Budget 2021 at a glance Here are the main points of Rishi Sunak’s Budget: Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts economy will return to pre-Covid levels by the middle of 2022, six months earlier than previously thought. OBR forecast economy will grow this year by 4 per cent, by 7.3 per cent in 2022, then … Read more
Museums, theatres and concert halls handed £410million Budget bailout lifeline to help them stay afloat until Covid restrictions are lifted and they can open their doors once more Theatres, museums and live music venues handed £410million lifeline Rishi Sunak said arts are a ‘significant driver of economic activity’ Most arts and cultural events expected to … Read more
Rishi’s £150million pub lifeline: Chancellor unveils scheme to help locals to BUY their struggling boozer and other ‘community assets’ like sports clubs The £150m Community Ownership Fund would provide grants up to £250,000 Will also allow bids for up to £1million in ‘exceptional circumstances’ This would allow larger venues like sports grounds and clubs to … Read more
The Scottish Lord Advocate today dismissed claims of interference in the Alex Salmond probe as ‘wholly without foundation’. Giving evidence to a Holyrood committee, James Wolffe QC said he had recused himself from key decisions over the probe into handling of allegations against the former First Minister. And he flatly rejected that idea that the … Read more
The Scottish Tories accused Nicola Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code up to 38 times in the Alex Salmond row as the Lord Advocate faces a grilling today – and key legal advice is set to be published. The heat was turned up again on the SNP leader ahead of her crucial evidence session tomorrow … Read more
Tory MPs demand law change to protect workers from ‘ruthless’ firms after Uber drivers won landmark case Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers must be treated as workers by company Landmark judgement means they should get minimum wage and paid holidays Tories MPs pushing ministers for legislation to prevent ‘abuses’ against workers by ‘ruthless firms’ By William Cole … Read more
Boris Johnson makes his top Brexit adviser Lord Frost a Cabinet minister just weeks after dropping plans to make him National Security Adviser Lord Frost is to become a minister in the Cabinet Office, Downing St said Comes weeks after PM axed plans to make him the National Security Adviser Frost is ex-ambassador to Denmark … Read more
‘Red Wall’ Tory MPs demand a ‘Northern Big Bang’ of investment and Government action to boost the region as they warn voters are ‘tired of being neglected in favour of London and the South East’ Northern Tories want PM to unleash a new investment boom in the region They say it needs plan comparable to 1980s … Read more
New York Magazine writer Jonathan Chait has accused Hollywood of engaging in a McCarthy-esque crusade against conservatives after actress Gina Carano was fired from Disney. Chait weighed in on the controversy in an essay for the Intelligencer in which he argued there was no ‘principled distinction’ between the Hollywood blacklist against communists in the 1950s and … Read more
Newspapers and publishers have today united to urge MPs to investigate the Government’s ‘disgraceful’ obstruction of legitimate Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Boris Johnson has said he supports press freedom in Britain but an investigation has revealed that his Government operates a secretive taxpayer-funded ‘Clearing House’ allegedly stifling disclosure of data. Today civil servants have … Read more