DEBATE: Is now the right time to redraw the parliamentary map and reduce the number of MPs? September 11, 2018 Is now the right time to redraw the parliamentary map and reduce the number of MPs? Olivia Utley, communications manager at Bright Blue, says YES. In terms of population, the largest constituency in the UK is the Isle of Wight, with an electorate of 110,924 in 2015. The smallest is Na h-Eileanan an Iar in [...]
Bosses of Citi, JPMorgan and Barclays slam equivalence as “‘insufficiently load-bearing’ for post-Brexit financial services trade September 11, 2018 Banking bosses have stressed that the government must push for a vastly improved equivalence regime, warning that the current system is "insufficiently load-bearing". Speaking before MPs of the Treasury Select Committee this morning, executives from Barclays, Citigroup and JPMorgan said they were already implementing their no deal contingency planning to ensure they were able to [...]
The EU’s existential crisis has spread to Sweden September 10, 2018 The tide of political upheaval has spread to Sweden, whose election has shaken any delusion that anti-EU frustration is confined to the Brexit-voting UK. In Sweden’s system of compromise and coalition, the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) have been the big winners. While SD did not do as well as some had predicted, winning 17.6 per [...]
Boris Johnson, Brexit and party splits are set to dominate the conference season September 10, 2018 Brexit, leadership woes and growing rumours of a party splitting – rarely have the Conservatives and Labour gone into party conference season facing virtually the same challenges so intensely. As always, this year's Tory conference will be all about Boris Johnson. Love him or loathe him, and they seem to be the only opinions available on [...]
Sterling rises as Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says ‘realistic’ to expect deal in matter of weeks September 10, 2018 Sterling climbed this afternoon after it was reported that the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said it is "realistic" to expect a Brexit deal in the next six-to-eight weeks. Talks between the UK and the European Commission are taking place again this week, ahead of the EU27 leaders meeting to discuss Brexit at a summit in Salzburg, [...]
The voices of reform must be heard over Brexit brooding September 10, 2018 "I’ve never played for a draw in my life.” That was the clarion call from the legendary former manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson. And it’s a message to consider as the autumn term for business and the body politic begins. If ever there was a need for a new chapter of courageous capitalism to [...]
EU27 preparing to broaden Barnier’s mandate for 11th-hour Brexit deal September 10, 2018 The leaders of the EU27 are poised to hand Michel Barnier a new mandate in a bid to secure a last minute deal on Brexit. According to the FT, the leaders will discuss broadening the scope of the chief negotiator's framework at an informal summit in Salzburg, Austria, on 20 September before adopting the new guidelines [...]
PM faces Tory rebellion over Chequers, claims ex-minister September 10, 2018 Up to 80 Conservative MPs are prepared to vote against the Prime Minister if her Chequers plan forms the basis of the final deal on Brexit, a former DexEU minister has claimed. Steve Baker, who resigned alongside Brexit secretary David Davis over disagreements with Theresa May's Brexit blueprint, told newswire PA that the party faces "a catastrophic split [...]
Businesses lack information for post-Brexit planning, research says September 10, 2018 Post-Brexit recruitment strategy planning is “at a standstill” as businesses do not have enough information to draw up proposals, according to new data. More than half of UK businesses said they cannot make post-Brexit recruitment strategy decisions based on the information currently available, research by staffing agency Adecco and human resources body CIPD found. Read more: [...]
Nicky Morgan: I would not serve in a Boris Johnson Cabinet September 10, 2018 Former education secretary Nicky Morgan has said she would not serve in a government led by Boris Johnson – although stressed she would not resign as a Conservative MP if he came to power. Morgan, who chairs the Treasury Select Committee, told the BBC she was "very unlikely to be asked, but the answer [to whether [...]