Don’t bet on Boris Johnson breezing into Number 10 June 10, 2019 It’s been a good weekend for Boris Johnson, who won’t be concerned about the storm whipped up by his pledge to retain the £39bn Brexit bill if the European Union does not offer Britain a better deal on the terms of its exit. Yesterday’s frustration at the former foreign secretary’s comments came from various corners [...]
Theresa May slaps down Michael Gove by insisting new Brexit vote will go ahead as planned May 22, 2019 Theresa May has vowed to put her derided Brexit deal to to MPs just hours after a leading Cabinet Minster suggested it could be pulled. Appearing on BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Wednesday morning, environment secretary Michael Gove was asked if the Withdrawal Agreement Bill would still be put to MPs in early June [...]
DEBATE: Should we subsidise farmers for providing ‘public goods’, like protecting the environment? January 8, 2018 Should we subsidise farmers for providing ‘public goods’, like protecting the environment? Warwick Lightfoot, director of economics at Policy Exchange and lead author of Farming Tomorrow, says YES. Brexit presents a big opportunity to improve the way we support farming and put the consumer at the heart of food policy. The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy [...]
The anti-vax movement is a symptom of our expert malaise April 26, 2019 The anti-vaccination movement is deadly. According to the charity Unicef, more than half a million UK children were not vaccinated against measles, a highly dangerous but preventable disease, between 2010 and 2017 – which is part of a terrifying global trend. When less than 95 per cent of a population are vaccinated, herd immunity is weakened, [...]
Follow the money: Brexiter Tories stuff their war chests ahead of leadership election May 10, 2019 The one thing that is always guaranteed to raise eyebrows in British politics – not least since the scandal that rocked this country exactly ten years ago – is MPs’ finances. Amid a greater focus on transparency, Commons members must declare money they earn outside of their salary as an elected representative. For some, this could be [...]
Stick with HS2 or scrap it? Where every Tory leadership contender stands on the £56bn railway June 5, 2019 Theresa May has just days left as Tory leader, and it’s not just Brexit where the future is unclear – HS2 is also at a crossroads. Much of the talk around May’s potential successors has been centred on their stance on a no-deal Brexit. But in the transport world, all minds are focused on whether [...]
Ignore Michael Gove – there’ll be no chance to edit Chequers once the ink is dry September 19, 2018 Theresa May’s ambush of her own cabinet in July by presenting the fait accompli of the proposed Chequers deal, which the EU remains unconvinced about and which will be the subject of discussion among EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow, was for me the low point of the Brexit negotiations. That was until last Sunday, when [...]
Brexit live blog: Prime Minister Theresa May defies rebels, saying she will carry on in ‘national interest’ November 15, 2018 Welcome to City A.M.’s live blog – we’re keeping an eye on the breaking Brexit News today. Refresh the page occasionally for updates. 10:29pm – City A.M.: May’s ‘Not out’ Things have stayed quiet for some time now, and despite the occasional rumble, it looks like we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear more. Looking [...]
Brexit: Split between Michael Gove and Boris Johnson prompts fears of soft Brexit among pro-Leave MPs February 16, 2018 Fears are growing among pro-Leavers that a split between Michael Gove and Boris Johnson could result in the Cabinet balance tipping in favour of a soft Brexit. Gove and Johnson, who campaigned together for Vote Leave, are at odds over regulatory alignment, with the environment secretary understood to increasingly favour a closer relationship after Brexit. [...]
George Osborne’s successor Philip Hammond will have a say in whether he can take his new job as Evening Standard editor March 17, 2017 Chancellor Philip Hammond will play a direct part in the decision made by the government’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) on his predecessor George Osborne’s new role as editor of the Evening Standard. Acoba, the body tasked with scrutinising appointments, will ask relevant government departments for their opinions on whether the new job will [...]