Budget 2017: The government’s promised £500m to get young people into higher paying jobs in technical training shake-up March 5, 2017 The government is promising to invest £500m a year in technical training for young people to ensure they have the high level skills needed by businesses in the future, in a huge shake up designed to boost the country's productivity. The radical overhaul of post-16 education will see a dizzying array of 13,000 different qualifications whittled [...]
Now Trump has accused Obama of tapping phones at Trump Tower without giving evidence March 4, 2017 Donald Trump has gone on another Twitter tirade. Today, the US President is accusing former President Barack Obama of wire tapping his phones in Trump Tower during the later stages of the US election, but he gave no evidence to support the allegation. Trump tweeted: "This is McCarthyism!" and said he "just found out" Obama tapped his [...]
Sinn Fein celebrates an “amazing day” as it closes the gap on the DUP March 4, 2017 The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) held its title as Northern Ireland's biggest party after assembly election results were revealed last night, but Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein closed the gap after seeing its highest voter turnout since 1998. Just over 1,000 votes split the main parties in the closest ever assembly election – and voter turnout was at its highest [...]
Boris Johnson is traveling to Russia for “high-level” talks March 4, 2017 Foreign secretary Boris Johnson will travel to Moscow for "high-level" talks in the coming weeks, making him the first minister to travel to Russia for a state visit in more than five years. The talks will focus on UK-Russia relations and international issues like Syria and Ukraine where the two countries "continue to have significant differences", said a [...]
The UK could leave the EU without paying the Brexit bill if no deal is agreed, peers say March 4, 2017 Britain will not have to pay anything to the European Union if it exits without agreeing a deal, a committee of peers has said. However, it warns of "profound" consequences if the UK leaves the EU without responding to EU budget claims. EU officials' estimations show the UK owes around €60bn (£52bn) as its share of the budget commitments. [...]
Timid centrist Emmanuel Macron is unlikely to fix a failing France March 3, 2017 Napoleon is said to have preferred lucky generals to clever ones. If true, Emmanuel Macron, the centrist candidate in this year’s French presidential election, would have found an eminent position in the great man’s army. For what else could have propelled this political ingenue who has never held elected office, who lacks a party hinterland, and [...]
The real business rates scandal is that the government is abolishing accuracy March 3, 2017 How much income tax should you pay? The question is not about the tax rate but the accuracy of the amount. Should HMRC take from you a sum which, plus or minus a margin of error, reflects your earnings, investments and reliefs? Or should your contribution be an accurate assessment? Why settle for anything less [...]
Should the government unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals in Britain? March 3, 2017 Jon McLeod, chairman of UK corporate, financial and public affairs at Weber Shandwick, says Yes. We have already heard the moral case for guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens in the UK. While it is important, the main reason to take the step endorsed by the House of Lords is naked self-interest. For a start, [...]
Editor’s Notes: It’s hard to see how Corbyn’s Labour party could sink any lower, Brexiteers attempt some cheer and Michael Gove takes to Twitter like a duck to water March 3, 2017 An American has taken out an advert in the Times to lay claim to the British throne. Allan Evans, of Colorado, says he is a descendant of a royal Welsh line dating back to the third century, and that “in 30 days’ time” he “shall claim his royal estate”. I was reading about Evans’ dubious [...]
Theresa May’s industrial strategy has come under fire from an influential committee of MPs March 3, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May's flagship industrial strategy runs the risk of failure without more long-term planning, an influential committee of MPs has warned. May has made the strategy a central tenet of her premiership, but has today been told that it lacks cross-government co-ordination and any framework for future decision-making. One week before chancellor Philip [...]