Covid cash lost to fraud down by third because we’re ‘going after everybody’, Sunak claims May 3, 2023 Government cash lost to fraud and error via Covid-19 business and jobs support schemes has been reduced by a third thanks to “hundreds of criminal investigations”, Rishi Sunak has claimed. The prime minister defended the pandemic business loans and job support and vowed his government was “going after everybody” in a bid to reclaim the [...]
HMRC tax-dodging prosecutions drop – and it has no plans to change that May 3, 2023 HMRC is prosecuting far fewer people for tax dodging than before the pandemic, an influential committee of MPs has warned. Over the two pandemic years, the tax authority completed around 1,000 fewer prosecutions for tax-related offences than before the pandemic, a report by the influential Public Accounts Committee found. In 2020–21 and 2021–22, it concluded [...]
Over a million commuters to be hit by Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion, London Tories claim May 3, 2023 More than a million people that commute into London could be hit by Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the City’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ), City Hall Conservatives have argued. Under the expansion, motorists with petrol and diesel cars that don’t meet emissions standards will face a £12.50 daily charge or a £180 fine for each [...]
Windfall windbags: Labour calls for tougher tax after BP profits May 3, 2023 Windfall tax-backing politicians were described as “completely out of ideas” after calling for the levy to be toughened up.
Mayoral Elections 2024: Who is in the frame to run against Sadiq Khan? May 2, 2023 London Conservatives are set to agree a candidate by the end of July to face off against Sadiq Khan in next year’s mayoral elections, it has emerged. Tory chiefs met earlier this week and agreed to fast-track the process, as campaigning begins to ramp up ahead of the City Hall vote to be held in [...]
UK must change post-Brexit visa rules to help firms with labour shortages, report says April 29, 2023 The UK government needs to change post-Brexit visa rules in order to help firms overcome worsening labour shortages, UK lawmakers have said in a new report. The complexity of visa regulations in the wake of Britain exiting the EU has proved a “significant barrier to mobility”, a report by the House of Lords European Affairs [...]
MPs urge government to protect North Sea wind farms from Russian sabotage April 28, 2023 The government must protect renewable energy assets in the North Sea such as wind turbines from Russian sabotage, MPs have warned.
Post-Brexit visa rules hurting London tourism industry, Sadiq Khan warns April 27, 2023 The mayor has called on the government to ease travel rules around European school children, language students and hospitality, construction and retail workers.
Half of Londoners think Sadiq Khan doing ‘badly’, new poll finds April 27, 2023 Half of Londoners say they think Sadiq Khan is doing “badly” at City Hall, polling has found. Exactly 50 per cent rated him as doing “badly” while almost a third (32 per cent) – think the mayor is doing “very badly”, pollsters at YouGov said. Over a third of Londoners – 35 per cent – [...]
New CBI boss determined to rebuild group and ‘win back trust’ after sexual misconduct scandal April 26, 2023 The new boss of the CBI has pledged to “rebuild and reimagine” the crisis-hit organisation and “win back trust” as the group continues to deal with an ongoing sexual misconduct scandal. Rain Newton-Smith, the new director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), today apologised to the women who made allegations of sexual harassment, assault [...]