Brexit would throw automotive industry into jeopardy, SMMT warns June 20, 2016 A leading industry body issued a stark warning about Brexit three days before the vote, saying it would throw the success of Britain's automakers into jeopardy. It would lead to "increasing costs, making our trading relationships uncertain and creating new barriers to our single biggest and most important market," Mike Hawes, chief executive of the society of motor manufacturers [...]
EU referendum: Economic scare stories are getting dangerous June 20, 2016 With just days to go until the country votes, and after a pause following the tragic and appalling events of last week, referendum campaigning has resumed. The Remain camp has been gaining ground, but its lead is not comfortable enough for David Cameron to sleep easily. Warnings about the potential impact of Brexit on the economy [...]
Tory big beast Ken Clarke to stand down at the next general election June 20, 2016 One of the biggest beasts to stride through contemporary British politics has announced his intention to stand down at the next General Election. Tory grandee Ken Clarke, MP for Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, since 1970, told China Daily: “I have told the officers of my constituency association that once we have finished the boundary changes, they had better [...]
Virgin founder Richard Branson has offered his support to the Remain camp just days before Britain votes on EU membership June 20, 2016 Virgin group founder Richard Branson has launched a new campaign to urge voters to back the European Union in this week's referendum. Branson will launch an online campaign this week, with full-page adverts appearing in newspapers on Tuesday to make the argument that Brexit would represent a backward step. It will include a personal letter [...]
Hold on to your hats: Markets brace for referendum turmoil June 20, 2016 Financial markets are braced for one of the most volatile weeks of trading since the height of the financial crisis in 2008. As referendum campaigning resumes following its suspension after the horrific murder of MP Jo Cox last Thursday, analysts said this week could unleash “chaos” on already volatile stock markets. Ranko Berich, head of analysis [...]
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi jumps ship from Leave to Remain as vote nears June 19, 2016 Former Conservative Party chair Baroness Warsi has jumped ship from the Leave campaign to Remain just days before the EU referendum. A spokesperson for Leave lashed out, telling City A.M.: "Was she for Leave? We didn't realise." Warsi accused leading Leave campaigner and justice secretary Michael Gove of peddling "complete lies", while attacking Ukip's "breaking point" poster which depicts hundreds of [...]
UKIP’s migrant poster comes under fire from both EU referendum campaigns June 19, 2016 Both the Leave and Remain sides of the EU referendum campaign levied strong criticism at Ukip's migration poster today. Prime minister David Cameron told an audience on BBC Question Time "there have been some moments like the Nigel Farage poster which I think are just wrong … it's an attempt to frighten people, to scare them [...]
Prime minister David Cameron’s Remain pleas met with hostility from the TV audience June 19, 2016 Prime minister David Cameron made a last-ditch attempt to drum up support for the remain campaign today, but his pleas were met with hostility from the TV audience. Appearing on BBC Question Time four days before the vote, he was repeatedly thrown questions on immigration, and struggled to defend the government's target of cutting it to below 100,000. Cameron acknowledged that [...]
FTSE 100 bosses will this week issue a last minute rallying cry for the Remain campaign ahead of Thursday’s referendum June 19, 2016 FTSE 100 bosses are preparing to provide last-minute backing for a Remain vote ahead of this week's referendum. Remain campaigners are this week preparing to publish a letter from chief executives lending their support to the EU. City A.M. understands that signatories will include RSA chief executive Stephen Hester, while the Sunday Times has reported [...]
A former member of the British National Party is to fight for election in the seat of murdered MP Jo Cox June 19, 2016 A former member of the British National Party (BNP) has confirmed plans to stand to replace slain Labour MP Jo Cox in the Batley and Spen by-election. Cox was murdered last week in the street outside of her constituency surgery in Birtsall, West Yorkshire. Since then, several political parties have said they will not contest the [...]