British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday admitted it was a “disappointing” run for the governing Conservative Party, with the Opposition Labour and Liberal Democrat parties making significant gains in the local elections. Voters went to the polls on Thursday to elect local representatives in 230 of England’s 317 councils in what marked Sunak’s first … Read more
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak had two tasks when he entered Downing Street: Stabilise the government after Liz Truss‘s 49 chaotic days in office and make the Conservative Party competitive at the next general election. Tory strategists worry he’s now in danger of getting stuck between Job 1 and Job 2. Sunak has successfully eaten … Read more
Observers of Britain‘s governing structure can be forgiven for scratching their heads in recent weeks as they watch the country reel through a succession of prime ministers without holding an election. While the opposition Labour Party is demanding an election, the governing conservatives are pushing on with choosing another prime minister from within their own … Read more
The British government on Monday axed almost all of its debt-fuelled tax cuts unveiled last month to avert fresh markets chaos, in a humiliating climbdown for embattled Prime Minister Liz Truss. The shock move by new finance chief Jeremy Hunt, parachuted into the job on Friday to replace sacked Kwasi Kwarteng, leaves Truss’ position in … Read more
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on Monday to end social and economic COVID-19 restrictions in England in two weeks’ time, a test of whether a rapid vaccine rollout offers enough protection from the highly contagious Delta variant. Johnson confirmed the government aimed to end restrictive measures on July 19, with a final … Read more
LONDON: The British economy suffered its biggest decline in more than 300 years in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic closed shops and restaurants, devastated the travel industry and curtailed manufacturing. The economy shrank 9.9 per cent last year, more than twice the figure for 2009 at the height of the global financial crisis, the Office … Read more
WELLINGTON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivered the biggest election victory for her centre-left Labour Party in half a century on Saturday as voters rewarded her for a decisive response to Covid-19. The mandate means Ardern, 40, could form the first single-party government in decades and will face the challenge of delivering on the progressive transformation … Read more