Rishi Sunak is being grilled over his wife's links to Indian IT firm Infosys which still operates in Russia. How much money does Infosys make from Russia? Does Rishi Sunak benefit from this business? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Rishi Sunak grilled over alleged Russia link

UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has been challenged over the Russian presence of Infosys, the Indian software services company in which his wife Akshata Murthy has a share.

UK FM Rishi Sunak challenged over wife Akshata Murthy's Russia link

The Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, has denied any ties to Infosys, the multinational software business part-owned by his wife and still operating in Russia during the conflict in Ukraine.

As most allies slapped harsh economic sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, was questioned by a Sky News reporter why his business advice was not being followed at home.

The chancellor stated that he had "nothing to do" with Infosys, a company in which his wife, Akshata Murthy, owns stock.&nbsp;

Sunak's representative stated that his wife played no part in the operational decisions made by Infosys.

According to the most recent annual report from Infosys, Akshata Murthy owns 0.9 percent of the company's stock, valued at hundreds of millions of pounds.&nbsp;

Sunak told Sky News: "I'm an elected politician, and I'm here to talk to you about what I'm responsible for. My wife is not. " He added that companies' operations were "up to them". "We've put in place significant sanctions and all the companies we're responsible for are following those, as they rightly should," said the chancellor.

Akshata Murthy's father, N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founded Infosys and departed from the firm in 2014.

The firm, which was founded in 1981, has subsequently expanded into a number of nations and has a presence in Moscow.

Sunak has pushed British businesses to leave Russia in order to cause "economic agony" for President Vladimir Putin.

"I'm advising asset owners and managers to think twice about any investments that assist Putin and his administration in any way."

Furthermore, India has not imposed trade restrictions on Russia as a result of sanctions, and most Indian enterprises continue to operate in the nation.&nbsp;

Infosys stated in a statement that it "supports and advocates for peace" between Russia and Ukraine.

According to the report, Infosys has a small team of employees in Russia that provides local services to some worldwide clients.

They also stated that they have no active business contacts with Russian companies in the area.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, has denied any ties to Infosys, the multinational software business part-owned by his wife and still operating in Russia during the conflict in Ukraine.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, has denied any ties to Infosys, the multinational software business part-owned by his wife and still operating in Russia during the conflict in Ukraine. As most allies slapped harsh economic sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, was questioned by a Sky News reporter why his business advice was not being followed at home. The chancellor stated that he had "nothing to do" with Infosys, a company in which his wife, Akshata Murthy, owns stock. Sunak's representative stated that his wife played no part in the operational decisions made by Infosys. According to the most recent annual report from Infosys, Akshata Murthy owns 0.9 percent of the company's stock, valued at hundreds of millions of pounds. Sunak told Sky News: "I'm an elected politician, and I'm here to talk to you about what I'm responsible for. My wife is not. " He added that companies' operations were "up to them". "We've put in place significant sanctions and all the companies we're responsible for are following those, as they rightly should," said the chancellor. Akshata Murthy's father, N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founded Infosys and departed from the firm in 2014. The firm, which was founded in 1981, has subsequently expanded into a number of nations and has a presence in Moscow. Sunak has pushed British businesses to leave Russia in order to cause "economic agony" for President Vladimir Putin. "I'm advising asset owners and managers to think twice about any investments that assist Putin and his administration in any way." Furthermore, India has not imposed trade restrictions on Russia as a result of sanctions, and most Indian enterprises continue to operate in the nation. Infosys stated in a statement that it "supports and advocates for peace" between Russia and Ukraine. According to the report, Infosys has a small team of employees in Russia that provides local services to some worldwide clients. They also stated that they have no active business contacts with Russian companies in the area. (With inputs from agencies)

UK finance minister Rishi Sunak questioned over Infosys presence in Russia

British finance minister Rishi&nbsp;Sunak&nbsp;on Wednesday launched plans to ease a cost of living crisis, with growth set for a massive slowdown as the war in Ukraine and decades-high inflation pummel the economy.

In a budget update, Chancellor of the Exchequer&nbsp;Sunak&nbsp;unveiled measures to help household finances, including a cut on fuel duty and easing the tax burden for the lowest earners.

He also pledged to cut income tax in 2024, which is the last year when the next general election can be called by Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Britain's economy will grow far slower than expected this year owing to the Ukraine war and soaring global inflation,&nbsp;Sunak&nbsp;told parliament.

The UK economy was set to grow 3.8 per cent in 2022, down from an official estimate of six per cent made in October.

'Prepare for worse'

Sunak&nbsp;said that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) -- the government's official economic forecaster -- "has not accounted for the full impacts of the war in Ukraine and we should be prepared for the economy and public finances to worsen, potentially significantly".

"Their initial view, combined with high global inflation and continuing supply chain pressures means" the UK economy is forecast to grow significantly slower than thought.

Gross domestic product was estimated to expand a further 1.8 per cent next year, down from an official prediction of 2.1 per cent.

The OBR warned that should "wholesale energy prices remain as high as markets expect, energy bills are set to rise... pushing inflation to a 40-year high of 8.7 per cent in the fourth quarter".

UK annual inflation accelerated to a 30-year high at 6.2 per cent in February, official data showed Wednesday.

Countries across the world are battling surging inflation fuelled by rocketing commodity prices over the Ukraine war and after nations exited pandemic lockdowns.

Sunak&nbsp;last month unveiled a package worth £9 billion ($11.9 billion, 11 billion euros) to help millions of low and middle-income households with energy bills in particular.

Many household incomes are set to shrink further in April owing to a planned tax hike on UK workers and businesses to fund care for the elderly.

The same month, a cap on domestic gas and electricity bills will be increased because of a spike in wholesale energy costs.

Wage erosion&nbsp;

While&nbsp;Sunak&nbsp;has been comforted by news that UK unemployment has fallen to pre-pandemic levels, rising wages are being eroded at the fastest pace in eight years as inflation soars.

"Higher inflation will erode real incomes and consumption," the OBR said Wednesday.

It said that "with inflation outpacing growth in nominal earnings and net taxes due to rise in April", real living standards are set to fall by a record amount this year.

The main opposition Labour party attacked&nbsp;Sunak&nbsp;for failing to help all financially-struggling families.

"For all his words it is clear that the chancellor does not understand the scale of the challenge," Rachel Reeves, finance spokesperson for the main opposition Labour party, said in response to the budget update.

"He talks about providing security for hard-working families but his choices are making the cost of living crisis worse."

Spiking global inflation has forced central banks around the world to lift interest rates, including the Bank of England.

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&nbsp;

British finance minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday launched plans to ease a cost of living crisis, with growth set for a massive slowdown as the war in Ukraine and decades-high inflation pummel the economy.

British finance minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday launched plans to ease a cost of living crisis, with growth set for a massive slowdown as the war in Ukraine and decades-high inflation pummel the economy. In a budget update, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak unveiled measures to help household finances, including a cut on fuel duty and easing the tax burden for the lowest earners. He also pledged to cut income tax in 2024, which is the last year when the next general election can be called by Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Britain's economy will grow far slower than expected this year owing to the Ukraine war and soaring global inflation, Sunak told parliament. The UK economy was set to grow 3.8 per cent in 2022, down from an official estimate of six per cent made in October. 'Prepare for worse' Sunak said that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) -- the government's official economic forecaster -- "has not accounted for the full impacts of the war in Ukraine and we should be prepared for the economy and public finances to worsen, potentially significantly". "Their initial view, combined with high global inflation and continuing supply chain pressures means" the UK economy is forecast to grow significantly slower than thought. Gross domestic product was estimated to expand a further 1.8 per cent next year, down from an official prediction of 2.1 per cent. The OBR warned that should "wholesale energy prices remain as high as markets expect, energy bills are set to rise... pushing inflation to a 40-year high of 8.7 per cent in the fourth quarter". UK annual inflation accelerated to a 30-year high at 6.2 per cent in February, official data showed Wednesday. Countries across the world are battling surging inflation fuelled by rocketing commodity prices over the Ukraine war and after nations exited pandemic lockdowns. Sunak last month unveiled a package worth £9 billion ($11.9 billion, 11 billion euros) to help millions of low and middle-income households with energy bills in particular. Many household incomes are set to shrink further in April owing to a planned tax hike on UK workers and businesses to fund care for the elderly. The same month, a cap on domestic gas and electricity bills will be increased because of a spike in wholesale energy costs. Wage erosion While Sunak has been comforted by news that UK unemployment has fallen to pre-pandemic levels, rising wages are being eroded at the fastest pace in eight years as inflation soars. "Higher inflation will erode real incomes and consumption," the OBR said Wednesday. It said that "with inflation outpacing growth in nominal earnings and net taxes due to rise in April", real living standards are set to fall by a record amount this year. The main opposition Labour party attacked Sunak for failing to help all financially-struggling families. "For all his words it is clear that the chancellor does not understand the scale of the challenge," Rachel Reeves, finance spokesperson for the main opposition Labour party, said in response to the budget update. "He talks about providing security for hard-working families but his choices are making the cost of living crisis worse." Spiking global inflation has forced central banks around the world to lift interest rates, including the Bank of England. It's 6pm - the biggest cut to all fuel duty rates ever has just come into effect. #SpringStatement2022 pic.twitter.com/zd16vQ7wRH — Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) March 23, 2022 × We’re supporting and investing in small and medium sized businesses across the country. #SpringStatement2022 Read more: https://t.co/GjjhPU7Is3 pic.twitter.com/hLTheBZ9At — HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) March 23, 2022 ×

Spring Statement 2022: UK confronts cost of living crisis with inflation-fighting budget

UK inflation hits a 30-year high of 6.2% just as finance minister Rishi Sunak proposed to unveil the spring statement.

UK finance minister Rishi Sunak to set out Spring Budget amid high inflation

In a major blow to Boris Johnson, a photo of the UK Prime Minister purportedly holding a can of beer during his lockdown-breaching birthday party in 2020 has been submitted to the police, UK media has reported.

It is being claimed that the said photograph is among the 300 pictures that were submitted to the Metropolitan police by senior civil servant Sue Gray-led panel for their investigation into social gatherings which breached coronavirus regulations.

The latest findings are contradictory to the previous claims of Downing Street officials, who said that the staff “gathered briefly” at a surprise birthday celebration organised by his wife Carrie Johnson, and added that the PM only stayed for 10 minutes.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-of-johnsons-closest-aides-desert-him-as-he-seeks-a-fresh-start-450297">Four of Johnson's closest aides desert him, as he seeks a fresh start</a>

According to the Mirror newspaper, the prime minister is pictured with a can of beer standing next to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in No 10’s Cabinet Room.

It is being reported that the picture was taken by the PM’s official taxpayer-funded photographer, who was documenting the event in June 2020.

“Following the Met police investigation, the Sue Gray report must be published in its entirety with all accompanying evidence – photos, videos and testimony,” Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, told the Mirror.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meet-munira-mirza-uk-pms-highly-valued-ally-who-quit-450405">Meet Munira Mirza, UK PM’s highly valued ally who quit</a>

Meanwhile, four of Johnson’s senior aides have tendered their resignation in a span of 24 hours on Thursday.

His policy chief Munira Mirza, the director of communications Jack Doyle, the principal private secretary Martin Reynolds and the chief of staff Dan Rosenfield have all quit.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a major blow to Boris Johnson, a photo of the UK Prime Minister purportedly holding a can of beer during his lockdown-breaching birthday party in 2020 has been submitted to the police, UK media has reported.

In a major blow to Boris Johnson, a photo of the UK Prime Minister purportedly holding a can of beer during his lockdown-breaching birthday party in 2020 has been submitted to the police, UK media has reported. It is being claimed that the said photograph is among the 300 pictures that were submitted to the Metropolitan police by senior civil servant Sue Gray-led panel for their investigation into social gatherings which breached coronavirus regulations. The latest findings are contradictory to the previous claims of Downing Street officials, who said that the staff “gathered briefly” at a surprise birthday celebration organised by his wife Carrie Johnson, and added that the PM only stayed for 10 minutes. Also Read: Four of Johnson's closest aides desert him, as he seeks a fresh start According to the Mirror newspaper, the prime minister is pictured with a can of beer standing next to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in No 10’s Cabinet Room. It is being reported that the picture was taken by the PM’s official taxpayer-funded photographer, who was documenting the event in June 2020. “Following the Met police investigation, the Sue Gray report must be published in its entirety with all accompanying evidence – photos, videos and testimony,” Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, told the Mirror. Also read | Meet Munira Mirza, UK PM’s highly valued ally who quit Meanwhile, four of Johnson’s senior aides have tendered their resignation in a span of 24 hours on Thursday. His policy chief Munira Mirza, the director of communications Jack Doyle, the principal private secretary Martin Reynolds and the chief of staff Dan Rosenfield have all quit. (With inputs from agencies)

UK PM Johnson’s photo holding beer can at lockdown-breaching party handed over to police: Reports

Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have crossed a political Rubicon in recent days over charges that he lied about Downing Street parties during the pandemic. But whether he is forced out of power could depend on whether one of his fellow Conservatives is ready to play the role of Brutus.

As Britain’s political establishment waits for the results of an internal investigation of the parties, a key question is whether it will trigger a plot against Johnson, and if so, who would make the first move against him?

There is no shortage of candidates, from the ambitious chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to the crowd-pleasing foreign secretary, Liz Truss. But the tactics and timing of a leadership challenge are fiendishly tricky, and few forget the old British maxim, “He who wields the knife never wears the crown.”

That may explain the uneasy lull that has settled over Westminster since last week, when Johnson was forced to apologize for social gatherings in Downing Street that breached lockdown restrictions. His allies and rivals alike are waiting to see how damaging the investigation will be, how badly the Conservative Party has slipped in the polls and whether a political king slayer emerges.

“It’s easy to judge these things looking back but very hard looking forward,” said Robert Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester. The dilemma, he said, was particularly acute for Sunak, who leads the polls of Conservative Party members and is Johnson’s most plausible replacement.

“There is a possibility that Sunak is riding the crest of a wave right now” and could miss his chance, Ford said. But perhaps the bigger danger is to strike now, only to open the way for a right-wing rival more favored by the Tory Party rank and file.

“There’s a risk he gets outflanked by Truss or somebody else,” he said, adding that a challenge to Johnson might be more likely after local elections in May that will test his party’s popularity.

The fragility of Johnson’s situation was evident in the cautious response of the senior members of his Cabinet. While Sunak said Tuesday that he believed Johnson, he urged the public to wait for the findings of the investigation. He also said that Britain’s ministerial code was clear about the consequences of lying to Parliament: The prime minister would have to resign.

Truss, whom Johnson elevated to foreign secretary in September, was more forthcoming. She said last week that she “100% supported him continuing to get on with the job.” But she added, “I completely understand people’s anger and dismay about what has happened.”

Johnson’s cause was not helped when his disaffected former adviser, Dominic Cummings, claimed Monday that he and another official warned the prime minister that the party in May 2020 would break lockdown rules and should be canceled. That contradicted Johnson’s claim in Parliament that he was not warned about the gathering and viewed it “implicitly” as a work event.

On a visit to a hospital Tuesday, Johnson again denied misleading Parliament. But in an interview with Sky News, he deflected a question about whether Cummings was lying, and he apologized yet again for “misjudgments” in how social gatherings were handled by Downing Street.

“Boris Johnson is not going to resign voluntarily,” said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair. “He’s only going to go if he is shown the door by his own party.”

That is not as hard it used to be: Under Conservative Party rules, lawmakers can hold a binding vote of no confidence in Johnson if 54 of them write to formally request one. The request letters are confidential. So far only six Conservatives in Parliament have publicly called on Johnson to quit.

In a no-confidence vote, held by secret ballot, Johnson would keep his job by winning a simple majority of Conservative lawmakers. He would then be safe from another such challenge for a year unless the rules were changed.

But setting this process in motion could still depend on a first mover. Some of the jockeying will have to end when the internal investigation, led by a senior civil servant, Sue Gray, is completed, probably within the next week. His potential Cabinet rivals will then have to either endorse him or quit, analysts said.

Sunak and Truss are the two rivals most frequently mentioned. As chancellor, the 41-year-old Sunak won plaudits for assembling gargantuan fiscal rescue packages early in the pandemic. More recently, however, he has become identified with looming tax increases that he says are necessary to fund the health care system and close the yawning public deficit.

Truss’ plain-spoken style and free-market ideology have made her popular with the base of the Conservative Party, no mean feat for a politician who came out against Brexit before the 2016 referendum.

Her profile has risen since Johnson put her in charge of negotiating the trade status of Northern Ireland with the European Union after the resignation of David Frost, a key ally who had hammered out the Brexit trade deal with Brussels.

If Truss can avoid a clash over Northern Ireland, said Peter Westmacott, a former British ambassador to France, “she could indeed be a force to be reckoned with when the Conservative Party starts looking for a new leader.”

Sunak could also try behind closed doors to put together a kind of unity ticket, in which he would line up the support of Truss and other potential candidates — like Jeremy Hunt, a former foreign secretary — by offering them plum jobs in a new government.

“They don’t have to wait until they have a consensus on a successor to get rid of Johnson,” Powell said.

There is a truism in Tory circles that challengers wreck their prospects through open disloyalty. That is what happened when Margaret Thatcher was toppled in 1990, and her longtime foe, Michael Heseltine, failed to win her job.

Yet that rule was disproved by the demise of Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, when his fingerprints were all over the murder weapon: In 2018, Johnson resigned as foreign secretary claiming that, under May’s Brexit plan, Britain was headed for the status of a colony of the European Union.

There is also the risk of failing to exploit a damaged leader’s moment of weakness. Even Johnson missed out on his first chance to become prime minister when he was ill-prepared for a leadership contest to succeed David Cameron, who resigned as prime minister after losing the Brexit referendum.

During his brief premiership, Gordon Brown’s popularity plummeted, and there were rumors of a plot to challenge him by David Miliband, his popular foreign secretary. Miliband never struck, however. Labour lost the 2010 general election, and he even failed in a contest with his younger brother, Ed Miliband, to lead his party.

“Labour is influenced by the trade union ethic that one should not do someone out of his job,” said Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at Kings College London. “The Tories are more ruthless because they have a governing vocation as the Democrats did in the U.S. under FDR and Truman, and the Republicans under Nixon, Reagan and Bush.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have crossed a political Rubicon in recent days over charges that he lied about Downing Street parties during the pandemic. But whether he is forced out of power could depend on whether one of his fellow Conservatives is ready to play the role of Brutus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have crossed a political Rubicon in recent days over charges that he lied about Downing Street parties during the pandemic. But whether he is forced out of power could depend on whether one of his fellow Conservatives is ready to play the role of Brutus. As Britain’s political establishment waits for the results of an internal investigation of the parties, a key question is whether it will trigger a plot against Johnson, and if so, who would make the first move against him? There is no shortage of candidates, from the ambitious chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to the crowd-pleasing foreign secretary, Liz Truss. But the tactics and timing of a leadership challenge are fiendishly tricky, and few forget the old British maxim, “He who wields the knife never wears the crown.” That may explain the uneasy lull that has settled over Westminster since last week, when Johnson was forced to apologize for social gatherings in Downing Street that breached lockdown restrictions. His allies and rivals alike are waiting to see how damaging the investigation will be, how badly the Conservative Party has slipped in the polls and whether a political king slayer emerges. “It’s easy to judge these things looking back but very hard looking forward,” said Robert Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester. The dilemma, he said, was particularly acute for Sunak, who leads the polls of Conservative Party members and is Johnson’s most plausible replacement. “There is a possibility that Sunak is riding the crest of a wave right now” and could miss his chance, Ford said. But perhaps the bigger danger is to strike now, only to open the way for a right-wing rival more favored by the Tory Party rank and file. “There’s a risk he gets outflanked by Truss or somebody else,” he said, adding that a challenge to Johnson might be more likely after local elections in May that will test his party’s popularity. The fragility of Johnson’s situation was evident in the cautious response of the senior members of his Cabinet. While Sunak said Tuesday that he believed Johnson, he urged the public to wait for the findings of the investigation. He also said that Britain’s ministerial code was clear about the consequences of lying to Parliament: The prime minister would have to resign. Truss, whom Johnson elevated to foreign secretary in September, was more forthcoming. She said last week that she “100% supported him continuing to get on with the job.” But she added, “I completely understand people’s anger and dismay about what has happened.” Johnson’s cause was not helped when his disaffected former adviser, Dominic Cummings, claimed Monday that he and another official warned the prime minister that the party in May 2020 would break lockdown rules and should be canceled. That contradicted Johnson’s claim in Parliament that he was not warned about the gathering and viewed it “implicitly” as a work event. On a visit to a hospital Tuesday, Johnson again denied misleading Parliament. But in an interview with Sky News, he deflected a question about whether Cummings was lying, and he apologized yet again for “misjudgments” in how social gatherings were handled by Downing Street. “Boris Johnson is not going to resign voluntarily,” said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair. “He’s only going to go if he is shown the door by his own party.” That is not as hard it used to be: Under Conservative Party rules, lawmakers can hold a binding vote of no confidence in Johnson if 54 of them write to formally request one. The request letters are confidential. So far only six Conservatives in Parliament have publicly called on Johnson to quit. In a no-confidence vote, held by secret ballot, Johnson would keep his job by winning a simple majority of Conservative lawmakers. He would then be safe from another such challenge for a year unless the rules were changed. But setting this process in motion could still depend on a first mover. Some of the jockeying will have to end when the internal investigation, led by a senior civil servant, Sue Gray, is completed, probably within the next week. His potential Cabinet rivals will then have to either endorse him or quit, analysts said. Sunak and Truss are the two rivals most frequently mentioned. As chancellor, the 41-year-old Sunak won plaudits for assembling gargantuan fiscal rescue packages early in the pandemic. More recently, however, he has become identified with looming tax increases that he says are necessary to fund the health care system and close the yawning public deficit. Truss’ plain-spoken style and free-market ideology have made her popular with the base of the Conservative Party, no mean feat for a politician who came out against Brexit before the 2016 referendum. Her profile has risen since Johnson put her in charge of negotiating the trade status of Northern Ireland with the European Union after the resignation of David Frost, a key ally who had hammered out the Brexit trade deal with Brussels. If Truss can avoid a clash over Northern Ireland, said Peter Westmacott, a former British ambassador to France, “she could indeed be a force to be reckoned with when the Conservative Party starts looking for a new leader.” Sunak could also try behind closed doors to put together a kind of unity ticket, in which he would line up the support of Truss and other potential candidates — like Jeremy Hunt, a former foreign secretary — by offering them plum jobs in a new government. “They don’t have to wait until they have a consensus on a successor to get rid of Johnson,” Powell said. There is a truism in Tory circles that challengers wreck their prospects through open disloyalty. That is what happened when Margaret Thatcher was toppled in 1990, and her longtime foe, Michael Heseltine, failed to win her job. Yet that rule was disproved by the demise of Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, when his fingerprints were all over the murder weapon: In 2018, Johnson resigned as foreign secretary claiming that, under May’s Brexit plan, Britain was headed for the status of a colony of the European Union. There is also the risk of failing to exploit a damaged leader’s moment of weakness. Even Johnson missed out on his first chance to become prime minister when he was ill-prepared for a leadership contest to succeed David Cameron, who resigned as prime minister after losing the Brexit referendum. During his brief premiership, Gordon Brown’s popularity plummeted, and there were rumors of a plot to challenge him by David Miliband, his popular foreign secretary. Miliband never struck, however. Labour lost the 2010 general election, and he even failed in a contest with his younger brother, Ed Miliband, to lead his party. “Labour is influenced by the trade union ethic that one should not do someone out of his job,” said Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at Kings College London. “The Tories are more ruthless because they have a governing vocation as the Democrats did in the U.S. under FDR and Truman, and the Republicans under Nixon, Reagan and Bush.”

As Johnson reels from scandals, is someone plotting to take his place?

A 5-year-old girl has taken&nbsp;the United Kingdom by storm, after a video of her chiding Prime Minister Boris Johnson for attending a party in Downing Street went viral.

Many were surprised with the girl’s grasp on the country’s state of affairs and her ability to understand why Johnson was wrong to attend the ‘bring your own booze’ party during the pandemic.

Layla Somani, from Leicester, Leicestershire, had been avidly following the news for the past week even as the prime minister was being severely criticised.

While eloquently explaining the pressing political situation to her grandparents Kanti Somani, 76, and Kusun Somani, 73, her mother Devina Somani, 37, filmed her hilariously detailed monologue on camera and shared it online.

The video left the social media users impressed, with many users hailing her as the “future PM”.

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In the funny clip, Layla says, “Boris Johnson told everyone to stay at home, but in lockdown, he just went down to a party, in the lockdown.”

“He’s been naughty, so he had to go to the naughty centre to tell everyone he's sorry for going to a party in lockdown. Now he can't be prime minister anymore and he can't go back to his prime minister home, so he's not prime minister anymore.”&nbsp;

“So, someone else is being prime minister and there will be a good prime minister, but Boris Johnson is not a prime minister anymore, he's a bad prime minister. But, if he's lucky, he can go back to his prime minister home and he can be a prime minister again. We'll see tomorrow if he's lucky.”

The video has had more than 55,000 views and 1,645 reactions.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Devina said, “We couldn't stop laughing. We couldn't believe how much she'd picked up.”

“When she was explaining it we thought 'oh my god'. We couldn't believe she'd learnt all this stuff and that she was absorbing it so well.”

(With inputs from agencies)

A 5-year-old girl has taken the United Kingdom by storm, after a video of her chiding Prime Minister Boris Johnson for attending a party in Downing Street went viral.

A 5-year-old girl has taken the United Kingdom by storm, after a video of her chiding Prime Minister Boris Johnson for attending a party in Downing Street went viral. Many were surprised with the girl’s grasp on the country’s state of affairs and her ability to understand why Johnson was wrong to attend the ‘bring your own booze’ party during the pandemic. Layla Somani, from Leicester, Leicestershire, had been avidly following the news for the past week even as the prime minister was being severely criticised. While eloquently explaining the pressing political situation to her grandparents Kanti Somani, 76, and Kusun Somani, 73, her mother Devina Somani, 37, filmed her hilariously detailed monologue on camera and shared it online. The video left the social media users impressed, with many users hailing her as the “future PM”. × In the funny clip, Layla says, “Boris Johnson told everyone to stay at home, but in lockdown, he just went down to a party, in the lockdown.” “He’s been naughty, so he had to go to the naughty centre to tell everyone he's sorry for going to a party in lockdown. Now he can't be prime minister anymore and he can't go back to his prime minister home, so he's not prime minister anymore.” “So, someone else is being prime minister and there will be a good prime minister, but Boris Johnson is not a prime minister anymore, he's a bad prime minister. But, if he's lucky, he can go back to his prime minister home and he can be a prime minister again. We'll see tomorrow if he's lucky.” The video has had more than 55,000 views and 1,645 reactions. Speaking to Daily Mail, Devina said, “We couldn't stop laughing. We couldn't believe how much she'd picked up.” “When she was explaining it we thought 'oh my god'. We couldn't believe she'd learnt all this stuff and that she was absorbing it so well.” (With inputs from agencies)

5-year-old girl hilariously trolls Johnson over ‘partygate’, netizens hail 'future UK PM’

As pressure mounts against UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not only from the opposition, but also from own Conservative Party members over the ‘partygate’ saga, several local media reports have claimed that his Indian-origin Chancellor Rishi Sunak may likely replace him.

The 57-year-old embattled PM has been facing the wrath of the public ever since he acknowledged hosting and attending a ‘bring your booze’ party at 10 Downing Street when a lockdown was imposed across the UK in view of the Covid virus in 2020.

There have been growing calls for Johnson to resign immediately. Several Tory MPs have publicly expressed the inability of Johnson to handle the crisis and called for his resignation.

The MPs are currently waiting for the senior civil servant Sue Gray to finish the probe report before deciding on Johnson’s fate.

The Tory MP&nbsp;Tobias Ellwood, a former foreign office minister, said that Johnson had to demonstrate within days that he could end the chaos for good and demonstrate a new kind of leadership.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-trouble-for-boris-johnson-as-downing-street-staff-held-wine-time-fridays-during-covid-lockdown-444911">More trouble for Boris Johnson as Downing Street staff held 'wine-time Fridays' during Covid lockdown</a>

“But if he tries to spin his way out of a critical report, he will lose my support,” he told the Guardian.

Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, wrote on Twitter, “I have regretfully come to the conclusion that Boris Johnson’s position is now untenable, that his resignation is the only way to bring this whole unfortunate episode to an end, and I am working with colleagues to impress that view on No 10.”

The name of Rishi Sunak has been doing the rounds ever since the ‘partygate’ saga came to the fore.

A major bookmaker in the UK — Betfair — has slashed its odds against Johnson, in favour of finance minister Sunak to step in at 10 Downing Street.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bring-your-own-booze-party-row-johnson-says-sorry-as-oppn-tears-into-his-worthless-apology-444158">‘Bring your own booze party’ row: Johnson says sorry as oppn tears into his ‘worthless’ apology</a>

“In terms of a replacement, long term favourite Rishi Sunak still heads the betting at 15/8, with (Foreign Secretary) Liz Truss at 11/4 and (Cabinet Minister) Michael Gove at 6/1 the next two most likely alternatives should the PM vacate Number 10,” Betfair’s Sam Rosbottom told ‘Wales Online’.

Moreover, his conspicuous absence from the House of Commons chamber on Wednesday when Johnson issued his apology, was perceived by many as reflective of his own leadership ambitions.

Sunak, who was away on a business visit, tweeted much later in the evening to say that “the PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray carries out her enquiry”.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Tories want Rishi Sunak to be UK'S next Prime Minister

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-tories-want-rishi-sunak-to-be-uks-next-prime-minister-443735/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Some British newspapers have interpreted the timing and content of Sunak’s message of support as lukewarm backing for his boss and neighbour in Downing Street, the BBC reported.

Who is Rishi Sunak?

UK-born Sunak is the son of a pharmacist mother and a National Health Service (NHS)&nbsp;general practitioner (GP) father. He is an Oxford University and Stanford graduate.

He is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, and the couple has two young daughters Krishna and Anoushka.

The MP for Richmond in Yorkshire first entered the UK Parliament in 2015 and has quickly risen up the Tory party ranks as a staunch Brexiteer, who had backed Johnson’s strategy to leave the European Union (EU).

(With inputs from agencies)

As pressure mounts against UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not only from the opposition, but also from own Conservative Party members over the ‘partygate’ saga, several local media reports have claimed that his Indian-origin Chancellor Rishi Sunak may likely replace him.

As pressure mounts against UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not only from the opposition, but also from own Conservative Party members over the ‘partygate’ saga, several local media reports have claimed that his Indian-origin Chancellor Rishi Sunak may likely replace him. The 57-year-old embattled PM has been facing the wrath of the public ever since he acknowledged hosting and attending a ‘bring your booze’ party at 10 Downing Street when a lockdown was imposed across the UK in view of the Covid virus in 2020. There have been growing calls for Johnson to resign immediately. Several Tory MPs have publicly expressed the inability of Johnson to handle the crisis and called for his resignation. The MPs are currently waiting for the senior civil servant Sue Gray to finish the probe report before deciding on Johnson’s fate. The Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, a former foreign office minister, said that Johnson had to demonstrate within days that he could end the chaos for good and demonstrate a new kind of leadership. Also read | More trouble for Boris Johnson as Downing Street staff held 'wine-time Fridays' during Covid lockdown “But if he tries to spin his way out of a critical report, he will lose my support,” he told the Guardian. Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, wrote on Twitter, “I have regretfully come to the conclusion that Boris Johnson’s position is now untenable, that his resignation is the only way to bring this whole unfortunate episode to an end, and I am working with colleagues to impress that view on No 10.” The name of Rishi Sunak has been doing the rounds ever since the ‘partygate’ saga came to the fore. A major bookmaker in the UK — Betfair — has slashed its odds against Johnson, in favour of finance minister Sunak to step in at 10 Downing Street. Also read | ‘Bring your own booze party’ row: Johnson says sorry as oppn tears into his ‘worthless’ apology “In terms of a replacement, long term favourite Rishi Sunak still heads the betting at 15/8, with (Foreign Secretary) Liz Truss at 11/4 and (Cabinet Minister) Michael Gove at 6/1 the next two most likely alternatives should the PM vacate Number 10,” Betfair’s Sam Rosbottom told ‘Wales Online’. Moreover, his conspicuous absence from the House of Commons chamber on Wednesday when Johnson issued his apology, was perceived by many as reflective of his own leadership ambitions. Sunak, who was away on a business visit, tweeted much later in the evening to say that “the PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray carries out her enquiry”. Watch | Gravitas: Tories want Rishi Sunak to be UK'S next Prime Minister Some British newspapers have interpreted the timing and content of Sunak’s message of support as lukewarm backing for his boss and neighbour in Downing Street, the BBC reported. Who is Rishi Sunak? UK-born Sunak is the son of a pharmacist mother and a National Health Service (NHS) general practitioner (GP) father. He is an Oxford University and Stanford graduate. He is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, and the couple has two young daughters Krishna and Anoushka. The MP for Richmond in Yorkshire first entered the UK Parliament in 2015 and has quickly risen up the Tory party ranks as a staunch Brexiteer, who had backed Johnson’s strategy to leave the European Union (EU). (With inputs from agencies)

Indian-origin Rishi Sunak tipped to replace Johnson as PM: Report

After helping the Conservatives win a large majority in the 2019 election, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been facing increased grumblings of discontent within his party by the lawmakers and also common people in the country have been criticising him over a range of issues.

After helping the Conservatives win a large majority in the 2019 election, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been facing increased grumblings of discontent within his party by the lawmakers and also common people in the country have been criticising him over a range of issues. Handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reported Downing Street garden parties during the lockdown, questions over who funded a pricey refurbishment of his apartment and the chaotic troops withdrawal from Afghanistan are some of the hot topics that have marred Johnson's tenure so far. His popularity has seen a dip in the country and now a latest poll shows that nearly half of all Conservative members believe UK's Finance Minister Rishi Sunak would make a better Prime Minister than Johnson and they also think he could win more seats at the next election. ALSO READ | UK PM Boris Johnson's former aide talks about another party in No 10 garden during lockdown in 2020 An exclusive poll for Sky News named YouGov assessed data after a survey of 1,005 Tories, which took place between December 30 and January 6. As per the survey, 46 per cent think that Sunak would win more seats in the next election and almost four in 10 say they think Boris is doing a bad job as the country's Prime Minister. However, some breather for PM Johnson as amid the growing concerns, a majority still supports him with 59 per cent saying he should remain as leader, compared to the 34 per cent who want him to stand down. But is 59 a good percent for the Conservatives ahead of the next election?. ALSO READ | COVID-19: Is 'Deltacron' a new variant? A UK virologist explains what it could possibly be A leadership contest? The poll reflects the mood of Johnson's lawmakers amid the ongoing controversies. But will there be any leadership challenge in the country? Yes, it can be triggered if 15 per cent of Conservative members of parliament (MPs) write letters demanding a confidence vote to the chairman of the party's "1922 Committee", which represents lawmakers who have no government jobs. Who could replace Johnson? Possible replacements of Boris Johnson are Sunak, who has had a high profile role in publicising the government's support for the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and foreign minister Liz Truss, who is popular among grassroots party members. × (With inputs from agencies)

Rishi Sunak would be a better prime minister for UK than Boris Johnson: Poll

Amid an alarming rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a barrage of criticism over a Downing Street garden party, which apparently took place last year, on May 15.&nbsp;

The photo was published in almost all media outlets in the UK on Sunday as the garden party row went viral and angered the public, becoming fodder for online backlash. The photo showed Johnson's staff laughing and joking about in the gathering when such festivities were banned in the country.&nbsp;

In the photo, Johnson can be seen sitting with his then-fiancee Carrie (now wife) and 17 other staff members with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard on a table in front of them.&nbsp;

The picture included some of Johnson's top team such as former health secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, etc.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-experts-disagree-with-boris-johnsons-plan-of-delaying-covid-regulations-438667">UK experts disagree with Boris Johnson's plan of delaying Covid regulations</a>

The photo didn't go well with the UK citizens, especially those who lost their loved ones during the pandemic, which is still causing havoc across the country with a record rise in the number of cases in the past week.&nbsp;

On one side, the ministers, who had been vouching for Covid measures during that time, urging citizens to follow social distancing and avoid public gatherings, are now being bashed. On the other side of this fiasco, there is a fuss about the 'insider' who leaked the photo.&nbsp;

Who leaked the photo?

The Daily Mail has reported that the photograph was believed to be taken from the first-floor veranda at the back of No 11 Downing Street. It is important to note that the offices of the Chancellor are there.&nbsp;

The office was apparently used by&nbsp;British Chancellor of the Exchequer&nbsp;Rishi Sunak's people, and anybody else going in would have been noticed, The Mail noted, citing a source.&nbsp;

If no one from outside came in, then it appears that someone who works at No. 10 might have clicked it or got access to it. Someone can be anyone, including the staff members.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/people-at-work-talking-about-work-boris-johnson-reacts-to-downing-street-garden-party-photo-438627">'People at work, talking about work': Boris Johnson reacts to Downing Street garden party photo</a>

Over rumours and speculations about who leaked the photo and which staff members were present on that day, Johnson's press secretary told the Guardian: "I'm not going to get into confirming individual staff members, as you'd expect."&nbsp;

As per Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, whosoever made the photograph public wanted to "damage the Government".

Is there a conspiracy?

The timing of this party-photo-being-public is quite questionable as the Johnson administration has been facing criticism over a range of issues, including the Covid situation in the country.&nbsp;

There are talks about imposing fresh restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. Also, the Conservatives lost a long-held parliamentary seat in a by-election last week.&nbsp;

Is there a conspiracy to make the most of the situation in an attempt to jeopardise Johnson's political career?&nbsp;

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Who said what to defend the government?

Johnson's spokesman on Friday, after sources told the Guardian and Independent about the event: "In the summer months Downing Street staff regularly use the garden for some meetings. On 15 May 2020 the prime minister held a series of meetings throughout the afternoon, including briefly with the then health and care secretary and his team in the garden following a press conference. The prime minister went to his residence shortly after 7pm. A small number of staff required to be in work remained in the Downing Street garden for part of the afternoon and evening."

After seeing the photo, he said, "As we said last week, work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months. On this occasion, there were staff meetings after a No 10 press conference. Downing Street is the prime minister's home as well as his workplace. The prime minister's wife lives in No 10 and therefore also legitimately uses the garden."

Raab on Monday said, "I think there’s a lot of exhausted people, and they, as people do in work, were having a drink after the formal business had been done."

Johnson’s spokesman on Monday said, "This shows colleagues who were required to be in work, meeting following a press conference to discuss work … It was not against the regulations for those individuals to have a drink outside working hours, but still discussing work."

Johnson on Monday said, "This is where I live, it is where I work. Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work."

Here's how the public reacted

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On the left is leisurely garden party (I refuse to class this as working) with wine, attended by Boris &amp; Carrie Johnson &amp; breaking all 2020 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid</a> Lockdown rules. 
 
On the right is an NHS nurse after her 2020 shift coping with Covid patients, trying desperately to save lives. <a href="https://t.co/9gT7Xe5wfZ">pic.twitter.com/9gT7Xe5wfZ</a>
— Angela 🇪🇺💙 Rebel With Many Causes #ToriesOut (@spaceangel1964) <a href="https://twitter.com/spaceangel1964/status/1472853079993245696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hey, <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a>, here's the Prime Minister, his wife, and 17 other people at a garden party in Downing Street, held on 15th May 2020 - during lockdown. 
 
Hope this counts as evidence. You're welcome 👍 <a href="https://t.co/UamJp05u9Y">pic.twitter.com/UamJp05u9Y</a>
— BelieveTheTruth 🇪🇺 (@Sam_BTT) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sam_BTT/status/1472650794684096518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On Friday 15th May 2020 at 1 pm we held a minute’s silence on our ward (and throughout our hospital) in memory of those who died from Covid - little did we know that the PM &amp; friends were enjoying a garden party that same afternoon. <a href="https://t.co/ESx6AqZ3um">pic.twitter.com/ESx6AqZ3um</a>
— 𝗗𝗿 𝗔𝗷𝗮𝘆 𝗠 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮 (@UKGastroDr) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKGastroDr/status/1472841398483402755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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My Nan was home alone for months 
 
The loneliness and isolation meant my Grandads dementia accelerated to the point that he was unrecognisable 
 
The stories of despair I heard from people due to not seeing their family were heartbreaking 
 
While they, relaxed and had a garden party! <a href="https://t.co/JlAl4X8kYS">https://t.co/JlAl4X8kYS</a>
— Ben Taylor (@MarketingproBen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarketingproBen/status/1472674971763761158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Dominic Raab has come out in support of Boris Johnson bringing his baby to the lockdown garden party: “It’s an emergency services emotional support baby” said the Deputy Prime Minister. “Yes, that’s allowed!” <a href="https://t.co/tHn8ITSST8">pic.twitter.com/tHn8ITSST8</a>
— Zack Ferguson (@zackferguson) <a href="https://twitter.com/zackferguson/status/1473379110361698305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Let’s remember that at end April 2020 I was reprimanded by someone from THE POLICE because I stopped in a park, alone and not near other people, to LOOK at a swan, while on a walk to clear my head before work on ICU next day 
 
Hope you enjoyed the garden party <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BorisJohnson</a> <a href="https://t.co/k0lwyDEON0">https://t.co/k0lwyDEON0</a>
— Aoife Abbey (@WhistlingDixie4) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhistlingDixie4/status/1472931836577947657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Amid an alarming rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a barrage of criticism over a Downing Street garden party, which apparently took place last year, on May 15.

Amid an alarming rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a barrage of criticism over a Downing Street garden party, which apparently took place last year, on May 15. The photo was published in almost all media outlets in the UK on Sunday as the garden party row went viral and angered the public, becoming fodder for online backlash. The photo showed Johnson's staff laughing and joking about in the gathering when such festivities were banned in the country. In the photo, Johnson can be seen sitting with his then-fiancee Carrie (now wife) and 17 other staff members with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard on a table in front of them. The picture included some of Johnson's top team such as former health secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, etc. ALSO READ | UK experts disagree with Boris Johnson's plan of delaying Covid regulations The photo didn't go well with the UK citizens, especially those who lost their loved ones during the pandemic, which is still causing havoc across the country with a record rise in the number of cases in the past week. On one side, the ministers, who had been vouching for Covid measures during that time, urging citizens to follow social distancing and avoid public gatherings, are now being bashed. On the other side of this fiasco, there is a fuss about the 'insider' who leaked the photo. Who leaked the photo? The Daily Mail has reported that the photograph was believed to be taken from the first-floor veranda at the back of No 11 Downing Street. It is important to note that the offices of the Chancellor are there. The office was apparently used by British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak's people, and anybody else going in would have been noticed, The Mail noted, citing a source. If no one from outside came in, then it appears that someone who works at No. 10 might have clicked it or got access to it. Someone can be anyone, including the staff members. ALSO READ | 'People at work, talking about work': Boris Johnson reacts to Downing Street garden party photo Over rumours and speculations about who leaked the photo and which staff members were present on that day, Johnson's press secretary told the Guardian: "I'm not going to get into confirming individual staff members, as you'd expect." As per Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, whosoever made the photograph public wanted to "damage the Government". Is there a conspiracy? The timing of this party-photo-being-public is quite questionable as the Johnson administration has been facing criticism over a range of issues, including the Covid situation in the country. There are talks about imposing fresh restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. Also, the Conservatives lost a long-held parliamentary seat in a by-election last week. Is there a conspiracy to make the most of the situation in an attempt to jeopardise Johnson's political career? × Who said what to defend the government? Johnson's spokesman on Friday, after sources told the Guardian and Independent about the event: "In the summer months Downing Street staff regularly use the garden for some meetings. On 15 May 2020 the prime minister held a series of meetings throughout the afternoon, including briefly with the then health and care secretary and his team in the garden following a press conference. The prime minister went to his residence shortly after 7pm. A small number of staff required to be in work remained in the Downing Street garden for part of the afternoon and evening." After seeing the photo, he said, "As we said last week, work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months. On this occasion, there were staff meetings after a No 10 press conference. Downing Street is the prime minister's home as well as his workplace. The prime minister's wife lives in No 10 and therefore also legitimately uses the garden." Raab on Monday said, "I think there’s a lot of exhausted people, and they, as people do in work, were having a drink after the formal business had been done." Johnson’s spokesman on Monday said, "This shows colleagues who were required to be in work, meeting following a press conference to discuss work … It was not against the regulations for those individuals to have a drink outside working hours, but still discussing work." Johnson on Monday said, "This is where I live, it is where I work. Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work." Here's how the public reacted On the left is leisurely garden party (I refuse to class this as working) with wine, attended by Boris & Carrie Johnson & breaking all 2020 #Covid Lockdown rules. On the right is an NHS nurse after her 2020 shift coping with Covid patients, trying desperately to save lives. pic.twitter.com/9gT7Xe5wfZ — Angela 🇪🇺💙 Rebel With Many Causes #ToriesOut (@spaceangel1964) December 20, 2021 × Hey, @metpoliceuk, here's the Prime Minister, his wife, and 17 other people at a garden party in Downing Street, held on 15th May 2020 - during lockdown. Hope this counts as evidence. You're welcome 👍 pic.twitter.com/UamJp05u9Y — BelieveTheTruth 🇪🇺 (@Sam_BTT) December 19, 2021 × On Friday 15th May 2020 at 1 pm we held a minute’s silence on our ward (and throughout our hospital) in memory of those who died from Covid - little did we know that the PM & friends were enjoying a garden party that same afternoon. pic.twitter.com/ESx6AqZ3um — 𝗗𝗿 𝗔𝗷𝗮𝘆 𝗠 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮 (@UKGastroDr) December 20, 2021 × My Nan was home alone for months The loneliness and isolation meant my Grandads dementia accelerated to the point that he was unrecognisable The stories of despair I heard from people due to not seeing their family were heartbreaking While they, relaxed and had a garden party! https://t.co/JlAl4X8kYS — Ben Taylor (@MarketingproBen) December 19, 2021 × Dominic Raab has come out in support of Boris Johnson bringing his baby to the lockdown garden party: “It’s an emergency services emotional support baby” said the Deputy Prime Minister. “Yes, that’s allowed!” pic.twitter.com/tHn8ITSST8 — Zack Ferguson (@zackferguson) December 21, 2021 × Let’s remember that at end April 2020 I was reprimanded by someone from THE POLICE because I stopped in a park, alone and not near other people, to LOOK at a swan, while on a walk to clear my head before work on ICU next day Hope you enjoyed the garden party @BorisJohnson https://t.co/k0lwyDEON0 — Aoife Abbey (@WhistlingDixie4) December 20, 2021 ×

Boris garden party: Who leaked the photo? Amid Omicron crisis, UK govt to hunt the 'insider'

While revealing the UK budget for financial year 2021, Finance minister Rishi Sunak said that this year is now estimated to be 6.5 per cent, meaning the economy could return to its pre-pandemic level by the end of the year.

FM Sunak tables UK budget 2021, announces host of projects

Rishi Sunak has refused to wear a mask inside a crowded House of Commons. The chancellor further reiterated that ministers did not yet believe it was necessary to move to the government’s “plan B” for COVID-19.&nbsp;The plan B would mandate mask-wearing at public places. Vaccine passports and more home working will also be a part of the plan.

Sunak told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show, "At the moment, the data does not suggest that we should be immediately moving to plan B."

“But of course we will keep an eye on that. The plans are ready, we outlined them way beforehand to make sure people knew what the possible options would be for the winter, which we said would be challenging.”

Sunak dodged questions about whether this was the right thing to do in a crowded setting.

Meanwhile, Britain has recorded the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since July over the past week, revealing government figures. A total of 333,465 people in Britain tested positive for the deadly coronavirus over the past seven days.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-highest-weekly-covid-19-cases-reported-since-july-johnson-rules-out-the-possibility-of-lockdown-423536">Also read |&nbsp;UK: Highest weekly COVID-19 cases reported since July; Johnson rules out the possibility of lockdown</a>

Deaths have surged by 12 per cent over the past week, and the total since the start of the pandemic now stands at 139,461, which is the second-highest in Europe after Russia.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday ruled out the possibility of a lockdown. This comes in as the advisers warned that acting early with lighter measures to cut the rise in cases would reduce the need for tougher restrictions later.

Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), in minutes from an October 14 meeting, said, "In the event of increasing case rates, earlier intervention would reduce the need for more stringent, disruptive, and longer-lasting measures."

“SAGE advises that policy work on the potential reintroduction of measures should be undertaken now so that it can be ready for rapid deployment if required.”

Rishi Sunak has refused to wear a mask inside a crowded House of Commons. The chancellor further reiterated that ministers did not yet believe it was necessary to move to the government’s “plan B” for COVID-19.

Rishi Sunak has refused to wear a mask inside a crowded House of Commons. The chancellor further reiterated that ministers did not yet believe it was necessary to move to the government’s “plan B” for COVID-19. The plan B would mandate mask-wearing at public places. Vaccine passports and more home working will also be a part of the plan. Sunak told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show, "At the moment, the data does not suggest that we should be immediately moving to plan B." “But of course we will keep an eye on that. The plans are ready, we outlined them way beforehand to make sure people knew what the possible options would be for the winter, which we said would be challenging.” Sunak dodged questions about whether this was the right thing to do in a crowded setting. Meanwhile, Britain has recorded the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since July over the past week, revealing government figures. A total of 333,465 people in Britain tested positive for the deadly coronavirus over the past seven days. Also read | UK: Highest weekly COVID-19 cases reported since July; Johnson rules out the possibility of lockdown Deaths have surged by 12 per cent over the past week, and the total since the start of the pandemic now stands at 139,461, which is the second-highest in Europe after Russia. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday ruled out the possibility of a lockdown. This comes in as the advisers warned that acting early with lighter measures to cut the rise in cases would reduce the need for tougher restrictions later. Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), in minutes from an October 14 meeting, said, "In the event of increasing case rates, earlier intervention would reduce the need for more stringent, disruptive, and longer-lasting measures." “SAGE advises that policy work on the potential reintroduction of measures should be undertaken now so that it can be ready for rapid deployment if required.”

Rishi Sunak refuses to wear a mask in crowded House of Commons

British finance minister Rishi Sunak said there must be no return to "significant economic restrictions" despite a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the country, The Times newspaper quoted him as saying.

"I think we're just in a very different place to where we were a year ago because of the vaccine," he said in an interview. "There's this enormous wave of protection, and that changes things. That`s our first line of defence." Adding that&nbsp;the economy was the priority.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-in-uk-starting-next-week-vaccination-centres-in-england-will-accept-bookings-for-children-422487">Coronavirus in UK: Starting next week, vaccination centres in England will accept bookings for children</a>

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a new COVID-19 lockdown was not on the cards after advisers warned that early action through lighter measures would reduce the need for tougher restrictions later.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/covid-cases-witness-stubborn-high-in-uk-daily-cases-above-40000-for-a-week-now-422362/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

COVID-19 cases in Britain are the highest in Europe and hit their most elevated levels in three months earlier this week. However, the rollout of vaccines has meant that deaths from the disease remain far below their levels at the start of this year.

British finance minister Rishi Sunak said there must be no return to "significant economic restrictions" despite a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the country, The Times newspaper quoted him as saying.

British finance minister Rishi Sunak said there must be no return to "significant economic restrictions" despite a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the country, The Times newspaper quoted him as saying. "I think we're just in a very different place to where we were a year ago because of the vaccine," he said in an interview. "There's this enormous wave of protection, and that changes things. That`s our first line of defence." Adding that the economy was the priority. Also Read | Coronavirus in UK: Starting next week, vaccination centres in England will accept bookings for children Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a new COVID-19 lockdown was not on the cards after advisers warned that early action through lighter measures would reduce the need for tougher restrictions later. Watch COVID-19 cases in Britain are the highest in Europe and hit their most elevated levels in three months earlier this week. However, the rollout of vaccines has meant that deaths from the disease remain far below their levels at the start of this year.

British finance minister rules out return to major Covid restrictions

The UK has been following strict travel restrictions due to the recent surge in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> cases, especially from the Delta variant. However, the country might be looking to reopen its international borders completely very soon.

As the UK’s travel industry suffered a loss, the country’s Finance Minister, Rishi Sunak, has written to the Prime Minister that the current border rules are doing massive damage to the country’s economy.

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Sunak has reportedly called UK’s entry and exit rules to be "out of step with our international competitors", and has stressed that these rules have particularly negatively impacted the hospitality and travel sectors.

These reports have hit the media a week before the two ministers are scheduled to meet to discuss travel restrictions and rules for August.

The UK has been observing a surge in coronavirus cases, related to the Delta variant, in recent weeks, due to which the government has placed strict travel regulations, especially for travellers coming from the Delta variant-dominant areas.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/western-media-channel-banned-from-youtube-for-covid-misinformation-402200" hreflang="en">Western media channel banned from YouTube for Covid misinformation</a>

Sunak’s request has also come ahead of the holiday season. He has, reportedly, stated that the country’s success of the vaccine programme should be directly proportional to the weakening of travel restrictions.

In the past few weeks, international governments have criticised Boris Johnson-led government’s decision to restrict travel. UK had claimed that the travel restriction of France locals in the UK was due to the "prevalence of the so-called Beta variant, in particular in the Reunion bit of&nbsp;France". A French minister, however, described these measures to be "excessive" and "discriminatory".

The UK has been following strict travel restrictions due to the recent surge in coronavirus cases, especially from the Delta variant. However, the country might be looking to reopen its international borders completely very soon.

The UK has been following strict travel restrictions due to the recent surge in coronavirus cases, especially from the Delta variant. However, the country might be looking to reopen its international borders completely very soon. As the UK’s travel industry suffered a loss, the country’s Finance Minister, Rishi Sunak, has written to the Prime Minister that the current border rules are doing massive damage to the country’s economy. Also read | UK PM Boris Johnson, wife Carrie expecting second child after miscarriage Sunak has reportedly called UK’s entry and exit rules to be "out of step with our international competitors", and has stressed that these rules have particularly negatively impacted the hospitality and travel sectors. These reports have hit the media a week before the two ministers are scheduled to meet to discuss travel restrictions and rules for August. The UK has been observing a surge in coronavirus cases, related to the Delta variant, in recent weeks, due to which the government has placed strict travel regulations, especially for travellers coming from the Delta variant-dominant areas. Also read | Western media channel banned from YouTube for Covid misinformation Sunak’s request has also come ahead of the holiday season. He has, reportedly, stated that the country’s success of the vaccine programme should be directly proportional to the weakening of travel restrictions. In the past few weeks, international governments have criticised Boris Johnson-led government’s decision to restrict travel. UK had claimed that the travel restriction of France locals in the UK was due to the "prevalence of the so-called Beta variant, in particular in the Reunion bit of France". A French minister, however, described these measures to be "excessive" and "discriminatory".

UK's Rishi Sunak urges Boris Johnson to relax Covid travel restrictions

Sunak tweeted: “Whilst the test and trace pilot is fairly restrictive, allowing only essential government business, I recognise that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong. To that end I’ll be self-isolating as normal and not taking part in the pilot.”

UK PM Boris Johnson, FM Rishi Sunak exposed to COVID

Britain will unveil its blueprint on Thursday for building the world's most advanced financial sector after Brexit largely severed the City of London financial district from the European Union, its biggest export customer.

World Business Watch: FM Sunak promises to sharpen City of London's competitive edge

Ministers from the US, Japan, France, Canada, Germany and Italy began the two-day meeting at Lancaster House in London on Friday morning, ahead of next week’s G7 leader’s summit in Cornwall.

Rishi Sunak confident of getting tech tax deal

While reading out Britain's Budget 2021 address, British finance minister Rishi Sunak said that the UK economy is likely to reach its pre-pandemic output level by the middle of next year (2022). WION brings you all you need to know about UK Budget 2021.

World Business Watch: UK economy to reach pre-pandemic size by mid-2022, says Sunak

UK Finance minister Rishi Sunak will promise to do "whatever it takes", including a five-month extension of Britain's huge jobs rescue plan, to steer the economy through what he hopes will be the final months of COVID restrictions.

World Business Watch: FM Sunak targets COVID, deficit in UK budget 2021

Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced a costly extension of his emergency aid programmes to see the economy through its current coronavirus lockdown, and flagged a tax hike for companies from 2023.

Delivering an annual budget speech on Wednesday, Sunak also announced a future tax squeeze on businesses and individuals as he began to focus on the huge hole in the public finances.

Below are details of the policies Sunak announced:

BUSINESS INVESTMENT

Sunak said the economy would regain its pre-pandemic size in mid-2022, six months earlier than previously forecast, helped by Europe's fastest vaccination programme. But it will remain 3 per cent smaller in five years' time than it would have been without the health shock and extra support is needed now as the country remains under coronavirus restrictions, he said.

Britain will seek to incentivise more business investment in items such as new equipment over the next two years by boosting the amount firms can offset against tax.

"First, we will continue doing whatever it takes to support the British people and businesses through this moment of crisis," Sunak told parliament.

"Second, once we are on the way to recovery, we will need to begin fixing the public finances – and I want to be honest today about our plans to do that. And, third, in today's Budget we begin the work of building our future economy."

Among new support measures were a five-month extension of Britain's huge jobs rescue plan and more help for the self-employed, the continuation of an emergency increase in welfare payments, and an extended VAT cut for the hospitality sector.

A business rates exemption for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses was extended until the end of June, by when Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes he will have lifted most COVID-19 restrictions.

An existing tax break for home-buyers will also now run until June 30 and will then apply for cheaper homes until the end of September.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-finances-cant-be-fixed-overnight-rishi-sunak-says-before-budget-plan-366841">Also read |&nbsp;'Public finances can't be fixed overnight': Rishi Sunak says before budget plan</a>

Sunak will borrow significantly more in the coming financial year than thought just a few months ago - 234 billion pounds, or 10.3% of gross domestic product, compared with a previous estimate of 164.2 billion pounds, or 7.4% of GDP.

To bring borrowing under control, Sunak announced future tax rises that will increase the tax burden to its highest level since the 1960s, rising from 34 to 35% of GDP by the middle of this decade.

Announcing forecasts by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR), Sunak said the economy was likely to grow 4% in 2021, slower than a forecast of 5.5% made in November, reflecting the current lockdown which began in January.

Looking further ahead, the OBR forecast GDP would grow by 7.3%, 1.7% and 1.6% in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively. In November, the OBR had forecast growth in those years of 6.6%, 2.3% and 1.7%.

Sunak promised to do "whatever it takes" to steer the economy through what he hopes will be the final months of pandemic restrictions. He has already racked up Britain's highest borrowing since World War II, with the deficit reaching an estimated 17% of GDP in the 2020/21 financial year that ends in April and set to fall to a still historically high 10.3% in 2021/22.

JOB PROTECTION SCHEME EXTENSION

Britain will extend its job-protecting furlough programme by five more months until the end of September and expand support for the self-employed too.

LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD TOP-UP

A top-up of 20 pounds ($28) per week to a state benefit for low-income households will remain in place for a further six months, Sunak said.

PROPERTY SALES TAX, MORTGAGES

Sunak extended tax breaks for home-buyers until October, keeping many property purchases exempt from stamp duty land tax. He also announced a government-funded mortgage guarantee scheme for first-time buyers who cannot afford large deposits required by lenders.

CORPORATION TAX HIKE

In a first move towards higher taxes, Sunak announced he would raise corporation tax to 25% from 19% from 2023, by which time the crisis should be over.

"Even after this change the UK will still have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 – lower than the United States, Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany and France," he said.

Businesses with profits of 50,000 pounds or less would pay a new Small Profits Rate, maintained at the current rate of 19%. 
To offset the hit, Sunak increased incentives for investment in items such as new equipment over the next two years. "This will be the biggest business tax cut in modern British history," he said.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX HOLIDAY

Britain will extend a year-long business rates exemption for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses to the end of June, he said.

FREEZE ON PERSONAL TAX

Britain will freeze the amount of money that people can earn tax-free and also the threshold for the higher rate of income tax until 2026.

Sunak said that while a basic income tax rate of 20% and a higher income tax rate 40% would not be increased, the thresholds for the "personal allowance" of tax-free earnings and at which the higher tax rate kicks in would not rise with inflation.

Sunak said that the freeze was part of an approach to fix public finances as he looks for ways to raise funds following unprecedented measures to support jobs and the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

"This government is not going to raise the rates of income tax, national insurance or VAT. Instead our first step is to freeze personal tax thresholds," Sunak told parliament.

"We will, of course, deliver our promise to increase (the personal allowance) again next year to 12,570 pounds ($17,545) but we will then keep it at this more generous level until April 2026."

He added that the higher rate threshold would also increase next year to 50,270 pounds, as previously promised, but would then also be frozen for the same length of time.

The personal allowance threshold and higher rate threshold in England and Northern Ireland had previously been 12,500 pounds and 50,000 pounds a year respectively.

NEW £300M VIRUS-AID SCHEME FOR ENGLISH SPORT

Sunak also announced a new £300 million ($419 million, 347 million euros) recovery package for sport in England as part of a plan to assist the wider economy in coping with the fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic.

He said £700 million was being made available to art, culture and sporting institutions to aid their response to the impact of Covid-19.

Britain's Treasury, or finance ministry, tweeted that there was "£300m to back clubs and governing bodies across a wide range of sports in England".

Sunak, following comments from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson published Tuesday, underlined the government's support for a potential joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to host football's 2030 World Cup.

"We're making available £700 million to support our incredible art, culture and sporting institutions as they reopen, backing the UK and Ireland's joint 2030 World Cup bid, launching a new approach to apprenticeships in the creative industries, and extending our £500 million film and TV production restart scheme," Sunak told lawmakers in the House of Commons while delivering his budget statement.

Wednesday's announcement follows a £300m sport 'winter survival package' announced by the government in November.

(with inputs from agencies)

Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced a costly extension of his emergency aid programmes to see the economy through its current coronavirus lockdown, and flagged a tax hike for companies from 2023.

Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced a costly extension of his emergency aid programmes to see the economy through its current coronavirus lockdown, and flagged a tax hike for companies from 2023. Delivering an annual budget speech on Wednesday, Sunak also announced a future tax squeeze on businesses and individuals as he began to focus on the huge hole in the public finances. Below are details of the policies Sunak announced: BUSINESS INVESTMENT Sunak said the economy would regain its pre-pandemic size in mid-2022, six months earlier than previously forecast, helped by Europe's fastest vaccination programme. But it will remain 3 per cent smaller in five years' time than it would have been without the health shock and extra support is needed now as the country remains under coronavirus restrictions, he said. Britain will seek to incentivise more business investment in items such as new equipment over the next two years by boosting the amount firms can offset against tax. "First, we will continue doing whatever it takes to support the British people and businesses through this moment of crisis," Sunak told parliament. "Second, once we are on the way to recovery, we will need to begin fixing the public finances – and I want to be honest today about our plans to do that. And, third, in today's Budget we begin the work of building our future economy." Among new support measures were a five-month extension of Britain's huge jobs rescue plan and more help for the self-employed, the continuation of an emergency increase in welfare payments, and an extended VAT cut for the hospitality sector. A business rates exemption for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses was extended until the end of June, by when Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes he will have lifted most COVID-19 restrictions. An existing tax break for home-buyers will also now run until June 30 and will then apply for cheaper homes until the end of September. Also read | 'Public finances can't be fixed overnight': Rishi Sunak says before budget plan Sunak will borrow significantly more in the coming financial year than thought just a few months ago - 234 billion pounds, or 10.3% of gross domestic product, compared with a previous estimate of 164.2 billion pounds, or 7.4% of GDP. To bring borrowing under control, Sunak announced future tax rises that will increase the tax burden to its highest level since the 1960s, rising from 34 to 35% of GDP by the middle of this decade. Announcing forecasts by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR), Sunak said the economy was likely to grow 4% in 2021, slower than a forecast of 5.5% made in November, reflecting the current lockdown which began in January. Looking further ahead, the OBR forecast GDP would grow by 7.3%, 1.7% and 1.6% in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively. In November, the OBR had forecast growth in those years of 6.6%, 2.3% and 1.7%. Sunak promised to do "whatever it takes" to steer the economy through what he hopes will be the final months of pandemic restrictions. He has already racked up Britain's highest borrowing since World War II, with the deficit reaching an estimated 17% of GDP in the 2020/21 financial year that ends in April and set to fall to a still historically high 10.3% in 2021/22. JOB PROTECTION SCHEME EXTENSION Britain will extend its job-protecting furlough programme by five more months until the end of September and expand support for the self-employed too. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD TOP-UP A top-up of 20 pounds ($28) per week to a state benefit for low-income households will remain in place for a further six months, Sunak said. PROPERTY SALES TAX, MORTGAGES Sunak extended tax breaks for home-buyers until October, keeping many property purchases exempt from stamp duty land tax. He also announced a government-funded mortgage guarantee scheme for first-time buyers who cannot afford large deposits required by lenders. CORPORATION TAX HIKE In a first move towards higher taxes, Sunak announced he would raise corporation tax to 25% from 19% from 2023, by which time the crisis should be over. "Even after this change the UK will still have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 – lower than the United States, Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany and France," he said. Businesses with profits of 50,000 pounds or less would pay a new Small Profits Rate, maintained at the current rate of 19%. To offset the hit, Sunak increased incentives for investment in items such as new equipment over the next two years. "This will be the biggest business tax cut in modern British history," he said. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX HOLIDAY Britain will extend a year-long business rates exemption for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses to the end of June, he said. FREEZE ON PERSONAL TAX Britain will freeze the amount of money that people can earn tax-free and also the threshold for the higher rate of income tax until 2026. Sunak said that while a basic income tax rate of 20% and a higher income tax rate 40% would not be increased, the thresholds for the "personal allowance" of tax-free earnings and at which the higher tax rate kicks in would not rise with inflation. Sunak said that the freeze was part of an approach to fix public finances as he looks for ways to raise funds following unprecedented measures to support jobs and the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. "This government is not going to raise the rates of income tax, national insurance or VAT. Instead our first step is to freeze personal tax thresholds," Sunak told parliament. "We will, of course, deliver our promise to increase (the personal allowance) again next year to 12,570 pounds ($17,545) but we will then keep it at this more generous level until April 2026." He added that the higher rate threshold would also increase next year to 50,270 pounds, as previously promised, but would then also be frozen for the same length of time. The personal allowance threshold and higher rate threshold in England and Northern Ireland had previously been 12,500 pounds and 50,000 pounds a year respectively. NEW £300M VIRUS-AID SCHEME FOR ENGLISH SPORT Sunak also announced a new £300 million ($419 million, 347 million euros) recovery package for sport in England as part of a plan to assist the wider economy in coping with the fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. He said £700 million was being made available to art, culture and sporting institutions to aid their response to the impact of Covid-19. Britain's Treasury, or finance ministry, tweeted that there was "£300m to back clubs and governing bodies across a wide range of sports in England". Sunak, following comments from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson published Tuesday, underlined the government's support for a potential joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to host football's 2030 World Cup. "We're making available £700 million to support our incredible art, culture and sporting institutions as they reopen, backing the UK and Ireland's joint 2030 World Cup bid, launching a new approach to apprenticeships in the creative industries, and extending our £500 million film and TV production restart scheme," Sunak told lawmakers in the House of Commons while delivering his budget statement. Wednesday's announcement follows a £300m sport 'winter survival package' announced by the government in November. (with inputs from agencies)

Britain's finance minister extends Covid rescue plan but moves to bring in more tax

Finance minister Rishi Sunak promises on Wednesday to do "whatever it takes", including a five-month extension of Britain's huge jobs rescue plan.

UK's Rishi Sunak promises 'whatever it takes' in new Covid budget plan

The United Kingdoms finance minister Rishi Sunak said the idea of giving people vaccine passports or certificates to allow them to enter venues or events might be a way to help the country and its economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

World Business Watch: UK FM Rishi Sunak says vaccine passports might help the economy

The Boris Johnson-led government faced an unexpected economic crisis in the form of coronavirus pandemic and is now struggling to come out of it.

Following the downward spiral of the UK economy, British finance minister Rishi Sunak said he would not try to fix the public finances overnight.

The statement has come a few days before he is scheduled to announce a budget plan that is expected to add to the already brim-full borrowing capacity with the UK having borrowed 300 billion pounds.

"Look, this is not something that`s going to happen overnight. Given the scale of the shock we've experienced, the scale of the damage, this is going to take time to fix," Rishi Sunak told Sky News on Sunday. "But it's important ... to also have strong public finances over time."

The statement was not appreciated by the locals, who fear an increase in taxes. Sunak has also not confirmed whether he would be keeping his word of not increasing income tax, value-added tax or national insurance contributions, the three biggest sources of tax revenue — as promised in 2019, before the pandemic.

Locals reports have claimed that Sunak is planning to raise income tax revenues by six billion pounds by freezing the point at which people pay the basic rate of income tax and the threshold at which they begin paying the higher rate.

"You talked about interest rates and you`re right interest rates have been at very low levels, which does allow us to afford slightly higher debt levels," he said. "But that can always change and we`re seeing that in the last few weeks."

This has come at a time when the locals are already struggling in the monetary situation due to repeated and extended lockdowns in the country, amid a surge in coronavirus cases, which has led to several job cancellations and business shutdowns.

The Boris Johnson-led government faced an unexpected economic crisis in the form of coronavirus pandemic and is now struggling to come out of it. Following the downward spiral of the UK economy, British finance minister Rishi Sunak said he would not try to fix the public finances overnight.

The Boris Johnson-led government faced an unexpected economic crisis in the form of coronavirus pandemic and is now struggling to come out of it. Following the downward spiral of the UK economy, British finance minister Rishi Sunak said he would not try to fix the public finances overnight. The statement has come a few days before he is scheduled to announce a budget plan that is expected to add to the already brim-full borrowing capacity with the UK having borrowed 300 billion pounds. "Look, this is not something that`s going to happen overnight. Given the scale of the shock we've experienced, the scale of the damage, this is going to take time to fix," Rishi Sunak told Sky News on Sunday. "But it's important ... to also have strong public finances over time." The statement was not appreciated by the locals, who fear an increase in taxes. Sunak has also not confirmed whether he would be keeping his word of not increasing income tax, value-added tax or national insurance contributions, the three biggest sources of tax revenue — as promised in 2019, before the pandemic. Locals reports have claimed that Sunak is planning to raise income tax revenues by six billion pounds by freezing the point at which people pay the basic rate of income tax and the threshold at which they begin paying the higher rate. "You talked about interest rates and you`re right interest rates have been at very low levels, which does allow us to afford slightly higher debt levels," he said. "But that can always change and we`re seeing that in the last few weeks." This has come at a time when the locals are already struggling in the monetary situation due to repeated and extended lockdowns in the country, amid a surge in coronavirus cases, which has led to several job cancellations and business shutdowns.

'Public finances can't be fixed overnight': Rishi Sunak says before budget plan

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