Theresa May to give Brexit end state speech next Friday after Chequers away-day yields results February 23, 2018 Theresa May will give a major speech outlining the government’s negotiating position for the future relationship after Brexit next Friday. Last night the Prime Minister succeeded in uniting the Remainers and Leavers in her Brexit war Cabinet after a gruelling eight-hour session of discussions and presentations appeared to end with success for those pressing for [...]
Hong Kong Horse Racing Betting Tips: Peter Ho holds a Fifty Fifty chance in Queen’s Silver Jubilee February 23, 2018 HONG KONG racing fans are in for a treat when 11 horses face the starter for the ultra competitive Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (8.40am). The old adage of ‘out with the old and in with the new’ springs to mind, with the likes of last year’s winner Helene Paragon, former HK Sprint winner Peniaphobia, and [...]
BT share price rises as regulators raise wholesale price caps February 23, 2018 BT investors were buoyed this morning by a regulatory announcement on the price it can charge its rivals to use its network. With shares rising almost four per cent, BT was one of the FTSE 100’s biggest gainers. Ofcom said it would not regulate the prices charged by infrastructure arm Openreach on its fastest broadband [...]
Independence, innovation, and online voting: How Estonia built itself into a digital paradise February 23, 2018 This Saturday, my native country, nestled in a remote corner of the Earth about 500 miles south of Santa’s village, celebrates its hundredth year of independence. Today, Estonia is probably the most digitally advanced country in the world. As the New Yorker magazine recently put it: “Its government is virtual, borderless, blockchained, and secure. Has [...]
Standard Life Aberdeen share price jumps after selling insurance arm for £3.2bn February 23, 2018 Standard Life Aberdeen has sold its insurance arm to specialist insurer Phoenix in a deal worth £3.24bn. Phoenix will pay £2.28bn of cash and issue Standard Life Aberdeen with a 19.99 per cent shareholding. The deal sees most of Standard Life’s legacy insurance business handed over to Phoenix, allowing the merged company to focus on [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland share price falls after posting “symbolic” first profit since financial crash February 23, 2018 Royal Bank of Scotland this morning reported its first annual profit since 2007. The state-backed lender posted returns of £752m, well ahead of analyst expectations. But shares fell as markets opened, dropping by almost four per cent. Chief executive Ross McEwan said he was “pleased” the group had posted a profit, adding: This is a [...]
Immigration is still a headache for ministers February 23, 2018 Yestarday’s migration figures, showing a decline in the number of arrivals from the EU, will have put the frighteners on businesses already worried about a skills and labour shortage. The numbers should also focus the minds of ministers on a burning question: what kind of immigration system do they want? Although their talk of getting [...]
MPs warn lessons need to be learned from £7bn Thameslink programme delays for successful delivery of HS2 February 23, 2018 The government must learn lessons from the £7bn Thameslink programme delays – particularly with complex work on HS2 looming – MPs warned today. The £7bn Thameslink upgrade is “yet another example of a rail project which has been delayed and will cost the taxpayer more than originally expected”, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee said [...]
Tech giants like Facebook and Google face UK tax shake-up focusing on revenues rather than profit February 22, 2018 Some of the world’s largest tech firms are set to face a significant tax shake-up from the UK government. The likes of Google and Facebook could see changes in the tax system that would mean a new tax on revenues, rather than profits – a smaller figure. A Treasury minister told the BBC that the [...]
Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers hash out Brexit position on UK’s economic partnership with the EU in eight-hour meeting February 22, 2018 Theresa May and her ministers were in crunch talks late into the night in a bid to nail down a final position on customs arrangements and details for the transition period of Britain’s departure from the EU. The Prime Minister is expected to set out the path Britain plans to take in a speech next [...]