Magna Carta 2015: Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William and David Cameron to commemorate 800th anniversary of seal June 15, 2015 The Queen will retrace the footsteps of her Plantagenet predecessor today, visiting Runnymede as part of a series of events to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta. The Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will join Prime Minister David [...]
UK outlook slashed to negative by Standard & Poor’s over EU referendum risk June 12, 2015 Standard and Poor's has revised the UK's credit rating from "stable" to "negative" due to the government's promises of an EU referendum in 2017. S&P said the decision to hold an EU referendum represents a risk to the UK's economic growth – particularly to its financial services and exports sectors – and "raises questions" about [...]
David Cameron’s migrant welfare reforms rejected as he holds “open and frank” EU talks June 12, 2015 David Cameron has held "open and frank" discussions with EU leaders in his ongoing campaign to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU. The Prime Minister met with leaders from Belgium, Spain, Finland and Romania as he continued to push his agenda for EU reform in Brussels. Migrant benefits become a sticking point Each of the [...]
What David Cameron’s guru Steve Hilton doesn’t get: You need to shrink the state to make it human June 10, 2015 Steve Hilton, David Cameron’s former chief strategist, recently published a new book, More Human: Designing a World Where People Come First. From a powerful mayor in every town to self-build housing, from radically new models of education delivery to “Patients Like Me” social networks in health, Hilton has whizz bang ideas across most public policy [...]
David Cameron claims that cutting corruption could boost global economy by £380bn per year June 10, 2015 Cutting corruption by just 10 per cent could boost the global economy by £380bn, David Cameron has claimed. Speaking after Prime Minister's Questions, he addressed Parliament to inform MPs of his progress at the G7 summit held earlier this week. Read more: Corruption hits economic growth – and markets can do nothing to stop it The [...]
EU in/out referendum: David Cameron climbs down on vote rules for ministers June 8, 2015 Any progress made at the G7 summit in Germany was overshadowed by Prime Minister David Cameron’s insistence yesterday that his comments on the forthcoming in/out referendum on Britain’s European Union membership had been “misinterpreted”. Over the weekend, Cameron was asked if he would allow government ministers a so-called “free vote” in the in/out referendum on [...]
After a row over ministers’ freedom to back the No vote, is David Cameron bungling EU renegotiation? June 8, 2015 Tim Knox, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, says Yes Successful negotiation is based on clarity, conviction and consistency. Sadly, in our renegotiations with the EU, clarity is scarce. Are we talking about an optout from ever-closer union? Or is it just a matter of limiting welfare entitlements? So too is conviction. Who can [...]
London mayor Boris Johnson calls on Cameron to drive through EU reform June 8, 2015 Boris Johnson has called on the Prime Minister to "roar on" in a "full-scale breakout" of EU reform, insisting that David Cameron has the momentum in Europe. The Mayor of London, who was elected as MP for Uxbridge in the General Election, said that Europe did not expect Cameron to win the election. This, he [...]
EU referendum: 40pc increase in campaign budget limit angers Eurosceptics as Barack Obama again voices support for Yes vote June 8, 2015 David Cameron has angered Eurosceptics with plans to raise the campaign spending limits for the EU referendum by 40 per cent. According to The Times, he amount the “lead” organisation in each campaign will be permitted to spend will hit £7m, up from £5m, while the total for each campaign would be £35m, up from [...]
EU referendum: Is the UK the most Eurosceptic country in Europe and where can David Cameron find support for reform? June 8, 2015 The UK’s position in Europe is looking ever more tenuous, as the UK gears up for an EU referendum before the end of 2017. Greece is currently flirting with an exit and sentiment across the continent has been affected by the crisis, while the UK is famously divided on the issue. So is the UK [...]