David Cameron lobbied the Treasury’s top civil servant on behalf of a financial services firm that later collapsed. Sir Tom Scholar told a committee of MPs that the former prime minister called him on his work mobile and sent him text messages in March and April 2020 in a bid to get Greensill Capital involved
Politics
MPs have accused the government of a “missed opportunity” in failing to give more detailed plans on how Britons might be able to enjoy foreign holidays this summer. Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions, international travel won’t be allowed any earlier than 17 May. In a report earlier this month, the
Sir James Dyson has said it is “absurd to suggest” his company was doing anything other than trying to follow the rules, after it was reported that the prime minister personally promised him he would “fix” an issue over the tax status of his employees. The BBC reported that it had seen a series of
The government has abandoned plans to hold White House-style televised briefings – despite spending £2.6m on a new studio. Boris Johnson’s press secretary, Allegra Stratton, who had been expected to front the new media briefings, will now become spokeswoman for the COP26 climate change summit. Ms Stratton said: “I am delighted to be starting this
CNN’s Laura Coates discusses the possible sentences that Derek Chauvin faces after a jury convicted him for the killing of George Floyd. #CNN #News
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak after a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges in the murder of George Floyd. #CNN #News
Britons who test positive for COVID-19 or are exposed to the virus could be sent antiviral tablets to take at home under new government plans. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday launched a government taskforce – modelled on the group that secured UK access to COVID vaccines – to identify the most promising new antiviral
Former prime minister David Cameron and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are set to be hauled before MPs to answer questions over the Greensill Capital lobbying controversy. As one of seven inquiries at Westminster into the controversy, the House of Commons’ Treasury committee has announced it will seek to take oral evidence from both Mr Cameron and
Travel from India to the UK is being banned for non-UK and Irish citizens from 4am on Friday after the country was added to the travel “red list”. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the “vital but difficult” decision was made due to a new COVID variant first identified in India, of which 103 cases have
Ministers are urgently seeking advice on how they might prevent top English football clubs joining the new European Super League, sources have confirmed. The possible rupture has provoked condemnation from across the political spectrum, with both Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson accusing the participating clubs of letting down fans. It is understood government efforts
David Cameron did not do anything wrong when lobbying for Greensill Capital and “meticulously observed the rules”, the environment secretary has told Sky News. George Eustice also said current rules on lobbying are “pretty good”. Asked about the former prime minister’s conduct, Mr Eustice said: “Has he done anything wrong? Well, on the face of
Dr. Anthony Fauci says it is “quite frustrating” that a large percentage of Republicans are hesitant about receiving a Covid-19 vaccine, according to a recent poll. #CNN #News
It will take five years for some hospitals to catch up with the backlog of patient care caused by the coronavirus pandemic, NHS Providers has warned. The trusts in England worst impacted by the crisis are between three and five years away from returning to pre-COVID levels, according to the association. It also claims that
A government adviser became a director of Greensill Capital months after taking on his Cabinet Office role – in the latest link between the now-collapsed finance firm and Whitehall to emerge. David Brierwood, a former employee of the Morgan Stanley investment bank, was appointed as a crown representative by the Cabinet Office under David Cameron’s
The foreign secretary is set to reveal which UK projects around the world will be axed or reduced following a decision to slash foreign aid spending by almost a third, Sky News understands. A statement to parliament was scheduled for this week but had to be postponed because of the death of the Duke of
Whitehall’s spending watchdog has launched an investigation into Greensill Capital’s involvement in government-backed COVID support schemes prior to the firm’s collapse. The National Audit Office (NAO) on Friday announced the latest Westminster inquiry into Greensill, which is at the centre of a lobbying row involving former prime minister David Cameron. In June last year, the
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is being accused of “cronyism at the heart of government” by Labour after it was revealed he has been given shares in a family firm that has done business with the NHS. Mr Hancock has declared in the Commons register of MPs’ interests that he now owns shares in Topwood Ltd,
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan and the nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci got into a heated exchange Thursday over the country’s Covid-19 mitigation measures, which ended with Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters telling Jordan to “shut your mouth.” During a House subcommittee hearing about federal government’s response to the pandemic, Jordan, an Ohio conservative,
The chair of the watchdog which exposed how the former government chief commercial officer was able to take a job at Greensill Capital while still working in Whitehall has said he’s “not really come across anything like it before”. Lord Pickles’ Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) revealed how Bill Crothers worked as a part-time
The ongoing mass protests in Myanmar have paralyzed the country’s Covid-19 response, as many health workers are on strike and testing efforts on hold. CNN’s Ivan Watson reports. #CNN #News