A short extension to the Brexit timetable is possible, says Jacob Rees-Mogg February 2, 2019 Eurosceptic Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that he could accept a small extension to the Brexit timeline if Prime Minister Theresa May pursued his plan. Rees-Mogg claims that a delay to the date the UK leaves the European Union could be permissible if a deal with the EU is struck along the lines of the so-called Malthouse Compromise. After May's [...]
Trump tore down the walls for the Democrats’ socialist superstar February 1, 2019 Half-baked policy ideas that don’t stand up to economic scrutiny but spread like wildfire across social media. The ability to tear up the rulebook to forge a new path to power. A US politician who is almost certainly dramatically under-qualified for the office they hold, but who has captured the imaginations of millions through sheer charisma [...]
Private investment can help Britain remain a world leader in humanitarian aid February 1, 2019 The home secretary’s new plan to “redouble” efforts to crack down on knife violence is a reminder of where the spending priorities of this government have been, and a chance to question where investment is most needed now. The UK’s ambitious aid target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income now accounts for £14bn worth [...]
Brexit pushes one in three firms to plan move abroad, survey finds February 1, 2019 Nearly a third of companies surveyed by one of Britain's biggest groups may move parts of their operations abroad because of Brexit. Research by the Institute of Directors (IoD) found 16 per cent of its member had already initiated relocation plans, with a further 13 per cent “actively considering” a move. Among large businesses surveyed, [...]
Editor’s Notes: Why we cannot take no-deal off the table February 1, 2019 There has been no shortage of ludicrous Brexiter outbursts lately as they see their project imperilled by political reality. One Tory backbencher railed against the CEO of Airbus (who had warned against a no-deal Brexit) on the grounds that he is German. He even invoked the Second World War to make a point about not [...]
Britain has never understood the fervour for the EU project January 31, 2019 What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? It would appear that we are about to find out in the latest instalment of the Brexit soap opera that has been running since we announced our intention to leave in 2016. For no sooner had MPs voted on Tuesday night to back Sir Graham [...]
The UK is trying to leave the European club – in Italy, the club is on fire January 31, 2019 After Tuesday’s parliamentary showdown, all eyes are on Westminster. Don’t be misled, though – the real existential threat to the EU lies in Rome. In the UK, we are debating how to leave the golf club. In Italy, the golf club is likely to be swamped by an approaching tsunami. There may not be a [...]
DEBATE: After Tuesday’s amendments, is a no-deal Brexit actually more likely now? January 31, 2019 After Tuesday’s amendments, is a no-deal Brexit actually more likely now? John Oxley, a Conservative commentator, says YES. The UK leaves the EU by operation of law at 11pm on 29 March. No deal is the default. The insipid amendment “rejecting” that outcome has no force. Only an agreement with the EU or the revocation or extension [...]
Let it be: London councils should allow offices and shops to be converted into homes January 31, 2019 Amid all the Brexit brouhaha in Westminster it is important that parliamentarians do not forget the many other issues that affect people's day-to-day lives. Bravo, therefore, to MP Chris Philp for reminding Theresa May during yesterday's Prime Minister's Questions that the dream of homeownership remains all too elusive for many young adults – particularly in [...]
Barclays gets go-ahead to shift £160bn of assets to Dublin amid Brexit uncertainty January 30, 2019 Barclays has been given the green light to transfer £160bn of assets to its Irish business as the bank “cannot wait any longer” to implement its no-deal Brexit strategy amid ongoing political uncertainty. A High Court judgement revealed that the bank is pushing forward with its Brexit contingency plan to transfer all of its European [...]