Six months after the Life Peerages Bill granted women the right to sit in the House of Lords, Baroness Swanborough became the first female peer to enter Parliament’s upper chamber on October 21, 1958. Six decades later, the House may be led by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, but the number of female peers still languishes at 207 out of 791. “On paper, yes, we have more men in the House of Lords,” says Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the youngest peer in the chamber at 40. “But in terms of active and impressive women who are properly taking part and shaping legislation on the front bench, I think we’re pretty even stevens. I don’t feel like we’re in a minority or not making an impact.” The comparative... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one … [Read more...] about Baroness Gabby Bertin: when it comes to bullying, the House of Commons could learn from the Lords
Telegraph
Children could be less likely to take up reading as a result of an ‘unfair and illogical’ tax on digital books
Children could be less likely to take up reading as a result of an "unfair and illogical" tax on digital books, publishers have said. The Publishers Association, a leading industry body, warned that readers were being "penalised" for choosing to read e-books, because digital editions are subject to VAT whereas traditional alternatives are not. Stephen Lotinga, the body's chief executive, said that the disparity "is illogical and potentially damaging for new generations of readers growing up digital.” Publishers want Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, to remove VAT from e-books, journals, audiobooks and digital news subscriptions, as part of next week's Budget. All of the formats are currently covered... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for … [Read more...] about Children could be less likely to take up reading as a result of an ‘unfair and illogical’ tax on digital books
Letters: Brexit is an opportunity to strengthen our trade links with the US
SIR – Tomorrow we will join Dr Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, on the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to launch the Maritime Nations Forum with our US counterparts. Alongside us will be a British icon – RMS Queen Mary 2. These ships symbolise the closest commercial and security links to be found between two nations, and Britain’s world-class maritime capability – from engineering and training to professional services. While the EU is our largest trading partner, the US is our largest single-nation trading partner. And although we expect a mutually beneficial deal with the EU to be agreed, we also want Britain to enhance its role as an outward-looking maritime nation. That will... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week … [Read more...] about Letters: Brexit is an opportunity to strengthen our trade links with the US
Landowners to be forced to sacrifice profits for more affordable houses, under plans expected to be unveiled in budget
Councils would be able to strip landowners of large portions of profits from the sale of their land, under proposals expected to be unveiled in the Budget, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose. An official review commissioned by Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, is to endorse controversial calls for the state to “capture” more of the increase in value of sites when they are granted planning permission. Sir Oliver Letwin, the former minister carrying out the review, is expected to recommend that local authorities should be able to seize greater amounts of landowners’ profits in order to fund the construction of local infrastructure such as roads and affordable homes. Downing Street and the Treasury... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week … [Read more...] about Landowners to be forced to sacrifice profits for more affordable houses, under plans expected to be unveiled in budget
Bosses to activate Brexit panic button by Christmas
Companies will hit the red button on Brexit contingency plans by Christmas if there is not a clear outcome from negotiations, according to research by the Confederation of British Industry. More than two thirds of large and smaller firms said they will implement Brexit contingency plans by December, while a fifth said that the deadline for triggering their emergency efforts had already passed. Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the CBI, said that “the speed of negotiations is being outpaced by the reality firms are facing on the ground”. “Jobs will be lost and supply chains moved,” Ms Fairbairn said, if there was not a withdrawal agreement in place by December. Some 80pc of firms also said that political uncertainty had reduced business investment, up from 36pc in October 2017. Two thirds of companies said that Brexit had made the UK a less attractive destination for investors, though separately sectors have reported differing levels of … [Read more...] about Bosses to activate Brexit panic button by Christmas