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Sun, 24 September 2023

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Tom Scotson

Tory MP Warns Downing Street A Centralised Digital Currency Could Risk Privacy
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Tory MP Warns Downing Street A Centralised Digital Currency Could Risk Privacy
A Conservative MP has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to raise concerns about what a centralised digital currency could mean for privacy after the Bank of England and Treasury have discussed how one could be implemented in the future.
Tories Welcome Bank of England's Interest Rate Pause But Warn They're 'Not Out Of The Woods'
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Tories Welcome Bank of England's Interest Rate Pause But Warn They're "Not Out Of The Woods"
A number of Conservative MPs have welcomed the Bank of England’s decision to keep interest rates at 5.25 per cent, but claimed the central bank’s rapid increases in the Bank Rate prior to today may have damaged economic growth.
All The Changes Rishi Sunak Is Making To Net Zero Pledges
Economy
By Tom Scotson
All The Changes Rishi Sunak Is Making To Net Zero Pledges
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a significant overhaul of the government's net zero policy, including pushing back the ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.
Conservative MPs Fear For Their Seats If High Interest Rates Linger
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Conservative MPs Fear For Their Seats If High Interest Rates Linger
Conservative MPs are growing increasingly nervous that interest rates remaining high could be doing serious damage to their prospects at the next general election, which is due to be called before the end of 2024.
Housing Advocates Want Government To Reform 'Medieval' Leasehold System
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
Housing Advocates Want Government To Reform "Medieval" Leasehold System
Housing campaigners are eager for Government to reform the “medieval” leasehold system this year by tackling high annual costs and making it easier for leaseholders to buy the freehold of a home.
New Report Wants To Make Planning 'Sexy' To Boost Housebuilding
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
New Report Wants To Make Planning "Sexy" To Boost Housebuilding
A cross-party group of MPs is working up a report that aims to make planning “sexy” in the latest bid to boost housebuilding in towns and cities across the UK.
What You Need To Know About A Bank Of England Digital Currency
Economy
By Tom Scotson
What You Need To Know About A Bank Of England Digital Currency
Like many major economies including the EU, US and China, the UK government and the Bank of England have been formally exploring what a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) would look like and how it would work.
Tory MP Says Electric Cars Could Cause 'Blackouts' Without More Nuclear Power
Energy
By Tom Scotson
Tory MP Says Electric Cars Could Cause "Blackouts" Without More Nuclear Power
A Conservative MP has called for the Government to move "much faster" on increasing the UK's nuclear energy supply to prevent future "blackouts" as more heavy duty technology such as electric cars and heat pumps are connected to the grid.
Talk Of A 'Digital Pound' Has Sparked Fear Among Privacy Campaigners
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Talk Of A "Digital Pound" Has Sparked Fear Among Privacy Campaigners
MPs, privacy campaigners and think tanks have expressed concerns that a digital currency considered by the Bank of England could be vulnerable to being used to monitor and programme people’s spending.
Government Sports Day Postponed Due To School Concrete Crisis
Education
By Tom Scotson
Government Sports Day Postponed Due To School Concrete Crisis
Exclusive: The government has postponed its Northern Sports Day in the wake of the school concrete crisis.
Tory MPs Welcome Housebuilding Boost Despite Backlash Over Scrapping Environmental Rules
Environment
By Tom Scotson
Tory MPs Welcome Housebuilding Boost Despite Backlash Over Scrapping Environmental Rules
Government has announced plans to ditch EU rules on nutrient neutrality in order to build 100,000 homes across the UK, prompting praise from MPs despite a backlash from opposition parties and environmental groups.
Government Has Not Met Senior NHS Consultants For Five Months
Health
By Tom Scotson
Government Has Not Met Senior NHS Consultants For Five Months
The Government has not met consultants from the British Medical Association (BMA) for five months, research by the Labour party has highlighted, as doctors begin 48 hours of industrial action on Thursday.
Labour MP Wants Party To Commit To Build 450,000 Homes A Year
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
Labour MP Wants Party To Commit To Build 450,000 Homes A Year
Labour MP Andrew Western, a self-styled YIMBY (yes in my back yard) champion in parliament, has said he would like to see his party commit to a mandatory target of building 450,000 homes a year in Government in order to tackle the UK's housing crisis.
Regional Tories Are Snubbing Parachuted MP Candidates In Favour Of 'Local Champions'
Political parties
By Tom Scotson
Regional Tories Are Snubbing Parachuted MP Candidates In Favour Of "Local Champions"
The number of Conservative candidates who are from their area and have had experience in local Government has risen over the last few election cycles, with Tory associations appearing to prefer “local champions” to well-established names.
Government Warned Bibby Stockholm Tackles 'Symptoms' Not 'Causes' Of Channel Crossings
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
Government Warned Bibby Stockholm Tackles "Symptoms" Not "Causes" Of Channel Crossings
The Government is facing criticism that its decision to start moving asylum seekers onto detention barge the Bibby Stockholm is tackling the “symptoms and not the causes” of the small boats crisis, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to solve.
Labour's Top Target Seats Are In Major NIMBY Strongholds
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
Labour's Top Target Seats Are In Major NIMBY Strongholds
New data seen by PoliticsHome shows Labour's target seats have a significant number of voters who are vehemently against more housebuilding in their area, leaving the party with a serious balancing act between winning marginal constituencies and keeping promises to solve the housing crisis.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt Admits Interest Rates Rise Won't Be 'Easy' For Households
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt Admits Interest Rates Rise Won't Be "Easy" For Households
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said the Government will continue to stick with its plan as the Bank of England raised interest rates to 5.25 per cent in an effort to tackle inflation.
Government Accused Of Not Engaging With Tory MPs On Housebuilding
Political parties
By Tom Scotson
Government Accused Of Not Engaging With Tory MPs On Housebuilding
A number of Conservative MPs have complained that there has been a lack of "engagement" with backbenchers over its housebuilding strategy, despite many across the party holding strong views on the topic.
Government Urged To Go 'Much Further' To Solve London's Housing Crisis
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
Government Urged To Go "Much Further" To Solve London's Housing Crisis
Housing campaigners are urging the Government to go “much further” to address London’s housing crisis, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a series of policies to build more homes in the capital.
Housing Advocates Issue Plea To Build 'Outwards' And 'Upwards' To Solve London Crisis
Communities
By Tom Scotson
Housing Advocates Issue Plea To Build "Outwards" And "Upwards" To Solve London Crisis
Advocates for housing reform have insisted that solving London's housing crisis requires building "outwards" and "upwards", as the government prepares to announce details of new measures to tackle a shortage of homes in the capital.

MP Says UK University Reliance On China Is Not 'Ideal' In Volatile Geopolitical Landscape
Education
By Tom Scotson
MP Says UK University Reliance On China Is Not "Ideal" In Volatile Geopolitical Landscape
Labour chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students Paul Blomfield has said the government's immigration policy could leave UK universities over-reliant on Chinese student fees, leaving them in a less than "ideal" situation as a result of global tensions with China.

Michael Gove Promises 'Radical Action' To Build One Million Homes
Communities
By Tom Scotson
Michael Gove Promises "Radical Action" To Build One Million Homes
Levelling-up Secretary Michael Gove has promised "radical action to unlock the supply of new homes", with a commitment to build one million new houses over the course of this Parliament.
What You Need To Know About Triple By-Election
Political parties
By Tom Scotson
What You Need To Know About Triple By-Election
The polls have opened for three by-elections in constituencies in England on Thursday, with the Conservatives at risk of losing all three seats they have previously held to the Liberal Democrats and Labour.
Labour Rebels Pledge To 'Push Back' On Keir Starmer's Two Child Benefit Cap U-Turn
Political parties
By Tom Scotson
Labour Rebels Pledge To "Push Back" On Keir Starmer's Two Child Benefit Cap U-Turn
Frustrated Labour MPs have continued to "push back" on Keir Starmer's controversial commitment to maintain the Tories’ two-child benefit cap limit if the party were to be elected into government after a fraught Parliamentary Labour Party meeting on Tuesday night.
Alarm Raised That Defaults On Car Loans Could Soar
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Alarm Raised That Defaults On Car Loans Could Soar
A number of Tory MPs have expressed concern that the number of people defaulting on car loan repayments could spike as a result of high interest rates squeezing incomes.

Tory MP Wants To Build A Million More Homes In London
Home affairs
By Tom Scotson
Tory MP Wants To Build A Million More Homes In London
Conservative MP Ranil Jayawardena, leader of the Conservative Growth Group (CGG), would like to see a million more homes built in London over the next parliament and has called for the pledge to be included in the party's next General Election manifesto.
Rishi Sunak Says West Would Be Stronger With Ukraine In NATO But Faces Pressure To 'Push Harder'
Defence
By Tom Scotson
Rishi Sunak Says West Would Be Stronger With Ukraine In NATO But Faces Pressure To "Push Harder"
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the West would be stronger with "Ukraine as a NATO ally", despite no clear time scale for the war-torn country to be accepted into the international alliance.
New Pressure Group Wants Reformed Bank of England To Stop Creating 'Unlimited New Money'
Economy
By Tom Scotson
New Pressure Group Wants Reformed Bank of England To Stop Creating "Unlimited New Money"
A group of peers, think tanks and economic experts are set to launch a new parliamentary group focused on pressuring government to overhaul the Bank of England's current powers, including its ability to print money and buy bonds through Quantitative Easing (QE).
Government Loses Legal Challenge To Avoid Handing Over Boris Johnson's Covid WhatsApps
Coronavirus
By Tom Scotson
Government Loses Legal Challenge To Avoid Handing Over Boris Johnson's Covid WhatsApps
The Cabinet Office has lost a legal challenge to allow them to withhold Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages from the Covid inquiry, after it previously claimed they were "unambiguously irrelevant".
Rishi Sunak Pledges To 'Train, Retain And Reform' NHS Workforce In Major New Plan
Health
By Tom Scotson
Rishi Sunak Pledges To "Train, Retain And Reform" NHS Workforce In Major New Plan
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to "train, retain and reform" the NHS workforce as he launched a long-awaited plan to tackle severe staff shortages in the health service.
Excess Savings Could Fuel Price Rises Despite Government's Plan To Halve Inflation
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Excess Savings Could Fuel Price Rises Despite Government's Plan To Halve Inflation
Savings built up during the pandemic are at risk of being drip fed into the economy and exacerbating price rises despite the Government's pledge to halve inflation, economic experts have warned.
Boris Johnson Allies 'Undermined' Privileges Committee, Report Concludes
Political parties
By Tom Scotson
Boris Johnson Allies "Undermined" Privileges Committee, Report Concludes
The Privileges Committee has concluded that Tory MPs among Boris Johnson's most loyal supporters, including Jacob Rees Mogg and Nadine Dorries, "undermined" their investigation into whether the former prime minister misled parliament over partygate.
Matt Hancock Is 'Profoundly Sorry' For Each Death Caused By Covid On His Watch
Coronavirus
By Tom Scotson
Matt Hancock Is "Profoundly Sorry" For Each Death Caused By Covid On His Watch
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has told the Covid Inquiry he is "deeply sorry" for each Covid death that occurred in the UK during the pandemic.
James Cleverly Says 'Cracks Are Emerging' In Russian Support For War
Defence
By Tom Scotson
James Cleverly Says "Cracks Are Emerging" In Russian Support For War
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has told the House of Commons that "cracks are emerging" for Russians' support for the war in Ukraine, after the Vladimir Putin was "exposed" by an attempted coup by paramilitary organisation Wagner.
Jeremy Hunt Promises Struggling Mortgage Holders Will Not Be Punished
Economy
By Tom Scotson
Jeremy Hunt Promises Struggling Mortgage Holders Will Not Be Punished
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has agreed with banks that struggling mortgage holders will not be punished if they need extra support from lenders in the current economic climate.
Jeremy Hunt Insists On 'Watertight' Resolve As Bank Of England Raises Interest Rates
Political parties
By Tom Scotson
Jeremy Hunt Insists On "Watertight" Resolve As Bank Of England Raises Interest Rates
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has backed the Bank of England's decision to raise interest rates to five percent in an effort to tackle inflation. "The lesson from other countries is that if you stick to your guns, you bring inflation down," he said.