It’s time to consider an off-the-shelf deal if we’re serious about avoiding a hard Brexit August 3, 2018 Theresa May and her ministers are racking up air miles trying to convince their EU counterparts to back the Chequers deal, even though her own chief adviser Olly Robbins has said it won’t work. Alarmed at the pace of progress, most large firms are finalising their contingency plans – in some cases, like the London [...]
Editor’s Notes: The real threat to our democracy is the call for a second referendum, making new homes more popular and communism vs liberty August 3, 2018 There's a lot of talk around about “our democracy being under threat.” This alarmist claim is thrown around by people who are still fighting the Brexit referendum – many of whom are convinced that Leave only prevailed thanks to Russian disinformation, nefarious online campaigns and dodgy money. Guardian columnists, keyboard warriors and a handful of [...]
Westminster council derails second Sadiq Khan project with legal challenge against CS11 Cycle Superhighway August 2, 2018 Construction works on a proposed cycle superhighway at a dangerous gyratory in north-west London have come to a grinding halt after Westminster council mounted a successful legal challenge against Transport for London (TfL) – derailing its second project this year. Work on the first section of Cycle Superhighway 11, which is intended to span [...]
The tech sector needs to boost gender diversity and get more women into the industry August 2, 2018 Gender diversity in the technology sector remains a hotly debated topic, amid scandals, global campaigns, and social media movements. Simply put, there is still not enough diversity. Take a look at the US. Examine the employee data for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet’s Google (four members of the illustrious FAANG stocks), and you will find [...]
May’s leadership nightmare isn’t over and now the EU’s offer to extend Brexit talks could herald another election August 2, 2018 Theresa May heads to the fortress-turned-holiday retreat enjoyed by French Presidents this Friday at the invitation of Emmanuel Macron. Though the PM might hope for a little Mediterranean respite after the past few bruising months, she will be expecting a robust exchange with a smooth operator who has become a serious thorn in her side. [...]
London Stock Exchange executes no deal contingency plans August 2, 2018 The London Stock Exchange is executing its contingency plans for a hard Brexit, amid growing uncertainty a deal can be struck in time. The firm this morning reported a 21 percent rise in first-half adjusted operating profit to £480m – more than £20m ahead of consensus estimates – as its clearing, capital markets and information [...]
Brexiters seek to revive Canada plus-plus-plus model as Barnier rejects Chequers cherry picking August 2, 2018 The Canada-plus-plus-plus model mooted by former Brexit secretary David Davis is still in play, with pro-Brexit MPs discussing how to revive it in favour of the Prime Minister's Chequers model. The model, also called Super Canada, was first publicly floated by Davis last year, suggesting the free trade agreement recently signed between the EU and [...]
Jeremy Corbyn has made his party safer for antisemites than for Jews August 2, 2018 “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” That was Jeremy Corbyn’s take on Twitter in January 2017, when Theresa May refused to condemn Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. It’s a tweet that has come back to haunt him recently. Read more: Labour MPs split over anti-Semitism hearing [...]
Ministers up the ante over fears Brussels is misrepresenting UK stance August 1, 2018 Government ministers will spend much of August using one-to-one meetings with EU counterparts to press the case for a financial services deal, fearing the Commission has been deliberately misconstruing the UK’s official position. Senior figures including chancellor Philip Hammond and the new foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt have been among those clarifying the stance adopted in [...]
Forget ditching the Lifetime Isa – it should be evolved instead August 1, 2018 Last week, the Treasury Committee suggested that the year-old Lifetime Isa (Lisa) be killed off. This news came hot on the heels of rumours that the pensions dashboard might get the boot, just months before it was expected to go live. This government seems to have a knack for driving in reverse. And by [...]