By Sabine Tyldesley The Trade Bill 2019-21 was back on the floor over the last fortnight, as the Bill undergoes its ‘ping-pong’ stages, where both Houses of Parliament debate whether to accept amendments from the other place. The Commons rejected Lords amendment 1B on parliamentary scrutiny and on Tuesday the Lords agreed not to insist…
Author: adam.browning@newgatecomms.com
A taxing Budget? What to expect from next week’s set piece statement
By Joe Cooper Ahead of next week’s Budget, speculation has been mounting regarding the Government’s plans for tax reform as it seeks to lead the economic recovery from coronavirus. While changes to the tax system were largely put-on hold at the Autumn Statement in 2020, as we approach – hopefully – the end of the…
Will new laws put an end to ‘pensions plunderers’?
By Gareth Jones The new Pension Schemes Act includes laws to take action against company bosses who endanger company pension schemes. Why are they needed and will they work? This year marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Robert Maxwell. The controversial businessman and media proprietor left a number of troubled legacies that are…
The Outsiders – Obama and Trump – an American story
By Dafydd Rees American politics has a fascination and a drama all of its own. And yet, no one has a story quite like Barack Obama. As this week’s podcast compelling conversation with that other American legend Bruce Springsteen reveals, the former President was, and still remains, something of an outsider to the political system…
Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview is the next stage of a Royal comms nightmare
By Andrew Adie So here’s what we know, their ‘wide-ranging’ interview with Oprah has been filmed and will be aired on Sunday 7th March on CBS – Meghan will do the first half, reflecting (presumably with some candour) on life within The Royal Family, Prince Harry will then join her to talk about ‘the future’….
Changes to affordable housing are afoot, but who do they actually help?
By Laura Sears In December 2020, the average price of a home increased by 8.5% to reach a high of £252,000 – £20,000 higher than Christmas 2019 – the fastest rate of growth since 2014. As people spend more time at home, they’re increasingly aware of the challenges faced in their space, and many have…
The Salmond/Sturgeon saga drags on: What could it mean for the SNP and for Scottish independence?
By Fraser Raleigh The twists and turns of the long-running Alex Salmond saga have become almost as confusing for seasoned Holyrood watchers as for the Scottish public to follow, with his long-awaited appearance before the Scottish Parliament once again cast into doubt this week. At its heart is the complete collapse of the relationship between…
Brexit with a touch of Frost
By Tiffany Burrows From 1 March, the Prime Minister’s Brexit Adviser, Lord Frost , will join the Cabinet Office as a Minister of State, leading on the UK’s new relationship with the EU. The appointment, announced last week, will see Frost attend Cabinet. . Frost’s appointment to the Cabinet makes him more accountable than his…
Don’t shoot the (WhatsApp) messenger just yet…
By Tom Flynn Facebook’s purchase of WhatsApp in 2014 saw the social media giant dramatically increase its dominance in the instant messenger platform space. Since then, WhatsApp has grown in popularity and, together with Messenger, has made Facebook the instant messaging market leader in 90% of countries around the world. Things were going (relatively) smoothly…
Weary Britons throw caution to the winds in a mad dash of holiday bookings
By Nick Jessup Yesterday, the Prime Minister spelled out his plan for easing lockdown, as coronavirus cases in the UK continue to fall and the vaccine rollout continues apace. In his comments to the House of Commons, the Prime Minister used the word ‘cautious’ in some form at least eleven times, hammering home the message…