Boris Johnson – The Commerce Africa https://thecommerceafrica.com African Reneissance Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:51:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9 UK lawmakers set to back report that Boris Johnson misled them over ‘partygate’ https://thecommerceafrica.com/uk-lawmakers-set-to-back-report-that-boris-johnson-misled-them-over-partygate/ https://thecommerceafrica.com/uk-lawmakers-set-to-back-report-that-boris-johnson-misled-them-over-partygate/#respond Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:49:54 +0000 https://thecommerceafrica.com/?p=14214 British lawmakers are expected to back a report on Monday that said former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled parliament over rule-breaking parties at the heart of government during coronavirus lockdowns.

The decision is likely to further expose divisions in Britain’s governing Conservative Party before a national election expected next year, with some Conservatives saying publicly they will either abstain or vote against the report, which recommended a set of sanctions against Johnson.

Still, the report by parliament’s privileges committee is expected to have its findings and recommendations upheld by parliament, with the support of opposition lawmakers.

Johnson resigned as a lawmaker before last week’s public release of the report, which recommended that he be suspended as a lawmaker for 90 days were he still in parliament, and stripped of automatic access to parliament.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to skip the debate and vote in parliament, with the Times newspaper saying he was due to meet his Swedish counterpart in London on Monday.

Sunak has faced pressure over whether he would personally endorse the report.

“Obviously, this is a matter for the House (of Commons), not for the government,” Sunak told ITV when asked how he would vote. “It’s an important distinction. And that’s why we won’t want to influence anyone in advance of that.

“This committee was established under the former prime minister … I’m sure that they’ve done their work thoroughly and I respect them for that.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer challenged Sunak to show up for the vote, saying he has to “show leadership”.

“What his predecessor got up to was unacceptable,” Starmer told the BBC. “If the prime minister wants to lead, he has to come in to parliament and vote in this debate this afternoon to show where he stands on this issue.”

Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Kylie MacLellan, editing by Ed Osmond for Reuters

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Brexit: UK to Enjoy Free Tariffs, Quotas in EU Market https://thecommerceafrica.com/brexit-uk-to-enjoy-free-tariffs-quotas-in-eu-market/ https://thecommerceafrica.com/brexit-uk-to-enjoy-free-tariffs-quotas-in-eu-market/#respond Fri, 25 Dec 2020 00:28:53 +0000 http://thecommerceafrica.com/?p=2989 The EU and UK have reached a post-Brexit trade deal, ending months of disagreements over fishing rights and future business rules.

At a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson said: “We have taken back control of our laws and our destiny.”

The text of the agreement has yet to be released, but the PM claimed it was a “good deal for the whole of Europe”.

The UK is set to exit EU trading rules next Thursday – a year after officially leaving the 27 nation bloc.

It will mean big changes for business, with the UK and EU forming two separate markets, and the end of free movement.

But the trade deal will come as a major relief to many British businesses, already reeling from the impact of coronavirus, who feared disruption at the borders and the imposition of tariffs, or taxes on imports.

As the deal was announced, Mr Johnson – who had repeatedly said the UK would “prosper mightily” without a deal – tweeted a picture of himself smiling with both thumbs lifted in the air.

In a press conference in Brussels, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said: “This was a long and winding road but we have got a good deal to show for it.”

She said the deal was “fair” and “balanced” and it was now “time to turn the page and look to the future”. The UK “remains a trusted partner,” she added.

At his press conference, Boris Johnson said the £668bn a year agreement would “protect jobs across this country” and “enable UK goods to be sold without tariffs, without quotas in the EU market”.

He acknowledged he had been forced to give ground on his demands on fishing.

“The EU began with I think wanting a transition period of 14 years, we wanted three years, we’ve ended up at five years,” he said.

And he said the UK had not got all it wanted on financial services, a vital part of the UK economy, but he insisted the deal was “nonetheless going to enable our dynamic City of London to get on and prosper as never before”.

Most of the UK – except from Northern Ireland – will no longer participate in the Erasmus student exchange scheme, which Mr Johnson said was because it is “extremely expensive” – but a British option called the Turing Scheme will provide an alternative, he added.

Students in NI will still be able to take part thanks to an arrangement with the Irish government.

The UK’s chief trade negotiator Lord Frost said the full text of the free trade agreement would be published soon.

The UK Parliament will be recalled on 30 December to vote on the deal – it will also need to be ratified by the European Parliament.

BBC

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UK Imposes Four-week Lockdown as Cases of COVID-19 Increase https://thecommerceafrica.com/uk-imposes-four-week-lockdown-as-cases-of-covid-19-increase/ https://thecommerceafrica.com/uk-imposes-four-week-lockdown-as-cases-of-covid-19-increase/#respond Sat, 31 Oct 2020 22:55:20 +0000 http://thecommerceafrica.com/?p=2518 Boris Johnson, prime minister of the United Kingdom, has announced a four-week national lockdown as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The lockdown will take effect from November 5 and last till the first week of December.

Speaking at a press conference held on Saturday, the prime minister said residents may only leave home for “specific reasons”, while schools will remain open.

“Now is the time to take action because there is no alternative. From Thursday until the start of December, you must stay at home,” he said.

“You may only leave home for specific reasons, including: For education; for work, say if you cannot work from home; for exercise and recreation outdoors, with your household or on your own with one person from another household; for medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm; to shop for food and essentials; and to provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer.

“I’m afraid non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues will all be closed – though click and collect services can continue and essential shops will remain open, so there is no need to stock up.

“Pubs, bars, restaurants must close except for takeaway and delivery services.

“Workplaces should stay open where people can’t work from home – for example in the construction or manufacturing sectors. Single adult households can still form exclusive support bubbles with one other household, and children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated.

“If you are clinically vulnerable, or over the age of 60, you should be especially careful to follow the rules and minimise your contacts with others.”

The prime minister added that the government will provide support for individuals and businesses that will be most affected by the lockdown.

“I am under no illusions about how difficult this will be for businesses which have already had to endure hardship this year. I am truly, truly sorry for that,” Johnson said.

“This is why we are also going to extend the furlough system through November. The furlough scheme was a success in the spring. It supported people and businesses in a critical time. We will not end it. We will extend it until December.

“Christmas is going to be different this year, very different, but it is my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now, we can allow families across the country to be together.

“My priority, our priority, remains keeping people in education — so childcare, early years settings, schools, colleges and universities will all remain open. Our senior clinicians still advise that school is the best place for children to be.

“We cannot let this virus damage our children’s futures even more than it has already. I urge parents to continue taking their children to school and I am extremely grateful to teachers across the country for their dedication in enabling schools to remain open.”

As of October 31, the UK had confirmed over one million COVID-19 cases, out of which almost 47,000 deaths have been recorded.

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