It’s time to consider an off-the-shelf deal if we’re serious about avoiding a hard Brexit August 3, 2018 Theresa May and her ministers are racking up air miles trying to convince their EU counterparts to back the Chequers deal, even though her own chief adviser Olly Robbins has said it won’t work. Alarmed at the pace of progress, most large firms are finalising their contingency plans – in some cases, like the London [...]
Editor’s Notes: The real threat to our democracy is the call for a second referendum, making new homes more popular and communism vs liberty August 3, 2018 There's a lot of talk around about “our democracy being under threat.” This alarmist claim is thrown around by people who are still fighting the Brexit referendum – many of whom are convinced that Leave only prevailed thanks to Russian disinformation, nefarious online campaigns and dodgy money. Guardian columnists, keyboard warriors and a handful of [...]
May’s leadership nightmare isn’t over and now the EU’s offer to extend Brexit talks could herald another election August 2, 2018 Theresa May heads to the fortress-turned-holiday retreat enjoyed by French Presidents this Friday at the invitation of Emmanuel Macron. Though the PM might hope for a little Mediterranean respite after the past few bruising months, she will be expecting a robust exchange with a smooth operator who has become a serious thorn in her side. [...]
London Stock Exchange executes no deal contingency plans August 2, 2018 The London Stock Exchange is executing its contingency plans for a hard Brexit, amid growing uncertainty a deal can be struck in time. The firm this morning reported a 21 percent rise in first-half adjusted operating profit to £480m – more than £20m ahead of consensus estimates – as its clearing, capital markets and information [...]
Jeremy Corbyn has made his party safer for antisemites than for Jews August 2, 2018 “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” That was Jeremy Corbyn’s take on Twitter in January 2017, when Theresa May refused to condemn Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. It’s a tweet that has come back to haunt him recently. Read more: Labour MPs split over anti-Semitism hearing [...]
Ministers up the ante over fears Brussels is misrepresenting UK stance August 1, 2018 Government ministers will spend much of August using one-to-one meetings with EU counterparts to press the case for a financial services deal, fearing the Commission has been deliberately misconstruing the UK’s official position. Senior figures including chancellor Philip Hammond and the new foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt have been among those clarifying the stance adopted in [...]
Jeremy Hunt warns no deal likelihood increasing by the day – and issues veiled threat of deregulation July 31, 2018 The likelihood of the UK crashing out of the European Union without a deal is “increasing by the day”, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned. He also issued a veiled threat that the government could loosen regulation for financial services to ensure the City continued to "thrive". The former health secretary, who was parachuted into [...]
UK government tells Brussels it can control financial services market access after Brexit July 31, 2018 The UK government appears to have backed down over its position regarding the post-Brexit model for the City, just weeks after it dropped its demand for mutual recognition. The UK government's Brexit white paper had laid out its call for an "expanded equivalence" model after leaving the EU, describing it as a “reciprocal recognition of [...]
Number 10 rubbishes reports that army is on Brexit standby July 30, 2018 Number 10 has rubbished reports that the army has been put on standby in case the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal. The Sunday Times this weekend claimed the military were ready to be deployed in the event of a no deal Brexit, with helicopters and army trucks prepared to transport [...]
Carney says Brexit planning takes up 50 per cent of his time July 30, 2018 Bank of England (BoE) governor Mark Carney said that Brexit takes up “50 per cent of my time now” according to an interview published today. Carney made clear that while Brexit planning means now less time for other things, the Bank has a responsibility to “manage through the downside if there is a disorderly outcome”, [...]