Donald Trump appoints ardent oil fan Rick Perry as head of Department of Energy December 13, 2016 President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rick Perry, an ardent believer in removing restrictions on oil drilling, as the head of the US Department of Energy. Perry served as governor of Texas for 14 years, during which he was a strident opponent of environmental regulation on oil production, a major part of the Texas economy. Perry [...]
Russian hacking to influence Brexit vote is “highly probable” says Labour MP Ben Bradshaw December 13, 2016 It is “highly probable” that Russian hackers attempted to influence the result of the EU referendum, according to a Labour MP. Ben Bradshaw, the MP for Exeter since 1997, told Parliament that he suspected Russian hackers had followed similar tactics to those used the US election campaign. However, he admitted that proof for his claim [...]
EU Parliament’s Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt says transitional deal must not be “eternal” December 13, 2016 A time limit is “necessary” on any transitional deal for UK businesses while the Brexit process is completed, according to the European Parliament’s chief negotiator. Guy Verhofstadt said: “I have seen many times in politics that a so-called transitional agreement becomes an eternal or definitive agreement, so that has to be avoided.” Speaking to the BBC, [...]
Exxon Mobil chief Rex Tillerson confirmed as Donald Trump’s secretary of state but President-elect delays business interest announcement December 13, 2016 The boss of the world's biggest oil company, Exxon Mobil, has been confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state. Rex Tillerson had been widely tipped for the role as America's top diplomat, though other figures such as former CIA chief David Petraeus and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney had also been considered. Read more: Yet another [...]
Three things you need to know about Rex Tillerson December 13, 2016 Rex Tillerson is officially President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, one of the top posts in his team. After one of the favourites for the job, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliana, ruled himself out, it's now Rex W Tillerson who has been named to the job, confirming widespread speculation. Trump himself even teased the speculation [...]
Lloyds Bank share sale raises further £0.5bn to repay taxpayer December 13, 2016 The government has sold off another slug of its shares in Lloyds Bank, meaning the state now has an interest of less than seven per cent. More than £17.5bn has been recovered of the £20.3bn forked out by the taxpayer, the Treasury said this morning. The sale follows the previous auction in November that took recoveries to [...]
Clamour for a quick-fire Brexit will grow if Trump abolishes Dodd-Frank December 13, 2016 Worryingly the spirit of the age is to characterise diplomatic relations as some sort of zero-sum game. As a consequence the UK urgently needs to avoid the temptation of pitching our national interest against global goals as we extricate ourselves from the EU. Ongoing harmony and goodwill between the UK and the remaining EU 27 will [...]
No, Greg Dyke: There is no justification for government intervention in the FA December 13, 2016 These are not great times for the Football Association (FA). There has been criticism for years over the Premier League’s dominance, wasteful spending on Wembley and the failed Lilleshall School of Excellence, and underfunding of grassroots football. This has been reinforced this year by England’s risible performance in the Euros and new manager Sam Allardyce’s [...]
From public sector pensions to social care, the government is scarily ill-prepared for major demographic change December 13, 2016 The gap between private and public sector pensions in the UK is the worst in the developed world, according to the OECD. New civil servants can expect to receive a 6 per cent pay rise when they reach retirement, while private sector workers can expect a cut of nearly 50 per cent. Mounting pressures on social [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond calls for a four-year “soft Brexit” as the UK leaves the EU December 12, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond has backed a transitional period to ease Britain’s exit from the European Union, bringing relief in the Square Mile but exposing a potential split with senior Cabinet colleagues. Hammond said yesterday that “thoughtful politicians” could see the need for a “longer period to manage the adjustment” of leaving the EU. The comments [...]