Explainer: A ‘rock solid’ US-UK relationship July 10, 2023 Few things hold such enduring fascination in British politics as the so-called “special relationship” with the US. It was blamed for Iraq, held up as a bastion of what could be achieved post-Brexit, and then dragged through the doldrums during a distancing between Boris Johnson and Joe Biden. Today, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak insisted [...]
Britain to rejoin EU’s R&D Horizon scheme after months of hard post-Brexit talks July 5, 2023 Britain and the European Union (EU) are edging closer to a deal on the UK’s re-entry into the Horizon Europe research programme. Sources said negotiators have produced a draft document following months of talks, with Rishi Sunak expected to consider it in the coming days. However, the prime minister could still reject the proposals over [...]
Wizz Air outpaces strike-hit Ryanair as passenger numbers rise before critical summer getaway July 4, 2023 Wizz Air began the much-anticipated summer season of travel with a 23 per cent year-on-year boost in passenger numbers over June, as it outpaced its strike-hit ultra-low cost rival Ryanair. Its rival, Ryanair, reported passenger figures grew nine per cent to 17.4m last month. However, the carrier was forced to cancel 900 flights as a [...]
Cleverly hails ‘close and friendly’ UK-EU ties after Brexit in landmark Brussels speech July 3, 2023 James Cleverly hailed the “close and friendly” cooperation between London and Brussels in a speech to EU parliamentarians. The foreign secretary said the “level of trust” between him and European Commission diplomat Maros Sefcovic was part of the reason the Windsor Framework was secured. He accepted that it had taken “slightly longer” than many would [...]
Cleverly to hail ‘new chapter’ in UK-EU relationship in Brussels today July 3, 2023 James Cleverly is today expected to hail a “new chapter” in the UK-EU relationship in his first speech to the European Union Parliament in Brussels. The foreign secretary will welcome a new era of refreshed “close and friendly UK-EU cooperation” as he addresses the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) in Brussels today. It follows the [...]
Jeremy Hunt to sign ‘milestone’ financial services agreement with EU June 27, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will today sign a long-awaited deal with the European Union on improving regulatory cooperation for financial services, in a move that Hunt said will boost the City as a “global financial services hub”. Hunt and EU financial services commissioner Mairead McGuinness will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the European Commission [...]
Ryanair slams EU chief for ‘ignoring’ a million passengers during French strikes June 5, 2023 Ryanair has hit out at the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, for “ignoring” over a million passengers calling for the protection of overflights during ongoing strikes action. The budget airline said it is “utterly unacceptable” that von der Leyen is “ignoring these more than 1.1 million passengers, who are sick and [...]
Explainer: How Rishi Sunak is trying to strike a balance on AI regulation May 19, 2023 World leaders’ meetings like the G7, taking place in Japan right now, are not only about cringy photo ops and bilateral diplomatic statements. They’re also an opportunity for politicians to set out strategies and deliver messages to their foreign counterparts and their own domestic audience. Rishi Sunak has proven a sleek player on the foreign [...]
Brexit is ‘threat’ to UK car factories says parent firm of Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat May 17, 2023 One of the world’s largest carmakers has said it will be unable to keep their commitment to make electric vehicles in the UK without changes to the Brexit deal. Stellantis – the parent company of Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat – which employs more than 5,000 people in the UK – told a Commons inquiry [...]
Productive relations with the EU are a win-win for the City and the UK as a whole May 15, 2023 The City can only benefit from improved relations between the UK and the EU. As the leading financial centre, the Square Mile should push for even stronger cooperation with EU partners, writes Chris Hayward