Jean-Claude Juncker shoots down Theresa May’s backstop renegotiation plan February 6, 2019 Theresa May’s hopes of securing changes to the Brexit backstop have been dealt a serious blow by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon, Juncker ruled out replacing the controversial plan with “alternative arrangements” – a move backed by UK MPs last week. He also refused to accept [...]
Greg Clark: Tariffs should remain in no-deal Brexit February 6, 2019 Tariffs would remain in a no-deal Brexit, business secretary Greg Clark said today after reports that fellow cabinet member Liam Fox would slash import duties in such a scenario. Speaking to the Business, energy and industrial strategy select committee this morning, Clark said he would examine such a policy but that it could have a [...]
Donald Tusk: Special place in hell for clueless Brexit campaigners February 6, 2019 There is a special place in hell for Brexit campaigners who had no plan for how the UK should leave the EU, the European Council President has claimed in an astonishing intervention. Donald Tusk made the jibe in a press conference alongside Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Brussels, in which he reiterated the Brexit withdrawal [...]
Big business needs to step up and take the reins of leadership from the politicians February 6, 2019 I wanna be the leader I wanna be the leader Can I be the leader? Can I? I can? Promise? Promise? Yippee I’m the leader I’m the leader OK what shall we do? Roger McGough did not know how prescient his poem was. The days of Churchill, Thatcher and Mandela are gone. Whether you agreed [...]
Britain needs more competition to get the railways back on track February 6, 2019 When the word “privatisation” is mentioned in the same sentence as “rail”, even some Tories feel a spurt of red go through them. At the forefront of their minds must be the fact that the broader public – about 56 per cent – have expressed support for nationalisation. But when asked why it is that people [...]
Charity Commission issues official warning to IEA over legal breaches in Brexit report February 5, 2019 The charities regulator has issued an official warning to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) for breaking charity law in a report about Brexit. The Charity Commission today censured the Westminster think tank for a report into the post-Brexit economy in the UK, which was published in September but has since been taken down. Read [...]
May vows to avoid hard Ireland border as she seeks changes to Brexit deal February 5, 2019 Theresa May sought to reassure Northern Irish business leaders today that she will not allow a Brexit deal to create a hard border in Ireland. Delivering a speech in Belfast, the Prime Minister said her commitment to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is “unshakeable”. Read more: Chris Grayling: [...]
Chris Grayling says it will be the EU’s fault if Britain leaves without a deal on 29 March February 5, 2019 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said the blame will lie with Brussels if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal on 29 March. The Cabinet minister said the UK government had done all it could to secure an agreement and that it would be down to the EU's failure to compromise me if a [...]
President Trump to nominate World Bank critic David Malpass to lead the institution February 5, 2019 President Donald Trump is reportedly set to nominate an ally from the US Department of the Treasury to become president of the World Bank. The nomination of David Malpass would see an ardent critic of the World Bank put in line to lead the lending institution. Read more: Shutdown back down: Trump faces conservative backlash as [...]
Weathering the storm: City expects minimal Brexit impact on jobs February 5, 2019 The number of City jobs expected to move overseas in the event of a hard Brexit has fallen to just 2,000 – according to the latest survey of financial institutions. A Reuters study also suggests that investment banks are planning to increase their London headcount. In September, the Reuters survey showed that 5,766 jobs would [...]