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☆ Boris Johnson's response to COVID was 'mad and dangerous’- top official
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's approach to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic was "mad and dangerous" and his constant indecision made it "impossible" to tackle the virus, the government's top civil servant told officials. In the autumn of 2020 when the government was discussing how to suppress the virus, Case said of Johnson: "He cannot lead and we cannot support him under these circumstances. "This is in danger of becoming Trump/Bolsonaro level mad and dangerous," Case told other colleagues. Martin Reynolds, Johnson's former principal private secretary who appeared before the inquiry on Monday, said there was a culture of dysfunctionality and misogyny at the heart of government during the crisis. I think that remains an ongoing cultural issue, which I think we could have done more to address," Reynolds said.

Persons: Boris Johnson's, Simon Case, Case, Johnson, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Martin Reynolds, Johnson's, Reynolds, Andrew MacAskill, Elizabeth Piper, Ed Osmond Organizations: British, Trump, Thomson

[1/4] A view of the turbines at an offshore wind farm near Nysted, Denmark, September 4, 2023. Time is short: The EU has a legally binding goal to nearly double renewable sources as a share of total energy by 2030, to 42.5%, requiring a rapid expansion of offshore wind. But of the governments surveyed, only Britain and Poland said they had invested or budgeted for steps to improve the security of offshore infrastructure. It requires a lot of effort from the government side," said Mattia Cecchinato, senior adviser for offshore wind at WindEurope. It said it would establish a permanent coast guard base close to where offshore wind farms are planned.

Persons: Tom Little, Thomas Almegaard, Vladimir Putin, Mads Nipper, Orsted, Ewa Skoog Haslum, James Appathurai, Germany's RWE, Anitta, Mattia Cecchinato, Rasmus, Krzysztof Jaworski, Orsted's Errboe, Benjamin Mallet, Riham, Elizabeth Piper, Toby Sterling, Andrius Sytas, Marek Strzelecki, Sara Ledwith Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Baltic Seas, EU, NATO, NewNew, Sweden's, Soaring, Emerging, Research, Solutions, Internal, Fund, Military, Naval Operations Centre, Polish Navy, Thomson Locations: Nysted, Denmark, Europe, Baltic, Nord, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Russian, Russia, NewNew Shipping, Netherlands, Britain, Poland, Germany, North, Swedish, Copenhagen, Moscow, Sofia, European, Anitta Hipper, Belgium, Norway, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic . Poland, Paris, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Vilnius, Warsaw

☆ Britain's Sunak to visit Egypt for Israel, Gaza talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Egypt on Friday, part of a trip to the Middle East where he wants to press his message that there should be no escalation of violence in the region after the Hamas attack on Israel. Sunak was the latest Western leader to visit Jerusalem on Thursday to show support for Israel and to try to negotiate a way to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas and ease the provision of humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. In the talks in Egypt, Sunak will stress "the imperative of avoiding regional escalation and preventing the further unnecessary loss of civilian life", his office said. (This story has been corrected to fix the name of the country in paragraph 1)Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Clodagh, Sunak, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Andrew MacAskill, Elizabeth Piper, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: British, REUTERS, Israel, Crown, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem, Gaza, Saudi Arabia

☆ Israel's Netanyahu says Hamas attack was aimed at derailing peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Rami Amichai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Netanyahu says Hamas attack aimed at derailing peace bidSunak welcomes aid decision for GazaSunak due to meet Saudi crown princeJERUSALEM, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday the Hamas attack on Israel was aimed at preventing the expansion of peace in the Middle East, and called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to keep supporting Israel's Gaza counteroffensive. Netanyahu said the attack from Gaza by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which killed 1,400 people in Israel, was aimed at derailing attempts to establish a wider peace in the region. At least nine British nationals have been killed and seven are still missing since the attack on Israel, Sunak's spokesperson said. In Israel, Sunak met the families of two of the missing, who are believed to have been taken hostage and held in Gaza. The last British prime minister to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank was David Cameron in 2014.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Netanyahu, Sunak, JERUSALEM, Rishi Sunak, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Isaac Herzog, Israel, Herzog, Sunak's, James, Sameh Shoukry, David Cameron, Rami Amichai, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, William James, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar, Dan Williams, Elizabeth Piper, Angus MacSwan, Alison Williams, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Hamas, REUTERS, British, Israel, Crown, Palestinian, West Bank, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Saudi, Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, U.S, British, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Britain, London, United States, North Africa, South Asia

Britain's Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer addresses the start of the National Annual Women's Conference, ahead of the start of Britain's Labour Party annual conference, in Liverpool, Britain, October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble Acquire Licensing RightsLIVERPOOL, England, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Labour leader Keir Starmer will appeal directly to British voters on Tuesday, saying his revamped opposition party is best placed to boost economic growth and offer the country the hope that "things will be better for your children". Aides say Starmer knows he must try to convey a sense of reassurance that Labour can get to work on fixing a multitude of problems from poor public services to sluggish growth. "What is broken can be repaired, what is ruined can be rebuilt," he will tell hundreds of the party faithful at the conference in the northern English city of Liverpool. "We have to be a government that takes care of the big questions so working people have the freedom to enjoy what they love," he will say.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Phil Noble, Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, Elizabeth Piper, Gareth Jones 私 Organizations: Britain's Labour, Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Rights, Labour, Health Service Locations: Liverpool, Britain, Rights LIVERPOOL, England, English, Scotland

☆ Britain's Sunak Says London 'Unequivocally' Stands With Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday Britain was standing with Israel "unequivocally" following the attacks by Hamas and that London was working to ensure the world speaks in one voice. "(Sunak) reaffirmed that the UK will stand with Israel unequivocally against these acts of terror. The prime minister offered Prime Minister Netanyahu any support Israel needs," Sunak's Downing Street office said in a statement following a phone call between the two leaders. Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked the prime minister for the UK's support." Sunak urged all sides to show restraint while reiterating Britain's support for Israel.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Sunak, Briton, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper Organizations: LIVERPOOL, British, Israeli, Sunday Britain, Israel Locations: England, London, Israel, Gaza

☆ Britain's Keir Starmer plots painstaking path to power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/2] British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain, May 24, 2023. Hours later, those from the opposition Labour party were summoned by senior members in charge of discipline and ordered to delete the posts and apologise. Welcome to Keir Starmer's Labour Party. "Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, voters see a changed Labour Party that is ready to change the country with a mission-driven government," a Labour spokesperson said when asked to comment for this story. 'CORBYN WITHOUT THE MADNESS'Named after the founder of the Labour Party, Keir Hardie, Starmer was brought up in a staunchly left-wing household.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Gene Simmons, Simmons, Islam, Keir Starmer's, Jeremy Corbyn, we've, Starmer, Tony Blair, Rishi Sunak, Keir Hardie, Charlie Falconer, Claire Ainsley, Olaf Scholz, Australia's Anthony Albanese, Ainsley, Falconer, COVID, Keir, Mark Stephens, Blair, Starmer's, Andrew Cooper, David Cameron, Cooper, David Clarke Organizations: British Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour, Reuters, Keir Starmer's Labour Party, Conservatives, Conservative, Labour Party, Policy Institute, Labor Party, Public Prosecutions, Critics, Board, Police Service, Northern, Human, OF, DPP, of Human, Reigate Grammar, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Australia, Germany, U.S, Caribbean, Uganda, Reigate

And if you do, you should stand with me," Sunak said, referring to what he described as 30 years of political short-termism. "It may be helpful, but it won't be sufficient" to help them win the next election. Chris Hopkins, political research director at the polling firm Savanta, said he could not see how Sunak could win. Cabinet ministers have given speeches to sparsely populated rooms and some party members have openly talked what they may do in opposition. Writing by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Kate Holton and Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Goldman Sachs, Andy Street, Suella Braverman, pollsters, John Curtice, Chris Hopkins, Savanta, Liz Truss, Nigel Farage, Steve Tuckwell, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Conservative, Conservatives, Labour, University of Strathclyde, European Union, Republican Party, London's Labour, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Manchester, British, Birmingham, West Midlands, United States

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 3: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tours the Exhibitor's Hall on Day 3 of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Britain, October 3, 2023. We've had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. Thirty years of vested interests standing in the way of change," he will say, according to excerpts of his speech. "Our political system is too focused on short-term advantage, not long-term success ... Our mission is to fundamentally change our country." "The Labour party have set out their stall: to do and say as little as possible and hope no one notices.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Carl Court, Sunak, Grant Shapps, we've, We've, Jeremy Hunt, Keir Starmer, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, William Maclean, Robert Birsel Organizations: British, Conservative Party Conference, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Conservative, Labour Party, Times, Euston, Labour, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, Manchester, Britain, Rights MANCHESTER, England, English, London

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 2 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt poured cold water on growing calls for tax cuts within the governing Conservative Party on Monday, saying he could not commit to any "inflationary" reduction before the next election. But his message was overshadowed by calls from senior Conservative lawmakers, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's predecessor, for tax cuts to try to close the gap in opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party before an election expected next year. He said any tax cuts this year would be inflationary, making it more difficult to achieve Sunak's pledge made in January to halve inflation by the end of the year. Yes, but it means difficult decisions and we're prepared to take those difficult decisions," Hunt told Sky News, adding that voters understood "how difficult these decisions are". "So ahead of this year's Autumn Statement, we must make the Conservative Party the party of business once again, by getting Corporation Tax back down to 19%.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, we're, Liz Truss, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Sachin Ravikumar, Sarah Young, Emelia Sithole, Catherine Evans Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservative, Labour Party, Times, Sky News, Labour, Corporation, Tax, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, British, Manchester

☆ 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

☆ UK PM Sunak says we are making "good progress" on bringing down inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 1 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that the government is making "good progress" on bringing down inflation as he laid out his priorities at the start of the governing Conservatives' annual conference. Britain's inflation rate is forecast to fall to about 5% by the end of the year - half January's level - and meeting the target would mean Sunak would meet one of the five key pledges he set out at the start of the year. "Inflation is making people feel poorer, the quicker we bring inflation down the better it is, and that is why it is the right priority, and we are making good progress," Sunak told the BBC. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, writing by Andrew MacAskill, Editing by Alistair SmoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout Organizations: British, Conservatives, BBC, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England

"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

☆ In Government Row Over ECHR, UK's Cleverly Says No Need to Leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British foreign minister James Cleverly knocked back a suggestion by another government minister on Sunday that leaving the European Convention of Human Rights was needed so the country could better tackle illegal immigration. Sunak has ruled out leaving the ECHR, a treaty agreed by almost every nation in Europe after World War Two, saying Britain could curb the arrival of illegal migrants without having to quit. But some in his party, including interior minister Suella Braverman, say the international conventions governing refugees were not fit for purpose, and only served to encourage activist lawyers to block deportations. Cleverly told a fringe event organised by think tank Onward at the Conservative conference, he did not "feel that in order to achieve what we need to achieve, to protect our borders, we are necessitated to leave the ECHR". And I have no doubt that the decisions that we have made are completely within the boundaries of international law.

Persons: James, Rishi, Kemi Badenoch, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Elizabeth Piper, Emelia Sithole Organizations: European Convention of Human, British, Sunday Times, Conservative Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Europe, Britain

"The UK has been one of the real leaders in climate diplomacy and in their own emissions reductions," Ireland’s climate minister Eamon Ryan told Reuters. But according to the Climate Change Committee’s June 2023 progress report to parliament, to hit mid-way climate targets, Britain must quadruple its annual emissions reductions outside the electricity supply sector by 2030. He said he was changing the policy because previous governments had moved too quickly to set net zero targets, without securing the support of the public. Delaying net zero transition investments could prove politically popular, analysts observed, if an election was on the horizon. But "this framing only works if you think climate policy is a burden", said Bob Ward, a climate policy researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science, adding that avoiding short-term costs was likely to lead to a greater bill for taxpayers down the road.

Persons: Eamon Ryan, Rishi Sunak, Bob Ward, Britain's, Simone Tagliapietra, Sunak’s, Philip Dunne, Susanna Twidale, Gloria Dickie, Kate Abnett, Elizabeth Piper, Ed Osmond, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, London School of Economics, Political, Global, Thomson Locations: Britain, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Netherlands, Brussels, U.S, London

Ford UK Chair Lisa Brankin was scathing: "Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. Britain was the first major economy to create a legally binding 2050 net zero target and emissions have fallen almost 50% since 1990 as coal power plants closed and offshore wind power took off. The government's own independent adviser on climate action said in June that Britain was not doing enough to hit its mid-century target. Ford said it had spent 430 million pounds ($532 million) on its UK development and manufacturing facilities, with "further funding planned for the 2030 timeframe". His party has trailed the opposition Labour Party in polls for over a year.

Persons: Suella Braverman, Andy Bailey, Handout, Rishi Sunak, Lisa Brankin, Sunak, We're, Ford, Chris Skidmore, Kate Holton, Elizabeth Piper, William James, Susanna Twidale, Muvija, Nick Carey, Sachin Ravikumar, Gareth Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Economic, REUTERS, Sunak's Conservative Party, Ford, Conservative, BET, Times Radio, European Union, BMW, Volkswagen, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Sunak

[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

☆ BBC is 'urgently looking' into issues raised by Brand report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Britain's BBC said on Sunday it was "urgently looking into the issues" raised by allegations of sexual assault made against the broadcaster's former employee, British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who denies the accusations. Brand, 48, the former husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry, worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008. A BBC spokesperson said in a statement: "The documentary and associated reports contained serious allegations, spanning a number of years. Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised." "Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him," it said.

Persons: Russell Brand, Brand, Katy Perry, Tavistock Wood, Elizabeth Piper, Louise Heavens Organizations: BBC, Sunday Times, The Times, Trevi, Brand, London's Metropolitan Police, Thomson Locations: British, Los Angeles, London's

A British steel industry worker displays a badge on his Tata Steel work clothing during a protest over jobs, pay and conditions of work, outside of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, June 28, 2023. Britain said Friday's deal would help to safeguard 5,000 jobs, but Tata Steel UK currently employs more than 8,000 people, raising the prospect of 3,000 redundancies, as the lower-carbon electric furnaces are less labour intensive. India-owned Tata Steel had long warned that without government help it could close the Port Talbot site. Britain's steel industry directly employs 39,800 people according to figures released by UK Steel in May, and supports a further 50,000 jobs in the supply chain. The government said Tata Steel UK would now inform and consult with staff and unions.

Persons: Toby Melville, Friday's, Kemi Badenoch, Port Talbot, Sharon Graham, Sarah Young, Farouq Suleiman, Elizabeth Piper, Sachin Ravikumar, Jane Merriman Organizations: Tata Steel, REUTERS, Port Talbot Tata Steel, Tata, Tata Steel UK, Business, Company, European Union, Tata Group, British Steel, UK Steel, Trade, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, steelmaking, India, Talbot, United States, England, British, Scunthorpe, Port Talbot

☆ Price-conscious Britons boost Lidl GB revenues by 19%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People queue outside Lidl supermarket in Streatham, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, March 29, 2020. Lidl GB and rival discounter Aldi UK are Britain's fastest growing grocers, according to market researcher Kantar. For the 12 months to Feb. 28, 2023, Lidl GB said it welcomed an additional 1.5 million customers, driving revenues up to 9.3 billion pounds, but the company, part of Germany's Schwarz retail group, posted a pre-tax loss of 76 million pounds ($94.97 million). Lidl GB, Britain's sixth largest supermarket with a market share of 7.6%, has in the past said it is relaxed about its relatively low profitability because of its long-term outlook. It said in a statement it had the full support of its parent company, adding it has invested 533 million pounds in Britain in the year and opened over 50 new stores.

Persons: Hannah McKay, discounter, Kantar, Germany's Schwarz, Sarah Young, James Davey, Elizabeth Piper Organizations: REUTERS, discounter Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, Thomson Locations: Streatham, London, Britain, British, Germany's

☆ UK man, accused of spying for China in parliament, says he's innocent
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] An Uber riverboat sails on the River Thames, with the Houses of Parliament seen behind in London, Britain, May 17, 2023. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and the parliamentary speaker were due to raise the case, after several lawmakers called for not only an explanation but also tighter vetting procedures for those working in the House of Commons. The Sunday Times reported one of those arrested was a researcher in the British parliament. His alleged spying in parliament was raised by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in India on Sunday. "I think that's the central question that needs to be answered by the prime minister today."

Persons: Toby Melville, Oliver Dowden, Rishi Sunak, Premier Li Qiang, Birnberg Peirce, James, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan, Sachin Ravikumar, Christina Fincher, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, London's Metropolitan Police, Sunday Times, Times, British, Premier, Chinese Communist Party, Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, London's, India, Beijing

☆ UK police searching London park for escaped terrorism suspect
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Daniel Khalife is shown in a police mugshot released by Metropolitan Police Service on September 6, 2023. Courtesy of Metropolitan Police Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Britain's Metropolitan Police said on Friday searches taking place in London's Richmond Park were linked to the hunt for a former army soldier suspected of terrorism offences. London's LBC radio said police helicopters had been seen circling the park in west London early on Friday. He is also charged with obtaining information which might be "directly or indirectly useful to an enemy". Reporting by William James; editing by Sarah Young and Elizabeth PiperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Khalife, Daniel Abed Khalife, strapping, Khalife, William James, Sarah Young, Elizabeth Piper Organizations: Metropolitan Police Service, REUTERS Acquire, Metropolitan Police, London's HMP, LBC, Thomson Locations: London's Richmond, London's, London's HMP Wandsworth, London, England

☆ Britain rejoins EU's Horizon science programme in further boost for ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to Kent Scientific Services in West Malling, Kent, Britain, May 30, 2023. The agreement, which excludes the EU's Euratom nuclear research scheme, signals a further improvement in bilateral relations seven months after a row over trade was resolved. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said in a statement he had secured "improved financial terms of association" with the Horizon project. "This is the right deal for the UK, unlocking unparalleled research opportunities, and also the right deal for British taxpayers," Sunak said. Sunak's office said Britain would also associate with the European earth observation programme Copernicus, but not with the EU's Euratom programme, instead choosing to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Daniel Leal, Sunak, Copernicus, Rishi Sunak's, Ursula von der Leyen, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan, Elizabeth Piper, John Stonestreet Organizations: Britain's, Kent Scientific Services, REUTERS Acquire, EU, LONDON, Union's, Horizon, Twitter, Northern Ireland, Thomson Locations: West Malling, Kent, Britain, Horizon Europe, Europe, EU

☆ Wallace confirms resignation as UK defence minister in letter to PM Sunak
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace walks on Downing Street on the day of the last cabinet meeting before the summer recess, in London, Britain, July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Ben Wallace confirmed his resignation as defence minister on Thursday in a letter to Rishi Sunak, offering the government his continued support while warning the British prime minister not to see defence as a "discretionary spend". In his official resignation letter, Wallace renewed his appeal for the government not to turn to defence to make spending cuts. Sunak praised Wallace for his work, saying in a letter in response: "You have served our country in three of the most demanding posts in government: defence secretary, security minister and Northern Ireland minister." A former captain in the British army, Wallace, 53, was appointed as defence minister in 2019 by his friend and ally, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson after holding junior ministerial roles in earlier governments.

Persons: Defence Ben Wallace, Anna Gordon, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, Wallace, Jens Stoltenberg, hollowing, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Muvija M, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: State, Defence, REUTERS, NATO, Conservative Party, Ministry of Defence, Northern, Twitter, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Ukraine, Norwegian, Northern Ireland, Russia, Kyiv

☆ HMV owner finalising deal to buy most of collapsed UK retailer Wilko -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A branch of the discount retail homeware store Wilko is seen in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Canadian businessman Doug Putman is finalising a deal to buy the majority of collapsed British homeware retailer Wilko from its administrators in a deal which could save up to 9,000 jobs, Sky News reported on Thursday. The administrators are consulting Wilko's biggest creditors about the deal, Sky News said, adding that there was still some uncertainty around whether it would go ahead. Poundland's parent company and B&M European Value Retail (BMEB.L) have also shown interest in acquiring a smaller portion of Wilko stores. Wilko's administrators PwC said earlier on Thursday that there were parties interested in buying the retailer but none of them wanted the whole group.

Persons: Toby Melville, Doug Putman, Putman, PwC, Sarah Young, Muvija, Elizabeth Piper, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Sky News, HMV, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Canadian, British, Wilko

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