Nearly 500,000 unbuilt homes with approval caught in backlog – LGA January 7, 2016 Close to 500,000 potential new homes with planning permission are caught up in a giant backlog that is contributing to the country’s housing crisis, according to the Local Government Authority (LGA). A study commissioned by the LGA shows that 475,000 homes with planning permission are waiting to be built in England, a rapid increase on [...]
The gloves are off: Sadiq Khan launches latest attack on London mayoral election rival Zac Goldsmith January 7, 2016 The race to replace Boris Johnson as mayor of London is descending into a war of words, as Labour candidate Sadiq Khan launches his sharpest attack yet against Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith. Khan will slam Goldsmith in a speech today at the Resolution Foundation think tank, saying that the Richmond Park MP “doesn’t get how to work with business.” [...]
EU referendum: Barclays, HSBC bosses give evidence to MPs on Britain’s EU membership, say City would “thrive” after Brexit January 6, 2016 The City would retain its status as a global financial centre if British voters back leaving the European Union, a Barclays executive has claimed. Speaking to MPs on the Treasury select committee this afternoon, Mark Astaire, vice chair of the investment banking division at Barclays, said that while London has “thrived” within the European Union, [...]
The Treasury could be about to return £17bn of Bradford and Bingley assets to private ownership January 6, 2016 A sizable part of the Bradford and Bingley (B&B) mortgage book could be about to be sold off in what could be the biggest ever sale of financial assets by a British government. The government is reportedly working on plans to offload a £17bn tranche of the bailed out mortgage lender. A spokesperson for UK [...]
Prime Minister’s Questions: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pushes David Cameron on cancellation of flood protection schemes January 6, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pushed Prime Minister David Cameron on the cancellation, delay and cuts to a number of flood defences that left communities devastated over Christmas when storms hit. Corbyn said a £190m flood defence scheme was cancelled in 2011 in Leeds, a city that was subsequently flooded, and that spending on flood defences in Cumbria was also [...]
London mayoral election 2016: How Sadiq Khan, Caroline Pidgeon and Sian Berry will cut transport costs January 6, 2016 Travel costs are likely to be an important topic in the run-up to this year's London mayoral election, as a substantial chunk of the capital's workers rely on the capital's underground, DLR, overground and TfL rail services to get around. The Lib Dems, Labour and Greens have all announced policies which will cut travel costs in their bid to [...]
Here’s what Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet looks like now after moves for Emily Thornberry, Maria Eagle and Emma Lewell Buck and sackings for Pat McFadden and Michael Dugher January 6, 2016 Dubbed the longest reshuffle in history by the Conservatives, after over 30 hours of talks, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn finally unveiled his shadow cabinet late last night. And it's been fairly underwhelming, with very few changes at all. First thing's first: Hilary Benn kept his job as shadow foreign secretary amid speculation his position could be [...]
North Korea announces fourth nuclear bomb test in 10 years – and Pyongyang claims it exploded ‘mini’ hydrogen device January 6, 2016 North Korea has reportedly tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb, a move which will heighten tensions between the politically-isolated country and its neighbours, particularly Japan and South Korea. The nuclear test, its fourth since 2006, came to light after reports of a 5.1 magnitude earthquake near a nuclear testing site in the east Asian country. "The first H-bomb test was [...]
Emily Thornberry replaces Maria Eagle as defence secretary, as Eagle moves to culture role in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle: Who’s in and who’s out? January 5, 2016 After over 30 hours of deliberations, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn finalised what the Conservatives dubbed the longest reshuffle in history, appointing Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South & Finsbury, as the new Labour shadow defence secretary. The move put an end to days of speculation that Maria Eagle would be removed from the role. Eagle, MP for Garston and Halewood, has been [...]
Ban Donald Trump from the UK? MPs to debate petition to ban the Republican frontrunner from entering the country on 18 January January 5, 2016 MPs have been granted a debate on whether or not to ban controversial US presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the UK following a petition that was signed by some 560,000 people. A Commons committee which vets all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures approved the petition for a Westminster Hall debate, slated to [...]