- Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Russia has accused the BBC of "waging an information war" on different fronts - not only against Moscow, but also against other global centres of power pursuing an independent policy, days after the British broadcaster released a controversial series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova…
Rishi Sunak said on Monday he had acted "pretty decisively" by sacking Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi over his personal tax affairs, moving to quell criticism that he had acted too slowly. In the latest scandal to involve one of his ministers and just months after he entered Downing Street…
Britain's government Monday enacted new measures to accelerate the deportation of foreign criminals, clamping down on some who have claimed protection under UK law as purported victims of "modern slavery". It cited the case of one convicted rapist who appealed against a decision by the Home Office (interior ministry) to…
Hundreds representing different Indian diaspora organisations gathered outside the BBC headquarters in central London on Sunday to protest against what they branded as “fake news” behind the broadcaster’s controversial series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The “Chalo BBC” protests were coordinated across BBC studios in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and…
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…
Sikh engineer Navjot Sawhney, who created hand-cranked washing machine to support families worldwide and Glasgow charity founder Khalid Raza, who recycles wheelchairs for the disabled, have won the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's Points of Light Award. Sawhney set up the Washing Machine Project four years ago which can be…
Britain is weighing up allowing international students to take up more part-time jobs to address staff shortages businesses are facing.Foreign students are currently permitted to work for a maximum of 20 hours a week during term time and The Times has reported that discussions have begun within the government on…
Describing India banning the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a matter of press freedom, the US State Department said that it is high time to highlight the importance of democratic principles like freedom of expression and make it a point around the world as well as in…
Rishi Sunak has defended the appointment of his Conservative Party chairman, saying he was not aware of any tax issues at the time but had launched an investigation as soon as questions were raised. Questions over the tax affairs of Nadhim Zahawi have dogged the prime minister for a week,…
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman is said to be on a collision course with the country's education department over plans to cut the period of stay allowed for overseas students under a post-study visa route, according to a UK media report on Wednesday (25). The new Graduate Visa route, which…
Two hundred asylum-seeking children, including some aged under 16, are missing from temporary hotel accommodation in Britain, the government said on Tuesday, raising new questions over ministers' handling of migrant arrivals. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government is under pressure on two fronts over immigration: from those who say he is…
DOWNING STREET had a make-over last week. There were hanging lanterns in the staircases alongside the portraits of former prime ministers. Cherry blossom and auspicious orchids decorated the reception rooms. Rishi Sunak was celebrating Lunar New Year, noting that the year of the rabbit’s traditional association with peace and prosperity…
Rishi Sunak on Monday ordered an independent investigation into the tax affairs of scandal-hit Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi amid mounting pressure from the Opposition. After days of headlines over the Iraqi-born minister without portfolio in his Cabinet’s alleged penalty settlement with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) department, Sunak…
Even as India and the United Kingdom recently wrapped up round six of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), Britain's High Commissioner Alex Ellis highlighted that after covering a lot of ground now the question is down to not just the technical details but political will on both…
The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is expected to be clinched this year but it won't involve any boost of free movement visa offers for Indians, British trade minister in charge of the negotiations has said. Kemi Badenoch, who was in New Delhi last month to kick off the sixth…
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…
The BBC on Friday (20) defended its controversial series on prime minister Narendra Modi as a “rigorously researched” documentary that sought to highlight important issues, a day after the Indian government condemned the programme as a “propaganda piece” lacking objectivity. “The documentary was rigorously researched according to the highest editorial…
British police will be "looking into" a video in which prime minister Rishi Sunak can be seen riding in a car without a seatbelt -- an "error of judgment" for which he has apologised, according to Downing Street. In Thursday's (19) video, produced for distribution on Sunak's social media channels,…
Defending Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the British Parliament, Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying he "doesn't agree with the characterization" of his Indian counterpart. Sunak made these remarks on the controversial documentary that was raised in the Parliament by Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain. "The UK…
Nurses across England began two days of strikes over pay on Wednesday, threatening fresh disruption for patients in the creaking state-run health service, as new figures showed inflation still surging. The walkout comes after nurses held their union's first stoppage in more than a century last month, joining a wave…
A video went viral on Tuesday (17) apparently showing staff members of the UK prime minister's office celebrating the traditional south Indian festival of Pongal. However, fact-checkers later debunked the video and clarified that the clip was not from Rishi Sunak's office but from Waterloo in Canada where the Tamil…
Long-time Tory supporter Lord Rami Ranger CBE has hosted a special dinner in support of the Maidenhead Conservative association at the Carlton Club in London on January 11. Former prime minister Theresa May MP was the guest of honour and Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami was the special guest at…
A serving London police officer has admitted carrying out 24 counts of rape in a near two decade-long campaign of abuse against women, making him one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders. The Metropolitan Police and the country's prosecution service said David Carrick, 48, had used his position of power…
High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram K Doraiswami and Matthew Rycroft, the permanent secretary at the Home Office of the UK signed and exchanged letters for formalising the Young Professional Scheme at an event in London on Monday. The event took place at the High Commission of India…
Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi has agreed to pay several million pounds in tax to settle a dispute with authorities over his family’s financial affairs, media reports said.His move follows questions raised over whether the former chancellor avoided tax by using his family’s offshore trust to hold shares in the…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday pledged to provide heavy tanks to Ukraine to help Kyiv's forces "push Russian troops back".Sunak made the pledge to supply the tanks and additional artillery systems as a sign of the UK’s "ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine", according to a readout…
Former The Daily Show host Trevor Noah has lashed out at Britain again saying the country wishes to believe that it exists in some post-racial utopia. In a recent interview with The Times, the South African comedian-political commentator who dons many other hats, said, "The UK wishes to believe it…
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…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitted on Wednesday he had used private healthcare in the past, breaking weeks of silence over whether he had any experience of Britain's state-run National Health Service which is in a state of crisis. With thousands of nurses and ambulance workers on strike over pay,…
The current round of strikes among British ambulance workers is terrifying for patients in need of urgent care, prime minister Rishi Sunak said, while trade unions have blamed the government for not stepping in sooner to resolve the pay dispute. "What's terrifying is that right now, people not knowing whether…
TWO years is a long time in politics, but only a short time in government. That challenge of political pace-making presented different dilemmas to Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, as the prime minister and Labour leader, respectively, gave keynote speeches last week to kickstart the penultimate year of this…
British King Charles III on Sunday (8) gave a special message to the BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) community as it celebrates the birth centenary of His Holiness (HH) Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2916). In his message which was tweeted by UK in India, the King said, "As you commemorate…
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday called for "bold and radical" action to reform the crisis-hit state healthcare system as he held emergency talks with health leaders. After years of underfinancing, the NHS state-funded health service is struggling to meet the demand for emergency medical care during a particularly…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will on Saturday meet leaders of England's health service, as it faces one of its toughest-ever winters as flu and COVID-19 spread amid strike action by frontline staff who say high inflation has eroded their salaries. Ambulances have been queuing outside hospitals, facing long waits to…
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 said on Friday he was hoping for constructive talks with trade union leaders next week, as thousands of workers in industries from rail to healthcare take strike action in disputes over pay. "We want to have a grown-up, honest conversation with all union leaders about…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could set out details of a planned new law to curb strikes as soon as Thursday, The Times reported, saying ministers intend to make industrial action illegal in some sectors if minimum service levels are not met. The Times newspaper said the legislation would enforce…
Britain will officially declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which has arrested seven people with links to the United Kingdom over anti-government protests, as a terrorist group, the Telegraph reported on Monday, citing sources. The move, which will be announced within weeks, is supported by Britain's security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Home…
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…
He is one of India's favourite actors because of his comic timing on the screen. But Satish Shah recently proved that he is as good when it comes to delivering in reality and that too against what is presumably a serious act of racist mockery. The 71-year-old actor recently travelled…
The first Indian and the first international student to win university student elections in the UK has urged people to call out 'systemic racism' in the country to eradicate it. Jaipur-born Ranjeet Rathore hopes that the future is immensely bright for the exchange of knowledge and business between India and…
An international vegan organisation has challenged British prime minister Rishi Sunak to go vegan for a month in exchange for a £1 million donation to a charity of his choice.Generation Vegan (GenV) said it sincerely hoped the prime minister would accept the challenge to adopt a plant-based diet “for at…
Rishi Sunak struck a cautious note with his first New Year message as British Prime Minister on Saturday (31) as he warned that the UK’s problems won’t go away in 2023, at the end of an “tough” 12 months. The 42-year-old Indian-origin leader, who took charge as the UK’s Prime…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to be considering imposing some travel restrictions on China amid soaring Covid-19 infections in the country and a clampdown by other countries such as India and the US, according to UK media reports on Friday (30). Officially ministers have said that adopting tighter…
A UK Border Force official was arrested after concerns were raised over the legal status of the official who arrived the UK 20 years ago. The Home Office suspended the official who is believed to be in his late 30s, according to reports. He arrived the country from the Balkans…
British prime minister Rishi Sunak has said that he is 'very concerned' after reports revealed that MPs and peers engage in 'sex and heavy drinking' on foreign trips arranged by all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs). In the wake of the report, Sunak urged lawmakers to focus on working for the public…
The recent easing of eligibility criteria for students to secure skilled worker visas in the UK is in line with the country’s goal of attracting the brightest global talent, a top immigration specialist has said.Britain’s new rules state that an applicant is not required to hold a degree-level qualification to…
Akshata Murty, the Indian wife of Rishi Sunak, plans to make 10 Downing Street a more accessible place during her tenure as UK First Lady and has offered a peek into the official residence of the British Prime Minister, according to a magazine feature released on Wednesday (28). The February…
The UK Opposition Labour Party on Saturday slammed Rishi Sunak over a television clip showing an awkward exchange with a man while volunteering at a soup kitchen for the poor and homeless at Christmas.The British Indian leader was caught on camera during a visit to a shelter run by the…
Rishi Sunak surprised diplomats, military personnel, charity workers and other public servants working across the world this Christmas by calling them to personally thank them for their sacrifice and dedication in an "extraordinary" year. Downing Street said the British Indian leader’s calls on Friday to diplomats included one to Pakistan…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday he was disappointed about disruption caused by strikes by unions representing workers in sectors including rail, health and border staff. "I'm really sad and disappointed about the disruption that has been caused to so many people's lives, particularly at Christmas time," Sunak…
British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak said it was "completely reasonable" for his government to examine transgender reforms passed in Scotland on Thursday given concerns raised by campaigners about the impact on women's safety. "Lots of people have got concerns about this new bill in Scotland, about the impact it will…
The sixth round of negotiations between India and the UK to finalise a free trade agreement (FTA) concluded last week with detailed draft treaty discussions across 11 policy areas over 28 separate sessions, the British government said on Thursday. The UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) issued a joint outcome…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Laurie Magnus, chairman of Historic England, as his independent adviser on ministers' interests on Thursday, filing a role that has been vacant since Boris Johnson's ethics adviser quit in June. Sunak, who became prime minister in October with a pledge to maintain "integrity, professionalism,…
THE bosses of 20 mental health organisation have written an open letter to the prime minister to step in and stop suicides which are being caused by the cost-of-living crisis. The message, seen by Eastern Eye, warns Rishi Sunak that “people living in the most deprived 10 per cent of…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday criticized the Taliban's decision to ban University education for girls, saying "denying them access to university is a grave step backwards." "As a father to daughters, I cannot imagine a world in which they're denied an education. The women of Afghanistan have so…
Britain's health minister Steve Barclay on Wednesday said people should use their common sense as the healthcare system will be under pressure as ambulance workers strike on Wednesday. "I think just use their common sense the system will be under very significant pressure," he told BBC News. "I think people…
The centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness (HH) Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2016) was observed at a special commemorative event in the UK parliament on Monday (19). The occasion saw the presence of a number of dignitaries, including the virtual presence of prime minister Rishi Sunak. At the centennial celebration, special…
Nurses in Britain went on strike for the second time this month on Tuesday, and their union threatened to escalate a dispute over pay by setting out further strike days if the government does not respond to its demands within 48 hours. The industrial action by up to 100,000 nurses…
Britain's first Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the UK's record on race amid a brewing row over controversial remarks by a columnist attacking Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle, who is of African-American heritage. Sunak was addressing questions posed by reporters during a visit to the Latvian capital of…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used a European summit in the Latvian capital of Riga to reaffirm the UK’s support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia and announced a fresh defensive aid package for the new year as part of a GBP 250-million contract. Addressing the meeting of…
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…
Leo Varadkar, the Irish leader of Indian heritage, is back for a second term as prime minister. Varadkar's father Ashok Varadkar, a doctor, hailed from Varad, around 500 km from Mumbai. He moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s. In a historic development, Britain got its first Asian-origin Prime…
Social media platforms, regardless of who owns them, must balance the protection of their users with the preservation of free speech, a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday when asked about the suspension of some journalists on Twitter. Asked about the suspensions, the spokesman said: "We have…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is planning to introduce anti-strike laws to protect lives and livelihoods, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday (15). In an interview to the newspaper, Sunak said he hopes that union leaders can see that it is not right to cause disruptions to many people, particularly…
Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Wednesday pledged to work hard to destroy the business model of "people smugglers" after the deaths of four migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to reach the UK border illegally in a small boat. As a major search and rescue operation was mounted,…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed sorrow on Wednesday (14) after four people died following an incident involving a small migrant boat in the English Channel between Britain and France. "I'm sure the whole House will share my sorrow at the capsizing of a small boat in the Channel in…
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…
Britain on Tuesday (13) said it planned to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants who cross the English Channel from remaining in the country, as the government tries to control a surge in people arriving in small boats on its southern coast. The number of people arriving in England…
The UK wants India to be among the new permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, alongside Brazil, Japan, Germany and African representation, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Monday. In his first major foreign policy speech since taking charge in the Rishi Sunak-led government, Cleverly praised Prime…
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,…
Abolition of non-domicile tax status would not drive people away from Britain, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said, citing ‘a case in point in Downing Street’.Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty agreed to pay taxes in the UK on her worldwide income after her non-dom status became the subject…
UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch arrives in New Delhi on Monday to “kickstart” the sixth round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations and hold bilateral talks with her Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal. The new round marks the first formal meeting between the India-UK negotiating teams since July and the first…
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 UK will work with Italy and Japan on the next generation of combat air fighter jets through an “unprecedented” international aerospace coalition, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Friday. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a new partnership dubbed as an ambitious endeavour to adapt and respond…
An Indian environmentalist who won a special award from then prime minister Boris Johnson has started a 30 city clean-up tour across UK. Vivek Gurav and his volunteers have picked up 5,000kg of rubbish, including 3,000kg of plastic while out running in Bristol in the past year. Gurav began plogging…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday he would take more action "to protect the lives and livelihoods" of Britons during months of planned strikes by rail, health, and postal workers. Britain, already grappling with industrial action across a range of sectors, now faces strikes by thousands of public-sector nurses…
HOW should we talk about a changing Britain? The 2021 census gives us the facts about who we are today. It is up to us to decide how to respond. Any constructive argument about how to respond to our changing demographics would need to meet three simple tests. Does it…
The United Nations refugee agency has criticised a centre-right think tank’s hardline report supported by Home Secretary Suella Braverman that proposed permanent detention of asylum seekers entering the UK illegally. The Centre for Policy Studies paper with the home secretary’s foreword called for barring migrants arriving in Britain illegally from…
British charity boss Ngozi Fulani, who was asked where she was 'really from' at a Buckingham Palace event, has revealed that she suffered ‘horrific abuse’ on social media after speaking out, media reports said. Fulani, the chief executive of Sistah Space, was questioned by the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan…
The Indian High Commission in London on Monday announced the reinstating of the electronic visa (e-visa) for UK travellers, a move that will be widely welcomed amid a massive rush for visas to India in recent months. The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, said the service will…
Conservative Friends of India (CF India) hosted its annual Diwali reception on November 28 and the flagship event, which represents the body's Diwali celebrations, witnessed the presence of a number of dignitaries, including the Indian high commissioner to the UK HE Vikram Doraiswami and his deputy Sujit Ghosh. The guests…
Lord Dolar Popat, the prime minister's trade envoy to Rwanda and Uganda, recently returned from a ministerial visit to Uganda announcing a 99 per cent duty-free deal for the east African nation's exports to the UK's trade market starting 2023. The envoy's visit focused on a series of deals that…
Home secretary Suella Braverman has said the UK will bring operational and legislative changes to stop illegal migrants from abusing the asylum system.“We are finalising our plan”, she said without specifics in her foreword to a Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) report which proposes “indefinite detention” of all asylum seekers…
The British government is looking at bringing in the military to help keep public services running if key workers, including in the state-run NHS, take strike action, the chairman of the governing Conservative Party said on Sunday (4). Britain is already grappling with industrial action in a range of sectors,…
Tory politician and the president of the Cop26 climate summit, Alok Sharma, has attacked plans to open the Cumbria coal mine in north west England, bordering Scotland. He opined that the project is a ‘backward step’ and would hit UK's 'hard-earned' international reputation. Sharma added that the project is unnecessary…
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…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday that racism must be confronted "whenever we see it", as he touched on his own experiences dealing with racial discrimination and bigotry. His comments come the day after a fresh racism row hit the royal household, with a senior staff member resigning for…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has shared memories of his time doing shifts at an Indian food restaurant in Southampton in his student days as the “best training” he had for the top job. In a video message to the annual Curry Awards in London celebrating South Asian cuisine across…
The census results offer a once-a-decade statistical snapshot of the society that we all live in. So it should be little surprise that they confirm that this is an ethnically diverse and more secular society. The census has run for two centuries, this 2021 edition is only the fourth to…
Award-winning fundraising star Milan Paul Kumar, 10, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, has met prime minister Rishi Sunak for the Christmas tree lights switch on event at 10 Downing Street on Monday (28). Points of Light winner Kumar has received a personal invitation from Sunak. The prime minister also welcomed Ukrainians…
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…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reiterated the UK’s commitment to a free trade agreement (FTA) with India as part of the country’s wider focus on enhancing ties with the Indo-Pacific region and standing up to competitors with “robust pragmatism”. Delivering his first major foreign policy speech since taking charge…
Conservative backbenchers have urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to make changes to modern slavery laws to enable the UK to send back “bogus” asylum seekers to their home countries easily.More than 50 Tory MPs including former minister David Davis and 1922 committee chair Graham Brady have written to Sunak saying…
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…
An Indian diaspora-led students’ organisation on Friday urged the UK government to remove international students from the country’s overall immigration statistics amid unconfirmed reports that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may be considering a crackdown on foreigners granted study visas. According to some UK media reports, Sunak is mulling a crackdown…
Restrictions on the number of foreign students arriving in the UK could push its universities towards collapse, the government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said as official figures showed a surge in net immigration. According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released on Thursday, net migration into the UK went…
Under a planned amendment to the UK’s new Online Safety Bill, people who share so-called “deepfakes”—explicit images or videos which have been manipulated to look like someone without their consent—will be among those to be specifically criminalised for the first time and face potential time behind bars. The UK government…
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…
British singer Zayn Malik has appealed to help feed needy families as he promoted sales of a clothing range by sharing a photo from his school days in Bradford. The former One Direction star posted a black and white photograph from his time at Lower Fields Primary Academy on Instagram.…
Seven former home secretaries in UK on Thursday (24) urged prime minister Rishi Sunak to implement Martyn’s Law, a critical anti-terror reform, without delay. Named after Manchester Arena victim Martyn Hett, the Martyn’s Law requires public places like pubs to take basic security steps like training and evacuation plans. Plans…
LAST week, I had the privilege of visiting India on behalf of the British Council, an experience which has prompted much reflection on the changing relationship between India and the UK. India, the world’s fifth biggest economy, is destined to be its most populous country – with a median age…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday (23) that he respected the decision by the UK's top court on Scotland's referendum vote, adding that the Scottish people wanted the government to focus on the major challenges ahead. Asked about the Supreme Court ruling, Sunak said: "I think that the people…
UK home secretary Suella Braverman has blamed asylum seekers for dangerous overcrowding at a migrant processing centre in Kent and denied responsibility for the crisis. The British government was under pressure over conditions at the site at Manston in Kent, which is operating at more than double its capacity, with…
PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have made their debut on the Asian Rich List 2022, which profiles the 101 wealthiest Asians in Britain. Sunak and his wife – whose father NR Narayana Murthy co-founded Indian IT major, Infosys – are ranked 17th in the list, with…
This week marks the first anniversary of the biggest human tragedy in the English Channel for decades. On 24th November last year, a fishing boat spotted dozens of bodies floating in the icy water. A rubber dinghy had left the French coast the previous evening but capsized before reaching England.…
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…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday unveiled a new scheme for the world’s 100 most talented young professionals in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) as part of his vision to make the UK a "beacon" to attract the “brightest and best” from around the world. Addressing the Confederation…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak vowed to tackle crime as he revealed his worries about his daughter walking to school alone.He said as the father of two school-age girls, he shared people’s concerns about public safety in the UK.Sunak who has two daughters - Krishna, 11, and Anoushka, 9 – with…
ENGLAND winning consistently at cricket still feels a little bit out of character. Yet last weekend’s World Cup victory makes England champions in both the 20-over and 50-over formats, after a sweeping defeat of India in the semi-final was followed by a strong bowling performance that put the final beyond…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the UK government remains committed to working “as quickly as possible” towards a successful conclusion to the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India, as the majority of the substantive negotiation conversations were completed at the end of last month. At a…
INSPIRATIONAL grocers were recognised for their achievements during a period of economic challenges and personal loss for the sector at the 33rd Asian Trader Awards, which took place at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Hotel last Wednesday (9). The top award of the evening – the Asian Trader of the Year…
LAST month, the UK made history by appointing its first British Asian and Hindu prime minister. While Rishi Sunak’s appointment demonstrates that there is no office in the land which is not open to minorities, our recent Racism at Work research highlights that many people of colour still face major…
The new UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, a reciprocal visa offer launched by Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, has been widely welcomed as a great step by industry and student groups in Britain. The scheme will be up and running from early next year to offer up to 3,000 visas annually to…
Artworks and traditional items representing the rich heritage of India's states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice of presents to world leaders during the G-20 summit in Bali. Officials said Modi presented US President Joe Biden with Kangra miniature paintings, which portray ‘Shringar Rasa’, and…
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday highlighted the strong bonds between India and Britain during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the two leaders discussing areas where the UK and India are working increasingly closely including defence and security. In the meeting held on the sidelines of the G20 summit…
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak met at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali on Wednesday (16) and discussed ways to boost trade between the two countries, Modi said. It was the first meeting between Modi and Sunak, who is of Indian origin,…
Britain to offer 3,000 places annually to 18–30 year-old degree-educated Indians to come to the UK to live and work for up to two years. The reciprocal route will open in early 2023. It is reported that India will be the first visa-national country to benefit from the new visa…
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 on Tuesday (15) met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi after assuming office for the first time on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the G20 Summit in Bali (Indonesia). "Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @RishiSunak in conversation during the first day of the @g20org Summit…
In a finding that would concern many, a study published by London's Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said while most minority ethnic groups in the UK have made significant progress in terms of educational achievement, "clear evidence" of discrimination in their pay and careers has remained. The study found…
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…
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday signed a new agreement with neighbouring France, which will see enhanced French patrols to curb the rising number of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel into England in dangerous small boats. The Indian-origin minister is in France to finalise the new arrangement, which…
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 officials are likely to visit India in December with the aim of concluding talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries in about four months, two Indian government sources said, after the nations missed their initial timeline. A trade agreement between India and Britain that aims…
WHATEVER your politics, it is undeniably a remarkable moment in history that the UK has appointed Rishi Sunak as the first British Asian prime minister. My younger self would never have imagined seeing a brown man of Indian heritage in the highest political office in this lifetime. Growing up in…
Ten million people who were born abroad live in Britain today. The Office of National Statistics tells the story of the ten million in numbers. Foreign-born residents rose from 7.5 million, 13.4% of the population, to 16.8%, almost one in six. Just over a third, 3.6 million, came from the…
Writer and philanthropist Sudha Murthy on Wednesday (9) prayed for the well-being of her son-in-law and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a temple in coastal Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district. Murthy, who arrived in Devgad tehsil of the district, around 500 km from Mumbai, the previous evening, visited the Durga Devi…
Former One Direction star Zayn Malik has written an open letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, urging him to offer free school meals for all children whose families are on Universal Credit. Currently, it is estimated that approximately 800,000 children in the U.K. are living in poverty, but still…
Conservative party treasurer Malik Karim has been appointed as an adviser on fundraising to the party chairman Nadhim Zahawi, a statement said. Karim was appointed as treasurer by the prime minister in July 2021. He created a sustainable fundraising strategy for the Tories to prepare the party to fight elections,…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will on Monday use a speech at the United Nations climate summit in Egypt to tell world leaders to deliver on their promises to tackle global warming. Sunak, who became prime minister late last month, had initially said he would be too busy coming up…
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…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said people cannot expect the state to "fix everyone's problems" as he looks to regain public trust by being honest about the extent of the economic difficulties ahead. In an interview with The Times, Sunak said he recognised people's anxiety about soaring mortgage repayments…
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…
India on Thursday said it is working “sincerely” with the UK for finalisation of the proposed free trade agreement, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak agreed on the “early conclusion” of the deal. “Both sides are working sincerely on the free trade agreement,” External…
LABOUR does not take the British south Asian vote for granted, party leader Sir Keir Starmer told Eastern Eye. He also revealed his determination to work as “grown up” partners with the communities and his ambition to be the next prime minister. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview prior to…
Intensive negotiations continue towards a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK and new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is committed to achieving a balanced deal, Downing Street said on Wednesday. Sunak, who took charge at 10 Downing Street last week, had a "very warm" introductory call with…
The chairman of the East Surrey Conservative Association has resigned last week after it was emerged that he shared a racist meme about prime minister Rishi Sunak, according to a report. Andrew Baird shared an offensive image with Tory colleagues on the Tory Whatsapp group for the Surrey area, leaked…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (2) that he will attend the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next week, reversing his previous decision to skip the meeting in Sharm El Sheikh to focus on domestic issues and the economic crisis in the UK. Sunak took to Twitter to…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told his cabinet on Tuesday that the country is a compassionate and welcoming place for asylum seekers, but this is dependent on the country being able to effectively police its borders, his spokesman said. The Home Secretary Suella Braverman faced heavy criticism on Tuesday for…
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman faced heavy criticism on Tuesday for describing the arrival of asylum seekers as an invasion, with lawmakers across the political spectrum warning of the risk of using inflammatory language. Her comments came a day after a man used firebombs to attack an immigration processing centre…
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…
Hindus in the UK are “smart, rich and very well behaved” with just 0.4 per cent found in the country’s prisons in 2021, the lowest of any religious cohort, according to a media report, days after Rishi Sunak became Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister. England and Wales are now home…
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…
An attacker on Sunday threw firebombs at an immigration office used to process asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats and was later found dead. The attack came as the government seeks to curb record arrivals. Kent Police said that on Sunday morning "two or three incendiary devices" were…
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…
Noted comedian and television host Trevor Noah has defended himself following a row over his comments on the appointment of Britain’s new premier, saying he never said “the entire UK is racist” and was only responding to those who do not want Rishi Sunak in that role. Sunak, Britain’s first…
Around 100 relatives of British prime minister in western Indian city of Ludhiana in Punjab are celebrating the victory of Rishi Sunak. This week they threw a grand party to celebrate his achievement. A flurry of WhatsApp messages, some bordering on memes, Hindu ceremonies, and a cheerful blue cake with…
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday defended his heavily criticised decision not to attend next month's COP27 climate change summit, saying he had to focus on "pressing" economic problems. In an interview with Sky News a day after Downing Street announced he was skipping the summit, the prime minister…
New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that difficult decisions will have to be taken to get British government borrowing and debt on a sustainable path, adding that he was confident of fixing the economy. "We face lots of challenges as a country, but I am confident that we…
There is an outpouring of wishes on social media for Rishi Sunak as soon as he was appointed as the Prime Minister of Britain. A number of Bollywood celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor, have also wished him on becoming the 57th Prime Minister of Britain on the auspicious…
Former British cabinet minister Sajid Javid has slammed presenter and comedian Trevor Noah for claiming that Rishi Sunak experienced a racist “backlash” after becoming the first British Asian prime minister. Javid, who is of Pakistani origin, said that the Noah's claims were simply wrong and detached from reality. On Twitter,…
Kashmiri celebrity chef Sanjay Raina's latest social media post featuring the new UK prime minister Rishi Sunak in the backdrop is a heartwarming treat for netizens to watch. The video, in which the UK prime minister is referring to chef's uncle as 'Mama' is seen as yet another leaf of…
Successful people value time and don’t waste it. Being organized and following a morning routine is a top priority for people like Oprah Winfrey who meditates for 20 minutes, Mark Zuckerberg who wears a grey t-shirt each day to avoid “decision fatigue” and Jennifer Aniston who wakes up even before…
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford was seen joining the dancers at the official Indian government Diwali celebrations held last night in Cardiff. The 68-year-old Labour politician reportedly attended the Glamorgan Cricket club in Pontcanna, Cardiff, for the Hindu celebration of Diwali – the festival of lights. He was joined by…
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…
As soon as it was confirmed that Indian-origin Rishi Sunak was set to take charge as the 57th Prime Minister of Britain, a host of Bollywood celebrities, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, took to social media to congratulate the politician. However, veteran actress Neetu Kapoor reacted to the news in a…
Newly-appointed British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his family will be returning to live in a smaller flat above No 10 Downing Street as they were “very happy there,” his spokesperson has said. No 10 Downing Street has been the residence of British prime ministers since 1735, says the government’s…
London mayor Sadiq Khan has said that Rishi Sunak became the first British Asian prime minister in the country is a 'source of pride' for many in UK. British Pakistani mayor Sadiq Khan added that Sunak's ascend to the top post demonstrated that hard workers can achieve almost everything. While…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid rich tributes to his Nani during Diwali celebrations at Downing Street on Wednesday (26). While mentioning the sacrifices made by his Nani, Sraksha, who grew up in rural Africa and later moved to UK, Sunak said, "Now, I think about today, I think about…
Being the first ethnic minority in any job brings a lot of pressure and becoming Prime Minister, particularly in the current climate, is no easy feat. As the first woman of colour in the Welsh Parliament, I have no qualm in saying that any role where a person bears the…
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…
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who is known for helming such cult films as Mr. India, Masoom, Bandit Queen, and Elizabeth, congratulated Rishi Sunak on becoming the 57th Prime Minister of Britain, by recalling a couple of harrowing experiences of racism that he faced when he first went to the UK as…
Indian national Akshata Murty, the wife of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and daughter of Narayana Murty, co-founder of Infosys, the software giant, was recently in the news for allegedly saving millions in taxes from British tax authorities by using her non-domicile status. However, in April 2022 the 42-year-old Indian-born…
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…
Rishi Sunak formally became Britain's new prime minister on Tuesday (25) after meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace. Decades ago, his grandfather Raghubir Sain Berry, nearly missed dinner with Queen Elizabeth II, it has emerged. Oadby-based Sain Berry was born in India and worked in Tanzania before coming to the…
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…
King Charles, in a goodwill gesture, offered UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Diwali sweets as he performed his duty as head of state and formally appointed the new Conservative leader, the event which also coincided with the occasion of the most celebrated five-day "Festival of Lights" celebrated this week by…
I’m a patriot, I’m proud to be British, but I’m also realistic, writes Barnie Choudhury. It pains me to have to justify myself. Yet I feel I must. Why? Because I am a brown man, who was not born in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. I am an immigrant,…
Rishi Sunak is already a marmite prime minister, writes Barnie Choudhury. Feted by his MP colleagues but rejected by the Conservative grass roots just six weeks ago (September 5). They accuse Sunak of causing Johnson’s downfall, rather than accept that it was the fault of his once next-door Downing Street…
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…
Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy and author Sudha Murty, is famously less outgoing than her husband Rishi Sunak, but that is likely to change somewhat as she becomes the first Indian First Lady to the UK's first British Indian Prime Minister. The 42-year-old fashion designer and…
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…
A lawmaker from the opposition Labour party in UK has sparked online outrage after claiming Rishi Sunak becoming prime minister is 'not a win for Asian representation' as he is immensely rich, according to reports. Nottingham MP Nadia Whittome said that Sunak was 'not on your side' as Britain’s first…
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…
As Rishi Sunak takes over as Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister on October 25, 2022, there is renewed hope that the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) will get a much-needed impetus after the Diwali deadline for draft completion was missed amid political turmoil in the U.K. While the October timeline…
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…
President Joe Biden called the choice of Rishi Sunak as Britain's first non-white prime minister "groundbreaking" Monday and the White House said he'd reach out in the near future to congratulate the new leader. "It’s pretty astounding, a groundbreaking milestone and it matters," Biden said at a White House celebration…
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have thanked Asian Americans in the US for contributing to every part of American life and reflecting the soul of "who we are as a nation", as they hosted the largest-ever Diwali reception at the White House. More than 200 eminent Indian…
Rishi Sunak will do his best for Britain when he takes over as prime minister on Tuesday, said his father-in-law, Indian billionaire N R Narayana Murthy, the founder of software giant Infosys. The 42-year-old, a practising Hindu who traces his roots to India, will be Britain's first prime minister of…
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…
I was absolutely delighted to see Rishi Sunak become our first British Asian prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party this week. Not only is Rishi an extraordinarily talented and thoroughly decent man, but he is the embodiment of a seismic and hugely positive shift in attitudes in both…
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…
With Rishi Sunak on the threshold of becoming the first non-white prime minister of Britain, arch-rivals India and Pakistan are on the cusp of history to share a pride, though none of them played a role in it. Sunak’s grandparents originated from British India but their birthplace Gujranwala lies in…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The Truss experiment is over. Her premiership may now prove the shortest in modern history. Yet its legacy in shifting the tectonic plates of British politics might endure for much longer. The mini-budget, pitched as an audacious break with Treasury orthodoxy, proved a reckless gamble. Its result was the triple…
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.…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The cost of living crisis in UK is pushing people to the wall, literally. People are trying various ways to survive in these difficult times. Recently, a 72-year-old pensioner has told LBC that she went to public galleries in London to keep warm in the winter months. Annie was speaking…
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…
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…
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…
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 recruitment head of the Royal Air Force (RAF) has stepped down amid concerns that the pursuit of diversity efforts led to an “effective pause” on hiring white men, according to media reports. The Group Captain is believed to have handed in her notice recently in the wake of the…
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…
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…
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)…
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…
A minority of racists among Conservative grassroots members could stop Rishi Sunak from becoming the first non-white prime minister. That is the concern among some south Asian Tories who have spoken to Eastern Eye. They are concerned that Britain is “not ready to take orders from a brown boy”. They…
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…
British finance minister Nadhim Zahawi has expressed confidence that the country was making the right moves to tackle global economic challenges after the Bank of England on Thursday (4) raised interest rates by the highest margin in 27 years. The bank hiked interest rates by 50 basis points, the largest…
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…
Rishi Sunak said he would reform legislation to treat those who vilify the UK as “extremists”, as the Conservative leadership candidate pledged to do “whatever it takes” to keep the country safe.He also promised to refocus the deradicalisation programme Prevent on Islamic extremism as the biggest threat to the security…
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…
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…
Rishi Sunak has vowed to hunt down and stamp out grooming gangs who prey on children and young women, and make their ringleaders subject to maximum life sentences as part of his campaign pledge to be elected Conservative Party leader and the next British Prime Minister. Under a government headed…
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…
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…
TORY leadership battle is heating up and Rishi Sunak remains a strong contestant in the race for the top job in the country. Sunak, 42, is just one step away to become the first prime minister of Indian origin in the UK. According to a report in the MailOnline, his…
TORY leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has pledged to fix the 'broken' immigration system in the UK and added that he will make tackling Channel crossings a priority in his first 100 days if he becomes the prime minister, reports said. He also declared plans to introduce an annual cap on…
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…
ONE of the hardest psychological lessons for anyone brought up outside the UK, to grasp about Britain, is how the natives of this land remain uniquely gifted in concealing what they really think. For example, if, in conversation, a Briton responds with the word ‘interesting’, to anything you just said,…
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…
Rishi Sunak, one of the final three candidates to become Britain's next prime minister, said he wanted to make the country energy independent by 2045 in response to the supply shock caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "It has never been more important that our country achieves Energy Sovereignty so…
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…
The five Conservative contenders still vying to be Britain's next prime minister clashed over tax cuts in a second televised debate on Sunday. With no clear candidate to succeed Boris Johnson who is stepping down after a series of scandals, the battle to be the next leader remains unpredictable and…
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…
Indian business magnate Anand Mahindra’s meme on the ongoing political developments in the UK has amused social media users.The image he posted on Twitter shows the British prime minister’s official residence decorated in the traditional Indian way - a garland of mango leaves (toran) adorning the top of the front…
HALF a world away from the political drama in London, many Indians are closely following the twists and turns of who replaces Boris Johnson as British prime minister, curious to see how two candidates with Indian ancestry fare. Rishi Sunak, the bookmakers' favourite to prevail, and Suella Braverman are campaigning…
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…
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday told a febrile UK parliament that he would leave office with his "head held high" despite the downfall of his scandal-hit leadership.Labour leader Keir Starmer took aim at his outgoing foe during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session, calling him "totally deluded to the…
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…
Priti Patel, widely expected to become another Indian-origin candidate in the race for the post of Conservative Party leader and the next British prime minister, on Tuesday ruled out a bid, saying she was "grateful" for the encouragement but her focus remains on her current job as Home Secretary. "I…
Britain's former finance minister, Rishi Sunak, set out his leadership campaign pitch on Tuesday, offering himself up as an "honest" prime minister who would balance the books, reduce the role of the state and grow the economy.A frontrunner who received a further boost from two senior ministers, Sunak said he…
Ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak and two others will start their campaigns on Tuesday to become Britain's next prime minister, battling for the support of a party deeply split over who should succeed Boris Johnson. So far 11 candidates have said they are bidding to become leader of the governing Conservative…
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…
Broadcaster Sky News is likely to hold the first live debate on July 18 for Conservative candidates vying for the party leadership.The evening programme to be hosted by Kay Burley will feature all prime ministerial hopefuls who will remain in the fray.The new chancellor of the exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, has…
Prime minister Boris Johnson certainly went down fighting. Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak had decided that enough was enough, resigning last week from the Cabinet over Downing Street’s inability to tell the truth. Fifty ministerial resignations later, the refusal of the prime minister to accept that the game was up…
Britain's finance minister Nadhim Zahawi, who is running to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said on Monday he would publish his tax return annually if he becomes leader. "I will publish my accounts annually. That's the right thing to do," Zahawi told Sky News after newspapers reported his tax affairs…
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…
BRITAIN's former health secretaries have launched leadership bids to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister, according to a report. Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid used interviews with the Telegraph newspaper to announce their intention. Both Hunt, who lost out to Johnson in the 2019 leadership race, and Javid, said as…
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…
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is in suspended animation, including on economic policy, just as a cost-of-living crisis worsens for millions of Britons. But tax cuts are inevitable under a new leader, to confront the financial pain that is rapidly spreading in the world's fifth-largest economy, analysts say. Low taxes…
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…
Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson announced on Thursday he would quit as British prime minister after he dramatically lost the support of his ministers and most Conservative lawmakers, but said he would stay on until his successor was chosen. Bowing to the inevitable as more than 50 ministers quit and lawmakers said…
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…
Boris Johnson lasted just three years as British prime minister. Weakened by scandals, he refused for months to resign but on Thursday was poised to quit, forced by his own colleagues.July 2019: triumphant victory After Theresa May's resignation, Brexit figurehead Johnson is elected head of the Conservative party in July…
Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday finally agreed to step down as the Conservative Party leader, triggering a leadership election for a new Tory leader who will go on to become the new premier, according to reports from Downing Street. Johnson, 58, will remain in charge at 10…
A group of Boris Johnson's senior ministers were set to tell him to resign as British prime minister on Wednesday, media reports said, after he insisted he would not quit in the face of a mounting rebellion in his party. With a BBC report that a group of his most…
Stand-up comedian and television presenter Nish Kumar waded into a controversy with his tweet on the UK’s political developments reported for racism.After the chancellor of exchequer Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid resigned from prime minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet on Tuesday, Kumar took to social media saying he would…
Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid were two of the biggest hitters in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government until they quit on Tuesday in protest at his scandal-hit leadership. Sunak, 42, had been on a meteoric trajectory to power that could have made him Britain's first Hindu prime minister. Javid,…
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces what looked to be the final blow for his premiership as two senior ministers resigned after trying to apologise for his administration's latest scandal. Below May 28, 2020 - 'Minor' breach of lockdown by PM adviser British police say Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings…
THIRTY million people across the UK will benefit from the biggest personal tax in a decade starting Wednesday (6) - with hard working Brits saving up to £330 per year. The £6 billion tax cut will see the level at which people start paying National Insurance rise to £12,570 –…
HERE are five facts about Britain's new finance minister Nadhim Zahawi, appointed by prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday (5) following the resignation of Rishi Sunak. Zahawi, 55, was born in Iraq and moved to Britain in the mid-1970s when his Kurdish family fled the rule of Saddam Hussein. A…
Britain's new finance minister, Nadhim Zahawi, set out his priorities for the economy in a series of interviews early on Wednesday, hours after he was appointed to replace Rishi Sunak.Below are the highlights:ON HIS PRIORITIES"I've got to rebuild and grow the economy. We've just come out of the equivalent of…
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…
Britain's finance and health ministers resigned on Tuesday, in what looked to be the final blow for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's premiership after he had tried to apologise for the latest scandal to dog his administration. Both finance minister Rishi Sunak and health minister Sajid Javid resigned in what appeared…
BRITISH home secretary Priti Patel has urged police to use new powers to shut down protests after fuel price campaigners held up highways around the country. According to reports, at least 13 protesters were arrested on Monday (4) for driving too slowly when blocking roads. Protesters called for fuel duty to…
THE Conservative Friends of India recently held a farewell reception in honour of the outgoing high commissioner of India, Her Excellency Gaitri Kumar Issar. High commissioner Issar began her service in May 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. She not only represented the high commission at the best…
Millions of Britons in the higher income category will have to fork out more towards National Insurance from July this year, despite the increase in the threshold for the contribution.In March, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the income threshold for National Insurance - a tax aimed at social welfare -…
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has opened up at length about his Indian heritage and growing up in Britain in a hard-working British Indian family at an awards ceremony celebrating Indian diaspora achievements across different fields. The 42-year-old finance minister, born in the UK to National Health Service…
Britain’s taxpayers have become shareholders in the women-led sex party organiser Killing Kittens as the government converted its loan to the company into equity.Founded by Emma Sayle in 2005, the company calls itself a sextech firm and has hosted parties in Europe, North America and Australia for its members with…
Britain's heavy-handed approach to industrial relations has backfired as employees reject its "nonsense" demands for pay restraint and increasingly join unions, the head of the country's biggest trade union umbrella group said. Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, told Reuters that unions had seen surging interest in…
SURGING debt interest costs triggered by the leap in inflation forced the British government to borrow more than expected in May at £14 billion ($17.14 bn), according to official data published on Thursday (23). Economists polled by Reuters had a median forecast of £12bn for borrowing excluding public sector banks.…
Workers across the UK will be able to go online, input their salary and see how much they could save thanks to the tax cut which comes in on 6th July.New Financial Support and Benefits Checker Tool will also help people find the government support they’re eligible for.A NEW online…
BRITAIN's unemployment rate has risen slightly while soaring inflation is causing the value of wages to fall at the fastest pace in more than a decade, official data showed Tuesday (14). Unemployment rose to 3.8 per cent in the three months to the end of April, but remained close to…
WEALTHY British Asians continued to pump money into the Conservative Party with businessman Dr Selva Pankaj making the largest total donation with £78,250 in the first quarter of 2022. Dr Pankaj is the CEO of Regent Group, a London based educational group which has a number of institutes across the…
CHANCELLOR of the exchequer Rishi Sunak on Monday (13) launched the Future of Compute Review during the opening address at London Tech Week, which kicked off the same day, as part of the UK government’s new Digital Strategy which was also unveiled at the event. The review will be led…
NATIONS around the world are witnessing a sluggish growth and the UK is no exception. This is what Rishi Sunak, the chancellor to the exchequer, said in response to the official revelation that the British economy shrank unexpectedly in April which added to the fears of an acute slowdown just…
A British minister on Friday denied a claim that the Treasury's decision not to insure against Bank of England interest-rate rises had cost taxpayers £11 billion ($13.7 billion) during a cost-of-living crisis. "The Treasury has inaccurately been accused of wasting billions of pounds," John Glen, a junior Treasury minister working…
BRITAIN's oldest independent economic research firm has alleged that chancellor Rishi Sunak wasted £11 billion of taxpayers’ money by paying too much in interest on UK debt, according to a report. The national institute of economic and social research (NIESR) has said that the losses were the result of Sunak's…
With crude oil prices rocketing, the average cost of filling a 55-litre family car has now passed the £100 mark for the first time, according to a British automotive services firm.As the average price of unleaded diesel in the UK topped 182p for a litre and the unleaded variant cost…
There are growing calls for prime minister Boris Johnson to cut taxes to ease the cost of living burden after he managed to sail through a confidence vote.A reduction in levies amid historic inflation levels would help reunify his traditionally low-tax Conservative Party, according to his supporters.Health secretary Sajid Javid…
UK prime minister Boris Johnson convened his cabinet on Tuesday (7), vowing to "get on with the job" after surviving a confidence vote of Conservative MPs that has left him severely weakened. The beleaguered leader has claimed that Monday (6) evening's dramatic ballot, which saw 211 Tory party lawmakers support…
GRADUATES from the world's top 50 non-UK universities, including Indian students, can now come and work in Britain through a new High Potential Individual (HPI) visa route launched in London on Monday (30). In a joint announcement, Indian-origin UK cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel said the new "exciting"…
BRITAIN has opened its borders for “brightest and best” young graduates from top-notch foreign institutions to work in the UK for at least two years.Under the “High Potential Individual” visa scheme launched on Monday (30), applicants with a bachelor’s or master’s degree from the top 50 non-UK universities can seek…
MOST vulnerable households in UK will receive at least £1,200 this year, including a new one-off £650 cost of living payment, as part of targeted government support to help with the rising cost of living crisis, it was announced on Thursday (26). British chancellor Rishi Sunak also announced a 25…
BRITAIN'S chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty are among the richest people in the UK with their combined fortune estimated at £730 million.The couple made their debut in the annual Sunday Times Rich List on Friday (20), ranked 222. Indian-origin Hinduja brothers are at the…
BRITISH chancellor Rishi Sunak has insisted that the state "cannot protect people completely" as he warned the next few months "will be tough"after inflation rate has surged to a 40-year high. Reacting to Wednesday's (18) data, he blamed the situation on "global challenges" and noted Britain was not alone in…
THE vast majority of Britons say they are comfortable with having a south Asian as their prime minister. A survey by the think-tank, British Future, found that a third of the British public would see an Asian prime minister as a good thing for our country. At least eight in…
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has appointed a Delhi School of Economics alumna as an external member of the monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Bank of England.Swati Dhingra's appointment to the central bank comes amid the UK’s fight to tame the post-pandemic inflation, amplified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dhingra,…
THE shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and his Labour front-bench colleague, Preet Gill, the shadow international development secretary, have both dismissed Boris Johnson’s recent trip to India as being of little consequence. But Grant Thornton’s report, India meets Britain Tracker: The latest trends in Indian investment in the UK 2022,…
WHILE it was disappointing to see the Conservative party lose flagship councils in London and across the country, there was one particular council that bucked the trend and shone a ray of light for the Tories. Harrow – the hometown for both of us – was the only council across…
PRIME minister Boris Johnson warned that a windfall tax could deter investment by energy companies, amid the indications that the government could choose to be practical about such a levy.Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the exchequer, said he was "pragmatic" about the idea of a windfall tax on the profits…
BRITAIN'S opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer will offer to resign if he is found by police to have broken Covid rules at a gathering last year, Sky News reported on Monday (9) without citing sources.The 59-year-old, who previously served as the country's top prosecutor, has led calls for prime…
LABOUR politician Lisa Nandy has not ruled herself out of contention for her party’s top position even as its leader Keir Starmer is facing a police probe for potentially breaching lockdown rules a year ago.The alleged offence involving Starmer took place at a gathering in Durham, northern England, in April…
SIR Keir Starmer and other Labour leaders, including notably the shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, who targeted Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, over her tax arrangements, have been made to look utterly foolish by Lord Geidt, the prime minister’s adviser on ministerial interests. After investigating whether the chancellor…
KEIR STARMER, leader of the UK's opposition Labour Party, will face a police probe into whether a campaign gathering in 2021 breached lockdown rules, weeks after prime minister Boris Johnson was fined for breaking the rules. "We can confirm that an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations relating to…
PRIME minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday (3) the government could not help everyone through the current cost-of-living crisis and had to remain prudent with its spending to avoid stoking an inflationary spiral.Surging prices are contributing to the biggest squeeze on household incomes since at least the 1950s, putting pressure…
The British government's ethics advisor said on Wednesday he had cleared embattled chancellor Rishi Sunak of breaching ministerial codes after investigating his family's tax affairs. Sunak earlier this month asked the adviser on ministerial standards, Christopher Geidt, to review whether he followed all the rules after revelations about his family's…
BRITAIN said on Wednesday (27) it will set up a new authority to crack down on financial frauds as chancellor of exchequer Rishi Sunak admitted that the government’s pandemic assistance schemes were abused.The announcement comes amid a series of reports that economic offenders milked the government’s low-interest loan scheme at…
ALMOST a quarter of people in Britain said it became harder to pay household bills even before increases in regulated energy prices took effect, according to an official survey that underscored the breadth of a cost-of-living crisis. Some 23 per cent of people surveyed in March by the Office for…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson gave his backing to his under-fire chancellor Rishi Sunak, saying he will remain in his job as the country's second most powerful politician after the next cabinet reshuffle expected later this year. Sunak, once seen as a strong candidate to succeed Johnson, has faced a…
Indian software giant Infosys said on Wednesday it was 'transitioning' out of the Russian market following the Ukraine war and conflict of interest accusations levelled at Rishi Sunak, the British chancellor. Sunak's wife Akshata Murty holds a nearly $1 billion stake in the IT firm, which was founded by her…
AKSHATA MURTY, the wife of Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, is set to receive a dividend payment of £6 million from the Indian IT major Infosys in which she has a 0.93 per cent stake.The company, founded by her father NR Narayana Murthy, has declared a dividend of…
BRITAIN'S annual inflation rate soared to the highest level in three decades last month as energy prices rocket, official data showed Wednesday (13), worsening the cost-of-living crisis.Inflation surged to 7.0 per cent in March from 6.2 per cent in February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement."Broad-based…
British prime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak are to receive fines for breaching strict coronavirus lockdown rules, a government statement said on Tuesday (12). Police have been investigating 12 gatherings at Downing Street and the Cabinet Office after an internal inquiry found Johnson's staff had enjoyed alcohol-fuelled parties,…
PRIME minister Boris Johnson has agreed to a request from the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, for a review to determine whether he stuck to the rules on ministerial declarations.The move caps days of criticism over the financial arrangements of Sunak’s family and the allegation of “political hypocrisy” as questions emerged over…
British prime minister Boris Johnson has agreed to a request from his chancellor Rishi Sunak for a review to determine whether he had stuck to the rules on ministerial declarations following criticism over Sunak's family financial arrangements. Sunak said on Sunday he had written to the prime minister asking him…
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Sunday he had asked prime minister Boris Johnson for a review to determine whether he had stuck to the rules on ministerial declarations following criticism over his family's financial arrangements. Sunak said he had written to the prime minister asking him to refer Sunak's ministerial…
BRITAIN's embattled finance minister Rishi Sunak stood accused of political hypocrisy as new questions emerged over offshore tax havens reportedly held by his Indian wife. Sunak was also criticised for a lack of transparency, after he admitted to holding a "Green Card" for US permanent residents until last year. Sunak's…
Akshata Murty, the Indian wife of embattled British chancellor Rishi Sunak, is richer than the queen as the daughter of a self-made tech billionaire and a no-less-formidable engineer and philanthropist mother. Sunak, once seen as a future prime minister, has seen his popularity sink because of surging consumer prices, while…
AKSHATA MURTY, wife of Britain's chancellor Rishi Sunak, announced on Friday (8) she will start paying UK tax on "all worldwide income," amid controversy over her non-domiciled status.Sunak has accused critics of mounting a "smear" campaign against his wealthy Indian wife, whose substantial foreign earnings have been shielded from UK…
Britain's chancellor Rishi Sunak has accused critics of mounting a "smear" campaign against his wealthy Indian wife, whose substantial foreign earnings are shielded from UK taxes. The Labour party has accused Sunak of "breathtaking hypocrisy" after he raised taxes on ordinary Britons in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. But…
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak, once a leading contender to become prime minister, faced new criticism on Thursday after it emerged his Indian wife holds non-domiciled status, shielding her from UK taxes. Akshata Murthy, daughter of Indian billionaire NR Narayana Murthy, confirmed she "is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes"…
The wife of Britain's chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes but pays taxes in Britain on all her UK income, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Akshata Murthy is the daughter of Narayana Murthy, the billionaire co-founder of IT services company Infosys, and…
RISHI SUNAK and his wife Akshata Murty have donated more than £100,000 to Winchester College, the chancellor’s old private school. The school’s journal from 2020 puts Sunak on a list of benefactors who have donated over £100,000 in total, suggesting he is a regular donor. “Rishi and his wife have…
INDIA's Infosys has said that it is in the process of urgently closing down its Russian operations, media reports said. Staff in Moscow are being relocated to other countries. UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has been facing burning questions over wife Akshata Murty's shares in Infosys, which was co-founded by her…
BRITAIN’S chancellor of exchequer Rishi Sunak said his wife was unfairly attacked over her connections with Indian IT major Infosys.A news channel had last week asked Sunk if he was “giving advice to others you’re not following in your own home”, referring to his wife Akshata Murthy’s reported stake in…
UBER and Bolt are contemplating passing the high fuel costs to customers as the ride-hailing firms seek to help their divers.Uber’s UK arm said last week that it remained focused on offering drivers “the benefits and protections they deserve”.RAC Foundation data showed that the pump prices of unleaded petrol in…
INDIA's Infosys played down its business ties in Russia after British chancellor Rishi Sunak came under fire over his wife's stake in the IT giant. Infosys, with a market value of some $100 billion, was co-founded by Sunak's father-in-law NR Narayana Murthy. His daughter Akshata Murty, Sunak's wife, owns a…
British chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak is being accused of being out of touch with ordinary voters, in a sudden fall from grace just months after he was tipped as the next prime minister. The star of the 41-year-old had been in ascendancy for his handling of public finances…
ONE OF Britain’s leading restaurateurs (Asma Khan) has urged Asian women to consider a career in the industry, saying that the skills needed in a professional kitchen were “intuitive” to south Asian females. Asma Khan runs the popular Darjeeling Express in Covent Garden, having moved to the bigger site in…
AN INFLUENTIAL doctors’ leader has raised concerns about the pressure GPs are likely to face as the imminent cost of living crisis bites, while a leading business figure said higher taxes will stifle economic recovery as he also urged ministers to continue free lateral flow tests beyond March. Dr Chaand…
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak denied his family is benefiting from Russia when his government has imposed sanctions on Moscow.Sunak’s wife Akshata Murthy is the daughter of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy. She is believed to have a stake in the IT services company which has operations in Russia.“I don’t think so,"…
BRITAIN'S economy will grow more slowly this year than previously predicted and inflation will be much higher, chancellor of exchequer Rishi Sunak said as he gave a budget update which included measures to ease a cost-of-living squeeze.Sunak, announcing forecasts drawn up by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), said on…
BRITAIN unveils on Wednesday (23) a mini-budget update aimed at easing a cost of living crisis, as data revealed inflation spiking to a three-decade high on soaring energy prices.Annual inflation accelerated to 6.2 per cent in February from 5.5 per cent in January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said…
WOMEN are very much on the move – rising to roles not previously seen before and smashing glass ceilings in the process. The GG2 Power List was unveiled on Tuesday (8) evening at Eastern Eye publisher AMG’s high-profile and glittering GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards, where the role of highflying women…
BRITISH finance secretary Rishi Sunak underscored his faith in low taxes on Wednesday (23) ahead of an increase in social security contributions in April that will take the government's tax take to the highest since the 1950s. "I firmly believe in lower taxes," Sunak, widely seen as a possible future…
BRITAIN’S annual inflation has hit the highest level since 1992, data showed on Wednesday (16), adding pressure to the cost of living and on the Bank of England to keep raising rates.The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) edged up to 5.5 per cent in January from 5.4 per cent in December,…
Britain's chancellor Rishi Sunak is on a meteoric trajectory that could, if Boris Johnson is forced out, propel him next door to 10 Downing Street to become Britain's first Hindu prime minister. It would mark a historic landmark, for a descendant of immigrants from Britain's old empire in India and…
A company backed by Rishi Sunak's wife is on the verge of collapse due to the challenges faced by Covid-induced lockdowns, reported The Telegraph. Gym chain Digme Fitness, in which the chancellor’s wife Akshata Murthy holds a 4.2 per cent stake, has filed a notice of its intention to appoint administrators…
AMAZON streaming service Prime Video announced a major "long-term" deal for the exclusive use of new production facilities at studios near London, further boosting Britain's booming film industry. The "landmark multimillion-pound... contract with Shepperton Studios" was for "original TV series and movie productions", its owner Pinewood Group said in a…
PRINCE CHARLES has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Thursday (10), the second time he has contracted the disease. "This morning The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating," Clarence House said, adding he had cancelled his planned engagements for later in the…
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak and home secretary Priti Patel joined Prince Charles and his wife Camilla at an event hosted by the British Asian Trust (BAT) in London last night (9).Leading business, political and community leaders from the subcontinent attended the trust’s annual dinner at the British Museum, where Lord Jitesh…
AFTER protesters hounded Britain's Labour leader Keir Starmer, prime minister Boris Johnson faced pressure on Tuesday (8) to withdraw a claim that the opposition leader had failed to prosecute one of the country's most notorious child abusers "Jimmy Savile". Johnson, who won a landslide in a 2019 election, is facing…
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…
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has admitted to attending prime minister Boris Johnson's lockdown birthday party in 2020 but refused to say what happened when he entered the room and claimed that he was there for a meeting to discuss the Covid-19 situation. His comments came after Johnson's five aides, including longstanding…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson invoked Disney's "The Lion King", insisting "change is good" as he rallied his dwindling inner circle in the fallout over lockdown-breaking parties held in his Downing Street office. Chief policy advisor Munira Mirza unexpectedly quit on Thursday (3), delivering a serious blow to the embattled…
ALLEGATIONS of Islamophobia within the Conservative party have been deeply damaging. They go against the fundamental social fabric of what the party stands for – to promote equality of opportunity to all for a better life, regardless of colour, background or creed. Such allegations must quite rightly be investigated. There…
THE policy chief of Number 10 resigned on Thursday (3) afternoon over prime minister Boris Johnson's Jimmy Savile attack on Keir Starmer. Munira Mirza, the Downing Street head of policy, worked with Johnson for 14 years, from the time he was the mayor of London. He previously named Mirza as…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson suffered four staff defections on Thursday (3) as pressure intensified on the embattled leader over lockdown parties and his loose-lipped style of politics.One of the departures – that of the head of policy Munira Mirza - was linked to an inflammatory remark made by Johnson,…
As party faces Islamophobia allegations, Sunak touted as next leader THE Conservative party has a problem with black and Asian ministers, an influential Tory politician has said, after MP Nusrat Ghani’s claimed last week she was sacked in a reshuffle because of her ‘Muslimness’. Former junior transport minister Ghani, who…
GOOGLE has agreed to buy a central London building complex for $1 billion, but stressed it remained committed to new hybrid working patterns in the wake of Covid. The tech titan will purchase the Central St Giles office site, where it is a tenant, for the equivalent of $1bn. Google…
"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…
BRITAIN'S economy grew strongly in November to finally surpass its size just before the country went into its first Covid-19 lockdown, official data showed on Friday. The world's fifth-biggest economy expanded by a much faster than expected 0.9 per cent in November - before the latest wave of Covid-19 infections…
The president of the organisation which speaks for UK businesses has urged the government to lower taxes immediately to help the country’s “very fragile economy”. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Lord [Karan] Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, said that families and businesses were suffering from a triple whammy of higher…
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak will try to quell growing Conservative unrest over the cost of living as delegations of MPs press him to cancel a planned tax rise and ditch VAT on energy bills in exchange for savings on tackling the pandemic, the Guardian reported. Sunak is committed to national…
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 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…
A former politician and his wife have been convicted of fraud by false representation after they were found guilty of falsifying information to acquire a COVID-19 support loan offered by the UK government. Harman Banger, 40, and wife Neena Kumari, 38, were convicted at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court last week and…
Senior Tories urge PM not to “exacerbate and aggravate” pandemic fallout One in 10 health workers could be forced to stop working because of Covid come the New Year, according to the chair of the British Medical Association (BMA). The warning comes as senior Conservatives urged the prime minister to…
BRITAIN on Tuesday (21) launched a £1 billion support package for Covid-hit businesses, as staff absences from rising cases began to bite in the run-up to Christmas. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said some 200,000 firms would be eligible for one-off grants to offset losses from what is normally the busiest time…
BRITISH finance minister Rishi Sunak will talk soon about his discussions with representatives of the hospitality industry who are demanding more government support as the Omicron coronavirus variant hammers their sector, a government minister said. "He was in calls with industry leaders last night and he will be saying more…
BRITAIN'S finance secretary Rishi Sunak is one of 10 cabinet ministers who are resisting the introduction of new restrictions before Christmas to curb the spread of the Omicron variant by casting doubts on the accuracy of official modelling, the Times reported. The UK government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told…
Britain's pandemic-weary hospitality businesses have taken a fresh hit from soaring coronavirus cases fueled by the Omicron variant, as anxious customers curtail socialising and cancel bookings over the Christmas period. Pubs, restaurants and bars -- already struggling after nearly two years of reduced revenues due to the pandemic -- now…
BRITISH finance secretary Rishi Sunak cut short an official trip to the United States on Thursday (16) to consider help for Covid-hit hospitality businesses but said firms were already receiving support through tax reliefs. Britain has reported record numbers of new Covid-19 infections for two days running, and on Wednesday…
A new poll has revealed a collapse in public opinion for prime minister Boris Johnson and the Tory government. According to the poll by Survation, for ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Labour have maintained their recently gained lead over the Tories at 39 per cent, with the latter polling at 32…
NEW research has revealed that British Indians, who, along with most other ethnic minorities, have long been core Labour party voters, are defecting in sizeable numbers, reported The Guardian. The report, based on a recent survey, added that a shift in the diaspora’s voting patterns would be significant in UK.…
AS WORLD leaders met for COP26 in Glasgow, we were reminded of the sobering fact that we are currently in a climate emergency. There is a climate breakdown and globally we must do more – we need real action if we are to slow and correct climate breakdown. Climate activism…
BRITISH inflation spiked close to a decade-high in October partly on higher energy bills and resurgent post-lockdown demand, official data showed on Wednesday (17), sparking fresh talk of an interest rate hike. The annual rate jumped to 4.2 percent, the highest level since November 2011, the Office for National Statistics…
ALOK Sharma was hardly a household name in Britain, let alone the rest of the world, when appointed to lead the UN climate talks. But with the planet's future at stake, the COP26 president has had to emerge from the shadows to stand in a blindingly bright spotlight over the…
Why turning climate change promises into practical policies will be challenging FINANCE DAY at COP is always the point when the rhetoric of the leaders’ speeches hits the ground with a thump. During two days of high-level sessions, a succession of presidents and prime ministers were keen to explain to…
Sadiq Khan: Bring back police enforcement on mask wearing More south Asians will catch and die from Covid during the traditional winter health crisis unless the government toughens its stance on vaccinations and mask wearing in public places. That is the warning from the British Medical Association, the London mayor,…
Britain on Thursday (4) unveiled a new commemorative coin to mark Diwali, celebrating the life and legacy of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. The special coin, available in gold and silver, features an image of India's national flower, the lotus, and one of Gandhi's most famous quotes: "My life is…
Britain's pandemic-hit economy is set to extend its solid recovery into next year despite strong inflationary pressures, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (27). Confirming plans for multi-billion-pound funding projects, Sunak said in a budget speech that the government was reducing state debt that soared during the pandemic. And after…
The UK government, after triggering an outcry by cutting its foreign aid budget, vowed to restore the funding in the coming years ahead of a UN climate summit where help for poorer countries will be pivotal. Presenting his budget for the next fiscal year, chancellor Rishi Sunak said the aid…
FINANCE SECRETARY Rishi Sunak will try to show that he is moving Britain on from the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday (27) when he announces multi-billion-pound investments to help prime minister Boris Johnson meet spending promises to voters. But Sunak, who has racked up the biggest ever peacetime budget deficit to…
BRITISH finance secretary Rishi Sunak will unfreeze public sector pay when he presents his budget in two days' time, the finance ministry said on Monday (25). The fact he would do this was first reported by the Sun newspaper on Sunday (24). The size of the pay rise will depend…
BRITISH finance secretary Rishi Sunak's budget this week will include an extra £5.9 billion ($8.1 billion) of spending for the health service over the next few years to drive down waiting lists, the finance ministry said on Sunday (24). The sum comes on top of an £8 billion package announced…
BRITAIN’S 20-year binge on cheap food is coming to an end and food inflation could hit double digits due to a tidal wave of soaring costs, Britain’s biggest chicken producer said. As it emerges from the twin crises of Brexit and Covid, the world's fifth-largest economy is facing an acute…
BRITAIN will be among the first countries to apply corporate sustainability disclosure standards from a new global board to be unveiled soon, a government minister has said. The London-based IFRS Foundation is set to unveil a new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in the run up to next month's COP26…
SOME 86,000 jobs have been lost in the UK's nightlife sector since 2019, an industry body said on Monday (11), blaming coronavirus closures. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said the sector accounted for 1.6 per cent of GDP in 2019, the equivalent of £36.4 billion and employed 425,000. But…
BRITAIN is aiming early next year to be ready to start charging for some previously free Covid-19 tests, two sources close to the health service said, a step one described as driven by the finance ministry's desire to rein in spending. The government and health officials have said that rapid…
British prime minister Boris Johnson rallied his Conservative party faithful on Wednesday (6), vowing a far-reaching overhaul to wean the UK economy off cheap foreign labour after Brexit. Shrugging off panic buying at petrol stations, bare supermarket shelves and retailers' warnings of a bleak Christmas to come, the Tory leader…
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak on Monday (4) announced a new £34 million National Artificial Intelligence Fund that will support the creation of 2,000 elite AI scholarships to create a high-tech economy of the future. The Cabinet minister said the fund will help the UK build the skills needed for the…
BRITAIN, India and Pakistan have all said they will investigate a leak of financial documents published by news organisations that allegedly tie world leaders to concealed wealth. “Pandora Papers”, the dump of more than 11.9 million records, amounting to about 2.94 terabytes of data, came five years after the leak…
RISHI Sunak said on Monday (4) that tax cuts could only come once public finances were put on a sustainable footing. Last month the UK government set out plans to raise taxes on workers, employers and some investors to try to fix a health and social care funding crisis. Speaking…
Mayor Burnham emphasises need to build trust and people-to-people ties MANCHESTER, which is apparently “the most liveable city in the UK”, is taking the whole business of attracting inward investment from India very seriously. Last Thursday (9), it held an “in person” Manchester India summit which was attended by more…
A government review into the Greensill scandal has called for a new code of conduct and greater transparency over lobbying in Whitehall, The Guardian reported. The report released on Thursday (16) also recommended the government curb its use of supply chain finance, a method of deferring supplier payments for a fee.…
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…
BRITISH employers added a record 241,000 staff to their payrolls last month, lifting the total number of payrolled employees just above the level they were before Britain first went into a Covid-19 lockdown last year, official data showed on Tuesday (14). Tuesday's (14) data show continued recovery in Britain's job…
