29 September 2016 Week in Brief: UK Brexit Blues NEWS FROM THE FRONT: As Mrs May remains taciturn, speculation continues as to the position the government will take in the negotiations over Brexit. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox favours the “Hard Brexit” option under which priority would be given to limiting free movement of people,… Continue reading Issue 73: 2016 09 29: Week in Brief: UK
Category: Week In Brief UK
Issue 72: 2016 09 22: Week in Brief: UK
22 September 2016 Week in Brief: UK International Politics FORWARD POLICY: In her first speech to the United Nations, Mrs May confirmed that the UK would continue to spend 2% of GDP on defence. She is also to send troops to Somalia and provide aid to create jobs in Ethiopia. This is a continuation of Mr… Continue reading Issue 72: 2016 09 22: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 71: 2016 09 15: Week in Brief: UK
15 September 2016 Week in Brief: UK Foreign Affairs LIBYA: A report of the House of Commons Defence Committee has heavily criticised David Cameron’s role in the 2011 bombing campaign in Libya. Stating that the then Chief of Defence Staff, Lord Richards, disassociated himself from the claim that the operation was in the national interest,… Continue reading Issue 71: 2016 09 15: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 70: 2016 09 08: Week in Brief: UK
08 September 2016 Week in Brief: UK General Politics CHILD ABUSE ENQUIRY: Dame Lowell Goddard, the New Zealand judge who recently resigned from the chairmanship of the abuse enquiry, has said that its extensive scale and size makes it unmanageable. She has suggested that her resignation presents an opportunity to remodel it with less focus… Continue reading Issue 70: 2016 09 08: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 69: 2016 09 01: Week in Brief: UK
01 September Week in Brief: UK Politics IMMIGRATION: The total number of EU citizens living in Britain topped 3 million for the first time last year. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show the largest group as being 831,000 Poles which now exceeds the 795,000 British residents born in India. Net migration now stands at… Continue reading Issue 69: 2016 09 01: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 68: 2016 08 25: Week in Brief: UK
25 August 2016 Week In Brief: UK Government FREE SPEECH: Concerns over the impact on free speech are leading to delays in laws to silence hate preachers such as Anjem Choudary. Despite his conviction, hate videos, spread by his acolytes, are still being found on YouTube. As many as 5 associates of Mr Choudary have been placed… Continue reading Issue 68: 2016 08 25: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 67: 2016 08 18: Week in Brief: UK
18 August 2016 Week In Brief: UK Government POST-BREXIT FUNDING PLEDGE: Science University research and infrastructure projects will have their levels of EU funding guaranteed after Brexit under a Treasury plan which will cost £4 billion per year. Payments to farmers will also be guaranteed for four years. BREXIT DELAY: The government had been expected to… Continue reading Issue 67: 2016 08 18: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 66: 2016 08 11: Week in Brief: UK
11 August 2016 Week in Brief: UK Government News CHILD SEX ABUSE INQUIRY: The chairman of the inquiry into child sex abuse, Dame Lowell Goddard, resigned after being criticized for the amount of time she spent abroad during her first year in charge, but could get £90,000 in severance pay and continue to live in a… Continue reading Issue 66: 2016 08 11: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 65: 2016 08 04: Week in Brief: UK
04 August 2016 Week in Brief: UK Government News HINKLEY POINT: The Government has postponed a decision on Hinkley Point C pending a further review. The announcement, which was made just before the deal was due to be signed, took the energy industry by surprise. It is understood that EDF, the French company which was… Continue reading Issue 65: 2016 08 04: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 64: 2016 07 28: Week in Brief: UK
28 July 2016 Week in Brief: UK Government BREXIT: At a meeting with Mrs May, President Hollande indicated that France will keep to the Le Touquet agreement under which British border police operate in Calais. While stressing that ties between the two nations would remain strong, he also said that Britain would have to… Continue reading Issue 64: 2016 07 28: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 63: 2016 07 21: Week in Brief: UK
21 July 2016 Week in Brief: UK Government News NEW CABINET: New prime minister Theresa May has now finished assembling her cabinet. In a reshuffle which has been described as ‘brutal’, she has sent George Osborne and Michael Gove, previously Chancellor of the Exchequer and Justice Secretary respectively but both at the heart… Continue reading Issue 63: 2016 07 21: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 62: 2016 07 14: Week in Brief: UK
14 July 2016 Week in Brief: UK Politics PRIME MINISTER: Following Andrea Leadsom’s withdrawal from the contest, Theresa May was left as the only candidate for the leadership of the Conservative party and accordingly became Prime Minister on Wednesday. See comment The Chilcot Report and Mrs May. LABOUR LEADERSHIP: Angela Eagle has issued a challenge… Continue reading Issue 62: 2016 07 14: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 61: 2016 07 07: Week in Brief: UK
07 July 2016 Week in Brief: UK Party Leadership Carousel CONSERVATIVES: In a busy week, Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest to become the next leader of the Conservative party (and thus prime minister), following the withdrawal of Michael Gove’s support for his candidature. Mr Gove then entered the contest himself, despite having said previously… Continue reading Issue 61: 2016 07 07: Week in Brief: UK