DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Elon Musk to Israel: 'propaganda' that begets murder must be stopped
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk pauses during an in-conversation event with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk voiced support on Monday for Israel after it came under attack by Palestinian Hamas militants, saying one challenge was "ultimately stopping the propaganda that is convincing people to engage in, you know, murder". After hearing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Hamas must be destroyed in a live online chat, Musk said: "There's no choice." Musk, visiting Israel during its war on Hamas in Gaza, added: "I'd like to help as well." Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Rishi Sunak, Kirsty Wigglesworth, Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk, Dan Williams, Howard Goller Organizations: British, Rights, Tech, Israel, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza

REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS/LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused his British counterpart Rishi Sunak of cancelling a scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday in a diplomatic row over the status of the Parthenon Sculptures. "I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place," Mitsotakis said in a statement. "Greece's positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was available to meet Mitsotakis to discuss these issues instead, Sunak's office said. A law prevents the British museum from removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, George Osborne, Mona Lisa, Sunak, Oliver Dowden, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Renee Maltezou, Angus MacSwan, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, British Museum, British, BBC, Financial, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, LONDON, London, Ottoman Empire, Mitsotakis

☆ Britain hopes to attract investment from Chinese carmakers - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Nissan Motor Co Ltd FollowHAMPTON COURT, England, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Britain's investment minister on Monday said he was working to attract Chinese car manufacturers to build a factory in the country and that investment from China was crucial to meeting environmental targets. At a foreign direct investment summit at Hampton Court Palace on Monday, British investment minister Dominic Johnson said commercial talks could run in parallel with political disagreements. "Chinese investment is crucial if we're to achieve our net zero goals ... "Absolutely, I have an ambition to try and attract a Chinese car manufacturer." Britain is re-examining the application of its recently introduced National Security and Investment (NSI) Act that has disproportionately blocked Chinese-backed deals.

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Rishi Sunak's, David Cameron, Cameron, Sunak, Dominic Johnson, we're, Johnson, carmakers, Alistair Smout, Alex Richardson Organizations: China, Financial, Bank of China, REUTERS, Nissan Motor, Conservative Party, National Security and Investment, Tata, Nissan, European Union, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HAMPTON, England, Hampton, Britain

☆ 'Vote of confidence': UK hails $37 billion of foreign investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Australian funds IFM Investors and Aware Super will pump 10 billion pounds and 5 billion pounds, respectively, into projects ranging from infrastructure and energy transition to affordable housing, Sunak's Downing Street office said in a statement. It added that Spanish power giant Iberdrola (IBE.MC) would add 7 billion pounds to its investment plans in Britain, which include transmission and distribution electricity networks. France has overtaken Britain as the European country with the highest number of new FDI projects. President Emmanuel Macron announced 13 billion euros ($14 billion) of investment commitments in France at a similar FDI gathering in May. "It wants to deal with one person," investment minister Dominic Johnson told Reuters, adding ministers could then have "very strong, frank discussions with the international investment community about how we can make the environment more investable".

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, Sunak's, Iberdrola, Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Stephen Schwarzman, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase, Amanda Blanc, Dominic Johnson, IFM, King Charles, William Schomberg, Alistair Smout, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter Organizations: British, Global Investment, Business, IFM, Microsoft, Blackstone, LBC, Nissan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hampton, East Molesey, Surrey, Britain, France, Germany, England, Buckingham

☆ Greece PM laments lack of progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: Elgin, British Museum, REUTERS, British, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ UK's Sunak hails $37 billion investments before FDI summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Australian funds IFM Investors and Aware Super will pump 10 billion pounds and 5 billion pounds, respectively, into projects ranging from infrastructure and energy transition to affordable housing, Sunak's Downing Street office said in a statement. Spanish power giant Iberdrola (IBE.MC) will add 7 billion pounds to its investment plans in Britain, which include transmission and distribution electricity networks, it said. France last year overtook Britain as the European country with the highest number of new FDI projects. French President Emmanuel Macron announced 13 billion euros ($14.18 billion)of investment commitments in his country at a similar FDI gathering in May. It wants to deal with one person," investment minister Dominic Johnson told Reuters ahead of Monday's event at Hampton Court.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Ian Forsyth, Sunak's, Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Stephen Schwarzman, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase, Dominic Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, IFM, William Schomberg, Alistair Smout, Louise Heavens Organizations: Britain's, Nissan, IFM, Microsoft, Britain, Blackstone, Hampton Court, Thomson Locations: Sunderland, Britain, Spanish, Hampton, London, France, Germany, England, British

☆ Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress With UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Talks over a possible return of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures to Athens are not advancing quickly enough, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday as he prepared to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: British, Elgin, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial Locations: Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ Nissan is ramping up its UK EV business with a $2.5 billion investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nissan announced that it would invest billions in its UK EV business. The Japanese company said it would build three EV models in its UK factory as part of the deal. AdvertisementThe Japanese car manufacturer Nissan announced on Friday that it would invest £2 billion, which is around $2.5 billion, in its electric vehicle (EV) business in the UK. It takes Nissan's total proposed investment in the region to £3 billion, or around $3.8 billion, after the company already pledged $1 billion. Nissan did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, which was made outside of normal working hours.

Persons: —, Makoto Uchida, Rishi Sunak, IAN FORSYTH, Getty Organizations: Nissan, EV, Service, Sunderland, Britain's, European Union, Land Rover, Tata, BMW, British Locations: England, Europe, Sunderland

☆ Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian march in central London
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Demonstrators gather in Park Lane to protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, during a temporary truce between Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Israel, in London, Britain, November 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through central London on Saturday to call for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the latest in a series of similar weekend demonstrations in the capital since the seven-week war began. "We need full support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza," protester Kate Hudson, 64, told Reuters at the rally as demonstrators carrying signs such as "Ceasefire Now!" and "Stop the War on Gaza" walked peacefully along the march route towards the Houses of Parliament. Reporting by Muvija M and Natalie Thomas Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Saturday's, Kate Hudson, Hudson, Suella Braverman, Rishi Sunak, Muvija M, Natalie Thomas, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Reuters, Police, London's Metropolitan Police, Israel, Thomson Locations: Park Lane, Gaza, Israel, London, Britain, Palestinian

☆ Nissan invests $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nissan has made its electric Leaf model in Sunderland for years and will continue to do so, with batteries supplied by a small plant at the site. It announced a $1.4 billion investment in 2021 to build a second, 9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC. Nissan did not comment on the value of any subsidies or guarantees being provided by Britain. [1/4]Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt attach a Nissan badge to a car as they visit the car manufacturer, Nissan, in Sunderland, Britain, November 24, 2023. But Sunak, who became prime minister a year ago, is having some success turning that around.

Persons: Rishi, Sunak, Nissan's, Alan Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor, Makoto Uchida, Brexit, Nick Carey, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Sonali Paul, Mark Potter Organizations: Nissan, Investment Summit, Britain, BBC, Britain's, India's Tata Motors, Rover, Thomson Locations: Sunderland, England, Britain, Europe, EVs

☆ Nissan leads $2.5 billion investment to build two more EVs in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London — Nissan will pump 1.12 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) into its British plant to build electric versions of two models, offering a boost to the country’s auto industry and a UK prime minister desperate to attract foreign investment. In 2021, the company announced a $1.4 billion investment to build a second, 9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC. Its 2021 battery investment was a show of confidence when other foreign investors were avoiding the UK after Brexit led to years of uncertainty around the country’s trading relationships. The Nissan deal comes just months after India’s Tata Motors said it would invest £4 billion ($5 billion) in a UK electric vehicle battery plant to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories. The automaker’s latest UK investment comes despite Sunak’s decision in September to delay by five years a ban on sales of new petrol cars.

Persons: Rishi, ” Sunak, ” Nissan’s, Alan Johnson, ”, Makoto Uchida, Brexit, Sunak, India’s Tata Organizations: London, Nissan, Investment, BBC, India’s, India’s Tata Motors, Rover, Industry, Tata Locations: Sunderland, England, Britain, Europe

LONDON (AP) — Nissan will invest more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) to update its factory in northeast England to make electric versions of its two best-selling cars, a boost for the British government as it tries to revive the country's ailing economy. The company said it's directly investing up to 1.12 billion pounds to produce electric successors to the two models. “Nissan’s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the U.K.’s automotive industry,” which contributes 71 billion pounds a year to the economy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. India’s Tata Sons, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, is building a 4 billion-pound EV battery factory in the U.K. that's expected to produce about 40 gigawatt hours of battery cells every year, enough to provide half the U.K.’s electric vehicle batteries. Stellantis, parent company of British automaker Vauxhall, is investing 100 million pounds to make electric vans and cars in northwestern England.

Persons: —, it's, Rishi Sunak, Makoto Uchida, Sunak, India’s Tata Organizations: — Nissan, Nissan, BMW, India’s Tata Sons, Rover, EV, British, Vauxhall Locations: England, Sunderland, China, Europe, Oxford

☆ Nissan to invest $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A staff cleans charging ports of Nissan's Leaf battery electric vehicle during the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan, November 1, 2023. Japan's third-biggest automaker said it would announce the names of the new EV models and timings for production launches at a later date. Earlier this year, Nissan raised its targets for EV models as it plays catch up in a segment dominated by newcomers like Tesla (TSLA.O) - saying it would launch 19 new EV models by 2030. The Nissan EV production announcement comes just months after India's Tata Motors (TAMO.NS) said it would invest 4 billion pounds in a UK EV battery plant to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories. Industry experts had described the Tata battery plant as good progress, but argue Britain needs much more EV battery production capacity to maintain a viable, growing auto industry.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Makoto Uchida, Rishi Sunak, Nick Carey, Sonali Paul Organizations: Japan, REUTERS, Nissan, British, Nissan EV, India's Tata Motors, EV, Rover, Industry, Tata, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Sunderland, Europe, Britain

A sign is seen at the arrivals passport control area of Terminal 5, at Heathrow Airport, London, Britain, March 23, 2023. High levels of legal migration have for more than a decade dominated Britain's political landscape, and will be a key battleground again in the vote which is expected next year. For the year ending December 2022, the ONS revised up the net migration figure to 745,000, a new record high and up 139,000 on its previous estimate. It also said the net migration number for the year ending June 2023 was 672,000, up from 607,000 a year earlier. "The government remains completely committed to reducing levels of legal migration," he said in a statement.

Persons: Toby Melville, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, James, Simon Clarke, Labour Party's, Yvette Cooper, Muvija M, Sarah Young, Kylie MacLellan, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Heathrow Airport, REUTERS, ONS, EU, Labour, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Ukraine, Hong Kong

[1/2] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the opening session of the Global Food Security Summit at Lancaster House in London, Britain November 20, 2023. Years of political churn - with five prime ministers and a non-stop ministerial carousel since the 2016 Brexit vote - have shaken Britain's reputation for stability among investors. Some executives say the country, long a magnet for FDI, has simply taken them for granted. But companies and investors say that a focus by regulators on limiting costs for bill-payers in sectors such as water, telecoms and energy has crimped investment. British investment minister Dominic Johnson said the government would be in listening mode at the gathering on Nov. 27 to hear how it can remove hurdles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Sunak, Emanuel Macron, Jack Paris, Paris, Jeremy Hunt, EY, Alina Osorio, Mikhail Taver, Richard Harrington, Harrington, Dominic Johnson, Johnson, Kate Holton, Sinead Cruise, Andy Bruce, Alexander Smith Organizations: British, Global Food Security, Lancaster House, Hampton Court, Partners, Reuters, European Union, United, Labour Party, India's Tata Group, Britain, AstraZeneca, Ireland, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Hampton, France, Versailles, European, Germany, United States, Europe, Delaware

☆ How climate change got sucked into the culture wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Laura Paddison | Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

For an example of how climate change is increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the culture wars, Germany is a good place to start. Meanwhile, Spain’s far-right Vox party vowed to defend the country against “the new climate religion.”But to understand why climate change and the culture wars have become so enmeshed globally, experts say the United States probably holds the key. It’s effective, it does scare people.”The origins of the climate culture war in the US lie in the early 1990s, when a new push for global climate action collided with big geopolitical change, McCright said. Lightning rod for right wing mediaConservative media has played an outsized role in fueling culture war narratives, according to experts. Fox has “been laying the groundwork necessary for positioning climate policies as a culture war issue for a long time,” she said.

Persons: —, stoked, ”, Miranda Schreurs, Anger, Green, Kristin Brinker, Jörg, Stephan Lewandowsky, Rishi Sunak, “, ” Sunak, Vox, Ron DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Aaron McCright, McCright, ” McCright, ’, Brandon Bell, Lewandowsky, “ you’d, ” Alec Tyson, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Sen, Ed Markey, Allison Fisher, Fisher, Fox, didn’t, Ed Matthew, Matthew said, Jennie King, ” King, Germany —, Matthew of E3G, ” Schreurs, “ it’s Organizations: CNN, Green Party, Technical University of Munich, University of Bristol, British, Justice, Florida Gov, Republican, Michigan State University, Oil, Republicans, Pew Research, Pew, Conservative, Massachusetts, Green, Deal, Fox, Media, Institute for Strategic Locations: Germany, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Europe, United States, West Texas, Florida, American, Kyoto, Soviet Union, Federal, Midland , Texas, Alexandria, Cortez of New York

LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - British voters are set to suffer a "living standards disaster", despite Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt's new tax cut plan, because of the unprecedented fall in household incomes over the course of a parliamentary term, a think tank said on Thursday. The think tank said household disposable income per person was expected to fall 1.5% in 2024, when adjusted for Britain's still high rate of inflation. "But those challenges have also made things far more difficult for households: this is what a living standards disaster looks like." And that then means having to make some really difficult decisions when it comes to public spending but also raising revenue," he told Reuters. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)Reporting by David Milliken and Bill Schomberg; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Torsten Bell, Gareth Davies, Davies, David Milliken, Bill Schomberg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative, Reuters, Fiscal Studies, Treasury, Thomson

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced heavy pressure from his own Conservatives to take swift action to bring down migration, as new data published Thursday showed net migration numbers were higher than previously thought. The Office for National Statistics revised its estimates for net migration to the U.K. — meaning the number of people arriving minus those leaving — in the year to December 2022 to 745,000. The more hard-line wing of the Tories called for Sunak to “act now” as a general election looms next year. The latest figures do show that net migration in the 12 months up to June 2023 was 672,000. Sunak's office at Downing Street said that net migration remained “far too high” and indicated that further measures could be introduced to bring down the figures.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, ”, “, Jay Lindop, we’re Organizations: National Statistics, Tories, New Conservatives, European Union, Britain, Channel, Downing, Authorities Locations: Britain, Ukraine, Hong Kong

☆ Why the UK government's tax cuts still leave workers worse off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt that the U.K. economy would not enter a technical recession in 2023, while announcing the government's spring Budget. The U.K. National Insurance is a tax on workers' income and employers' profits to pay for state social security benefits, including the state pension. Touted by the Conservative party as the "largest ever tax cut for workers," the move nevertheless does not shield taxpayers from the effect of frozen tax thresholds that tip more of their income into higher tax brackets, as nominal wages rise. In March 2021, then-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the personal allowance (PA) and higher-rate thresholds (HRT) of income tax would be frozen for four years until April 2026. Alongside extending the freezes, Hunt in November 2022 froze the upper earnings limit for NI contributions and lowered the additional rate hold from £150,000 to £125,140 from April 2023.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Dan Kitwood, Rishi Sunak's, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Torsten Bell, Paul Johnson Organizations: British, Getty, Finance, National Insurance, Labour Party, Rishi Sunak's Conservative, Insurance, Conservative, Treasury, Institute for Fiscal Studies

☆ British tax cut spells trouble in store for next government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt's big tax cut surprise could help the ruling Conservatives recover some favour among voters, but it threatens to store up budget problems for whichever party wins power after the expected 2024 election. Combined with his decision to make permanent the incentives for business investment announced earlier this year, Hunt's package of tax cuts would be worth about 20 billion pounds ($25 billion)a year by the 2028/29 tax year. "The giveaways announced today are funded by handing whoever wins the next election implausibly large spending cuts," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. Hunt is likely to remain under pressure from within his party to go further with more tax cuts in a final pre-election budget statement expected in March. "There's a material risk that those plans prove undeliverable and today's tax cuts will not prove to be sustainable," Johnson said.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Liz, Rishi Sunak, Labour Party's, Rachel Reeves, Torsten Bell, Investec, David Jones, Paul Johnson, Johnson, William Schomberg, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ TUC leader: Sunak is 'stretching credibility' in claiming credit for falling inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTUC leader: Sunak is 'stretching credibility' in claiming credit for falling inflationPaul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, says U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is "stretching credibility" in claiming credit for falling inflation.

Persons: Sunak, Paul Nowak, Rishi Sunak Organizations: TUC, Trades Union Congress

☆ As Economy Sputters, U.K. Cuts Taxes Ahead of Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Eshe Nelson | More About Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Last week, data showed that Britain’s inflation rate had dropped to 4.6 percent in October, and Mr. Sunak declared victory in his pledge to halve inflation this year. The government’s fiscal credibility was also severely damaged by the unfunded tax cuts of Liz Truss’s short premiership. When he was installed as chancellor a year ago, Mr. Hunt took a cautious approach to the nation’s money and abandoned nearly all of Ms. Truss’s plans. He said there was little scope for spending increases and tax cuts because debt levels needed to be cut and the government had to be careful not to stoke inflationary pressures. Now with the election in sight, Mr. Hunt has found the money to offer some sweeteners in the form of lower taxes and even a freeze on alcohol duty.

Persons: ” Mr, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Liz Truss’s, Truss’s, Stephen Castle Organizations: Bank of England’s Locations: United States, Western Europe

☆ South Korean President to Meet UK PM Sunak for State Visit Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for talks on Wednesday and sign an agreement stepping up cooperation in defence, security and technology. Yoon, on a state visit to London, and Sunak will sign a Downing Street Accord which will also involve them working together on enforcing U.N. sanctions on reclusive North Korea. A conservative, Yoon has cited a "polycrisis" of global challenges as a reason for seeking closer ties with like-minded partners. South Korea on Wednesday suspended part of a 2018 military agreement with North Korea after it defied warnings from the United States and launched a spy satellite. The suspension of a clause in the agreement will see South Korea step up military surveillance along the heavily fortified border with the North.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Rishi Sunak, Yoon, King Charles, Buckingham, Charles, BLACKPINK, Alistair Smout, Joyce Lee, Nick Macfie Organizations: British, Downing, Accord, Ministers, Corio Generation, BP, Guard Locations: London, North Korea, South Korea, Buckingham, Korea, United States, Seoul

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Conservative government will try to win favor with voters by cutting taxes but avoiding worsening inflation in a budget statement Wednesday, coming ahead of a likely national election next year that opinion polls suggest it will lose. Sunak said Monday that his government would “cut tax and reward hard work” but would “avoid doing anything that puts at risk our progress in controlling inflation." Political Cartoons View All 1262 Images“Now that inflation is halved and our growth is stronger — meaning revenues are higher — we can begin the next phase and turn our attention to cutting tax,” he said. The election must be held by January 2025, with speculation focusing on May or sometime next fall. Arguably, cutting personal taxes will make that “journey” more difficult because it would likely raise consumer spending, thereby ratcheting up price pressures.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Jeremy Hunt's, ”, “, ” Sunak, Liz Truss, Hunt, There's, hasn't, “ Hunt, Kallum Pickering, Andrew Bailey Organizations: Conservative, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Bank of, Bank of England Locations: Ukraine, Berenberg

☆ UK's Jeremy Hunt to announce tax cuts aimed at reviving stagnant economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Autumn Statement budget announcement on Wednesday, facing pressure from within the ruling Conservative Party to implement tax cuts as the country's economy stagnates. Hunt will have more money at his disposal than a year ago and is under pressure from the right of his party to enact tax cuts. He is expected to announce reductions in National Insurance and business tax, while one Treasury minister has suggested that personal taxes could also be coming down. While Hunt has not ruled out tax cuts, he has emphasized the fragile state of the economy and reiterated that reducing living costs is the government's priority. The U.K. Treasury last week announced £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) in funding for British manufacturing to boost investment in eight sectors across the U.K., available for a five-year period from 2025.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Liz Truss, Hunt, Sunak Organizations: Finance, Conservative Party, Bank of England's, National Insurance, Treasury, Labour Party Locations: U.K

Search resuls for: "RISHI SUNAK"

25 mentions found