Donald Trump has removed Iraq from the list of countries affected by his new travel ban March 6, 2017 Donald Trump has removed Iraq from the list of countries barred from entering the US in a new executive order. The US President signed a new order today in private after his original ban on travellers from certain countries caused mass confusion and protest and was eventually blocked in courts. The new order also clears up uncertainty around [...]
Samsung accused of bribing South Korea’s president March 6, 2017 South Korean conglomerate Samsung has been accused by the state prosecutor of bribing President Park Geun-hye $37.19m (£30.34m) for her support on Samsung’s corporate activities including a merger and a public listing. According to the state’s special prosecutor, Park Young-soo, a 70-day probe has found that the president is responsible for several counts of illegality, including [...]
Less than half of Labour members say Corbyn should lead the party into the next election March 6, 2017 Less than half of Labour supporters say Jeremy Corbyn should fight the next general election, according to new polling. Just over a third of Labour backers said Corbyn should stand down immediately, and 14 per cent said he should quit ahead of the next election. And just 44 per cent of Labour members said the [...]
Downing Street says Theresa May won’t be publishing her tax return this year March 6, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May has “no plans” to publish her tax return, Downing Street said today, despite the former home secretary previously doing so as part of her leadership campaign. May published a summary of her earnings last July as she battled it out to become Tory leader and Prime Minister, but Number 10 has [...]
Theresa May warns peers against encouraging a bad Brexit deal with amendments to the Article 50 Bill March 6, 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May has issued peers with a fresh warning against a Brexit rebellion, with officials today claiming the House of Lords could encourage Brussels to offer a bad deal on Brexit. Peers return tomorrow to debates on the Article 50 Bill, with speculation rife that they will impose a second amendment to the legislation, this time [...]
Ever the pragmatist, chancellor Philip Hammond is right to be bullish on Brexit March 6, 2017 Philip Hammond isn’t known as Westminster’s most exciting MP. He lacks the bombast of a Boris Johnson or the polished ambition of a George Osborne. And yet, he has emerged as one of the most respected figures of the post-referendum government, with many City figures viewing him as “the grownup in the room”. Having backed [...]
Italy’s dying elite is dragging the Eurozone ever closer towards the abyss March 6, 2017 Venice – The great German novelist Thomas Mann once rightly described this bejewelled city as one of “flattering and suspect beauty, half fairy tale and half tourist trap”. The same can be said for the country of Italy as a whole, where things are rarely as they seem. For the problem with political soap operas [...]
There’s no need for Treasury giveaways to help the just about managing March 6, 2017 On the steps of Downing Street, Theresa May outlined the core of her political strategy: “If you are just about managing, I want to address you directly”. The just about managing – the so-called JAMs – saw their cost of living significantly squeezed in the aftermath of the financial crisis, and it is indeed vital that [...]
Is Nicola Sturgeon’s brinkmanship over a second Scottish independence referendum going to backfire? March 6, 2017 Alex Deane, a City of London common councilman, says Yes. Nicola Sturgeon’s referendum demands remind me of nothing so much as Homer Simpson, accustomed to getting his way by challenging anyone and everyone to a duel. The problem is that eventually someone may call your bluff. When the referendum demands come to a head, either [...]
Hammond vows to fight back against bad Brexit deal as he plots vision for Britain’s high-tech future March 6, 2017 Ahead of his first full Budget, chancellor Philip Hammond has vowed the government would fight back against a Brexit deal that doesn't deliver for Britain, insisting the country will not be left licking its wounds after negotiations. Hammond warned the European Union of the UK's "fighting spirit" and said the country will not "slink off as [...]