Hopelessness on the home front: The nation needs something to look forward to October 22, 2020 As the pandemic continues to roll through our communities, riding undulating waves of infection “R”, infectious hope does not seem to have followed the same trajectory. In the midst of lockdown, many talked about hope as a protective shield that would see us through to the end of this crazy interlude. My, how we would [...]
UK strikes deal with Norway to continue trade in case of no-deal Brexit October 22, 2020 The UK has signed a temporary agreement with Norway to ensure trade of goods can continue between the two nations in the case of a no-deal Brexit after 31 December
CANZUK is a cause in need of a champion — enter Jacinda Ardern October 22, 2020 This past weekend’s sweeping victory for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brought her Labour Party its largest majority in five decades. Unusually for New Zealand politics, this could mean that Ardern oversees a government without any coalition partners. Yet she appears keen to consider a coalition government nonetheless. It is to that spirit of [...]
Brexit: UK-EU trade talks back on after week of sparring October 21, 2020 Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU are back on just days after Boris Johnson walked away from negotiations. A statement from the government said “we are ready to welcome the EU team to London to resume negotiations later this week” in a bid to get a deal done before the end of the [...]
Business bodies slam government’s TfL bailout conditions as a ‘mockery’ October 21, 2020 London business bodies have slammed the government’s demands for a potential bailout for Transport for London (TfL) as a “mockery”, accusing ministers of “railroading” policy through while the transport network is on its knees during the pandemic. Ministers last night threatened to take direct control of TfL unless London mayor Sadiq Khan accepts a raft [...]
Government scraps three-year spending review amid Covid-19 chaos October 21, 2020 The Treasury today confirmed that a comprehensive three-year review of government spending had been ditched in favour of a one-year review because of the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “While the government would have liked to outline plans for the rest of this parliament, the right thing today is to focus entirely on [...]
UK public borrowing unexpectedly picks up to hit record £209bn this year October 21, 2020 UK government borrowing rose unexpectedly in September, pushing the budget deficit to a new record high of just under £210bn and the total debt pile to its biggest level as a proportion of GDP since 1960. The government borrowed £36.1bn last month, according to the Office for National Statistics’s (ONS) best estimate. That comfortably beat [...]
Think tank: London may need £440m a month if put into Tier 3 restrictions October 21, 2020 London would need more than £400m a month from the government if it is plunged into Tier 3 and if the city makes the same funding requests as Manchester, according to a top think tank. The Centre for Cities has calculated the capital would need £112.4m for every week it is in the top band [...]
The government must take back control of the Covid narrative October 21, 2020 The word “narrative” is usually seen as being a posh way of saying “story”. But the idea of narratives is one which is gaining traction in economics. Last year, for example, Nobel laureate Robert Shiller of Yale published a book entitled “Narrative Economics”. He argued that it is the perception of events and the stories [...]
G’day UK: Australia trade deal set to increase freedom of movement downunder October 20, 2020 Britons are in line to soon have greater opportunities to live and work in Australia, with trade deal talks between the two nations placing freedom of movement at the fore of negotiations. A source close to international trade secretary Liz Truss has told City A.M. that a UK-Australia trade deal will likely allow young Australians [...]