No-deal Brexit risk climbs to 30 per cent as Boris Johnson leads Tory leadership contest July 19, 2019 Economists are forecasting that Britain’s chances of leaving the EU without a deal is at its most likely since October 2017, according to a Reuters poll. As expectations mount that Boris Johnson is likely to become the next Prime Minister, a median forecast of 30 per cent of financial experts are predicting Britain and the [...]
The Extinction Rebels seem to care more about capitalism than climate July 19, 2019 If your commute to work this week has been blocked by a giant colourful boat, you have Extinction Rebellion (XR) to thank. The self-defined “non-violent civil disobedience activist movement” has begun its summer of disruption, shutting down traffic in five UK cities to protest against climate change “inaction”. A worthy and vital attempt to safeguard [...]
Why Taiwan thinks that freedom is contagious July 19, 2019 The grand Renaissance style building feels like an embassy, but it isn’t. David Lin talks like an ambassador, but he isn’t. His official title is Representative, and 50 Grosvenor Gardens is Taiwan’s Representative Office in the UK. Taiwan has its own democratic system, currency and military but its official name remains the Republic of China [...]
Arriva seeks £200m from government over East Midlands franchise snub July 18, 2019 Rail giant Arriva is claiming £200m from the government over its controversial decision to disqualify it from the East Midlands franchise, City A.M. can reveal. Court documents seen by this newspaper show that Arriva Rail, which is owned by German parent Deutsche Bahn, is seeking to recover the amount following the Department for Transport’s (DfT) [...]
City of London Corporation secures £450m in external funding for major projects July 18, 2019 The City of London Corporation has secured £450m in external funding for its major projects, after it revealed that its squeezed finances meant it would have to borrow for the first time in 30 years. Catherine McGuinness, chair of the policy and resources committee, admitted the organisation was facing “significant financial pressures” and highlighted the [...]
Jeremy Hunt misses crucial government Brexit vote by mistake July 18, 2019 Jeremy Hunt has apologised after accidentally not voting with the government on a bill designed to block a no-deal Brexit. The government fell to a resounding defeat today as one minister quit and many other cabinet members abstained during a vote to bring MPs immediately back to parliament if the Commons is suspended before the [...]
Tory rebels vote with Labour in bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit July 18, 2019 Rebel Tory MPs helped defeat their own government today in a bid to stop the next Prime Minister suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit. Margot James resigned as digital minister after voting with Labour and ensuring the government lost by 41 votes – with 315 MPs backing the plan to stop parliament being [...]
There’s no ‘war chest’ for extra spending, watchdog warns PM hopefuls July 18, 2019 Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have been warned there is no “war-chest or pot of money” that would make big spending increases “a free lunch” by the UK’s budget watchdog. Read more: No-deal Brexit could cause ‘full blown’ recession in 2020 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said today that the next prime minister must [...]
No-deal Brexit could cause ‘full-blown’ recession in 2020 July 18, 2019 A no-deal Brexit could plunge Britain into a year-long recession and shrink the economy by two per cent next year, the UK’s public finances watchdog has warned. Britain may already be on the verge of a “full-blown” recession but crashing out of the European Union without a deal would damage growth further, the Office for [...]
Philip Hammond ‘may quit Downing Street’ before new PM takes power if Boris wins July 18, 2019 Philip Hammond may be set to jump before he is pushed out of office by Boris Johnson, it is reported. The chancellor of the Exchequer could order removal vans to 11 Downing Street as early as today, according to the Daily Mail, which reported that Hammond has told friends he is set to quit. Read [...]