- Tuesday, December 05, 2023
A Labour government would not "turn on the spending taps" but will focus obsessively on growth because British prime minister Rishi Sunak's Tories have wrecked public finances, the party's leader Keir Starmer will say on Monday (4). With Labour some 20 points ahead in opinion polls before an election expected…
A MEMBER of the Bank of England’s (BoE) monetary policy committee said UK businesses have reasons to be “optimistic” over future growth. Dr Swati Dhingra said she believes the UK has “come out of the worst of the inflation and cost of living crisis” and the country will return to…
CHANCELLOR of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced on Wednesday (22) a bigger-than-expected cut in social security contributions and made incentives for business investment permanent in a bid to speed up the country's sluggish economy. Hunt, who is seeking to boost the fortunes of prime ninister Rishi Sunak's struggling Conservative Party…
Jeremy Hunt will announce tax cuts for businesses on Wednesday (22) - and possibly some for voters too - as the chancellor of the exchequer tries to speed up Britain's sluggish economy and help his struggling party before an election expected next year. Buoyed by a fall in inflation, Hunt…
Rishi Sunak pledged on Monday (20) his readiness to "responsibly" reduce taxes after achieving his goal of halving inflation by year-end. However, he tempered expectations for the upcoming Autumn Statement budget scheduled this week, indicating that the government would not execute “everything at once.” Amid mounting pressure from sections of…
The prime minister has shown that “he has a backbone” by sacking his controversial home secretary, south Asian Conservative parliamentarians and grassroots members have told Eastern Eye. Rishi Sunak fired Suella Braverman on Monday (13), five days after she wrote a Times newspaper article in which she criticised the Met…
TO HER party, Suella Braverman was able to say things which the prime minister thought but could not voice. To his critics, Rishi Sunak was the man who stabbed Boris Johnson in the back and someone whose party did not elect him as its leader. Braverman gave him a shield…
How do you solve a problem like Suella? This was the week that Rishi Sunak changed his mind. Bringing Suella Braverman back as Home Secretary was a price he was willing to pay to secure the premiership unopposed, though it this was a coalition of convenience rather than conviction on…
Charles III will deliver the inaugural King's Speech in over 70 years on Tuesday (7), formally opening the parliament session and outlining his government's legislative agenda amid the approaching elections. The 74-year-old head of state will outline Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak's wish list of new laws that are expected…
A first anniversary in office is normally a moment for a leader to celebrate, but Rishi Sunak hits the milestone this week with a mountain to climb to retain power in a general election expected next year. Two by-election losses to the main opposition Labour on Thursday (19) underscored how…
The Conservative Party lost two parliamentary seats to Labour on Friday (20), marking another ominous setback for prime minister Rishi Sunak and his party in the lead-up to the expected general election next year. The by-election results -- the latest in a string of traditionally safe Tory seats lost to…
TEAM captains at the cricket World Cup usually find it an advantage to bat second, to know what they must do to win the game. The 2023 party season broke with decades of political tradition by putting Rishi Sunak in to bat first, though the Liberals, Labour and the Conservatives…
OPPOSITION Labour Party gathers in northern England this weekend for its annual conference seeking to cement its huge lead in opinion polls as it boasts of record business interest in its convention. Polls put Labour about 20 points ahead of prime minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservatives with an election expected…
A LEADING Tory parliamentarian has accused home secretary Suella Braverman of “betraying” her own culture and background with her claim that multiculturalism in Britain has “failed”. Braverman, in a speech last week at the American Enterprise Institute, in Washington DC, described multiculturalism as a “misguided dogma” that had allowed people…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak portrayed himself as a tough decision maker and an agent of change on Wednesday (4), seeking to break with the scandals and chaos of his Tory predecessors and show the party he can help it win an upcoming election. In a speech lasting more than an…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak is set to fire the starting gun Wednesday (4) on Britain's next general election campaign, with a much-anticipated keynote speech closing his ruling Tories' annual conference. He faces a daunting challenge rallying his beleaguered Tories to win the election -- due some time in 2024 --…
BRITAIN's ruling Tories are gathered for their annual conference, with splits surfacing and leadership hopefuls jockeying -- just as the party needs unity heading into a general election as underdogs. The Tories, in power since 2010, kicked off four days of main stage speeches, fringe events and political networking on…
CONSERVATIVES opened their annual conference on Sunday (1), with the party's chairman conceding they were "the underdogs" heading into a general election expected next year amid widespread economic woes. The gathering in Manchester will be prime minister Rishi Sunak's first since he became Tory leader last October, and likely the…
FINANCE MINISTER Hunt poured cold water on growing calls for tax cuts within the Tory party on Monday (2), saying he could not commit to any "inflationary" reduction before the next election. Before his speech at the party's annual conference in the northern city of Manchester, Hunt was keen to…
TORIES started its annual conference Sunday (1), bidding to kickstart a resurgence before a general election expected next year that it is currently on track to lose. The four-day gathering in Manchester, northwest England, will be prime minister Rishi Sunak's first since he became Tory leader last October, and likely…
Almost a year into his role as prime minister, Rishi Sunak faces a shrinking timeframe to achieve an increasingly challenging endeavour: securing the Conservatives' continuation in power during the upcoming election. He will conclude the party's annual conference with a keynote address next Wednesday, aiming to galvanise the ruling Tories…
LIZ TRUSS comes across as a “vengeful” character in Lord Michael Ashcroft’s new book, All To Play For: The Advance of Rishi Sunak, a sequel to his first biography, Going for Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak, which was published in 2020. Last summer, Truss beat Sunak in the Tory…
RISHI SUNAK was not at last year’s Conservative Party conference. Having lost the party leadership election, he kept a low profile in his Yorkshire constituency to not distract from then prime minister Liz Truss’s chance to set out her vision. A chaotic week of u-turns trying to contain the implosion…
RESEARCH by a campaign group has revealed that Susan Hall, the Tory candidate for London mayor, has liked tweets praising controversial figure Enoch Powell and tweets containing Islamophobic abuse directed at her Labour opponent, Sadiq Khan, reported the Guardian. In February 2020, Hall liked a tweet praising Powell, a former…
HEADING to New Delhi for the G20 summit might have felt like a great escape for Rishi Sunak, leaving behind crumbling concrete in classrooms and damning opinion polls for his first visit to India as Prime Minister. The Sunaks were greeted enthusiastically by the Indian media. A British Prime Minister…
PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak said he had spoken with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi about the continued detention of a British Sikh human rights campaigner in the south Asian country. Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in the northern state of Punjab when he was shopping with his wife in November…
King Charles expressed gratitude to the public for their "love and support" on Friday (8) the first anniversary of his mother Queen Elizabeth's passing and his ascension to the throne. He echoed her sentiments, pledging to be of service to all. Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning sovereign, died aged 96 on September…
THE union which represents judges has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the way the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) uses taxpayers’ money to fight legal cases. For three months, Eastern Eye has used freedom of information requests to investigate court action against the JAC from unsuccessful candidates. South Asian judges…
Rishi Sunak has dismissed the possibility of a swift trade agreement with India, effectively ruling out the likelihood of securing a deal before this week's G20 summit in Delhi or even before next year's elections, The Guardian reported. Multiple sources familiar with the negotiations have reported that the prime minister…
SCOTTISH Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has unveiled an expert independent board to advise the party on economic growth. The panel consists of high-profile business leaders, including a media executive who appeared on The Apprentice, as reported by The Times. Sarwar said that the panel will focus on green energy, finance,…
THE government on Thursday (31) named Claire Coutinho as secretary of state for energy security and net zero, replacing Grant Shapps who was named defence secretary. Coutinho, who is the first member of parliament elected in 2019 to be promoted to the cabinet, was previously a junior minister in the…
TORY lawmaker Nadine Dorries has delivered a scathing attack on her party's leader Rishi Sunak in her formal resignation letter, accusing the prime minister of running a "zombie parliament" and lacking any political vision. Dorries, a close ally of former leader Boris Johnson, had announced in June she would quit…
BRITAIN recorded a smaller than-expected budget deficit in July, official data showed on Tuesday (22), giving chancellor Jeremy Hunt a bit of hope that he can cut taxes later this year, before an election expected in 2024. Some economists warned, however, that an economic slowdown or a recession in the…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak maintains that he is the right candidate for the UK's highest leadership position, particularly during a period characterised by swift technological advancements and formidable economic obstacles. During an interview with 'The Times' on Wednesday (16), the 43-year-old British Indian leader highlighted the most recent official statistics,…
MINISTER for children, families and wellbeing, Claire Coutinho, could be made chief secretary to the Treasury next month when prime minister Rishi Sunak is expected to reshuffle his cabinet, a media report suggested. Coutinho MP would be a politically attractive appointment to succeed John Glen in the Treasury department, The…
FORMER chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng held back official warnings that borrowing was on course to rocket even before he attempted his ill-fated budget plans, new documents from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) show. Kwarteng's Growth Plan published on Sept. 23 formed the biggest package of tax cuts in decades and…
The ruling Conservatives on Friday (21) held the former seat of ex-prime minister Boris Johnson but saw hefty majorities in two other seats blown away as scandals and high inflation took their toll. Rishi Sunak was expected to become the first prime minister to lose three parliamentary seats on one…
US president Joe Biden will arrive in Britain on Sunday (9) for a brief visit during which he will meet prime minister Rishi Sunak and discuss climate change issues with King Charles ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. The White House said the trip was designed "to further strengthen the…
WHEN Rishi Sunak first heard about the Rwanda plan, he had his doubts. Since he was Chancellor then, he had a responsibility to scrutinise the cost. But the bigger question was whether the plan would work. Though of questionable legality and significant expense, the scheme was limited in its scale.…
WHAT does it mean to be English? This is the question that Dear England, a new play at London’s National Theatre, sets out to explore. It has been written by James Graham and directed by Rupert Goold – with the actor Joseph Fiennes playing the lead role of the England…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak and home secretary Suella Braverman were among prominent Asian Conservatives who did not take part in the vote on Monday (19) on a report that concluded Boris Johnson deliberately lied about rule-breaking parties during the pandemic. MPs voted 354 to seven to endorse the Privileges Committee's…
BRITISH MPs vote on Monday (19) on a damning report that found former prime minister Boris Johnson deliberately lied to parliament about lockdown-breaking parties, in what the government hopes will be the final chapter in the damaging "Partygate" scandal. The parliamentary vote is being held on Johnson's 59th birthday as…
Former prime minister Liz Truss acknowledged "mistakes" on her part but attributed the failure of her policies to the economic "establishment" in her first televised interview since her short-lived tenure as prime minister last year. Truss, who was ousted after a mere 49 days in office, cautiously expressed regrets while…
Enoch Powell once said: “All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.” This is sadly true for Boris Johnson, who, to give him due credit, brought in the most diverse…
Newly appointed member of the House of Lords, Kulveer Singh Ranger, told Eastern Eye he will use his position to leverage his expertise in transport and technology and help deliver better public services. Ranger was last Friday (9) rewarded by former prime minister Boris Johnson in his resignation honours list,…
Halifax, the largest mortgage provider in Britain, is set to increase interest rates for new home loans starting this Wednesday (07). This decision comes in response to escalating funding costs, following the footsteps of other major lenders who have taken similar actions. The surge in market interest rates was triggered…
British house prices fell by the most since 2009 in the 12 months to May and the country's housing market faces further headwinds after a recent jump in borrowing costs, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Thursday (1). Compared with May last year, the average house price was down 3.4 per…
Britain has a chronic growth problem. Average annual growth rates have more than halved since the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that this year we will be the worst performing large, advanced economy in the world. Underlying this is a productivity crisis, which…
Britain must “up its game” when it comes to trading with India, the co-founder and chair of Cobra Beer, Lord Karan Bilimoria has told Eastern Eye. The peer has written to Rishi Sunak, urging him to lead the first cross-party UK prime ministerial delegation to Delhi, Mumbai and other major…
How much is immigration mainly a question of numbers? Record levels of net migration certainly create a political headache for the Prime Minister. The figure was just over half a million, when the statistics were last published six months ago. This week’s statistics, published on Thursday, will be higher still. They…
The International Monetary Fund no longer expects a recession in Britain this year, it said on Tuesday (23), praising steps taken by the government to stabilise the economy and fight inflation and warning against pre-election tax cuts. The IMF said gross domestic product now looks set to grow by 0.4…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to his ethics adviser regarding the handling of a speeding offence by home secretary Suella Braverman, his spokesperson said on Monday (22), after calls for an investigation into whether she broke ministerial rules. Suella Braverman, who oversees the police and law enforcement, said on Monday…
Rishi Sunak stressed that China presents the foremost challenge to worldwide security and prosperity, but has cautioned against complete disengagement from the leading economy. Sunak made these remarks on Sunday (21) following a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations in Hiroshima, Japan. "China poses the biggest challenge of…
India and Britain are struggling to make progress in free trade talks due to differences on some key tariff lines and investment protection rules, making a deal unlikely during prime minister Narendra Modi's second term ending next year, Indian sources said. The two nations are unable to agree on concessions…
Rishi Sunak was accused by Boris Johnson loyalists of stabbing the then prime minister in the back when he resigned from the cabinet – but dramatic new evidence suggests the chancellor was acting in self-defence and was also morally in the right when he quit government. What exactly happened between…
The Conservatives suffered big losses last Friday (5) in the local election results, undermining prime minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to revive the party’s fortunes - while Labour said it was on course to win the next national election, expected in 2024. The Tories’ worst fears were confirmed as results came…
The Conservatives suffered high-profile losses as results poured in Friday (6) in what is seen as prime Minister Rishi Sunak's first major electoral test since he took office last year. Local council elections held across swathes of England on Thursday (4) with Britons experiencing the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. …
Early results of the local elections in England on Friday (05) have indicated that Rishi Sunak's Conservative party lost a considerable number of seats. Voters have reportedly expressed their discontent over political scandals, sluggish economic growth, and high inflation. This result marks the largest, and potentially final, test of voter…
The Conservatives, led by prime minister Rishi Sunak, are anticipating significant losses in Thursday's (4) local council elections, marking their first major electoral challenge since Sunak assumed leadership in the midst of a tumultuous period last year, which saw the UK with its third leader in a matter of weeks.…
Rishi Sunak faces his first big electoral test as the Prime Minister next week in local polls where the opposition Labour Party hopes to capitalise on a year of chaos for the governing Conservatives, ahead of a national election expected next year. Sunak has tried to restore the credibility of…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sought to repair the government's tarnished economic record, reaching out to the business community rocked by a scandal engulfing the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sunak's Tories and the main opposition Labour Party are jockeying for position ahead of next year's national election. The Tories, long…
Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab on Friday (21) announced his resignation following allegations of bullying that were confirmed in a report. This has come as a surprise for Tories, creating a new political setback. Raab's resignation creates a challenge for prime minister Rishi Sunak, who now has to deal with…
As local elections approach in England next month, a recent survey suggests that Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party may benefit from a swing among a significant portion of undecided voters. According to a poll conducted for 'The Times,' nearly one-third of all voters are unsure of how they will…
HOW low should you go when campaigning to govern? Westminster’s Easter weekend was dominated by a fierce arguments about campaign ethics after both major parties sought to make political capital from child sexual abuse. “Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn’t”…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak published details of his personal tax filings on Wednesday (22), showing he had paid more than £1 million in tax in the three financial years to April 2022. According to his filings, the British leader received almost £330,000 last year from his prime ministerial salary, and…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak is expected to receive parliamentary approval for a crucial component of a post-Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland on Wednesday (22). However, this triumph is marred by the lack of support from the province's largest unionist party and some members of his own party. Sunak aims to…
While showering current Labour leader Keir Starmer with compliments, former prime minister Tony Blair acknowledged that a shock win for Rishi Sunak's Tories in the next general election cannot be completely ruled out, despite their current poor standing in the polls. However, Blair firmly believes that the UK will not…
The UK government declared a security ban on the Chinese-owned video platform TikTok for official devices, following similar measures taken by the European Union and the US. Cabinet office minister Oliver Dowden on Thursday (16) announced that this ban would be implemented immediately. Concerns have been raised by western countries…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak and French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday (10) agreed a new pact to stop illegal cross-Channel migration after a summit in Paris aimed at overcoming years of Brexit tensions. Both leaders hailed a new start in relations between the two neighbours, after intense talks in Paris…
BRITISH finance minister Jeremy Hunt looks set to keep his grip on the public finances in next week's budget, refraining from big tax cuts or spending increases until the next election comes closer into view. Tory lawmakers want Hunt to halt April's sharp jump in the corporate tax rate to…
RISHI SUNAK paid tribute to his family as his elevation to become Britain’s first Asian prime minister kept him on top of the 2023 GG2 Power List for the second consecutive year and was also recognised with a coveted award in London on Tuesday (7). Sunak tops the ranking of…
British house prices last month dropped in annual terms for the first time in nearly three years, mortgage lender Nationwide said on Wednesday (01) adding to signs of a slowdown in the housing market in the face of high inflation and rising borrowing costs. The 1.1 per cent fall was…
PRIME MINISTERS are rarely short of advice. Few can ever have received quite so much of it as Rishi Sunak as he completes 100 days in office. There are now seven living former prime ministers, for the first time ever, compared to just three when Gordon Brown was in power.…
Former UK prime minister Liz Truss on Sunday criticised her successor Rishi Sunak's "detrimental" tax policies, as the current leader also faced pressure from another predecessor Boris Johnson over his Ukraine strategy. Truss came to power in September, immediately implementing a radical tax-slashing agenda. But her plans spooked the markets…
Rishi Sunak has spoken of his motivation behind taking on the top job at 10 Downing Street in the wake of intense political turmoil last year as his “dharma”. In a televised interview with ‘Talk TV’ host Piers Morgan at his Downing Street home to mark 100 days in the…
Rishi Sunak marked his 100th day in office as the first non-white British Prime Minister on Thursday with a slick new video for social media pledging to deliver change, amidst multiple challenges, including spiralling inflation. The UK's first Indian-origin Prime Minister took charge at 10 Downing Street a day after…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired the Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi from government on Sunday (29) after an investigation found he had been insufficiently open about a tax probe which he settled while finance minister. In an embarrassing episode for Sunak, he initially stood by Zahawi before ordering an…
Prime Minster Rishi Sunak is seen as more trustworthy, more economically competent and more likely to win votes than his former boss, Boris Johnson, in a new survey of voting intentions that was released on Saturday.The Savanta ComRes survey for The Independent newspaper found that Johnson’s perceived popularity as the Conservative…
Scottish National Party MP Martin Docherty-Hughes has urged the UK government to secure the release of a Sikh campaigner who has been in the custody of Indian authorities for more than five years. Jagtar Singh Johal was arrested in Punjab when he was shopping with his wife in November 2017.…
British prime minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Scotland and meet first minister Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday (19) for a private working dinner, as part of efforts to reset the two nations' strained ties. Sunak makes his first official visit to Scotland since taking office in October at a time…
She-Hulk actor Jameela Jamil on Friday (6) came up with an explosive post on her Instagram account where she blasted UK prime minister Rishi Sunak calling him "Unelected, out of touch, right wing, TOSSER". She started off the post with "I cannot stress this enough... F*CK RISHI SUNAK" before taking…
British prime minister Rishi Sunak wants to ensure that all school pupils in England study some form of maths to the age of 18. Sunak will set out his priorities for 2023 on Wednesday (4), using his first speech of the year to try to reassure his restive Conservative Party…
British home secretary Suella Braverman's "crazy rhetoric" on the issue of immigration is fuelling racism and "normalising" the politics of Nigel Farage, a senior home office aide, who is on her way out, has alleged. According to a report by The Independent, Nimco Ali, a campaigner against female genital mutilation…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he is “determined” to tackle the migrant crisis which is eating into the UK’s taxpayers’ money.As the number of migrants and asylum seekers illegally crossing the English Channel in small boats has already reached record levels, the government’s policy to deport them to Rwanda…
Britain’s governing Conservative Party is facing a rout in the next general election expected in 2024, according to a new poll which shows prime minister Rishi Sunak is on course to lose his home constituency. Keir Starmer’s Labour will win 482 seats in the House of Commons if a vote…
Indian minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, held a meeting with UK secretary of state for international trade, Kemi Badenoch in New Delhi on Tuesday (13). Badenoch, who began her official India visit on Monday (12), is scheduled to address both teams of negotiators before the sixth round of…
2022 was a year when decades happened. The year of three Prime Ministers and a Royal funeral, war in Europe and recession at home could fill many pages in the future history books. Boris Johnson was sure he could survive the pressure over rule-breaking in Downing Street. For six months,…
British Conservative politicians on Sunday launched two campaigns to address concerns about the direction of the party and the government, the latest challenge to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to unite a fractured party. The Conservative Party has already ousted two prime ministers in 2022 – Boris Johnson and…
The reappointment of Suella Braverman as the British home secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sets a “dangerous precedent” for how breaches of the ministerial code are dealt with, a cross-party parliamentary panel said in a report on Friday. Braverman, 42, had resigned from the Cabinet of former prime minister…
Britain's opposition Labour Party retained a parliamentary seat in the northwest of England on Friday, comfortably winning the vote in the first electoral test for Rishi Sunak as prime minister. Labour candidate Samantha Dixon won the City of Chester constituency, securing 61% of the vote, compared to 22% for the…
Former UK Chancellor and Conservative Party leadership candidate Sajid Javid will not stand for re-election at the next national election, he said on Friday. Javid is the most high-profile lawmaker in the governing party so far to say he will not stand for re-election, with a handful of other politicians…
Investors are keeping an eye out for obvious signs to persuade them to spend their working capital on a potential business due to the increase in startup enterprises over recent years. This is particularly true for the UK market, where the government has launched creative initiatives to boost virtual commerce…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday that the so-called "golden era" of relations with China was over, saying Beijing's systemic challenge to Britain's interests and values was growing more acute. In his first major foreign policy speech, Sunak said Britain's approach to China needed to evolve and Beijing…
Former cabinet minister Alok Sharma has joined a growing number of Conservative MPs calling for an end to the moratorium on onshore wind farms in England.Sharma, who led the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last year, has backed an amendment to the Levelling UP bill to reverse the ban…
She might not be born in India like her entrepreneur mother but Anoushka Sunak, the younger daughter of British prime minister Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty, has a strong feeling for the country of her ancestors. The nine-year-old, who performed Kuchipudi, a major Indian classical dance form, along with many…
One month on since Rishi Sunak took charge as Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister, indications on Friday are that his popularity with the UK electorate remains on stronger ground than that of the governing Conservative Party. The 42-year-old former chancellor had pitched himself as a steady hand to steer the…
Britain needs more migrant labour to boost productivity as it faces a toxic mix of soaring inflation and shrinking growth, the country's main business lobby group warned Monday. The verdict from the Confederation of British Industry came at its annual gathering in Birmingham, Britain's second-biggest city. The CBI conference comes…
The UK's international reputation has taken "a bit of a knock" this year, Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, as he vowed to restore economic stability. In an interview with the BBC in Bali on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Sunak said tax rises and spending cuts in Thursday's Autumn…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said a new deal with France to tackle illegal migration across the Channel would "make a difference", but the numbers making the perilous crossing would not go down overnight. "I'm confident that we can get the numbers down but I also want to be honest…
It has been anything but a smooth ride for the Rishi Sunak led UK government, with the latest official data released this week reflecting a shrinking economy and a looming two-year-long recession. The British Indian former finance minister, who took charge at 10 Downing Street last month with the promise…
Ties between the United Kingdom and India will remain on a “phenomenal upward trajectory” under Indian-origin UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, that country’s former premier Boris Johnson said on Saturday. The two countries need each other now more than ever as “we live in dangerous and turbulent times”, he said.…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday praised King Charles for his far-sighted leadership on tackling climate change as the monarch hosted a reception for politicians and business leaders ahead of the U.N. COP27 summit. Charles, 73, who has long campaigned on environmental issues, will not himself be attending the…
Having begun his premiership with a public pledge to put integrity, professionalism and accountability at the heart of his government, Rishi Sunak’s decision to reappoint Suella Braverman as his Home Secretary, just a week after her resignation, plunged his government into its first major controversy. This was the deal that…
Cooperation on migration and security issues was on the agenda at a meeting between UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami in London. The envoy called on the British Indian cabinet minister on Tuesday (1) to discuss the India-UK security partnership and to "make progress" under…
India and UK on Wednesday (2) held an All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) inaugural meeting and discussed cooperation in sunrise sectors such as green economy, fintech, etc. The meeting was attended by Greg Hands, UK's trade minister; Nick Thomas-Symonds, shadow secretary of state for international trade and Welsh Labour MP for…
Liz Truss succeeded Boris Johnson as the prime minister of Britain on September 6 with a promise to kick off a new era of growth by shaking up the country's economy. But the Conservative leader instead faced turmoil -- both on the economic and political front -- and it eventually…
British home secretary Suella Braverman admitted Monday that she had used her personal phone for official documents six times - after being forced to resign over one lapse. Braverman, who is in charge of policing and domestic intelligence, has been under mounting fire since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak controversially reinstated…
Rishi Sunak’s decision to skip the upcoming Climate Summit in Egypt and the government preventing King Charles III from attending it has been criticised by many across the world who have accused the new UK Prime Minister of washing his hands of Britain’s commitment to tackle the climate crisis. COP27…
Britain is prioritising reaching a free-trade agreement with India, its foreign minister told Reuters on Saturday in his first visit to the country, but declined to give a new deadline after missing one this month.James Cleverly said after a meeting with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar in New Delhi that…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday (27) came under fresh pressure on the re-appointment of Indian-origin Suella Braverman as home secretary after two Conservative MPs questioned his decision, days after she quit over data breaches Braverman, 42, resigned from the Cabinet of former prime minister Liz Truss last week,…
Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday (27) thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for congratulating him on his new role, saying he was "excited" about what the two great democracies can achieve as they deepen their security, defence and economic partnership. His comment came soon after Prime Minister…
Extending Diwali greetings to everyone, Britain's newly-appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that he will do everything to build a Britain where children and grandchildren can light their Diyas and look to the future with hope. Sunak, 42, attended a Diwali reception at 10 Downing Street here on Wednesday…
Comedian Trevor Noah put up a defense for new British leader Rishi Sunak after the first Indian-origin prime minister of the country was questioned by some racists over his non-white origins. Trevor Noah on his 'Daily Show' played a clip from a British radio show in which a caller explained…
The Liberal Democrats have called for a Cabinet Office probe into Indian-origin Suella Braverman's re-appointment as the UK Home Secretary by Rishi Sunak, days after being forced to resign for breaching the ministerial code, a media report said on Wednesday. Braverman, 42, whose scathing resignation letter precipitated Liz Truss' exit…
The BBC has described British prime minister Rishi Sunak as ‘t**t’ and ‘c***’ in a 'word cloud' to show public opinion about the leader, according to reports. The word cloud was created by polling research company Savanta ComRes after Britons were asked how they felt about Sunak becoming the prime…
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday called Rishi Sunak's appointment as the UK Prime Minister an "astonishing" development that shows that Britain has outgrown its "racism". While talking to ANI, Tharoor called the decision extraordinary at multiple levels. "Firstly because he is not of English, Scottish or Anglo-Saxon origin, but…
UK High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis termed the appointment of the first Hindu Prime Minister to the UK, Rishi Sunak, a "historic moment." "The election of the first Hindu PM of Britain is a historic moment," says Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, in Hindi. Envoy Ellis on…
In a momentous day, Britain’s first south Asian prime minister, who became the Conservative Party leader on Diwali day [24], has vowed to unite the country and his riven party. Speaking on the steps of Number 10, Rishi Sunak, a practising Hindu, told the country that he would be a…
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, on Tuesday, lauded Rishi Sunak for becoming the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Taking to Instagram, Amitabh dropped a picture which he captioned, “Jai Bharat .. now the UK finally has a new viceroy as its Prime Minister from the Mother Country.” In…
WHAT should you give a man who has got almost everything for Diwali? Most of Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary colleagues decided, after all, that the answer was the leadership of the Conservative party, unopposed, and the chance to be Prime Minister of his country. There are rarely many political rewards for…
Indian-origin Rishi Sunak on Tuesday witnessed both bricks and bouquets from the UK media as he scripted history by becoming the first person of colour to become the Prime Minister of Britain, which in the past had colonised most of the world, with some news outlets acknowledging his leadership as…
Rishi Sunak made his first speech as Britain's prime minister on Tuesday (25), acknowledging the mistakes of his predecessor Liz Truss while vowing to fix the economy, lead with integrity and fulfil the promises of the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto. Below are the highlights from Sunak's speech: ON THE ECONOMY…
Rishi Sunak becoming UK's Prime Minister is "our Barack Obama moment," said the leader of a Hindu temple that was set up by the Indian-origin leader's grandfather. Rishi Sunak, 42, on Monday won the race to lead the Conservative Party and is now set to become Britain's first prime minister…
Rishi Sunak will face one of the greatest challenges of any new leader when he becomes British prime minister on Tuesday, needing to tackle a mounting economic crisis, a warring political party and a deeply divided country. The 42-year-old former finance minister becomes Britain's third prime minister in less than…
Many Indians are delighted at the prospect of Rishi Sunak becoming the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister, just as Hindus like him celebrated Diwali across the world on Monday. Sunak was set to take the top job after his rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt withdrew…
Since entering the contest to be British prime minister, Rishi Sunak has said little publicly about how he intends to run the country and how he would address multiple economic and political crises. Sunak ran unsuccessfully to be prime minister earlier this year, setting out a full policy platform. Although…
British Conservative Rishi Sunak was on Monday (24) poised to become prime minister and the country's first leader of colour, after a dramatic decision by Boris Johnson to abandon a political comeback bid. Just weeks after he lost out to Liz Truss to lead the ruling Tories, Sunak could pull…
Priti Patel, a loyalist of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on October 24 came out in support of Rishi Sunak to take over at 10 Downing Street as the Conservative Party leader after her former boss withdrew from the leadership contest. The Indian-origin former Home Secretary, who resigned from…
Suella Braverman, the former British home secretary who resigned the day before Prime Minister Liz Truss stepped down, has endorsed Rishi Sunak to be prime minister, she said in a Telegraph article published on Sunday (23). Backing Sunak, she said he can provide “unity, stability and efficiency" to the governing…
Rishi Sunak looked set to become Britain's next prime minister after Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest on Sunday (23), saying that although he had enough support to make the final ballot he realised the country and the Conservative Party needed unity. Johnson had raced home from a holiday in…
Britain's former finance minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday (23) he was standing to replace Liz Truss as prime minister. "The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis," he said on Twitter. "That's why I am standing to be leader of the Conservative Party…
Conservative rivals Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak held face-to-face talks late Saturday (22), reports said, as the feuding pair who once headed Britain's government were poised to battle for the leadership of their fractured ruling party. Former prime minister Johnson, who returned from a Caribbean holiday earlier in the day…
Priti Patel, who served as British Home Secretary in former prime minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet, on Saturday endorsed her ex-boss as the best-placed candidate to replace Liz Truss at 10 Downing Street. The Indian-origin MP, who had remained conspicuously silent over her choice of Conservative Party leader in the last…
Former British finance minister Sajid Javid endorsed Rishi Sunak to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and the country's next prime minister. "It is abundantly clear that Rishi Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face - he is the right person to lead our…
Conservative British politician of Indian descent Rishi Sunak is quick off the mark to bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations - which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post. Sunak, late Friday became the…
As the runner-up of the leadership election which concluded last month, the former finance minister who had forecast much of the economic crisis unleashed by Truss' mini-budget is seen as a safe pair of hands to take charge at 10 Downing Street. The 42-year-old is holding a solid 55 per…
Veteran Indian-origin economist Sushil Wadhwani has been invited to advise the UK government on the economy and financial markets as the country grapples with surging inflation and a weakening sterling. Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor of the exchequer in the outgoing government, announced the formation of the Economic Advisory Council comprising…
Boris Johnson and former finance minister Rishi Sunak were leading the potential contenders to replace British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday, with candidates canvassing support to become Conservative Party leader in a fast-tracked contest. After Truss quit on Thursday, ending her six weeks in power, those who want to…
Noting that the free trade agreements with the UK are well on track, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal Thursday said India will wait for the change in leadership before formulating a strategy vis a vis the UK. "We will have to wait and see whether they have a quick change…
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer on Thursday demanded an immediate general election after Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation following just six weeks in charge. "The Tories cannot respond to their latest shambles by yet again simply clicking their fingers and shuffling the people at the top without the…
Liz Truss said on Thursday she would resign as British prime minister just six weeks after she was appointed. A leadership election will be completed within the next week to replace Truss, who is the shortest serving prime minister in British history. George Canning previously held the record, serving 119…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss is fighting for her political survival after only six weeks in the job. Below is a timeline: SEPT. 5 - TRUSS WINS LEADERSHIP CONTEST Truss is elected Conservative Party leader by the party's membership, winning 57% of the vote to succeed Boris Johnson. SEPT. 6…
Liz Truss said on Thursday (20) she was resigning as British prime minister, brought down by her economic programme that sent shockwaves through the markets and divided her Conservative Party just six weeks after she was appointed. A leadership election will be completed within the next week. Speaking outside the…
Millions of Britons are skipping meals in current the cost-of-living crisis, a consumer group warned Thursday, having already forecast that many risk fuel poverty after the UK curbed its energy price freeze. The news came after data showed UK inflation jumped back above 10 percent in September on rampant food…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss has enjoyed the shortest of political honeymoons -- her chaotic premiership apparently mortally wounded despite having barely begun. Discounting 10 days of mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II, Truss had only a week before her political programme imploded, leading to the sacking of her…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss is fighting to remain in power after the collapse of her economic programme shattered her authority just over six weeks into the job. The sight of Truss sitting expressionless in parliament on Monday as her new finance minister ripped up the programme of tax cuts…
Britain's Suella Braverman has left her job as Home Secretary, the Guardian reported on Wednesday (19), adding to the turmoil surrounding Prime Minister Liz Truss's six-week premiership. The Sun's political editor said Braverman had been fired. In her resignation letter posted on twitter she wrote, "Earlier today, I sent an…
Just days after firing Kwasi Kwarteng as the chancellor of the exchequer, British prime minister Liz Truss has suspended one of her key advisers pending an investigation. Jason Stein, a special adviser to the prime minister, is set to face a formal investigation by the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics…
The free trade agreement (FTA) talks between India and the UK are "progressing well" and a deal that works for both sides is more important than the date when it is signed, Britain’s Trade Policy Minister Greg Hands said with reference to the now abandoned Diwali deadline for a draft…
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has vowed to lead Britain's Conservatives into the next election - due within two years - but after a disastrous six weeks in Downing Street many doubt, she will remain leader long. Here are the main contenders who could take over. Rishi Sunak Truss easily…
British inflation jumped back above 10 percent in September on soaring food prices, official data showed Wednesday, with the country gripped by a cost-of-living crisis bedevilling the government. The Consumer Prices Index accelerated to 10.1 percent on an annual basis, up from 9.9 percent in August, the Office for National…
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said the UK is eager to secure a trade deal with India to boost both economies and that Brexit has meant that Britain no longer has a Eurocentric mindset towards trade or visas. Addressing a Diwali event organised by UK-based India Global Forum (IGF) in…
Former Indian-origin chancellor Rishi Sunak would beat his rival Liz Truss if the Conservative Party leadership election is held now as a result of what is dubbed as "buyer's remorse" among the voting Tory members, according to a new poll on Tuesday. A YouGov poll of Tory members found 55…
Prime Minister Liz Truss has apologised for threatening Britain's economic stability after she was forced to scrap her vast tax-cutting plans and embark on a programme of "eye-watering" public spending cuts instead. Truss watched silently in parliament on Monday as her new finance minister Jeremy Hunt tore up the radical…
Britain's new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, on Monday (17) reversed entirely all of British Prime Minister Liz Truss' tax cuts and scaled back the expensive energy bills support in an emergency fiscal statement. Hunt's statement is an attempt to reassure the markets about the country's fiscal sustainability and…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss, just over a month into the job, is already seen as increasingly unlikely to ride out the turbulence within her own Conservative Party and the financial markets, with her former leadership rival Rishi Sunak the odds-on favourite to make a comeback for 10 Downing Street.…
Several British Indian organisations have collectively urged prime minister Liz Truss to ensure security for the Hindu community which is “living in a state of fear” following the recent violence in the country. Some 180 entities, including the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Sanstha UK, said the Hindus “feel like a community…
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday criticized British Prime Minister Liz Truss's original economic plan as a mistake and said he was not concerned about the strength of the soaring U.S. dollar.Truss on Friday fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and scrapped parts of their economic package after it sparked…
Britain's new finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Saturday that some taxes will have to go up, signalling another abrupt policy U-turn by Prime Minister Liz Truss who is battling to save her leadership just over a month into her term. In an attempt to appease financial markets that have…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday and scrapped parts of their economic package in a bid to stay in power and survive the market and political turmoil gripping the country. Below are some of the key quotes from Truss's news conference: ON HER…
British prime minister Liz Truss fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday and scrapped parts of their economic package in a desperate bid to stay in power and survive the market and political turmoil gripping the country. Kwarteng said he had resigned at Truss's request after being forced to…
Kwasi Kwarteng became the second shortest-serving British finance minister, paying the price for weeks of UK market tumult prompted by his controversial tax-slashing mini-budget. His sacking represents a humiliation for the Cambridge- and Harvard-educated former Chancellor of the Exchequer -- who as recently as Thursday insisted that he was "not…
British finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed on Friday he had been sacked by Prime Minister Liz Truss, becoming the third chancellor to leave the government this year. "You have asked me to stand aside as your Chancellor. I have accepted," Kwarteng said in a letter to Truss, which he published…
Intensive negotiations are ongoing to meet the target to conclude the majority of the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) talks by Diwali, UK government sources said on Thursday. Officials said that both countries continue to negotiate a “high-ambition free trade agreement” that could boost the UK economy by more than…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss faced growing pressure on Thursday from lawmakers in her own party to rethink tax-cut plans that sent markets into turmoil, with one ally saying it would be a "disastrously bad idea" to oust her a month into the job. Truss's economic package, announced last month,…
The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is reportedly on the verge of collapse after the Indian government was angered by comments made by UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman questioning action over visa overstayers from the country, a UK media report claimed on Wednesday. The Times' newspaper quoted government sources to…
As part of its plans to tackle 'bad migration', the UK is reportedly planning to restrict the number of children foreign students can bring to the country. Ministers alleged that some international students bring as many as six dependents and use the route as a 'back door' to settle in…
On the occasion of Amitabh Bachchan's 80th birthday, Keith Vaz, who is Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP, has written a letter to the British PM Liz Truss, suggesting that the Bollywood superstar be given an honorary knighthood, a privilege that in the past has been bestowed on film director Steven Spielberg,…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Monday (10) handed a junior trade minister's job to an ally of her leadership rival Rishi Sunak, in a move seen as an attempt to rally the governing Conservative Party behind her and curb rebellious moves on the backbenches. Greg Hands, a vocal supporter…
Senior British ministers on Sunday urged their colleagues to unite behind Prime Minister Liz Truss, warning that infighting would hand power to the opposition Labour Party at an election due in 2024. Just over a month into the job, Truss and her team are fighting for credibility after they were…
Data localisation and UK companies being allowed to bid for Indian government contracts are among the issues causing a possible deadlock in the final stages of the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations towards a Diwali draft completion deadline, according to a UK media report on Sunday (9). 'The Daily…
Britain's opposition Labour Party has retained a huge opinion poll lead over Prime Minister Liz Truss's Conservative Party, which has failed to stage a recovery after its annual conference this week, a poll showed on Saturday (8). The YouGov poll, carried out on Thursday and Friday for The Times newspaper…
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Indian leader Narendra Modi in April and set an ambitious target to sign the free trade agreement (FTA) by Diwali later this month. Recently, Braverman said that she had doubts regarding the deal as it would increase immigration to the UK even as Truss…
India has countered U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s claim that the Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) had not "worked very well" to say that India had initiated action on all cases raised with it under the agreement. In response to a PTI query about Ms. Braverman’s interview in ‘ The…
Britain is not asking people to use less energy, climate minister Graham Stuart said on Friday (7), despite a warning from the National Grid that homes and businesses could face three-hour planned blackouts this winter. "We're not in the business of telling people how to live their lives," Stuart said…
Britain’s Indian-origin Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has cast doubts over a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with India over the issue of migration and branded Indians as the “largest group of people who overstay” their visas in the UK. Expressing concerns over what she feared would be an “open borders”…
Prime minister, Liz Truss, and chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have “risked” the Conservative Party’s election chances because of their “incompetent handling” of the mini budget, Asian parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye. In a so-called mini budget on September 23, Kwarteng abolished the 45p higher tax rate. However, on Monday (3) the…
Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Tuesday accused her Conservative Party colleagues of plotting a “coup” against Prime Minister Liz Truss, forcing the party leader into a U-turn over plans to abolish the top rate of income tax for the country's highest earners. On the sidelines of the governing party's…
A trade deal between Britain and India might not contain everything that the services sector wants, UK trade minister Kemi Badenoch said on Tuesday as a deadline to complete the deal approaches. Before stepping down, former prime minister Boris Johnson set a target with Indian leader Narendra Modi to complete…
A new study has revealed that minorities are over three times more likely to live in areas in England with ‘very high' air pollution, according to a report. The study by Friends of the Earth, by analysing government data on air pollution, focusing on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and small particulate…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss has refused to rule out cutting benefit payments by less than soaring inflation to help fund her tax-cutting growth plan in what is likely to spark the next political rebellion over her economic plans. Truss and her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng are racing to set…
Days after UK Prime Minister Liz Truss insisted she would not abandon the tax cut for the wealthiest, the conservative government on Monday took a U-turn on the plan to scrap a 45 per cent tax cut. The British government has announced it will reverse plans to scrap the highest…
Britain has too many low-skilled migrant workers and very high numbers of international students, who often brought dependents with them, the country's new home secretary Suella Braverman said in an interview with The Sun on Sunday newspaper. Braverman said new Prime Minister Liz Truss's government aimed to stick to a…
New UK Prime Minister Liz Truss's early missteps have prompted turmoil in her personal poll ratings, as well as financial markets, with a survey Friday finding half of Britons think she should resign. Less than four weeks into the top job, and a week after the disastrous unveiling of a…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Friday she recognised there had been some financial market disruption following the government's so-called mini-budget and that it was important monetary and fiscal policy are coordinated. Truss has so far argued market turbulence following the announcement of planned tax cuts a week ago…
Britain’s home secretary Suella Braverman is pursuing a stalled deal with France that would allow joint patrols of beaches in northern France to prevent illegal migrants from taking small boats to the UK. Negotiations between London and Paris on tackling the English Channel crisis were reportedly derailed following Liz Truss’…
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday defended her tax cuts policy, despite it triggering market turmoil and forcing a Bank of England intervention to prevent "material risk" to the economy. "We had to take urgent action to get our economy growing, get Britain moving, and also deal with inflation,"…
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has termed the comments by Rupa Huq MP about chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng being 'superficially' black as 'racist'. He also welcomed the party's 'swift action' to suspend Haq following the controversy. Haq was suspended from the party on Tuesday (27). “What she said, in my…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and ratings agency Moody's criticised Britain's new economic strategy, as investors braced for more havoc in bond markets that has already forced the Bank of England to promise "significant" action. The statements overnight from the IMF and Moody's piled more pressure on new finance minister…
Rupa Huq MP has been suspended from the Labour party on Tuesday (27) after calling Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng 'superficially black'. She will now sit in Parliament as an independent MP. While speaking at a party conference fringe event on Monday (26), Haq said: "He's superficially, he's, a black man but…
Former chancellor Rishi Sunak’s warning against increased government borrowing amid elevated inflation has become a social media trend as the pound plummeted after the UK unveiled its mini-budget last week.His successor Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday announced a multi-billion-pound package to support households and businesses. The current chancellor reduced taxes and…
The pound hit a record low against the dollar Monday on surging fears about the UK economy after the government unveiled a huge tax-cutting budget. The selloff came as equity markets across Asia and Europe fell again owing to a growing expectation that central bank interest rate hikes to fight…
Britain's new finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng unleashed historic tax cuts and huge increases in borrowing on Friday in an economic agenda that floored financial markets, sending sterling and British government bonds into freefall. Kwarteng scrapped the country's top rate of income tax, cancelled a planned rise in corporate taxes and…
French police have busted a major people-smuggling ring that has been sending migrants to Britain in dinghies, seizing more than a dozen boats and 700 life jackets in a raid, French officials said Thursday. The ring, run by Iraqi Kurdish migrants, had a logistics hub in Lille, a northern French…
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday stressed on the need to take prompt action against the continued violence against Hindus in Leicester and Birmingham. In a letter to British Prime Minister Liz Truss, VHP said they are alarmed at the ongoing violence in Leicester in which a large number…
India will overtake the United Kingdom to become the third largest economy by the end of the decade and thus New Delhi and London need to work together, British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis said on Tuesday. "For two economies roughly the same size, India will grow fast overtaking…
A group of cross-party British lawmakers is in talks with Taiwan to provide Chinese-language teachers to the United Kingdon as the government seeks to phase out Confucius Institutes, according to media reports. Chinese state-linked Confucius language learning and teaching project has been under heavy scrutiny as the bilateral relations between…
Queen Elizabeth's coffin was lowered into a vault at Windsor Castle, her final resting place, on Monday after a day of inimitable pageantry that drew world leaders to her funeral and huge crowds to the streets to say farewell to a revered monarch. Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined the…
Leaders and monarchs from across the globe gathered in London on Monday to bid farewell to Britain's Queen Elizabeth at a state funeral of inimitable pageantry, marking the passing of a beloved figure who unified the nation through her 70-year reign. Thousands of people lined the streets to witness the…
The Chinese delegation visiting London to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday (19) will not be allowed to view her coffin at the lying-in-state vigil inside parliament, the BBC reported on Friday (16). Some parliamentarians had raised concerns about inviting representatives from China after several British lawmakers were sanctioned by…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss is preparing to scrap sugar taxes on soft drinks and ditch some anti-obesity measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis in the country, The Times reported on Thursday (15) citing government sources. British finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng has ordered health officials to review obesity control measures,…
Two watchdogs in UK have been criticised for halting investigations into alleged misconduct by MPs and parliamentary staff following the demise of Queen Elizebath, according to media reports. The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), set up after the bullying scandal that rocked Westminster in 2018, has already stopped operations.…
Britain's government said Monday (12) that travel plans for foreign leaders and their spouses to Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral "will vary" by country, following a report they will have to take special buses. "Arrangements for different leaders will vary depending on things like security risks, so we are providing…
Two ancestral properties of UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman's father in North Goa have been grabbed by an unidentified person, said an official as quoted by news agency PTI. Following the incident, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa police registered a case and launched a probe into the matter.…
Queen Elizabeth, the longest-reigning monarch in Britain's history, died on Thursday (8) aged 96, and her son Charles succeeded to the throne immediately. Here is an explanation of the protocol surrounding the official accession of a new monarch and Saturday's ceremony formally proclaiming Charles as king. An Accession Council has…
A popular UK recruitment website has started an advertisement campaign poking fun at former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was defeated by his party colleague Liz Truss to become the prime minister, media reports said. Job search company CV-Library displayed an ad with Sunak's photo across the country after he was…
During her record-breaking reign, Queen Elizabeth II racked up an array of statistics. Here are some numbers associated with her life and reign: 0 She was a frequent traveller, but she had no passport as she was the one who issued the document. Her name was on the passports of…
Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, died at her home in Scotland aged 96 on Thursday. "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will…
Britain's royal family rushed to be with Queen Elizabeth after doctors said they were concerned about the health of the 96-year-old monarch on Thursday and said she should remain under medical supervision. The queen, Britain's longest-reigning sovereign and the world's oldest monarch, has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has…
Nusrat Ghani, the Muslim Conservative member of the parliament (MP) from Wealden who was allegedly sacked as transport minister in the past because of her faith, was on Wednesday (7) appointed as the minister of state at the department for business, energy and industrial strategy as the new government of…
A veteran political commentator and former BBC journalist has apologised for a “unacceptable” racist remark on the diverse cabinet of new prime minister Liz Truss. Iain Macwhirter’s “coconut cabinet” jibe on the appointment of people of colour to the three great offices of the government, sparked outrage on social media…
Britain's new leader Liz Truss will cap soaring consumer power bills on Thursday and promote new sources of energy in an expected 100 billion pound ($115 billion)-plus package designed to limit the economic shock caused by the war in Ukraine. With Britain facing a lengthy recession sparked by a near…
New UK interior minister Suella Braverman is admired by the right for her attacks on "woke" politics but her legal acumen will be put to the test when tackling one of the government's toughest jobs. Braverman, 42, was appointed attorney general a year ago, serving as the government's principal legal…
Britain's new prime minister Liz Truss convenes her senior ministers for an inaugural cabinet meeting on Wednesday on her first full day in office, before she faces a barrage of questions in parliament. Truss, who officially became leader Tuesday at an audience with the head of state Queen Elizabeth II…
Vedant Patel, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian-American to hold the daily State Department press briefing, earning plaudits from senior White House officials for his "utmost professionalism" and "amazing debut". With State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on vacation,…
The new British Prime Minister Liz Truss has selected a cabinet where for the first time a white man will not hold one of the country's four most important ministerial positions. Truss appointed Kwasi Kwarteng – whose parents came from Ghana in the 1960s – as Britain's first Black finance…
SENIOR TORIES have urged the new prime minister, Liz Truss, to continue “engaging, consulting, and listening to” south Asian communities. They have told Eastern Eye that they are concerned the new PM will undo the progress made by her predecessors. “The problem with Liz is that she doesn’t listen,” said…
It's good news for millions of households in UK. The new British prime minister Liz Truss is planning to freeze household energy bills at the current level for 18 months, media reports said. Queen Elizabeth appointed Truss as new leader on Tuesday (6). She is tasked with steering the country…
Rishi Sunak never failed at anything before. At 42 years of age, the Winchester head boy who won glittering prizes at Oxford and Stanford, earning millions in finance before marrying into the billionaire classes, and who was Britain’s most popular Chancellor for half a century, has finally hit a professional…
Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill has urged the UK government to increase aid to Pakistan following unprecedented flooding which has left thousands dead. "It was a matter of huge concern that the government has only pledged £1.5m in financial assistance to Pakistan in response to the immediate humanitarian crisis. I…
Only one in seven Britons say that Liz Truss will be a better Prime Minister than Boris Johnson, according to a snap poll by YouGov on Monday, with around a quarter of people feeling she will be worse. Truss, who will formally take over from Johnson on Tuesday, faces a…
Britain's Priti Patel and Nadine Dorries both stepped down ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday as Liz Truss formally takes over as the country's prime minister. Patel said she will stand down as Britain's Home secretary, or interior minister. A lawmaker belonging to the Conservative Party told Reuters that…
Boris Johnson on Tuesday promised unswerving support for his successor Liz Truss, as he left Downing Street for the final time as British prime minister to tender his resignation. Johnson, whose tenure was dominated by Brexit and Covid and cut short by scandal, bid farewell to cheers and applause from…
Britain's Rishi Sunak, who lost the race to become Britain's prime minister on Monday, said the party must now unite behind winner Liz Truss. "It's right we now unite behind the new PM, Liz Truss, as she steers the country through difficult times," Sunak said on Twitter. Truss, 47, will…
The UK's new prime minister, Liz Truss, takes power following a "summer of discontent" and as Britons tighten their belts in response to double-digit inflation and soaring energy costs. "We have a historically huge shock to the cost of living and incomes," said James Smith, research director of the Resolution…
Liz Truss won the ruling Conservative Party's leadership contest on Monday and will become Britain's new prime minister after replacing the ousted Boris Johnson. Below are key quotes from her victory speech: "I campaigned as a conservative and I will govern as a conservative. My friends, we need to show…
Liz Truss, Britain's next prime minister, is expected to begin making key ministerial appointments soon after her formal appointment as leader on Tuesday. Below is a brief overview of the people likely to serve in key roles in her government. FINANCE MINISTER - KWASI KWARTENG Truss is expected to appoint…
Liz Truss will become Britain's next prime minister after winning a leadership race for the governing Conservative party on Monday, vowing to press ahead with promises of tax cuts and to deal with a growing energy crisis. After weeks of an often bad-tempered and divisive leadership contest, Truss, currently the…
British foreign minister Liz Truss said on Sunday (4) she would set out immediate action to tackle rising energy bills and increase energy supplies if she is, as expected, appointed prime minister this week. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper on the eve of the announcement on who will replace…
Rachael Warwick, who oversees three schools in southeast England, has had to sign a new contract to heat and light their buildings at tariffs that she describes as "eye-watering". The executive head teacher of Ridgeway Education Trust in Oxfordshire calculates that if the schools she runs use the same amount…
Britain's prime minister in waiting Liz Truss models herself on Margaret Thatcher, judging by her photo ops echoing famous images of the country's first female premier. If Truss becomes leader of the ruling party on Monday as is widely expected, she'll need all the grit and guile of the Iron…
BRITAIN will not get its first Asian prime minister next week, unless every prediction and poll has got it wrong. Former chancellor and Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak found himself in the wrong economy at the wrong time. Though he was Britain’s most popular chancellor earlier in the pandemic, the…
British Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has said that he is 'deeply concerned' that people could freeze this winter, media reports said. He revealed that the Treasury has been finalising plans to extend support to people to help pay their energy bills. Meanwhile, Liz Truss, the frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson as…
Rishi Sunak struck a personal note in the final hustings event before the election for a new Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister concludes, as he thanked his parents and wife Akshata Murty for their support. Addressing a teeming concert venue at Wembley in London on Wednesday night, the…
Liz Truss the frontrunner to replace Boris Johnson as Britain's prime minister said she would deliver "immediate support" to ensure people are not facing unaffordable fuel bills going into the winter. "I will also deliver immediate support to ensure people are not facing unaffordable fuel bills. I will be robust…
BRITAIN is ready for an Asian prime minister, Rishi Sunak has said, as the prime ministerial hopeful revealed he was “stung” by racism as a child, but now believes Conservative voters will judge him on his policies, rather than his ethnicity, in the leadership race. In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview…
Preet Kaur Gill MP has written to the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss about the UK’s response to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Pakistan, a statement said. Floods triggered by unprecedented rains during the monsoon season have caused devastation across the country, with 33 million people impacted, 1,000 dead and over…
Rishi Sunak pledged to work "night and day" for the “best country in the world” as the election campaign to take over from Boris Johnson as the Conservative Party leader and the new British Prime Minister entered its final stage on Wednesday, with the very last hustings event set for…
About a quarter of people in the UK think the soaring energy bills would not allow them to turn on heating during the upcoming winter. According to a survey conducted by the London-based market research consultancy firm Savanta ComRes, 23 per cent of adults would not turn their heating on…
Just under 200,000 people will decide who becomes the new leader of Britain's ruling Conservative party and prime minister. The following on the Tory electorate is largely based on a research initiative -- the Party Members Project (PMP) -- by Queen Mary University of London and Sussex University, published in…
The race to become Britain's next prime minister is in its final week, with Liz Truss appeared poised to secure the top job, along with daunting challenges. Foreign Secretary Truss, 47, has consistently outrun 42-year-old former finance minister Rishi Sunak by wide margins in polls of Conservative party members who…
Around half the backers of Britain's governing Conservative Party support renationalising the country's energy industry, according to a survey published on Monday, as soaring energy prices put pressure on household budgets. The government has been facing growing calls to do more to help Britons facing energy bills which are set…
Only a few days are left for the election of the new British prime minister by the Conservative party. The new Tory leader will be announced on September 5. As expected, there will be major changes in the cabinet following the election of the new leader. Latest report suggests that…
Officials of the UK’s Government Legal Department have attended a ‘Queer Leadership’ conference on taxpayers’ money, leaving attorney general Suella Braverman “supremely disappointed”. “A small number” of civil servants are believed to have taken part in the diversity training in May, despite the top government lawyer’s order to cut on…
British energy bills will jump 80% to an average of 3,549 pounds ($4,188) a year from October, regulator Ofgem said on Friday, calling it a "crisis" that needed to be tackled by urgent and decisive government intervention. Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley said the rise would have a massive impact on…
Albanian police will be brought to the Kent coast to provide the UK authorities with intelligence and to help processing and removal of migrants. Britain on Thursday (25) said it would work with the southern European country to quickly process and repatriate the large number of Albanians who cross the…
Britain said on Thursday it would work with Albania to quickly process and repatriate the large number of Albanians who cross the English Channel in small boats, after a surge in the number of such migrants despite a plan to deport arrivals to Rwanda. The number of people arriving in…
Conservative leadership aspirant Rishi Sunak has slammed the “wrong” policies of the government during its pandemic response, including too much authority given to scientists.The former chancellor, a known critic of economically painful lockdowns, claimed he had been in favour of keeping schools open but his “emotional” argument was met with…
EVERYONE now expects Westminster’s Game of Thrones to end with foreign secretary Liz Truss wearing the crown. The former chancellor and her opponent, Rishi Sunak, embraces his underdog status and pledges to fight to the end. The candidates’ fates are now sealed in the returned but unopened ballot papers. Top…
UK home secretary Priti Patel has made it clear that she wants to stay on in the role under the new leader, media reports said. She claimed that her 'record speaks volumes', adding that it's up to the next prime minister to take the decision. Boris Johnson’s successor will be…
As the result of the UK Prime Minister race nears, Rishi Sunak made his last bit of efforts to salvage the contest for the Conservative party leadership that most surveys favour Liz Truss to win. During the 10th round of hustings in Birmingham, Sunak pitched values like patriotism, family, hard…
RISHI SUNAK, former chancellor and a candidate to be the next prime minister, received a hero’s welcome with loud cheering and Indian drums at a hustings event in north London on Monday (22). Sunak’s popularity in the community was evident as more than 650 British Asians from across the country…
A rights group has accused the UK’s intelligence agencies of sharing information with Indian authorities about a Sikh campaigner before his “unlawful arrest”. Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton in Scotland, was detained in the north Indian state of Punjab while he was shopping with his wife in November 2017. In…
Britain's prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak has said he wants to change the UK-India relationship to make it a more two-way exchange that opens up easy access to UK students and companies in India. Addressing a gathering of British Indian Conservative Party members who are voting in the election to…
Rishi Sunak's team on Monday launched a renewed attack on his Conservative Party leadership contest rival, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, for pushing through magic money tree promises to address the cost-of-living crisis faced by the British public. The British Indian former Chancellor's prime ministerial campaign headquarters and supporters highlighted that…
Former British cabinet minister Michael Gove on Friday endorsed Rishi Sunak for prime minister and announced an end of his frontline political career, he said in an op-ed in The Times. Gove wrote in the op-ed that he thinks Liz Truss' campaign for 10 Downing Street "has been a holiday…
According to a report in The Sun, around 10,000 people die each winter from causes related to the cold. This winter, more than 10,000 Britons could freeze to death because of switching off their heaters, to curb the rocketing energy bills, warn NHS chiefs. With regard to what is being…
Britain's prime ministerial candidate, Rishi Sunak, took some time out of a hectic campaign schedule to make a visit to a Hare Krishna temple on the outskirts of London to celebrate Janmashtami. Sunak, 42, who swore his oath of allegiance on being elected member of Parliament in the House of…
The UK government has blocked Hong Kong-based firm Super Orange from purchasing British electronic-design company Pulsic, citing security risks posed by China. A statement Wednesday said Britain's Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng "considers that the final order is necessary and proportionate to mitigate the risk to national security". Pulsic, a small-sized…
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss remains far ahead of leadership rival Rishi Sunak in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, a YouGov poll for Sky News showed on Thursday. The governing Conservative Party is voting by postal ballot to choose a new party leader after Boris Johnson said he…
When most people think about betting, they think about sports. This is, after all, the field where most bets are placed with millions of punters around the world betting on various outcomes of different sporting contests every day. Indeed, from the IPL to the Premier League, there is no end…
“CRISIS? What crisis?” James Callaghan never quite said those words, but they caught the gist of the prime minister’s response – “I don’t think other people in the world would share the view there is mounting chaos” – as he returned from a Caribbean island summit to the British winter…
British inflation surged to a new 40-year high in July on rising food prices, official data showed Wednesday, adding to a cost-of-living crisis as the country faces the prospect of recession. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) accelerated to 10.1 percent last month from 9.4 percent in June -- a 40-year…
The two candidates battling to be Britain's next prime minister will vie to present themselves as defenders of Scotland's place in the UK on Tuesday (16) by promising more scrutiny of Scotland's government to undermine a new push for independence. The Scottish National Party, which heads Scotland's semi-autonomous government, wants…
The Royal Navy will stop migrant patrols on January 31 next year and will hand over operational control to Border Force, according to a media report. The Ministry of Defence has conveyed its plans in this regard to ministers, The Telegraph reported. Currently, the Navy coordinates Border Force and Coastguard…
Outgoing British prime minister Boris Johnson drew fresh criticism Monday (15) over his handling of multiple crises afflicting Britain, after taking a second summer holiday just weeks before he leaves office. The main opposition Labour party accused Johnson, who is due to leave office on September 6, of having "one…
Housed in a detention centre in southern England, Aladeen says he risked his life to travel thousands of miles from his homeland of Syria to escape being forced to fight in the military of President Bashar al-Assad. Now the 21-year-old is battling to stay in Britain and avoid being sent…
The British government is set to appoint four new non-executive directors to the Bank of England's internal court, which acts as the financial body's supervisory board. Sky News reported that the treasury was set to appoint Lord Gadhia, a businessman of Ugandan origin; Soumen Das, chief finance officer of Segro; Sabine…
Britain's energy crisis will push millions into destitution this winter unless the government hands out more cash to help struggling households pay fuel bills, Rishi Sunak, the trailing candidate in the contest to become Britain's next leader, said.Former finance minister Sunak is up against foreign minister Liz Truss to succeed…
Rishi Sunak, one of two candidates seeking to become Britain's next prime minister, said Friday's attack on author Salman Rushdie should serve as a wake-up call to the West over Iran, the Sunday Telegraph reported.Indian-born author Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after Iran urged Muslims to kill him over…
The UK is planning to jail men who sexually harass women in public for up to two years under the new rules proposed by the government, media reports said. The Home Office launched a consultation in this regard for amending the 1986 public order act to create a new offence…
British leadership candidate Liz Truss, the front-runner to become prime minister next month, said energy giants should be held to account, but that profits should not be seen as either dirty or evil. "Of course, the energy giants, if they're in an oligopoly should be held to account and I…
Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak, who is competing to be the country's next prime minister, on Thursday (11) set out a plan, including a reduction in energy bills, to tackle rising costs for households. Writing in The Times, he said every household would get savings of around £200 ($244)…
WE ARE currently at a critical juncture for our country, living through arguably some of the most difficult challenges we have faced for a generation. There was great hope as we emerged from the tragic consequences of the pandemic, yet in February, a dark shadow was cast across our continent…
MEET Richie Saint, a capable, charming but ultimately imaginary politician bidding to be prime minister of this country. The son of a GP and a chemist was head boy at a top private school, with a first in PPE at Oxford followed up by a Stanford MBA. Saint met his…
Britain's prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak has insisted that he would rather lose the Conservative Party leadership race to replace Boris Johnson than win on a false promise on how he plans to tackle the economic crisis.In an interview with the BBC, the British Indian former Chancellor said he was…
Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended leaving his successor, either former Chancellor Rishi Sunak or Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, to deal with the soaring inflation and cost-of-living crisis, saying he is confident the government will have the fiscal firepower and the headroom to look after people. Addressing a…
British universities have axed several books from reading lists as the institutions sought to protect students from “challenging” content. An investigation by The Times revealed that the reasons for scrapping the books included concerns about graphic designs and discussions on suicide.Through freedom of information requests sent to almost 140 universities,…
Prime Minister Boris Johnson came under heavy criticism on Monday for allowing a political vacuum at the heart of his government to threaten an even deeper economic crisis in Britain before his successor takes office in September. Britain is bracing for a long recession as energy prices surge to unprecedented…
The race to be the next leader of Britain's ruling-Conservative Party and the country's prime minister is into its final leg, with the September outcome likely to shape the fortunes of sterling, gilts and UK stocks in coming months. The contest between foreign minister Liz Truss and former finance minister…
Liz Truss, the front-runner to become Britain's next prime minister, plans to rush through tax cuts earlier than planned in an attempt to boost the country's flagging economy, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Truss was considering accelerating by six months her plan to reverse this year's increase in social security contributions…
Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak said his party stood no chance of winning the next general election unless the surging inflation was tamed. The former chancellor of exchequer said at a hustings that the moderation of price rise would be his immediate priority if he became the prime minister succeeding…
A British cabinet member admitted Friday "I don't know where Boris is" as the prime minister checked out on holiday, in a week that saw the Bank of England warn a year-long recession is coming. Boris Johnson has since Wednesday been on a belated honeymoon with his wife Carrie, according…
Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has said that he diverted public money from 'deprived urban areas' in a leaked video. In a video leaked to the New Statesman, Sunak told an audience in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, that he wanted to change rules to reflect the real needs in rural and urban…
The former president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Lord Karan Bilimoria, is urging Rishi Sunak to cut taxes now, and not, as he has declared, in seven years. He has told Eastern Eye that reducing rates will not necessarily mean that inflation will rise. Speaking in a personal…
Rishi Sunak on Thursday appeared to score a surprise win with a studio audience at a key debate with frontrunner Liz Truss in the race to become Britain's next prime minister. While opinion polls back Truss to win the vote among Conservative party members, those sitting in the audience at…
The Conservative party leadership results are just weeks away and it looks like Liz Truss's victory over Rishi Sunak is imminent. The result of the vote to decide who will replace Boris Johnson as the next British Prime Minister is due on September 5. The latest poll showed how a significant…
LIZ TRUSS has all the momentum in the race to be the next British prime minister. In theory, Rishi Sunak has five weeks and 10 more candidate debates before voting closes. In practice, this fortnight is crucial. Ballot papers drop through letterboxes from this week. Half of members may send…
Former finance minister Rishi Sunak, one of two candidates vying to be Britain's next prime minister, said the country's next government must deal with inflation rather than risk exacerbating it. "The Bank has acted today and it is imperative that any future government grips inflation, not exacerbates it," Sunak said…
The Bank of England is expected Thursday to follow other major central banks with an aggressive interest rate hike to tackle surging inflation. The BoE is tipped to lift its main rate by 0.50 percentage points -- the biggest amount in more than a quarter of a century. British inflation…
Former Conservative health minister Sajid Javid announced Wednesday (3) his support for Liz Truss as the UK's next Conservative prime minister, adding to the roster of senior Tories backing her leadership bid. Javid resigned as health secretary in Boris Johnson's government in early July at the same time as Truss's…
The voting process for the next British prime minister? to be elected by Conservative Party members between former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has been delayed after an alert from the country's spies that cyber hackers could change members' ballots. According to The Daily Telegraph', the National…
Britain's ruling Conservative Party said on Wednesday it had enhanced security around the ballot process to decide its next leader, who will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. The Telegraph reported on Tuesday that the vote had been delayed after warnings from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)that hackers could…
Almost 700 migrants and asylum seekers crossed the Channel to Britain in a single day this week, a new record for the year, the UK government said Tuesday. The latest arrivals suggest the government's controversial policy to deport those attempting the dangerous crossing to Rwanda has so far failed to…
Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak said it was still "early days" in the leadership contest to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a day after an opinion poll showed him trailing rival Liz Truss by 34 points.The ruling Conservative Party is choosing a new leader after Johnson was forced to…
Liz Truss, the frontrunner to become Britain's next prime minister, on Tuesday, scrapped a plan to tailor public sector pay to different regions less than a day after announcing it, following a backlash from many within her own party. Truss had vowed to save billions of pounds a year by…
The frontrunner to become British prime minister, Liz Truss, said she would scrap plans to restrict multi-buy deals on food and drink high in fat, salt, or sugar and would not impose any new levies on unhealthy food. Britain already taxes sugar in soft drinks, and in May delayed until…
Foreign minister Liz Truss, the frontrunner to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has a smaller lead over her rival Rishi Sunak than previously thought, according to a poll of party members.Truss is backed by 48% of Conservative Party members compared with 43% for former finance minister Sunak, according to…
FOREIGN SECRETARY Liz Truss's bid to become Britain's next prime minister got a major boost on Monday (1) when she received the backing of a lawmaker she narrowly defeated to make it to the final two candidates vying to replace Boris Johnson. Junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt was the last…
As a seven-year-old in 1983, Liz Truss played the role of Britain's then prime minister Margaret Thatcher in her school's mock elections but failed to get a single vote. Four decades on, the foreign secretary is again bidding to emulate the Iron Lady to become Conservative party leader and prime…
British finance minister Nadhim Zahawi formally endorsed Liz Truss to be the next Conservative Party leader, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. Foreign secretary Truss "will overturn stale economic orthodoxy and run our economy in a Conservative way," Zahawi wrote in The Telegraph. Zahawi, who took over as finance minister from…
The bruising race between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to become Britain's next prime minister steps up a gear on Monday with the mailing out of ballots to Conservative party members.With voting set to begin to find Boris Johnson's replacement, bookmakers have Foreign Secretary Truss as heavy favourite ahead of…
Rishi Sunak, trailing in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, has vowed to slash the basic rate of income tax by 20% by 2029 in a potentially make-or-break throw of the dice by the former finance minister.Sunak, once seen as the favourite to replace Boris Johnson when he…
Britain’s prime ministerial hopeful Rishi Sunak said he was playing catch-up to his rival Liz Truss but rejected the claims that “latent racism” could hinder his chances of becoming the next Conservative leader.The former chancellor of the exchequer insisted that “merit” would be the most prominent factor in the Tory…
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is rated to have a 90 per cent shot over former chancellor Rishi Sunak to succeed Boris Johnson in the race for becoming the next Prime Minister, according to the latest estimate by betting exchange firm Smarkets. According to the Smarkets, Sunak's chance of becoming…
In his latest pledge, Conservative leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak has promised to review the Equalities Act to put a tab on the 'woke nonsense' to permeate public life, media reports said. By definition, woke culture means being aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of…
Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has pledged that he would double the number of foreign criminals deported each year if he becomes prime minister, even as the former chancellor admitted that he is trailing Truss in the leadership race, media reports said. Under his proposed 'three strikes and you’re out'…
British defence secretary Ben Wallace has endorsed Liz Truss in the race to become prime minister, a fresh boost to the foreign secretary who is favoured to beat her rival Rishi Sunak. Truss was "authentic" and "straight" and could do the job from day one, said Wallace, who is regarded…
British Conservatives Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss Thursday underwent their first grilling in front of party members as they wage a bitter duel to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The hustings in Leeds, northern England, were the opening bout of 12 nationwide events as the grassroots members elect a new…
FOREIGN SECRETARY Liz Truss and ex chancellor Rishi Sunak are battling it out to become Britain’s next prime minister, setting up the last stage of the contest to replace Boris Johnson. Both candidates present a clean face to help restore the government’s integrity and reputation. Truss was against Brexit, so…
MY FAMILY and I have been staunch Tory supporters for the past 40 years. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak is like Margaret Thatcher, willing to work hard and determined to put in the effort until he reaches the top. He is fiscally disciplined by way of economic background and has the…
A children's charity in UK has warned that more than 3,500 online child abuses will happen every month if the passing of the online safety bill is delayed, according to reports. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has urged both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss…
British businessman and Conservative donor Lord Ranger has warned that the UK will be perceived as a “racist” country if Tory members do not elect former chancellor Rishi Sunak as the party leader.The peer, whose company Sun Mark has donated £1.54 million to the Conservatives and its lawmakers since 2009,…
Around 40,000 British railway workers staged a walkout on Wednesday, a month after the largest strike in 30 years as the UK battles its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. The nationwide walkout over pay and conditions brought the rail network to a virtual standstill with only one in five training…
Rishi Sunak, trailing in the race to become Britain's prime minister, pledged on Wednesday to temporarily scrap taxes on energy bills paid by households, part of a "winter plan" to ease the cost-of-living crisis.The year-long hiatus on paying value-added tax (VAT) on energy bills would save the average household 160…
LIZ TRUSS or Rishi Sunak will become Britain’s next prime minister in September. A fierce ‘blue on blue’ contest is underway, though the two candidates actually have much in common. As Boris Johnson’s foreign secretary and chancellor, respectively, they were the more experienced leadership candidates against insurgent rivals. Both are…
Outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson has washed his hands of an inquiry into MP Nusrat Ghani’s claims of religious bias for her being sacked as the transport minister, saying his successor would have to look into the matter.Ghani, 49, who was sacked as the transport minister in 2020, alleged that…
There was no clear winner between former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Tuesday after the UK's prime ministerial candidates went head-to-head in their first television debate as finalists and clashed fiercely on their economic policies and tax plans. A snap Opinium poll of who performed best…
Britain's two prime ministerial contenders clashed fiercely over tax, China and character on Monday night in their first head-to-head televised debate, as Rishi Sunak seeks to peg back the frontrunner Liz Truss.The primetime debate kicked off a crucial 12-day period featuring three such live TV duels and four husting events…
It has been dubbed a bruising blue on blue battle, a reference to attacks within different factions of the governing Conservative Party as they turn on each other in the leadership contest to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader and British Prime Minister.Ahead of a key head-on televised BBC debate…
Rishi Sunak on Sunday promised to get tough on China if he becomes Britain's next prime minister, calling the Asian superpower the "number one threat" to domestic and global security.The former finance minister's pledge comes after his rival in the final two of the race to lead the ruling Conservative…
FORMER health secretary Matt Hancock has described Rishi Sunak as an “incredible talent” and a proven decision-maker who would make a “great” prime minister. Sunak, who resigned as the chancellor earlier this month, is expected to be in the final two in the race to become prime minister after he…
ELECTIONS divide – and the race to determine the next leader of the Conservative party is no different. Every candidate for prime minister has reminded the Tories they will need to unite around whoever emerges as leader. But calls for a clean contest have been honoured more in the breach…
THE English Channel port of Dover on Saturday (23) battled to clear a chronic backlog of summer getaway delays, which Britain blamed on France but others said was caused by Brexit. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss risked a cross-Channel row by calling Friday's lengthy tailbacks "entirely avoidable" and urging Paris…
Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak, one of two remaining candidates to become Britain's next prime minister, on Saturday described himself as the underdog in the contest. Sunak's resignation helped trigger a revolt that saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson agree to step down after a series of scandals. Members of…
A U.K. parliamentary panel on Friday warned the government against accepting a "poor" deal to rush things through simply to meet a Diwali deadline set for the completion of a landmark free trade agreement (FTA) with India. The House of Commons International Agreements Committee, in a report entitled ‘UK-India free…
A political party whose membership skews white and male will decide in the coming weeks between an ethnic Indian and a woman to be its new leader, and hence Britain's next prime minister. The Conservative runoff between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss means that Boris Johnson's successor in 10 Downing…
Britain's former finance minister, Rishi Sunak, in the running to become the next prime minister, would put the government on a crisis footing from "day one" of taking office, he said in an interview with The Times on Friday.Over the next week, Sunak intends to argue that Britain is facing…
A rare record awaits Britain's Rishi Sunak if he wins the race to become the prime minister, according to a report. Sunak will be the sixth person of Indian origin in the world to hold the highest position. US-based non-profit organisation Indiaspora has recently released a detailed list of people…
Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak revealed he rushed back home from the US in December last year to stop Britain from “sleepwalking into a national lockdown”.The Omicron variant of the coronavirus was raging around Christmas time last year triggering fears that the country would have to take harsh measures to…
Rishi Sunak warned Conservatives Thursday that choosing leadership rival Liz Truss to be UK prime minister risks losing the next election to the Labour party, as he bids to overhaul her huge polling lead among Tories.Former finance minister Sunak topped five ballots of Tory MPs over the last eight days…
DIFFERENCES over how to revive Britain's slow-growth, high-inflation economy could hardly be starker within the ruling Conservative Party as the two remaining contenders to become its new leader, and thereby prime minister, clash over tax. Rishi Sunak wants continuity of the economic policies he introduced as finance minister, promising to…
Rishi Sunak will claim credit for steering Britain's economy through the COVID-19 crash but must overcome accusations that he is too rich and too willing to raise taxes to win the race to be the next prime minister.After coming first in successive rounds of voting by Conservative Party lawmakers, Sunak…
If it's not the pictures of her standing atop a tank in a nod to Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, it's the meme-defining moment when she vented her anger over cheese imports into Britain that made Liz Truss something of a household name.For many, she was a figure of fun, but…
The race to succeed Boris Johnson as British prime minister was on Wednesday (20) reduced to the final two candidates, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, who will go forward for a summer of campaigning to win over the around 200,000 Conservative Party members who make the final decision. Below is…
FORMER finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss will battle it out to become Britain's next prime minister after they won the final lawmaker vote, setting up the last stage of the contest to replace Boris Johnson. Sunak has led in all rounds of the voting among Conservative…
THE final two candidates to become UK prime minister will be decided Wednesday (20), with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt battling it out with frontrunner Rishi Sunak. Former finance minister Sunak was only two votes short of securing his place in the final two after Tuesday's (19) voting,…
BRITAIN's former finance minister Rishi Sunak held on to his lead on Tuesday (19) among Conservative lawmakers in the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, but his two remaining rivals were closing the gap, leaving the race wide open. In a vote among Conservative Party members of parliament,…
RISHI SUNAK, frontrunner in the contest to become Britain's next prime minister, would lose to any of his remaining opponents if he makes it through to the final stage of the contest when rank and file party members get to vote, polling showed on Tuesday (19). The YouGov poll of…
Britain's government must focus on sound public finances and avoid further fuelling inflation by pumping up demand, new finance minister Nadhim Zahawi is due to say in his first major speech on Tuesday. Zahawi will address the City of London's annual Mansion House dinner, where he is set to confirm…
FORMER finance minister Rishi Sunak widened his lead in the latest round of voting Monday (18) by Conservative MPs to decide Britain's next prime minister, but the race to get in the final two tightened. Sunak won the support of 115 Tory lawmakers, followed by Penny Mordaunt on 82 votes,…
Britain’s climate minister Alok Sharma said Conservative leadership hopefuls should be mindful of the environment “emergency” and show their commitment to meeting the decarbonisation target.He said the extreme heat the UK is experiencing should alert the candidates to the enormity of the situation and they come up with a programme…
ELECTIONS divide – and the race to determine the next leader of the Conservative party is no different. Every candidate for prime minister has reminded the Conservatives that they will need to unite around whoever emerges as leader. But calls for a clean contest have been honoured more in the…
Barbs flew and derisive laughter rang out as the Conservative contenders battling to succeed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson clashed in a live TV debate Sunday, heading into a pivotal week for the acrimonious race.Rising global temperatures were among the policy areas under contention after Britain's climate minister, COP26 president…
Public policy specialist Eleanor Shawcross has been drafted in to advise Conservative leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak.Regarded as “super-smart”, Shawcross had famously worked as a senior aide to George Osborne who was the chancellor of the exchequer between 2010 and 2016 including the months leading up to the Brexit referendum.She has…
BRITISH foreign minister Liz Truss clashed over tax policy with former finance minister Rishi Sunak on Friday (15), as the five remaining contenders to be Britain's next prime minister went head-to-head in the first of three televised debates. An initial field of 11 challengers has been whittled down following two…
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has gained backing from former Brexit negotiator David Frost and British lawmaker Suella Braverman to become the next UK prime minister, British media reported on Thursday.Truss, who received 64 votes in the second round of the Conservative Party's leadership election on Thursday, pledged an "upward…
AFTER being ousted from the Tory leadership contest Attorney General Suella Braverman on Thursday (14) accused Penny Mordaunt of 'not standing up for women', according to reports. Junior trade minister Mordaunt now remains in the race for the party leadership while Braverman was knocked out on Thursday. Former chancellor Rishi…
The race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative leader and Britain's prime minister is down to five candidates after the second round of voting among Tory MPs on Thursday.While former finance minister Rishi Sunak is leading the way with his MP colleagues, second-placed Penny Mordaunt is polling out front with…
FORMER finance minister Rishi Sunak cemented his lead over rivals to become Britain's next prime minister on Thursday (14) in an increasingly bitter race to replace Boris Johnson. Sunak, whose exit from the Treasury last week was one of the first in a cascade of resignations that forced Johnson to…
Senior Conservative parliamentarians have told Eastern Eye the country is ready for its first south Asian prime minister. They believe the days of the Tories being considered as the “nasty and racist” party are over. Four candidates of colour were among the eight nominated in the leadership race as Eastern…
British former finance minister Rishi Sunak said his first economic priority if he becomes prime minister will be tackling high inflation, not the tax cuts pledged by some of his rivals in the race to replace Boris Johnson. British consumer price inflation hit a 40-year high of 9.1% in May,…
FORMER finance minister Rishi Sunak won the biggest backing from Conservative lawmakers on Wednesday (13) in the first vote to choose who will succeed Boris Johnson as party leader and British prime minister, while two more rivals were eliminated. Sunak, whose resignation as finance minister last week helped precipitate Johnson's…
THE race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative leader and Britain's prime minister is heating up, with eight candidates facing a first vote among Tory MPs on Wednesday (13). While several possible successors are seen as frontrunners, there is no clear favourite -- and such contests are notoriously volatile. Rishi…
Frontrunning Conservative leadership aspirant Rishi Sunak has come under frontal attack from his rivals and prime minister Boris Johnson’s loyalists as the intra-party contest has hotted up.Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg accused the former chancellor of damaging the reputation of the ruling party with his mismanagement of the country’s economy…
Conservative lawmakers will vote on Wednesday to narrow the field of eight candidates hoping to succeed Boris Johnson as party leader and prime minister, as rival camps trade barbs in an increasingly fractious contest for the leadership.Three of the 11 initial challengers for the premiership fell away on Tuesday after…
Promises of tax cuts from candidates to succeed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pose another inflationary risk which could pressure the Bank of England to raise interest rates more aggressively, cancelling out any potential boost to the economy. Most of the 11 contenders, trying to portray themselves as defenders of…
Britain's new prime minister will be announced on Sept. 5, with the first votes to begin eliminating candidates in a crowded and increasingly unpredictable and divisive contest to replace Boris Johnson coming this week. So far 11 candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to succeed Johnson as leader…
The race to succeed Boris Johnson as British prime minister has begun, with 11 candidates so far putting themselves forward for a contest which will ultimately be decided by around 200,000 Conservative Party members.Below is what the bookmakers' top three favourites have said on key issues:RISHI SUNAK - Current favouriteOn…
While several possible successors are seen as frontrunners, there is no clear favourite -- and such contests are notoriously volatile. Rishi Sunak The UK's first Hindu finance minister, Sunak quit on Tuesday and declared he was standing three days later. Long seen as Johnson's most likely successor, his prospects were…
Former chancellor Rishi Sunak’s allies are believed to be trying to prevail upon his former cabinet colleague Sajid Javid to back his candidacy for the Conservative Party leadership.They have reportedly reached out to Javid’s friends to convince the former health secretary that it would not help either of them if…
As many as a dozen candidates were on Friday eyeing up replacing Boris Johnson as British prime minister who is quitting after his Conservative Party turned on him, as opponents said they wanted him out of Downing Street immediately. Johnson said on Thursday that he would step down as Conservative…
BRITAIN's Boris Johnson will reportedly announce his resignation as Conservative leader, paving the way for an internal party contest to replace him and become prime minister. While several possible successors have been suggested, there is no clear favourite. Rishi Sunak The UK's first Hindu chancellor of the exchequer, who quit…
Britain's finance and health ministers resigned in quick succession on Tuesday, in moves that put the future of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in peril after a series of scandals that have damaged his administration.Below is a summary of some of those who could be in the frame to replace him…
THE UK government is hosting the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) on July 5 and 6 in London. The conference brings together faith and belief leaders, governments, parliamentarians, and civil society organisations from 100 countries to take global action to promote freedom of religion or…
Two Britons sentenced to death by a separatist regime in eastern Ukraine will be executed with UK-made a gun and bullets, according to a hardline Russian lawmaker.Aleksey Zhuravlyov, who called the British nationals “b******s”, said the weapons to be used for their execution would be sent to their relatives who…
Commonwealth leaders have told Eastern Eye that the UK government is “hell bent on destroying the Commonwealth in pursuit of a colonial agenda”. This newspaper has previously reported on the campaign by Boris Johnson’s administration to oust the current boss of the organisation’s administrative arm, Patricia Scotland. But now her…
THE UK government on Tuesday (14) defended its controversial policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, even as the entire senior leadership of the Church of England branded it shameful and immoral. According to Daily Mail, opening Cabinet this morning, prime minister Boris Johnson said, "What is happening with the…
BRITAIN expects the first flight of asylum seekers to depart for Rwanda on Tuesday (14) and any person who avoids that flight due to legal proceedings will be put on a later one, foreign secretary Liz Truss said. London's High Court is due to hear final legal challenges against the…
Supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin have been accused of mocking the potential execution of two British fighters captured in Ukraine and claiming the UK was not doing anything to help them out.A court in the breakaway republic of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine had last week sentenced the Britons -…
Britain will set out plans on Monday to override some of the post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, changes that will inflame tensions with the European Union but were dubbed mere "bureaucratic simplifications" by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Britain has been threatening for months to rip up the Northern Ireland protocol,…
Britain on Friday condemned Russian proxy authorities in Donbas for what it called an "egregious breach" of the Geneva convention in sentencing to death two British nationals captured in the separatist region while fighting for Ukraine.Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said he was talking to Ukraine rather than Russia about…
Britain is prioritising talking to Ukraine rather than Russia on the situation of two jailed British men who have been sentenced to death in one of Russia's proxies in eastern Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Friday. Two Britons and a Moroccan who were captured while fighting for…
The UK government on Thursday said it was "deeply concerned" after Russian news agencies reported pro-Moscow separatists had sentenced to death two British fighters captured by Russian troops while fighting for Ukraine. "We are obviously deeply concerned by this. Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to combatant…
The UK on Wednesday ruled out suspending the British Virgin Islands' self-government and returning to direct rule, after the former premier Andrew Fahie was arrested for drug trafficking and money laundering.Fahie and the BVI's chief port official were arrested in April at a Miami-area airport after a sting operation by…
The head of the UK armed forces Admiral Tony Radakin said on Sunday that it was "unlawful and unhelpful" for Britons to go and fight against Russia in Ukraine. His comments contradict British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who said she supported anyone who wanted to volunteer and followed an appeal…
A Russian TV presenter has suggested his country should invade Britain next and take Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, according to a report. Stonehenge is one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe. Vladimir Solovyov, who has close ties…
BRITAIN wants to keep growing its ties with India as part of efforts to work more closely with allies to create a so-called Network of Liberty, foreign secretary Liz Truss said.She used her keynote address at the Lord Mayor's Easter banquet in London on Wednesday (27) to issue a stark…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson arrived in India Thursday (21) touting job-creating investment but facing long odds to get his reluctant counterpart Narendra Modi to back Western action against Russia. Johnson arrived in Gujarat -- Modi's home state and the ancestral home to half of the United Kingdom's British Indians…
MOSCOW on Saturday (16) announced it was banning entry to UK prime minister Boris Johnson and several other top UK officials after London imposed sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine."This step was taken as a response to London's unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson is planning to visit India by April end with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties, according to official sources. The visit, which is expected around April 22, is long overdue after Johnson was forced to cancel planned visits to India twice last year due to…
RUSSIA will increase its use of non-Western currencies for trade with countries such as India, its foreign minister said on Friday (1), as he hailed India as a friend that was not taking a "one-sided view" on the Ukraine war.Sergei Lavrov visited India on a mission to shore up support…
STRONGER ties with India are more important than ever before in view of the crisis in Ukraine, British foreign secretary Liz Truss said Thursday (31), but she said the UK would not tell India not to buy discounted Russian oil. Her comments came after talks with India’s external affairs minister…
UKRAINE has sought India’s intervention to stop Russian aggression on the eastern European country as peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have not made any meaningful headway.Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said India should leverage its friendly ties with Russia and prevail upon its president Vladimir Putin to stop the…
Britain's foreign secretary was in India on Thursday (31) to press for tougher action on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ahead of a visit by Moscow's top diplomat likely aimed at urging Delhi to do the opposite. India has abstained from UN resolutions censuring Russia, calling only for a cessation of…
RUSSIA'S foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will visit India for a two-day visit beginning on Thursday (31), officials said.He is likely to press New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn the Ukraine invasion.India has abstained from UN resolutions censuring Russia and continues to buy Russian oil and other goods. Lavrov's…
BRITISH foreign secretary Elizabeth Truss will visit India on Thursday (31) against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Monday (28) said Truss will hold consultations with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.Russian foreign minister…
THE THIRD round of the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations will be hosted by India next month, Britain's Department for International Trade (DIT) said on Thursday (24).A joint “outcome statement” released by the DIT confirmed that a draft treaty text of chapters that will make up the new…
BRITAIN is very disappointed with India's stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, trade minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said ahead of the conclusion of the second round of trade talks. India has avoided condemning Russian actions since it invaded Ukraine three weeks ago, to the frustration of allies including the US, and…
BRITAIN and the US have committed to coordinating the implementation of their Indo-Pacific strategies, with a focus on enhancing ties with India, Downing Street has said.At “high-level consultations” on the Indo-Pacific held in London last week, officials from both governments resolved to broaden and deepen their alignment and cooperation in…
THE UK government launched a girls’ education drive aimed at developing countries, including India to mark International Women’s Day. The government will work with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) to implement the new Girls’ Education Skills Partnership which will be funded by Accenture, Standard Chartered, Unilever, Microsoft, and United Bank for Africa.…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Thursday (24) condemned Russia's "unprovoked" and "horrific" attack on Ukraine, as he prepared to chair an emergency meeting of top ministers and officials. Johnson spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky overnight and vowed "the West would not stand by as (Russian) president (Vladimir) Putin…
As the volatile Westminster mood shifts daily, predictions are perilous. But the bookmakers odds capture the fragility of the prime minister’s position, giving Boris Johnson a one in three chance of remaining in office to the end of this year, and only a one in five chance of fighting a…
SENIOR cabinet members from Boris Johnson’s team, including the prime minister, are expected to travel to India this year as both countries step up their bilateral engagements, India’s high commissioner to the UK has revealed. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Gaitri Issar Kumar also said New Delhi was…
British prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday rejected opposition calls to resign for attending lockdown parties but accepted that a rule that ministers should lose their jobs if they had knowlingly misled parliament applied to him. Johnson, who in 2019 won the biggest Conservative majority in more than 30 years,…
UK foreign secretary Liz Truss offered her "100 percent" support for embattled Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson on Friday, backing him to remain in office "as long as possible." Truss -- who has been tipped as a front-runner to replace Johnson -- said she believed the 57-year-old Tory leader was…
THE BLACKBURN man who took four people hostage in Texas over the weekend had a criminal record and was known to the UK police, his brother said.The siege at a synagogue ended with the police intervention and the captor - Malik Faisal Akram - was killed in the incident, while…
THE MAN who held four people hostage at a Texas synagogue was on Sunday (16) identified by US authorities as a British citizen while UK police later arrested two teens over an attack that president Joe Biden called an "act of terror."The captor, who died in the 10-hour siege in…
"I'd think twice about it," Uxbridge resident Veronika Machu said of voting again for her local MP Boris Johnson, after a slew of lockdown partying allegations. Voters in suburban Uxbridge, on the fringes of Greater London, feel anger, disappointment and resignation at the ongoing accusations, including that the prime minister's…
THE United Kingdom is ready to take unilateral action that would suspend customs checks on goods moving to Northern Ireland, foreign secretary Liz Truss said ahead of talks with the European Union. Truss is due to hold talks with EU vice president Maros Sefcovic this week to resolve disagreements over…
By Amit Roy and Sarwar Alam HAVING achieved Brexit, Boris Johnson’s new year’s resolution is to “Get FTA done” – a reference to the Free Trade Agreement that the British prime minister is pursuing with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Although no dates have been announced, the international trade secretary…
Building bridges across divisions in society will be key in 2022 EVERY new year is a time for optimism, but 2022 begins with that natural instinct checked by recent experience. Few expected this Covid-19 pandemic to go into a third year. In its first year, we pulled together rather than…
BRITISH ministers are eager to ease immigration rules to make it easier for Indians to live and work in the UK as part of trade talks that are due to start between the two nations within weeks. According to a report by The Times, international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is…
BRITISH minister who chaired the Cop26 climate summit has said that tackling the climate crisis must be a whole government effort or risk becoming “just a bunch of meaningless promises”, reported The Guardian. Alok Sharma has added that all of his colleagues must bear joint responsibility for the UK’s net-zero…
CURRENTLY, an unprecedented, politically driven commitment towards the transformation of the India-UK relationship is taking place. This began with the virtual summit between the two prime ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi on May 4, 2021. The new UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, visited New Delhi and Mumbai in late…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday (14) described the UK and India as "natural partners" who are working together on many "fantastic projects". He said the partnership between the two countries will transform people's lives and promote the principles of freedom, openness and peace. In his special address to…
Prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK comes at a time when India-UK bilateral relations are on a positive trajectory and potentially at the threshold of a new era, India’s High Commissioner to the UK Gaitri Issar Kumar has said. Modi will attend the World Leaders’ Summit (WLS) of…
HINDU organisations in the UK appealed to prime minister Boris Johnson, home secretary Priti Patel and foreign secretary Liz Truss as they sought justice for victims of the recent violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) joined the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha…
IN her current trip to India, the UK's foreign secretary Liz Truss in order to forge stronger security and defence links with India, visited HMS Queen Elizabeth in Mumbai on Saturday (23). The ship is the spearhead of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), and on its visit to Mumbai is…
BRITAIN and India must step up their economic and security ties, foreign secretary Liz Truss said ahead of a visit to Delhi where she will announce a green tech investment and pitch her vision of Britain's new role in the world to senior Indian ministers. Truss, who was appointed as…
A school headteacher known as the strictest in Britain and who has slammed "woke culture", has been appointed as the government's new Social Mobility Commissioner. Katharine Birbalsingh, who is looking forward to her new role, said “improving social mobility is more vital than ever”. “On the one hand, I want…
BRITAIN dropped its advice against all but essential travel for 32 countries and territories on Wednesday (6) as it continued to simplify its coronavirus travel regime after progress in fighting Covid-19 across the world. The change will allow people to travel more easily to destinations such as Algeria, Malaysia and…
BRITAIN wants to strike agreements covering trade and security with India and other democratic nations in the strategic Indo-Pacific region to challenge the influence of authoritarian states, the UK's new foreign secretary Liz Truss said on Sunday (3). Truss, who was in charge of talks with India on a future…
BRITISH foreign secretary Liz Truss met Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in London where they discussed a wide range of matters, including the prevailing situation in Afghanistan. They spoke about their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, including deepening economic links, a press release from the…
THE new security treaty, signed last week by the US, the UK and Australia and aimed at confronting the menace of China’s growing naval fleet in the Indo-Pacific region, is a “welcome development” for India, influential political, foreign policy and defence experts have told Eastern Eye. AUKUS, an acronym denoting…
INDIA’S foreign minister on Tuesday (21) urged Britain to remove a rule requiring Indians visiting there to quarantine even if they are fully vaccinated. India's Covishield vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and manufactured in India by Pune-based Serum Institute, is not recognised by Britain under new rules despite being identical to…
PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson has carried out a major reshuffle of his government, replacing his foreign secretary and giving his former nemesis a key role. Here are winners and losers from a day of drama in Westminster: Liz Truss Truss, 46, had been earmarked for promotion after presiding over a…
Britain's new foreign secretary is a free-trade champion who once opposed Brexit and whose straight talk and willingness to wade in on the culture wars has made her popular among grassroots Conservative voters. Prime minister Boris Johnson nominated Liz Truss to be the country's top diplomat on Wednesday -- a…
British prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday (15) undertook a reshuffle of his top team, keeping two of his senior Cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel in their posts. Sunak will remain next door to Johnson at Downing Street as his chancellor of the exchequer and Patel, who had…
INDIA’S commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has confirmed that New Delhi and the UK are moving towards an “early harvest trade” agreement, with a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) as the next step. Goyal held a virtual meeting with the UK's international trade secretary Liz Truss, on Monday (13)…
Shehla Hasan has important task of attracting Indian investments into the region PORTUGUESE footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo joining Manchester United is not the only uplifting news coming out of the city. Perhaps less high-profile but possibly a lot more significant is Shehla Hasan’s appointment as the new executive director of…
THERE are chances of a cabinet reshuffle as Boris Johnson is expected to hand £34 billion to the NHS as part of a reform of health and social care. According to a report by The Sunday Times, the first ministreal reshuffle by the prime minister in more than 18 months…
DEWSBURY MP Mark Eastwood has been given a new role as the UK’s Trade Envoy for Pakistan. The appointment is one of ten announced by the prime minister, Boris Johnson, to “boost British business”. Eastwood, who was elected in 2019, said he was “delighted” to be given the responsibility and…
UK INTERNATIONAL trade secretary Liz Truss has lauded exports of apples from England to India, for the first time in half a century, as a sign of the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership in action. Truss said on Twitter over the weekend that the exports of the fruits from a farm…
THE inaugural meeting of the UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue (FMD) between senior representatives of both countries was held virtually on Friday (9). As part of the dialogue, discussions were held to strengthen cooperation on four key themes- Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City, banking and payments, insurance and capital markets.…
MEMBER countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have allowed Britain to start the process of joining the pact, Japan's economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Wednesday (2) The decision will help Britain in its efforts to pivot away from Europe, build global influence and form…
By Lord Ahmad EARLIER this month, prime minister Boris Johnson and prime minister Narendra Modi made a historic commitment to strengthen collaboration between the UK and India over the next decade, bringing our countries, economies and people closer together. This quantum leap will be transformational in boosting cooperation in areas…
UK trade secretary Liz Truss on Tuesday (25) launched a 14-week consultation to seek the views of the public and business as part of preparations for a trade deal with India. The UK wants a deal that slashes barriers to doing business and trading with India’s £2 trillion economy and market…
By Lord Tariq Ahmad EARLIER this month prime minister Boris Johnson and prime minister Narendra Modi made an historic commitment to strengthen collaboration between the UK and India over the next decade, bringing our countries, economies and people closer together. This quantum leap will be transformational in boosting cooperation in…
A PPE firm from Bradford has alleged that the Department of Health and Social Care “unfairly prioritised” some suppliers and breached transparency rules at the height of the pandemic last year. Multibrands, owned by Imran Faisel Hussain and Rizwana Syeda Hussain, said officials “went quiet” after it wrote to the…
UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab and Indian external affairs minister Dr Jaishankar held a virtual two hour meeting on Thursday (6) focussing on implementing the '2030 roadmap' of the India-UK enhanced trade partnership (ETP) to pave the way for a free trade agreement (FTA). Both the ministers also discussed Indo-Pacific…
By Amit Roy ALTHOUGH prime minister Boris Johnson has had to call off his trip to India twice this year because of the Covid situation, Indo-British trade and bilateral relations are in remarkably good shape despite the pandemic, informed sources have told Eastern Eye. “It’s surprising, but encouraging,” said Anuj…
By Nadeem Badshah BRITISH food firms and restaurants could potentially be the big winners if the UK strikes a new £100 billion trade deal with India, according to business leaders. Entrepreneurs said import and export costs for shops and restaurants will fall if they can use Indian suppliers and…
By Rithika Siddhartha BRITISH INDIAN ties are “under leveraged” for the benefit of both sides and there is a real focus in the UK on the Indo-Pacific region, a senior minister said as he embarked on a visit to the south Asian country. Lord Tariq Ahmad is the minister…
By Lord Dolar Popat I WAS delighted to read the joint statement on the enhanced trade partnership made during our international trade secretary Liz Truss’s recent visit to New Delhi. India is a country with which we have a huge amount in common, and deepening ties with vast and attractive…
INDIAN pharmaceutical and biotechnology giant Wockhardt on Wednesday(10) said that it has been awarded a six-month extension for its agreement with the UK government to fill-finish Covid-19 vaccines. This expands the original agreement until August 2022, and the manufacturing will continue to be undertaken at the company's North Wales-based subsidiary…
Britain's international trade secretary Liz Truss will arrive in New Delhi for talks with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday and to work out further details around a proposed Enhanced Trade Partnership between India and the UK, officials said on Tuesday. The visit follows a virtual dialogue between…
Britain said it is to apply to join a massive 11-nation free-trade bloc of Asia-Pacific countries this week, not long after quitting the European Union's single market. International trade secretary Liz Truss will formally request Monday for Britain to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a…
A brave new world or a dangerous leap into the unknown? After nearly 50 years of integration with Europe, Britain starts an uncertain new chapter on January 1. - What changes on January 1? - Britain formally quit the European Union in January this year but has continued to observe…
THE UK women and equalities minister Liz Truss on Thursday(17) launched the 'equality data programme' to better understand the barriers that people from every background are facing in the country. The programme will deliver on a manifesto commitment to improve evidence on equality and to support levelling up ambitions. The…
India's foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla held talks with British home secretary Priti Patel in London during which he strongly underlined India's interest in the expeditious extradition of former Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya, who has completed all the legal processes related to extradition from the UK, and fugitive diamond…
FISH is the biggest sticking point in Brexit talks now as Boris Johnson wants control over its waters back while the EU wants access to the fishing waters. However, Britain and the EU have made good progress in talks on a last-minute trade deal. The UK left the EU in January…
PROGRESS in talks between the UK and India in reducing trade barriers could deliver a £250 million annual boost for British businesses, industry estimates suggest. The UK’s International Trade secretary Liz Truss and India’s minister of railways and commerce & industry Piyush Goyal agreed to explore opportunities for expanding and…
India invested in 120 projects and created 5,429 new jobs in the UK to become the second-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) after the US in 2019, according to new UK government figures released on Friday. The Department for International Trade (DIT) inward investment statistics for 2019-2020 found India…
THE British Medical Association has urged the government to explain on why it did not publish "the full report" on the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. On Thursday (11), a British-Indian academic, who had peer-reviewed a recent Public Health England inquiry paper on tackling…
THE Government Equalities Office (GEO) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on Tuesday (24) took the decision to suspend enforcement of the gender pay gap deadlines for 2019/20 reporting. The suspension of the enforcement of the gender pay gap reporting deadlines is due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The…
GROWTH in British food and drink exports driven by demand from non-EU markets such as the US and Japan confirm 2019 as a major year for the industry, latest data showed. Data released by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, (HMRC), show the UK exported nearly £24 billion worth of food…
ATLANTA, US-based firm Blackhall Studios would invest £150 million to build a state-of-the-art film studio in Reading, UK, their first outside of the US. The investment is expected to create 3,000 jobs in the local area. Upon completion, it will be the largest film studios in the UK and will…
The UK has said that it is deeply disappointed by the continued application of retaliatory tariffs under the Airbus dispute. The US on Friday (14) increased tariffs on its planes imported into the country from Europe to 15%. "The additional tariffs on aircraft announced by United States Trade Representative are…
Britain's treasury minister today (31) used the example of a UK bakery exporting naan to India as a "go-getting" reshaping of post-Brexit Britain as a global trading nation. Liz Truss, UK’s chief secretary to the treasury, during a visit to Signature Flatbreads in Befordshire, said that a company in the…
BRITISH Asian SAJID Javid was named this morning (30) as Britain's new home secretary after Amber Rudd resigned from that post, having "inadvertently misled" parliament about deportation targets for illegal immigrants. Prime minister Theresa May's Downing Street office announced the appointment in a statement. Javid was previously Britain's communities minister.…
PEOPLE from ethnic minorities are more likely to be jailed to for certain types of crime than white people convicted of the same offences, a British government-commissioned review into race and the criminal justice system has found. Labour MP David Lammy, who is heading the review, wrote in an open…