General Election 2015 reshuffle: Sajid Javid as business secretary gets a thumbs up from the City May 11, 2015 David Cameron's appointment of former treasury man Sajid Javid as business secretary has received a positive welcome from the City. “This is a solid appointment and one that will bring a wealth of experience to an important office," said the Institute of Directors' head of communications and campaigns Christian May. "Sajid Javid is respected by [...]
Alan Sugar resigns from Labour due to “negative business policies” May 11, 2015 Lord Sugar has resigned from the Labour party, citing disillusionment with its "negative business policies and general anti-enterprise stance". The entrepreneur, now best known for presenting The Apprentice, said he had lost confidence in the party last year but postponed his resignation until after the General Election in order to minimise the damage. Sugar joined [...]
General Election 2015 cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid – three things you need to know about the new business secretary in David Cameron’s cabinet May 11, 2015 David Cameron has lined up Sajid Javid as his new secretary of state for business in his first all-Conservative government. 1. In government Javid has had a meteoric rise in politics, having gone from parliamentary candidate to secretary of state in less than five years. Javid was culture secretary in the last government, a role he [...]
General Election 2015: George Galloway starts legal action after losing Bradford West constituency to Labour’s Naz Shah by over 11,000 votes May 11, 2015 George Galloway has announced he will be starting legal proceedings in an attempt to have his 11,000-vote defeat in the General Election overturned. Galloway won the Bradford West seat for the Respect Party in a by-election in 2012, but suffered a 29.7 per cent reverse after last week's voting, losing to Labour’s Naz Shah by 19,977 [...]
Tory MPs demand end to banker bashing: Bank levy debate hots up after historic Conservative election victory May 11, 2015 Conservative MPs and senior City figures want the new government to rein back punitive taxes aimed at banks and avoid weakening one of the UK’s most competitive industries. Shares in banks jumped on last week’s unexpected election result. Defeated Labour leader Ed Miliband had threatened major hikes to the bank levy, more bonus taxes and [...]
Honour the unknown voters who just saved Britain’s bacon – Editor’s Letter May 11, 2015 The General Election did prove one piece of conventional wisdom right. There is a bubble in London, out-of-touch with the rest of the country. As it turns out, the ones living in it work for the Labour party. An almost audible sigh of relief from the City on Friday ended the last delusions of [...]
Labour hopefuls line up bids to replace Ed Miliband: Liz Kendall, Andy Burnham, Chuka Umunna and Yvette Cooper top contenders May 11, 2015 Liz Kendall yesterday became the first Labour MP to officially announce a campaign to succeed Ed Miliband as party leader. Kendall is a rising star in the party, impressing as a shadow health minister and in the media. Liz Kendall Chuka Umunna The charismatic and business-friendly Chuka Umunna is one of [...]
After an utterly disastrous election, is there a future for the Labour party as a political force? May 10, 2015 Chris Rumfitt, chief executive of Corporate Reputation Consulting, says Yes. There is no understating the scale of Labour’s defeat last week. Almost wiped out in Scotland, the party fared little better in England, where it barely made inroads into the Tories – even against the low water mark of 2010. But Labour can bounce back [...]
General Election 2015: Four things you should know about the tories’ plan to scrap the Human Rights Act May 10, 2015 The Conservatives are hoping to rid the UK of the Human Rights Act, and this has caused some consternation. But what does it mean exactly, when you scratch beneath the surface? Does the Prime Minister have a viable alternative? And will it do just as much to protect human rights? Here are the key things [...]
General Election 2015: Cameron needs “time and space” to work on Europe, says Owen Paterson May 10, 2015 Eurosceptic ex-cabinet minister Owen Paterson has urged the general public to give David Cameron “time and space” to deliver change on Europe. The Prime Minister promised that if the Conservatives were re-elected at the 2015 General Election, a referendum on EU membership would be held in 2017. Given that they ended up winning a [...]