Boris johnson life of london

Boris Johnson believes helping struggling families to pay their bills would be "shovelling" money to appease "bleeding hearts," it has been reported. The Prime Minister is under mounting pressure to raise a windfall tax on energy firms to help ease skyrocketing bills. But it's said the PM believes spending the proceeds of such a tax on immediate relief for families would be a short-term fix, and the cash would be “here today and gone tomorrow.” It was revealed last year that Boris Johnson had spent £112,549 refurbishing the luxury flat he shares with wife Carrie and their children above Downing Street. He was also reported to have blown £50 a pop on organic ready meals prepared by the head chef of an upmarket deli, and has occasionally engaged the services of a £165-an-hour personal trainer. And in 2009, shortly after the last global financial crisis, he dismissed the £250,000 a year he earned as a newspaper columnist as "chickenfeed". ( Image: POOL/AFP via Getty … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson believes help for families would ‘shovel cash to appease bleeding hearts’

Ministers will on Tuesday unveil plans for a new law to override parts of the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland in a bid to revive power-sharing. After emergency talks, Boris Johnson said the legislation was needed as "insurance" in case talks with the European Union fail. But the move would effectively tear up the Northern Ireland protocol - agreed by the Prime Minister in 2019 - which sets trading rules on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's institutions have been plunged into crisis with the DUP refusing to re-enter a devolved government in protest at the 'Irish Sea border' in the protocol. But EU leaders have warned Mr Johnson against trying to rewrite the treaty unilaterally - suggesting it could result in a damaging trade war with the bloc. Mr Johnson told reporters: "We would love this to be done in a consensual way with our friends and partners, ironing out the problems, stopping some of these barriers East-West. "But to get that … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson to ‘proceed’ with law axing parts of Brexit deal with statement tomorrow

Telling children they are overweight actually leads to them growing up carrying more weight, MPs have heard. Experts said there is zero evidence that weight loss diets work in the long term and they lead to children piling the pounds back on eventually. Psychologists told the Health Select Committee that stress and stigma have negative health impacts that increase the risk of weight gain over a lifetime. Experts said the National Child Measurement Programme - which takes the weight and height of all children in reception class and Year 6 - is contributing to Britain’s obesity epidemic. MPs were told that the goal of losing weight should be replaced with a focus on children’s self esteem and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits, such as cooking from scratch and exercise. Dr Angela Meadows, of University of Essex, said: “The long term effects of weight loss tends to be weight gain. “Telling children that they’re overweight, it has been tried. It tends to have the opposite … [Read more...] about Telling kids they’re overweight leads to them piling on pounds later in life

The legal age of smoking tobacco in Britain could reportedly be raised to 21 years old under the latest nanny state move from the country’s nominally Conservative government. In the hopes of transitioning the United Kingdom into a smoke-free nation by the end of the decade, a “radical” review commissioned by Health Secretary Sajid Javid could see the government recommend raising the legal age of smoking from 18 to 21. Though 18-year-olds are legally allowed to vote and indeed to serve in the nation’s armed forces, Javid, who quit smoking upon his appointment as Health Secretary last year, supports imposing new limits on tobacco, The Telegraph reports . The British broadsheet, which is closely connected to the Tory government, claimed that the report — which is expected to be published within the coming weeks — will also advocate for wider proliferation of vapes and other electronic cigarettes as well as increased taxes on the profits of tobacco companies. A source … [Read more...] about UK Conservative Govt Looks to Raise Legal Smoking Age to 21

Fuel tankers from several of the biggest supermarkets in the country have been spotted taking diesel from Russia, campaigners say. Greenpeace photographed Tesco , Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons tankers at the Navigator Terminals on the banks of the River Thames in Essex . The tankers picked up fuel just hours after a shipment of 33,000 tonnes of diesel was delivered to the site, Greenpeace said, although the terminal also deals with shipments from other countries. Greenpeace campaigner Elena Polisano said: “ Supermarkets were quick to remove Russian vodka from shelves and rename their chicken Kievs as chicken Kyivs. “Customers will be outraged if supermarkets are asking them to donate to Ukraine at the till but passing their money to Putin at the pump.” Recommended Boris Johnson news: Partygate probe ends with 126 fines Brexit has increased risk of danger foods reaching UK, watchdog warns The Government has said it will phase … [Read more...] about Supermarket tankers fill up on Russian diesel, Greenpeace claims

Union bosses have warned of a "summer of discontent" if the Government presses on with its threat to tighten industrial action laws to make it harder to hold a rail strike. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that ministers are looking at drawing up laws which would make industrial action illegal unless a certain number of staff are working. He said that the Government hopes the unions "will wake up and smell the coffee" and suggested that strikes could put more people off rail travel. Mr Shapps also accused unions of resorting to industrial action rather than using it as a last resort, adding that railways were already on "financial life support" because of the pandemic. The Government's plan for a minimum staffing requirement during rail strikes, promised in the Tory 2019 manifesto, comes as the threat of a major industrial action looms. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps ( Image: NurPhoto/PA Images) "If they really got to that point then minimum service … [Read more...] about Unions warn of ‘summer of discontent’ as Tories threaten tougher laws to prevent strikes

Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges has said she has been “harassed and demonised” after being prevented from racing in a women’s event this weekend. Bridges, 21, had been due to race against the likes of Dame Laura Kenny at the National Omnium Championships in Derby this weekend, her first race in the female category, but on Wednesday evening British Cycling announced that world governing body the UCI had ruled her ineligible. It is understood that although British Cycling had accepted she had met the requirements – current transgender regulations require riders to have had testosterone levels below five nanomoles per litre for a 12-month period prior to competition – the UCI has not yet granted her switch in licence. In a statement on social media, Bridges expressed frustration at the process, saying she had been in contact with both British Cycling and the UCI for the last six months, providing the medical evidence necessary, and has not yet been given a full … [Read more...] about Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges ‘harassed and demonised’ after being excluded from competition

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Labor Party will form the country's next government on Monday, as unprecedented support for the Greens and climate-focussed independents ended nearly a decade of rule by the conservative coalition. Centre-left Labor remains four to five seats short of a majority of 76 in the 151 seat lower house with about a dozen electorates too close to call, television channels reported on Sunday. Labor may need the support of independents and smaller parties to return to power for the first time since 2013. Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he will be sworn in as the 31st prime minister on Monday along with four senior party members, before heading to Tokyo to attend a "Quad" summit on Tuesday with U.S. President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Japan and India. "I do want to change the country. I want to change the way that politics operates in this country," Albanese told reporters after leaving a cafe in his Sydney suburb, where he was seen taking … [Read more...] about Australia’s Labor to retake power after 9 years, independents may hold sway

KYIV/OSLO (Reuters) -Ukraine ruled out a ceasefire or concessions to Moscow on Saturday as Russia intensified an offensive in the eastern Donbas region and stopped providing gas to Finland. After ending weeks of resistance by the last Ukrainian fighters in the strategic southeastern city of Mariupol, Russia is waging what appears to be a major offensive in Luhansk, one of two provinces in Donbas. Russian-backed separatists already controlled swathes of territory in Luhansk and the neighbouring Donetsk province before the Feb. 24 invasion, but Moscow wants to seize the last remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donbas. "The situation in Donbas is extremely difficult," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly address. The Russian army was trying to attack the cities of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk, but Ukrainian forces were holding off their advance, he said. Earlier, Zelenskiy told local television that although the fighting would be bloody, the end would … [Read more...] about As Russia intensifies push for Donbas, Ukraine rules out ceasefire

New legislation to tackle the legacy of the Troubles would result in a "whitewash", a victims' campaigner has said. The Government has abandoned plans for automatic immunity for people involved in the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland, which resulted in more than 3,500 deaths. The move, which would have effectively ended prosecutions for Troubles-era crimes, triggered a backlash from political parties in Northern Ireland. Ministers have now brought forward plans for a conditional amnesty based on people's cooperation with a new independent commission on reconciliation. The new body aims to help families get answers on unsolved killings and injuries from the Troubles and produce a historical record of the conflict. Proposals contained in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill leave open the route of prosecution if individuals are not deemed to have earned their immunity. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis ( Image: Getty Images) … [Read more...] about Troubles legacy plan risks ‘whitewash’ of crimes from Northern Ireland conflict