From tech to Trump – here’s what prompted the big market moves of 2018 December 18, 2018 From Brexit to trade wars, nothing has been plain-sailing about 2018. It’s been a year of peaks and troughs across all major markets, so let’s have a look at the big moves of the past 12 months. Tech in turmoil This was the year when the tech giants raced to become the first ever $1 [...]
Theresa May’s survival as Prime Minister will leave an impact long after Brexit December 18, 2018 Nothing has changed. That was the widely held conclusion from Theresa May surviving her no confidence vote last week. The Prime Minister has kicked the can down the road on putting her proposed withdrawal agreement to parliament. But parliamentary arithmetic is unaltered. Her deal, as it stands, still looks dead on arrival. In the absence of [...]
What might happen in 2019? A second referendum, an economic recession, and the political parties will fall apart December 18, 2018 Anyone posing as Mystic Meg in the current environment of political turmoil would either be very brave or a charlatan. In four months’ time, the UK could still be a member of the EU, or will leave in either a chaotic or an orderly manner; with a radically different or the same government; or still [...]
Breaking the current Brexit impasse could land Theresa May in even deeper trouble December 18, 2018 Despite efforts by the Labour party and other political opponents of the government in the House of Commons, it now looks very unlikely that Theresa May will put her Brexit proposal to a parliamentary vote this side of the New Year. But there may still be plenty of public disagreements and political wrangling ahead when [...]
Another day of unforced errors from Jeremy Corbyn December 17, 2018 For anyone wondering how on earth this government still finds itself ahead in the polls, yesterday's showing from the Labour leadership should prove informative. Around mid-afternoon the opposition let it be known it was calling a vote of no confidence in Theresa May if the Prime Minister did not confirm the date of parliament's meaningful [...]
Theresa May announces Brexit vote will be held week beginning January 14 December 17, 2018 Theresa May's Brexit deal will finally be voted on by MPs in the week beginning January 14, the Prime Minister has confirmed. Speaking in the Commons on Monday afternoon, May announced the do-or-die date for her EU withdrawal agreement, having cancelled vote last week in the face of a huge defeat by her own party. [...]
City financier Edi Truell agrees to fund £500,000 to company to solve Irish border problem December 17, 2018 The question of the Irish border appears to have eluded many of our politicians, but one City financier has come up with his own solution. Edi Truell, co-founder of private equity and venture capital firm Disruptive Capital Finance, has said he is willing to stump up £500,000 to pay for a high-tech system for the Irish [...]
Jeremy Corbyn calls for vote of no confidence in Theresa May December 17, 2018 Jeremy Corbyn has called for a vote of no confidence in Theresa May, but pulled back from trying to force a general election. After an afternoon of confusion, the Labour leader announced he wanted a Commons vote because of the way May had handled the vote on her Brexit deal. The Prime Minister cancelled a [...]
Productivity lessons from the procrastinator Prime Minister December 17, 2018 Can we assume, given that you’re reading this section of the paper, that you are currently delaying doing something you really ought to be focusing on? I don’t mean to lecture you. I myself currently have an Oliver Spencer tab or two open on my browser. I spent most of last Wednesday Googling the viability [...]
The new Brexit Wars episode is out: May the force be with you December 17, 2018 Maybe it’s just me, but the Stormtroopers in the new Star Wars movies never seem to have the same menace as the old ones. Last week, Jacob Rees-Mogg and his colleagues in the eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG) of the Conservative party looked like they believed that they had gone old-school – Empire Strikes Back. [...]