EU referendum: Business secretary Sajid Javid to say small businesses rely on trade with EU May 31, 2016 Business secretary Sajid Javid is to argue small and medium-sized businesses benefit from EU membership – amid rising tension between Remain and Leave on the economy. Javid will cite new figures which show 1.2m small firms export to Europe or supply firms that export to Europe, demonstrating the importance of free trade with the bloc. On a [...]
EU referendum: Remain campaign Britain Stronger in Europe says Vote Leave has made £111bn in spending commitments May 31, 2016 The Remain campaign has hit out at the Leave campaign for more than £100bn in spending commitments it has made in the buildup to the vote in June. In a report published this morning Britain Stronger in Europe said that Vote Leave have made £111bn in spending commitments, which is over ten times the net £10bn [...]
European business leaders sign letter in support of EU May 31, 2016 The leaders of some of Europe's biggest businesses have today issued a letter in support of the European Union, ahead of the upcoming UK referendum. All 51 members of the European Round Table of Industrials signed the letter, which said that an unravelling of the Single Market and the rules governing 28 countries "would reduce, [...]
Iain Duncan Smith: “Immigration is the economy, stupid.” May 31, 2016 Former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has warned that unchecked immigration will hit both wages and the affordability of homes as a new report has forecast that almost half a million refugees could arrive in the UK from 2020 onwards. According to a report from lobbying group Migration Watch, up to 968,000 of the 1.7m refugees already in [...]
BHS: The six answers we have so far from the parliamentary inquiries May 30, 2016 Last week, Frank Field, chair of the Work and Pensions committee, said that the two inquiries launched to unmuddy the waters surrounding BHS’ collapse into administration in April had so far left them with more questions than answers. With both Retail Acquisitions’ largest shareholder Dominic Chappell and Arcadia bigwig Sir Philip Green preparing to tell [...]
EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker to visit Russia one week before EU referendum May 30, 2016 Europe's top official, Jean-Claude Juncker, is set to meet the Russian president Vladimir Putin in June during his first visit to Russia since the Ukraine crisis, it was confirmed today. Juncker, president of the European Commission, is set to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on 16 June – just one week before the UK's referendum – where he will [...]
Cameron and Khan team up to launch Remain “guarantee card” May 30, 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron and London mayor Sadiq Khan will today unveil a new list of five guarantees offered by a vote to Remain in the EU. Volunteers will distribute the list as a “guarantee card” as the EU referendum campaign reaches its final weeks. The guarantee card reads: “Vote Remain on June 23rd, and [...]
Ken Clarke calls Boris Johnson “nicer version of Donald Trump” May 30, 2016 Tory grandee Ken Clarke has hit out at the former Mayor of London and Brexit supporter, Boris Johnson, calling him a "nicer version of Donald Trump" and accusing him of turning the Leave campaign into a leadership bid. The comments made on the BBC's Today programme on Radio 4 on Monday morning, follow a weekend of outspoken [...]
EU referendum: Former HSBC chief executive makes the case for Brexit May 29, 2016 The former chief executive of HSBC, Michael Geoghegan has made the positive case for Britain leaving the European Union in a report that argues the UK must "take back control over the City". The paper, co-authored with Peter Udale, an independent risk consultant, says the Bank of England has "given the impression that all the risks [...]
Bookies slash odds of Cameron standing down from the top job as Tory party squabbling gets heated May 29, 2016 As Tory in-fighting reaches fever pitch today over whether Britain should remain in the EU, the bookies have slashed the odds on David Cameron standing down as Tory leader before the year is out. Bookmakers William Hill have cut the odds on Cameron exiting number 10 from 10/1 to 2/1. William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said: [...]