from have varied, from confusion to outright glee. Here's how nine of the City's most important organisations reacted. Read more: Hammond's U-turn on National Insurance hike plans – read his letter in full [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond has U-turned on National Insurance hike plans – read his letter in full March 15, 2017 Chancellor Philip Hammond has U-turned on National Insurance contribution (NIC) hike plans revealed in last week's Budget. The announcement of increases to class 4 NICs was met with outcry, and the Tories were slammed for going back on a manifesto pledge to freeze taxes for five years. Hammond wrote: I am writing to clarify the government's [...]
Philip Hammond has axed his Budget plan to hike National Insurance contributions March 15, 2017 Exactly a week after it was first announced, chancellor Philip Hammond has said he will scrap a Budget plan to increase National Insurance contributions for the self-employed. Hammond only announced the plan last Wednesday, but has been forced into a U-turn by widespread criticism of the decision. Tory MPs have complained of the added burden on small businesses, while others have pointed to a [...]
Donald Tusk accuses UK of making threats over “no deal” Brexit March 15, 2017 European Council president Donald Tusk has hit out over "increasing threats" from the UK over the willingness to quit the EU without agreeing new trade terms. Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly stated that "no deal is better than a bad deal" in order to stress her willingness to walk away from Brexit talks. But speaking in [...]
A blow for Nicola Sturgeon’s independence referendum? Poll reveals 57 per cent of Scottish voters back remaining in the UK March 15, 2017 Nicola Sturgeon's plans for another independence referendum look like they've taken a knock, as a new poll reveals support for remaining in the UK is at a two-year high. Sturgeon announced on Monday that she will seek a second referendum on the issue. The Scottish first minister will go to MSPs next week to seek approval [...]
Brexit secretary David Davis: We’re just totting up how much it will cost if we don’t agree a deal with the EU March 15, 2017 The government does not know the economic impact on the UK of a "no deal" Brexit, David Davis told MPs this morning. Responding to questions from the exiting the EU committee, Brexit secretary Davis admitted the government has not totted up how much it will cost the country if the UK fails to agree a new [...]