Covid: Government to sue Baroness Mone-linked firm over £122m PPE contract December 19, 2022 The government is suing a firm linked to Baroness Michelle Mone, after it was handed contracts worth more than £200m to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) during Covid-19. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) today announced it was suing PPE Medpro for £122m plus costs, after the firm allegedly breached a contract “regarding [...]
Ofcom should regulate Netflix, says Rishi Sunak after Harry-Meghan row December 19, 2022 Rishi Sunak has proposed a change in law that would bring online streaming services like Netflix under Ofcom regulations. The Media Bill announced by the Boris Johnson government in May 2022 first suggested giving Ofcom regulation over streaming companies based overseas. Sunak has affirmed that there will be no change in this agenda. Currently, viewers [...]
Number 10: Rishi Sunak ‘deeply regrets’ Christmas strikes December 19, 2022 Rishi Sunak “deeply regrets” the strikes disrupting the Christmas period but will not bend on public sector pay demands, Number 10 has said. Sunak’s official spokesman today said it is “still in the gift of the unions to step back and reconsider the approach” as Britain suffers from a series of December strikes. Up to [...]
Government’s Rwanda deportation plans for asylum seekers are legal, High Court rules December 19, 2022 Government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda are lawful, the High Court has ruled. Several challenges were brought against the proposals announced by then-home secretary Priti Patel in April, which she described as a “world-first agreement” with the east African nation in a bid to deter migrants from crossing the Channel. The first deportation [...]
Despite Britain’s Brexit borders, immigration at record 1m a year to become ‘new normal’ in UK December 19, 2022 Britain must prepare for a new era of high immigration caused by UK domestic need and changes in global economics and politics, a new think-tank paper said today. The post-pandemic immigration rate of 1.1m arrivals a year could be the start of a trend towards historically high migration levels in the coming decades, according to [...]
Hunt confirms full fat budget and OBR forecast on 15 March 2023 December 19, 2022 The government will deliver a full fat budget on 15 March next year, chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed today. The announcement will be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of the government’s tax and spending plans on the public finances by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Last month, Hunt delivered what was in effect [...]
Treasury grabs extra £85bn in taxes from Brits after Covid measures end December 19, 2022 The UK government has added an extra £85.1bn in tax revenues over the last year after a raft of Covid-19 support measures were scrapped, new figures out today show. Total revenue flowing into the treasury from Brits’ pockets hit £775.6bn in the year to April 2022, up from £690.5bn in the previous year, according to [...]
Christmas strikes: Government sends in 1,200 troops to replace workers December 18, 2022 Around 1,200 members of the military and 1,000 civil servants are being sent in by the government to cover striking ambulance drivers and Border Force staff. The staff will be deployed to minimise disruption throughout the rest of the month as more key sector workers go on strike. Up to 10,000 ambulance staff will go [...]
UK appoints five new innovation experts to drive post-Brexit technology boom December 18, 2022 The UK government has appointed five, industry leading experts to make use of post-Brexit freedoms by driving innovation in cutting edge sectors that will be vital to Britain’s future growth. The five new experts will work with the government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, to review existing rules and develop a pro-innovation, regulatory approach. [...]
Rishi Sunak to extend energy bill support for all businesses December 18, 2022 All British businesses are set to benefit from an extension of the government’s energy support package for up to 12 months. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to sign-off on the extension, however it is expected that most businesses will be given a smaller discount on their energy bills from April. The Sunday Times reports [...]