Michael Gove has questioned the efforts of the EEF to poll its membership ahead of the Brexit vote November 30, 2016 Michael Gove has questioned the efforts of a manufacturing trade body to survey its members over Brexit. In a Brexit select committee hearing, Gove took EEF director of EU affairs Fergus McReynolds to task over surveys of its membership. The EEF was one of several trade bodies to back a Remain vote, but Gove said [...]
The chairman of the OBR doesn’t think Hammond’s Autumn Statement stimulus will be a big boost to productivity November 30, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond’s planned productivity spending spree won’t have a big effect on the UK’s economy, according to an influential economist. Robert Chote, the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), has said Hammond’s plans to boost infrastructure spending did not not have an effect on forecasts. “This is not the near-term fiscal stimulus [...]
Ex-Treasury minister Jim O’Neill hits out over “disappointing” Autumn Statement November 30, 2016 Former Treasury minister and Goldman Sachs banker Lord Jim O'Neill has hit out over last week's Autumn Statement, branding chancellor Philip Hammond's performance as “disappointing”. Speaking for the first time as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, O'Neill yesterday lamented a “lack of new or additional initiatives” from Hammond. O'Neill focused on devolution [...]
The Lib Dems are predicting a narrow win over Zac Goldsmith in Richmond Park tomorrow November 30, 2016 The Lib Dems think they will snatch a narrow win in Richmond Park tomorrow and dethrone the former Tory MP Zac Goldsmith. Polls open in South West London tomorrow, and Goldsmith had been regarded as favourite, but bookmakers are also cutting the odds on victory for Tim Farron's party. And internal modelling by the Lib Dems is now predicting [...]
Jeremy Corbyn left red-faced after mixing up his economic bodies at PMQs November 30, 2016 Jeremy Corbyn has been mocked in the House of Commons after the Labour leader after mixing up two very different economic bodies at Prime Minister's Questions. Corbyn had been seeking to needle the Theresa May over lowered economic forecasts at the time of last week's Autumn Statement, but it all went wrong when May noted [...]
Bookies are cutting the odds of a shock Zac Goldsmith defeat in tomorrow’s Richmond Park by-election November 30, 2016 The odds of a Lib Dem victory in tomorrow's Richmond Park by-election are tumbling with just hours to go before polls open. Former Tory MP Zac Goldsmith is considered the favourite to win when polls open in Richmond Park tomorrow, but bookies say support for Lib Dem former accountant Sarah Olney is growing, particularly within [...]
It’s official: Donald Trump is stepping down from his businesses to make America great again November 30, 2016 Well that's a relief. Donald Trump has announced he's not going to try to run a multi-billion dollar corporation at the same time as leading the free world. Phew. In a series of tweets, the President-elect said he will hold a news conference with his children on 15 December to announce that he will leave [...]
Carmakers warn losing single market access in Brexit deal will ramp up car prices November 30, 2016 The boss of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned leaving the single market could jack up car prices. Gareth Jones said the car industry will be hit with "billions" in tariffs should Britain not sign a deal keeping the sector within a tariff-free EU trading bloc. It will add at least £2.7bn [...]
The £5 fuss: Now even the vegans are gunning for Carney November 30, 2016 Mark Carney has had a pretty tumultuous year. His critics have lined up to attack him for politicising his office during the referendum campaign while his supporters credit him with being the only the grownup left standing in the wake of it. He has survived bruising encounters with eurosceptic MPs on the Treasury Select Committee. Jacob [...]
As the photograph of a Tory aide’s memo invites even more speculation, has the government’s silence on Brexit now become untenable? November 30, 2016 Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrat by-election candidate for Richmond Park, says Yes. The British people have no cake and they certainly aren’t eating it. The scribbled notes spied in Downing Street – the public’s only way of learning what ministers’ plan is on the most important question facing the country in a generation – show that [...]