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☆ The UK government has published a new definition of ‘extremism.’ Critics fear it could curtail free speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The British government has published a new definition of extremism in response to a surge in hate crimes following Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, a move critics warn could threaten free speech. The new definition has no legal standing and does not affect current criminal law. The government said the new definition was necessary due to a rise in hate crimes since the October 7 attacks. The UK’s most recent net migration figures hit a record high and reducing these numbers has become a key priority of the incumbent Conservative government. However, it is not clear that the government’s new definition will help ease tensions and has been criticized across the political spectrum.

Persons: ’, ” Michael Gove, Canterbury, Justin Welby, Gove Organizations: CNN, Conservative, Daily Mail Locations: Israel, British

☆ New U.K. Extremism Policy Raises Concerns Over Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s government published a new definition of extremism on Thursday that it intends to use to cut ties or funding to groups deemed to have crossed the line, but which critics fear could curtail campaigners’ rights and curb free speech. Michael Gove, a senior cabinet minister, said in a statement that the move was intended to “protect democratic values” by being “clear and precise in identifying the dangers posed by extremism.”Some advocacy groups and legal experts greeted the announcement with concern, warning that it could affect the rights of those deemed by the government to meet the definition. The only way to challenge such a ruling is likely to be through the courts. The initiative has also stirred a wider debate about how, before a general election that must be held by early next year, British politicians choose to deal with domestic tensions that have risen since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Michael Gove Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Britain's finance minister to announce higher minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANCHESTER, England, Oct 1 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday will announce a rise in the minimum wage in his annual Conservative party conference speech, where he is expected to ignore a growing clamour for tax cuts within his party. On Monday Hunt will announce that the living wage, the minimum wage for workers over 23 years old, will rise to at least 11 pounds ($13.42) an hour from 10.42 pounds. Prior to Hunt's speech, former Prime Minister Liz Truss will put pressure on the government to lower taxes in her only expected intervention at this year's conference. A year ago as prime minister, she had to scale back her tax-cutting plans in a U-turn at conference, and the market turmoil she sparked forced her resignation in October. However, since then she has stuck to her message that lower tax, especially for businesses, is part of what Britain needs to spark growth.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Michael Gove, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Liz Truss, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Conservative, Bank of England, Low, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Rights MANCHESTER, England, British

"The discussion about where the tax burden should fall I think is one that we need to take, not now, but in a little bit (of) time," Gove told Sky News. "I would like to see the tax burden reduced before the next election," he said, adding that workers should be the focus of any such reductions. "Rishi Sunak is desperate for people to think he’s in charge," said Jon Ashworth, a member of leader Keir Starmer's team. Liz Truss, Sunak's predecessor, and other senior Conservative lawmakers signed a letter on Saturday saying they would not support "any new taxes that increase the overall tax burden". "We're not in a position to talk about tax cuts at all."

Persons: Michael Gove, Phil Noble, Gove, Sunak, Rishi Sunak, Opinium, Labour's, Jon Ashworth, Keir Starmer's, Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt, We're, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kirsten Donovan, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Britain’s, REUTERS, Conservatives, Labour Party, Sky News, Conservative, Labour, for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, MANCHESTER, England

☆ Bankrupt Birmingham braces for cuts as UK government takes control
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The UK government has moved to take control of the country’s second biggest city, Birmingham, after the local council effectively declared itself bankrupt earlier this month. The government has also proposed an inquiry to understand how Birmingham landed in its current financial mess. “The need for action in Birmingham is pressing,” he added. Birmingham City Council issued a so-called section 114 notice on September 5, which means it must halt all spending except on essential services such as schooling, housing, social care, waste collection and road maintenance. The plan is due to be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the council on September 25.

Persons: Michael Gove, “, Deborah Cadman Organizations: London CNN, British, Birmingham City Council Locations: Birmingham, London, United Kingdom

[1/2] Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks at a press conference on public sector pay at Downing Street in London, Britain on July 13, 2023. In a highly unusual late-night statement after reports that he was planning to row back on some of the government’s key green policies, Sunak said he would set out an "important long-term decision" about the country's plans to reach net zero. With a general election looming next year, Sunak sees scaling back some green policies as a way to win over swing voters "ahead of a general election expected next year." It would be a striking reversal for Britain which until recently was a self-proclaimed leader in climate policy. Sunak said successive governments "have not been honest about costs and trade offs" of going green policies.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, HENRY NICHOLLS, Sunak, Boris Johnson's, Michael Gove, Elizabeth Piper, William James, Farouq Suleiman, Andrew MacAskill, Paul Sandle, Timothy Gardner, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Britain's, Downing, British, BBC, Labour Party, Conservatives, Labour, Conservative, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ UK net-zero ‘pragmatism’ is an odd way to get real
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Yet official UK figures do not suggest the way to get real on climate change is to go any slower. Sunak himself has defended Britain’s record on climate and says he cares about reaching its 2050 net-zero target. As such the net cost of net zero may be more like 344 billion pounds over three decades, or perhaps only 0.4% of GDP per year. Policy certainty will meanwhile encourage foreign investors to help pay for Britain’s transition, reducing its exposure to gas price shocks. UK energy secretary Grant Shapps said on Aug. 2 that the government remained “absolutely committed” to hitting its net-zero carbon targets by 2050.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, dawdling, Andrew Forrest, ”, ” Sunak, Michael Gove, Grant Shapps, “, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Sunak’s Conservative Party, Budget, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ’, McKinsey reckons, Britain, Conservatives, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, China, United States, North

☆ UK minister: petrol car ban immovable but some green policies to be relaxed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] View of the exhaust of a queuing car on the North Circular Road in London, Britain, June 26, 2023. Britain's green agenda has been thrown into question after the governing Conservatives won a vote for a parliamentary seat last week by attacking London's flagship anti-pollution policy. Asked on Times Radio if banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars was an immovable target in Britain, Gove said: "Yes." Gove later told LBC radio that the government would make changes to planned timetables to make them more achievable. "When it comes to landlords in the private rented sector, the timetable that we have for meeting particular energy efficiency standards will be relaxed," he said.

Persons: Toby Melville LONDON, Michael Gove, Gove, Rishi Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Conservatives, London's, European Union, Times, LBC, Times Radio, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United States

[1/4] An exterior view of the proposed site for the new China Embassy, near to Tower Bridge in London, Britain, June 23, 2023. That has led officials in Britain, which is trying to forge deeper economic ties post-Brexit, to fear it could also halt their own plans to rebuild its embassy in Beijing. Chinese officials told Reuters they suspected the British government had plotted to stop the embassy plans and orchestrated the local opposition. British officials, who declined to be identified, said they feared that London's plan to rebuild its embassy in Beijing would be affected. Residents say they are also worried about more local security issues.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Rishi Sunak, David Cameron, Xi Jinping, Michael Gove, Xi, Iain Duncan Smith, Dave Lake, Martin Quin Pollard, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: China Embassy, REUTERS, of, Reuters, British, Royal Mint, Conservative Party, Uyghur, Royal Mint Court Residents Association, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Beijing London, of London, Beijing, China, Europe, Washington, United States, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Sunak

☆ UK could borrow a leaf from Canada’s mortgage book
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The amount of mortgage debt rose even more sharply. This would require lenders to fix total monthly payments – of both interest and principal – relative to the outstanding mortgage balance. When interest rates rise sharply, as is happening now, repayments might be less than the monthly interest bill. The amount of mortgage debt outstanding would then increase as unpaid interest is added to the principal – a situation known as “negative amortisation”. Since borrowers always hand over a proportion of their income, mortgage payments wouldn’t shrink when interest rates decline.

Persons: Irving Fisher, ”, “, Neal Hudson, Michael Gove, Patrick Macaskie, Victor Dodig, Edward Chancellor, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, Bank of, Fiscal Studies, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, CIBC, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: United Kingdom, ”, Britain, England, Bank of England, United States, Canada

☆ 'Terrible': UK minister sorry for COVID lockdown party video
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - Senior British minister Michael Gove on Sunday described a video showing a party at the ruling Conservative Party's headquarters during a lockdown in 2020 as "terrible", as COVID rule-breaking gatherings continue to hang over the government. The video was published by the Mirror newspaper just days after a parliamentary committee ruled that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had wilfully misled lawmakers about rule-breaking lockdown parties at his office. "It's terrible," Gove, the housing minister, told Sky News. The issue of rule-breaking during COVID lockdowns helped bring down Johnson, who left office last year, and still hangs over the Conservatives and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Polls suggest the Conservatives, in power since 2010, are trailing the opposition Labour party by about 20% percentage points.

Persons: Michael Gove, Conservative Party's, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Gove, COVID lockdowns, Rishi Sunak, JOHNSON, Sunak, Michael Holden, Mark Heinrich, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Senior, Conservative, Mirror, Sky News, Conservatives, Labour, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Senior British, London, COVID

☆ UK financial watchdog intervenes to cut building insurance costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - Britain's financial watchdog has proposed changes to cut the cost of insuring residential apartment blocks, saying intervention was needed to prevent wrongful use of commission. The proposals announced on Friday follow a review after the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which killed 72 people and led to big increases to building insurance costs. The FCA published a consultation paper on its proposals alongside a review of 16 insurance brokers' sales to blocks of apartments between January 2019 and September 2022. "Brokers were often unable to articulate what insurance-related services or benefits of value were provided by the parties sharing commission," the watchdog said. Leaseholders would have transparency on insurance costs and ability to challenge poor value under the FCA proposals.

☆ Fact Check-UK government-headed letter addressed to hosts of Ukrainian refugees is fake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A letter printed on British government-headed paper, which requests the hosts of Ukrainian refugees to share personal information about their guests, has been circulating online but the related government department has said the letter is a fake. The letter also says that refugees should visit the embassy “to specify their personal data individually”. When contacted by Reuters, the DLUHC pointed to its Feb. 6 post on Twitter which said the department was aware of “fraudulent letters” to hosts of Ukrainian refugees that were circulating on social media. The Ukrainian Embassy in the UK was not immediately available for comment. The DLUHC says the letter, which contains numerous spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors, is fake.

☆ Government bears some blame for Grenfell fire, UK housing minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman places a white rose during a memorial service for those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire on June 14 2018, outside Westminster Abbey in London, Britain June 14, 2022. In June 2017, Grenfell Tower, a 23-storey social housing block in west London, was destroyed by a fire started by an electrical fault in a refrigerator, Britain's deadliest fire in a residential building since World War Two. "I think that if you look at what happened to Grenfell, there were lots of factors. But it is undeniably the case that the system of building regulation was not right." Following the blaze, a public inquiry found numerous faults in the planning and administration of the Grenfell refurbishment, and hundreds of buildings were found to have similar cladding.

☆ 'Deeply damaging mistake': UK's decision to approve a new coal mine criticized as misguided
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a statement reacting to the news, the firm behind the development said it was "delighted with the decision." West Cumbria Mining said the Woodhouse Colliery, in the county of Cumbria, would supply "the critical steel industry with a high-quality metallurgical coal product." The U.K. has a long association with coal mining, but the industry's decline hit many communities hard and is an emotive subject. The approval for the Woodhouse Colliery was welcomed by Mike Starkie, the elected mayor of Copeland Borough Council in Cumbria. "I've been inundated with messages from across my community tonight, and we've got a community in celebration about one of the biggest positive economic impacts on our area in a generation," he added.

☆ UK government greenlights first new coal mine in three decades
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The UK has greenlit a controversial plan to open the country’s first new coal mine in three decades, a little more than a year after the nation tried to convince the world to ditch coal at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow. Committee chairman Lord Deben said in a statement: “Phasing out coal use is the clearest requirement of the global effort towards Net Zero. We condemn, therefore, the Secretary of State’s decision to consent to a new deep coal mine in Cumbria, contrary to our previous advice. This decision grows global emissions and undermines UK efforts to achieve Net Zero.”The mine’s approval was also met with fierce criticism from scientists and environmentalists. Its opponents argue these jobs may not be secure, given the huge momentum in Europe to phase out coal.

LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The moment of truth is almost here for Britain's new prime minister Rishi Sunak and finance minister Jeremy Hunt. British markets have regained some poise after the carnage triggered by September's fiscal statement, but as the UK slips into recession, the outlook is far from rosy. Here's a look at some of the likely winners and losers from Thursday's budget. "Domestic UK equities are being treated with caution by investors both domestically and internationally," he said. snapshotA CRUDE TARGETEnergy companies have reported bumper profits this year, thanks to soaring crude oil and gas prices.

☆ UK's Sunak, Mordaunt in running to be next PM - Sky
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, two contenders in Britain's previous leadership contest this year, are believed to be in the running to become the nation's next prime minister following Liz Truss's resignation on Thursday, Sky News reported. Separately the Guardian's political editor reported former minister Michael Gove was "ruled out" for the leadership. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Muvija M and William James, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The UK has a new prime minister — meet Liz Truss, the tax-cutting Brexit convert taking over from Boris Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-05 | by ( Bethany Dawson | Catherine Neilan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Liz Truss has been named the new prime minister of the UK in the wake of Boris Johnson quitting. The victory also makes her the new prime minister, due to take over Tuesday. An ally of Johnson, Truss has often been described as the continuity candidate — but who is she, and what can we expect from her premiership? While Truss has been named as the Conservative Party leader, she must wait another day before officially becoming prime minister. Truss is set to become prime minister Tuesday after traveling to meet the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland.

☆ Câte luni ar putea dura carantina impusă în Anglia din cauza noii tulpini a coronavirusului
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-05 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Carantina impusă în Anglia pentru a opri valul de infectări cu noua tulpină a virusului SARS-CoV-2 va începe să fie ridicată abia din luna martie, a atenţionat marţi un ministru al guvernului britanic, informează AFP, potrivit Agerpres. „Când vom intra în (luna) martie, ar trebui să putem ridica unele dintre aceste restricţii, însă nu neapărat toate. În faţa răspândirii alarmante a noii tulpini a virusului, cu 50-70% mai contagioasă potrivit cercetătorilor britanici, şi a riscului ca sistemul de sănătate britanic să se prăbuşească, premierul Boris Johnson a extins lockdown-ul deja aplicat pentru trei sferturi din populaţia Angliei la întreaga provincie şi l-a înăsprit. Cu peste 75.000 de decese cauzate de COVID-19, Regatul Unit este una dintre ţările cele mai afectate din Europa, iar tendinţa s-a agravat în ultimele săptămâni. Bilanţul contaminărilor publicat în fiecare zi depăşeşte 50.000 de contaminări şi s-a apropiat de 59.000 luni.

Persons: Michael Gove, Boris Johnson, autorităţile, tendinţa, Bilanţul Organizations: Agerpres, Sky News Locations: Anglia, britanic, Angliei, Oxford, Regatul Unit, Europa

☆ „Când vom intra în luna martie, ar trebui să putem ridica unele dintre aceste restricții.” Guvernul britanic anunță despre al doilea lockdown
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-05 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +2 min

„Când vom intra în luna martie, ar trebui să putem ridica unele dintre aceste restricții.” Guvernul britanic anunță despre al doilea lockdownNoua carantină impusă în Anglia pentru a stăvili valul de contaminări cu noua tulpină de SARS-CoV-2 va începe să fie ridicată abia din luna martie, a atenționat marți, 5 ianuarie, un ministru al guvernului britanic, relatează AGERPRES„Când vom intra în luna martie, ar trebui să putem ridica unele dintre aceste restricții, însă nu neapărat toate”, a avertizat Michael Gove, însărcinat cu coordonarea acțiunii guvernului britanic, la postul Sky News. „Vom face tot ce putem pentru ca pe cât posibil cât mai multe persoane să fie vaccinate, în așa fel încât să putem ridica progresiv restricțiile”, a mai spus Gove. Din punct de vedere legal, lockdown-ul ar urma să intre în vigoare miercuri de la orele locale 0.01, însă Boris Johnson a îndemnat populația să înceapă imediat să respecte regulile. Populația nu este autorizată să iasă din locuințe decât din motive esențiale, cum ar fi cumpărăturile sau motivele medicale. La fel ca în timpul primului lockdown din primăvară și spre deosebire de cel de-al doilea din noiembrie, școlile au fost închise și s-a trecut începând de marți la învățământul la distanță.

Persons: Michael Gove, Boris Johnson Organizations: Sky News Locations: Anglia, britanic, Angliei, Oxford

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