Labour to reform apprenticeship levy, Angela Rayner tells business leaders March 1, 2023 Labour will reform the unpopular apprenticeship levy, Angela Rayner pledged at a key business summit today. The scheme, which firms have described as a “£3.5bn mistake”, means companies with a payroll of £3m or above have to put aside 0.5 per cent to spend on apprenticeships. But firms say the rules around training types mean [...]
PMQs: Sunak escapes Brexit grilling amid Hancock WhatsApp row March 1, 2023 Prime minister Rishi Sunak has escaped a major Brexit grilling over the Windsor Framework amid a row over former health secretary Matt Hancock’s leaked Covid-19 WhatsApp messages. The PM – whose latest EU trade agreement is widely hoped to end the power-sharing deadlock in Northern Ireland – dodged intense scrutiny over the deal in the [...]
Ukraine war: Sunak, Starmer and Khan fall silent to mark year as King Charles praises Kyiv’s ‘remarkable courage’ February 24, 2023 A year of Ukraine’s extraordinary resistance to Vladimir Putin’s all-out assault that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced has been marked with a minute’s silence. Rishi Sunak was joined outside No 10 by wife Akshata Murthy, Kyiv’s ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko and dozens of Ukrainian troops being trained by the [...]
UK will have highest growth in G7 under Labour, Keir Starmer pledges February 23, 2023 The UK should become the highest growth economy in the G7, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said, as he unveiled a package of national missions. Speaking in Manchester this morning, Sir Keir revealed a set of five ambitions for the country, with a general election expected to take place in the next 18 months. [...]
Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan enter SNP leadership race to replace Nicola Sturgeon February 19, 2023 Battle lines were drawn at Holyrood this weekend as Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan entered the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister. Launching his campaign, health secretary Yousaf, 37, told the Sunday Mail he was confident he had the “experience” to take on the “top job in the country”. [...]
Brexit is ‘only thing’ that divided Corbyn and Starmer in shadow cabinet, Diane Abbott says February 16, 2023 Jeremy Corbyn “in his heart of hearts is a Brexiter”, one of his longest-standing allies has said, backing up a suspicion critics held during the EU referendum. Diane Abbott, who served as his shadow home secretary, said on Wednesday that Mr Corbyn is “anti-EU” and saw it as “a conspiracy of business people”. He followed [...]
Keir Starmer confirms Jeremy Corbyn will NOT stand for Labour at next election February 15, 2023 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed Jeremy Corbyn will not stand as a candidate for the party at the next general election. It came as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) announced they were concluding their monitoring of the party following an investigation into antisemitism. The former leader had the party whip suspended [...]
Labour Party monitoring by equality body ends, EHRC confirms February 15, 2023 The Labour Party will no longer be monitored by a key equality body following a scandal surrounding antisemitism among its membership during the Corbyn era, the EHRC has said. Human rights institution the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will now end its work with the party, after the regulator confirmed it was content with [...]
Top Tory businessman quits for Labour over ‘f*** business’ attitude February 13, 2023 A top Tory businessman and LGBT+ champion has quit the Conservative party after almost two decades over the alleged ‘f*** business’ attitude and response to culture war issues. Iain Anderson, founder of PR firm Cicero and chairman of LGBT+ charity Stonewall, has abandoned his longstanding party membership and vowed to support Keir Starmer’s Labour Party [...]
‘Lavish’ spending culture of government ministers including £345,000 ‘restaurant and bar’ bill revealed February 13, 2023 Ministers are accused of overseeing a “lavish spending” culture in Whitehall with taxpayers’ money wasted on luxury items, after Labour analysis of government procurement cards. Concerns were raised over alcohol and dining purchases by the Labour Party including almost £345,000 by foreign office officials in 2021 under the heading “restaurants and bars”, as well as [...]