Business groups cheer new government’s change of tune on migration cap July 25, 2019 Britain’s biggest business groups yesterday welcomed signals from Downing Street that the new administration has all but abandoned the target to bring net migration below 100,000. Read more: Boris Johnson takes aim at Brussels in fresh Brexit battle Both the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) said the government’s turn [...]
ECB prepares stimulus to kickstart stalling Eurozone economy July 25, 2019 The European Central Bank (ECB) kept interest rates on hold today but signalled it will ease policy to kickstart the Eurozone economy unless growth picks up. Read more: Tepid Eurozone inflation stays well below ECB target It said it now expects its main interest rates will stay at “present or lower levels at least through [...]
Former banker Sajid Javid’s first job as chancellor? To stand up to Boris Johnson July 25, 2019 Analysts at Deutsche Bank triggered sighs across the City yesterday with an attempt to coin the term “Borisnomics”. The portmanteau, as clunky as the new Prime Minister’s debut speech on the steps of Downing Street, is unlikely to catch on – but whatever we call it (Bojonomics, Johnsonomics…) how should we judge Boris Johnson’s likely approach [...]
Eurozone relapses as manufacturing downturn deepens July 24, 2019 Economic woes have deepened in the Eurozone as the manufacturing downturn hit a three-month low for July, according to a closely-followed measure of the industry’s health. Manufacturing output relapsed to fall to a score of 51.5 this month after two months of growth, IHS Markit’s Flash Eurozone Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) found today. Read more: [...]
Citizens’ assemblies would hand power to establishment experts July 24, 2019 Citizens’ assemblies have become the height of fashion. The London borough of Camden is currently holding one on how to reduce carbon emissions in the area. Last month, Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to set one up to consider constitutional issues in Scotland. The Irish government’s one on abortion featured in the 2018 referendum on the [...]
BoE chief economist cautions against interest rate cut with employment strong July 23, 2019 Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane has said he would be “very cautious” about cutting interest rates in the near future as the economy is stronger than it appears. Read more: Banks can cope with no-deal Brexit but risks remain, says BoE Speaking in Scunthorpe today he said low unemployment and relatively high consumer [...]
IMF warns over Brexit and trade wars as it cuts global growth forecast July 23, 2019 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its forecast for global economic growth over the next two years and said that a disorderly Brexit could damage global investment and trade. Read more: Race begins for IMF top job as Christine Lagarde submits resignation The Fund lowered its prediction for global growth by 0.1 percentage point [...]
Does Boris mean bad news for cable? July 23, 2019 | City Talk Johnson and Hunt are waiting to see which of them will be the next Prime Minister of the UK. Tory members voted for the next leader yesterday, with the winner expected to be announced this morning. The outcome of the Tory leadership contest will decide who will lead the UK in its exit from the [...]
Trump’s tweets do bitcoin and Facebook a favour July 23, 2019 Donald Trump’s recent tweet about bitcoin and that Facebook’s new quasi-crypto the “libra” would get the full force of the US regulators if they “want to become a bank” has put the crypto kitty amongst the pigeons. Why now? Surely Trump doesn’t care about bitcoin? Well, it was timed just before Facebook had to testify [...]
UK house sales plummet in June, held back by Brexit ‘ball and chain’ July 23, 2019 House sales crashed 16.5 per cent in June, as the property market took a “wait-and-see” attitude to transactions amid Brexit uncertainty. Monthly HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures showed British residential property sales fell to 84,490, more than one-sixth down on the same period last year. Read more: London house prices suffer worst plunge in [...]