The EU’s Italy calamity is the UK’s big Brexit opportunity March 8, 2018 One problem with Britain’s domestic focus on Brexit is that we tend not to consider, never mind discuss in any depth, what issues and conflicts currently beset the EU that could encourage its leadership to settle for a new relationship of the type the UK is proposing. The EU faces serious problems in managing its [...]
EU threatens the US tariff reprisals as 18 WTO members including China and Russia express strong concerns over Trump’s move March 7, 2018 The EU has warned Donald Trump that it will launch tough new levies on US exports of bourbon, peanut butter and motorbikes if he pushes forward with plans to impose steel and aluminium tariffs. Meanwhile 18 WTO members, including China and Russia, have expressed grave concerns about the impact of a potential trade war. The EU's [...]
Trump-fuelled trade war fears grow as Gary Cohn exits the White House March 7, 2018 One of Donald Trump's key economic advisers has resigned from his position in the administration, prompting fears of a growing rift over trade barriers. Gary Cohn, an advocate of free trade, is reportedly leaving over a dispute with the President regarding steel and aluminium tarrifs. He will depart in the coming weeks. Trump said of [...]
Top academics pour scorn on Treasury studies on Brexit impact March 4, 2018 A group of senior academics have lambasted the Treasury’s negative reports into how Brexit will affect the economy. A new paper by the Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School and University of Cambridge predicts that Brexit will “only have a small negative impact on economic growth over the coming years” and a minor impact [...]
Venezuela is a socialist horror show – time for the British left to admit it February 23, 2018 What do you do if you are a tyrannical leader who has run your country’s economy into the ground, devalued its currency to the point where you can barely afford the paper that banknotes are printed on, and face fierce public and political opposition? If you are President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, the answer is [...]
Editor’s Notes: Business leaders are more relaxed about Brexit than you think, the UK is still attracting international students and we should all tune in to Positively Noel February 16, 2018 Businesses seem to be reasonably well represented in the Brexit debate, thanks to the muscle of groups such as the CBI, IoD and British Chambers of Commerce. However, the problem these organisations tend have is that they to settle on a single position despite representing firms of different sizes, spanning different sectors and with a [...]
No more excuses for Theresa May’s lack of discipline and decision February 8, 2018 What to do with a rebel MP who has made it her mission to campaign against the government’s stated policy and is dominating the airwaves with her disobedience? I am referring to Anna Soubry, and her gripes last weekend about how the “35 hard ideological Brexiteers who are not Tories” should be kicked out of [...]
Time for Theresa May to get tough on Tory rebels like Anna Soubry February 7, 2018 Theresa May could be forgiven for wondering, how does she solve a problem like Anna Soubry? Sacked from the cabinet when May became Prime Minister following David Cameron’s decision to resign rather than see through the Brexit process (as he had promised), Soubry, the Tory MP for Broxtowe (a Leave-voting constituency), has been nothing but [...]
DEBATE: Should we pay more tax to increase funding for the NHS? February 6, 2018 Should we pay more tax to increase funding for the NHS? Dr Clare Gerada, medical director of the NHS Practitioner Health Programme and former chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, says YES. The NHS is our most treasured national institution. But it is clear that current funding is not keeping pace with need. Year [...]
Former minister Anna Soubry warns Brexit will split Tory party if Theresa May doesn’t stand up to arch Brexiteers February 6, 2018 Former business minister Anna Soubry has warned that Brexit could end up splitting the Conservative party, unless Theresa May "stands up" to a minority of hard-line Eurosceptics. The backbencher, who has long argued the UK should remain in the Single Market and customs union after Brexit, told the BBC last night the front bench was [...]