Business charm offensive: Reeves discusses investment plans at meeting with Lloyds, Aviva, L&G and British Land March 14, 2023 Labour’s business charm offensive is continuing as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to discuss plans to boost investment. Keir Starmer’s Labour has positioned itself as the ‘party of business’ as it aims to exploit the Conservatives’ reputational hit following the economic chaos of Liz Truss’s calamitous mini-budget. Reeves will discuss plans to boost business [...]
Keir Starmer should publish Sue Gray WhatsApps, Tories say, amid pro-Labour poll March 5, 2023 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer should publish any WhatsApp messages with Sue Gray ahead of her becoming his chief of staff, a Conservative minister has said. Starmer should publish his messages with the civil servant and partygate investigator to clear up questions about her move to the senior role, the Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris [...]
Partygate inquiry: Breaches ‘obvious’ to Johnson as ex PM feels ‘vindicated’ by Sue Gray Starmer switch March 3, 2023 Evidence strongly suggests breaches of coronavirus rules would have been “obvious” to Boris Johnson during partygate, the inquiry into whether he lied to MPs has said. The cross-party Privileges Committee said the Commons may have been misled multiple times as they set up a live showdown with the former prime minister for later this month. [...]
Nadine Dorries brands partygate report a ‘stitch up’ after Sue Gray joins Starmer’s team March 2, 2023 Tory MPs have reacted to reports top civil servant Sue Gray is set to join Keir Starmer as his chief of staff, with one Boris Johnson ally branding her partygate report a “stitch up”. Gray has quit her civil service job and is reportedly set to join the Labour leader’s team. Nadine Dorries, former culture [...]
Sue Gray, civil servant who chaired inquiry into Boris Johnson ‘partygate’, reportedly hired as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff March 2, 2023 Top civil servant Sue Gray who carried out the partygate inquiry has reportedly been hired as Keir Starmer’s new chief of staff. Gray has quit her Cabinet Office post, according to the PA news agency, and is reportedly set to take up the key role in Sir Keir’s operation. It comes as Labour tries to [...]
Labour to reform apprenticeship levy, Angela Rayner tells business leaders March 1, 2023 Labour will reform the unpopular apprenticeship levy, Angela Rayner pledged at a key business summit today. The scheme, which firms have described as a “£3.5bn mistake”, means companies with a payroll of £3m or above have to put aside 0.5 per cent to spend on apprenticeships. But firms say the rules around training types mean [...]
PMQs: Sunak escapes Brexit grilling amid Hancock WhatsApp row March 1, 2023 Prime minister Rishi Sunak has escaped a major Brexit grilling over the Windsor Framework amid a row over former health secretary Matt Hancock’s leaked Covid-19 WhatsApp messages. The PM – whose latest EU trade agreement is widely hoped to end the power-sharing deadlock in Northern Ireland – dodged intense scrutiny over the deal in the [...]
Ukraine war: Sunak, Starmer and Khan fall silent to mark year as King Charles praises Kyiv’s ‘remarkable courage’ February 24, 2023 A year of Ukraine’s extraordinary resistance to Vladimir Putin’s all-out assault that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced has been marked with a minute’s silence. Rishi Sunak was joined outside No 10 by wife Akshata Murthy, Kyiv’s ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko and dozens of Ukrainian troops being trained by the [...]
UK will have highest growth in G7 under Labour, Keir Starmer pledges February 23, 2023 The UK should become the highest growth economy in the G7, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said, as he unveiled a package of national missions. Speaking in Manchester this morning, Sir Keir revealed a set of five ambitions for the country, with a general election expected to take place in the next 18 months. [...]
Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan enter SNP leadership race to replace Nicola Sturgeon February 19, 2023 Battle lines were drawn at Holyrood this weekend as Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan entered the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister. Launching his campaign, health secretary Yousaf, 37, told the Sunday Mail he was confident he had the “experience” to take on the “top job in the country”. [...]