Jeremy Corbyn will still be Labour leader – and will still be losing elections – in 2020 unless MPs get their act together May 9, 2016 1985. Margaret Thatcher was in Downing Street. David Cameron was in the Bullingdon Club. Everton were League Champions. And Jeremy Corbyn? Well, he was exactly where he is now, serving as MP for Islington North. 1985 was also the last time the main Opposition party failed to make gains in May’s annual council elections, other [...]
Does the SNP’s failure to secure an overall majority in the Scottish parliament elections take a second independence referendum off the table? May 9, 2016 Jack Montgomery, Scottish spokesman for Leave.EU, says Yes. The chances of Brexit leading to a second Scottish independence referendum were always vanishingly small. While the solidification of “the 45 per cent” around the SNP might have allowed Nicola Sturgeon to tear chunks out of an ailing and decrepit Scottish Labour Party in first past the post [...]
Ready for a Brexit? Most businesses are not, but financial services firms are ahead of the game May 9, 2016 People up and down the country may be preparing themselves to vote at the EU referendum next month, but a study out today suggests that businesses might not be ready for the result. The research by law firm Pinsent Masons found that just a quarter (26 per cent) of senior decision makers from businesses across [...]
Vote Leave uses leaked email to try and scotch claims Brexit would be bad for whisky May 9, 2016 Just when you thought the icy relationship between the Remain and Leave campaigns couldn't spill any further onto the rocks, a new tussle over whisky has begun. Vote Leave, the campaign for a Brexit, has today published a leaked email in which the chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) criticises David Cameron's EU reforms [...]
Bank of England expected to issue more Brexit warnings this week May 8, 2016 The Bank of England is expected this week to issue more warnings over the EU referendum. Governor Mark Carney has repeatedly cautioned over the potential impact over a so-called Brexit. And more warnings are on the cards this week, with the Bank publishing its inflation report on Thursday. Read more: Britain won't take a pounding if it goes [...]
How much will Sadiq Khan earn as mayor of London? May 8, 2016 He may come from humble beginnings but Sadiq Khan is now set to earn some serious dosh. His punchline for his mayoral campaign was “I’m the son of a bus driver”. The Tooting MP, whose parents are Pakistani immigrants, grew up in a modest south London housing estate with his seven siblings. He slept in [...]
Saudi Arabia ousts long-serving oil minister Ali Al Naimi sparking fears volatility will return to the oil market May 8, 2016 Saudi Arabia’s dismissal of its oil minister yesterday has sparked concerns that fresh volatility is about to hit the market. The kingdom ousted its long-serving oil minister who was the driver behind Opec's 2014 policy of holding production despite plummeting oil prices. Ali al-Naimi, who held the post from 1995, has been replaced by Khalid Al Falih, chairman of [...]
Cameron promises to fight global corruption in wake of Panama Papers May 8, 2016 The Prime Minister has promised to fight global corruption ahead of a summit due to be held in London this week where the Panama Papers leak is likely to dominate the agenda. David Cameron has said he will put tackling corruption at the "top of the international agenda" at the international anti-corruption summit this Thursday, which [...]
EU referendum: Now top life science bosses warn of Brexit risk, including GSK, AstraZeneca and Pfizer in open later May 8, 2016 Top bosses at firms such as GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Pfizer are among more than 90 leaders in the life sciences who are the latest to warn of the risks of Britain leaving Europe. In a letter, published in the Observer, the group warned of the implications on the sector which employs more than 222,000 people, spends £4bn on research and [...]
EU referendum: George Osborne warns Brexit will hit Britain where it hurts – property prices May 8, 2016 George Osborne has warned that the nation's homeowners face a double whammy drop in house prices and a rise in mortgage costs if Britain votes to leave Europe. "It’s already clear from the Treasury analysis that for example, there would a significant shock to the housing market, that would hit the value of people’s homes, that would hit the cost [...]