Budget 2016: Chancellor George Osborne says all schools will need to convert to academies and pledges extra funding for longer school hours March 16, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne will wade into the education debate today, using the Budget to push for longer school days, giving schools across England the chance to bid for new funding to provide at least five extra hours per week of lessons or other activities. In a controversial move that has already been criticised by the [...]
IP Bill: Home Office wins vote on Investigatory Powers Bill, which government claims will help fight terrorism but businesses warn will risk customers’ security March 15, 2016 Government has won a vote in House of Commons to pass the controversial Investigatory Powers Bill this evening. The bill, which will give police and security forces greater powers to access communications data, was passed after a lengthy debate. Government has contended that the new legislation, which is being lead by home secretary Theresa May [...]
Utility giants E.ON, RWE and Vattenfall clash with the German goverment over nuclear policy in court hearing March 15, 2016 Utility giants clashed with German government officials in court over the country's controversial decision to ditch all of its nuclear plants by 2022. E.ON, RWE and Vattenfall are seeking €19bn (£14.9bn) compensation for the closures, which scrapped one of their main sources of profit. Johannes Teyssen, chief executive of larger peer E.ON, said they were seeking to [...]
MPs run out of patience with Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley, ordering him to attend a hearing on 7 June March 15, 2016 MPs have given up waiting for billionaire Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley to set a date for a scheduled appearance to discuss the controversial sportswear retailer's treatment of its employees. They've commanded him to appear at a hearing on 7 June. The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) select committee of MPs want to quiz Ashley over recent media [...]
London airport expansion: Heathrow Airport appoints four contractors for third runway despite no green light from government March 15, 2016 Heathrow Airport has hired four contractors to work on plans to build a third runway at the west London airport, despite a lack of approval from the government. Heathrow said today that Arup, CH2M, MACE and Turner & Townsend had been chosen to work on the expansion project. "I'm delighted that our client partners are now [...]
US Presidential Election 2016: Founder of National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen backs Republican Donald Trump March 15, 2016 Founder of French political party National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen has leant his support to Donald Trump in the buildup to the US presidential election. Taking to Twitter, Le Pen wrote "I believe in the victory of Trump", having previously written that the billionaire is "an independent candidate with populist language, this is what made him [...]
EU referendum: Mayor of London Boris Johnson and former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna row during phone in March 15, 2016 Mayor of London Boris Johnson and former business secretary Chuka Umunna have hit out at each other over the EU during a LBC phone in. The Conservative and Labour politicians told one another to "man up" as they entered into a heated exchange about the UK's relationship in the EU. Johnson said that it is [...]
UK Budget predictions 2016: What do free marketeers want from chancellor George Osborne? March 15, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne normally pulls something out of his hat on Budget day, but with pensions seemingly pressured off the table, his choices are restricted. But in an ideal world, what do free marketeers want from him next week? Corporation tax This, the TaxPayers' Alliance says, is undermining what is already weak public confidence in [...]
EU referendum: New poll shows more people likely to vote Leave as Andy Burnham says he would bet on Brexit March 15, 2016 A new poll out today has given a boost to Brexit campaigners, finding that people are more likely to vote for Britain to leave the European Union than remain. Forty-nine per cent of people polled by ORB for the Telegraph said they would vote for the UK to leave the EU, compared to 47 per cent who [...]
EU referendum: Election strategist Sir Lynton Crosby says vote is in the balance as risk remains key in winning support March 15, 2016 With less than 100 days to go until the EU referendum, the final outcome remains “in the balance”, Sir Lynton Crosby has cautioned. Prime Minister David Cameron’s election strategist has said that the “key framework of the campaign is risk” and that “while much has been made of project fear, the reality is that voters [...]