Filibuster

Time and again, Private Members’ Bills are defeated in Parliament by filibustering: “an action such as prolonged speaking which obstructs progress in a legislative assembly in a way that does not technically contravene the required procedures”. Most recently, Alec Shelbrooke’s bill attempting to ban unpaid internships by amending minimum wage legislation (following years of lobbying) was talked out by the usual group of MPs after a streak of comparable high-profile headlines.

Qash(qai) Investment

Despite warnings to the contrary during the EU referendum campaign, Nissan delivered some good news last week. In a surprise announcement, it has emerged that the new model of Qashqai will continue to be produced at its Sunderland plant from 2019, along with the first X-Trail model to be built outside of Japan. The decision directly secures 7000 jobs on the site, plus an estimated 28,000 further along the supply chain.