Brexit: Top law firm says City of London won’t get a quick EU financial services deal December 29, 2020 One of the world’s largest law firms has heaped doubt on claims by the UK that it can negotiate a post-Brexit financial services settlement with the EU within the next three months. US firm Baker McKenzie – the fourth largest law firm in the world by revenue and the top firm for multinational mergers and [...]
Boris Johnson under pressure to cancel school reopenings December 29, 2020 Boris Johnson is under pressure from senior cabinet ministers to delay next week’s planned school reopenings as the UK recorded more than 40,000 new Covid cases yesterday – a new record. Health secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove are pushing Johnson to cancel the planned reopening of schools next week for students [...]
EU and China on the brink of sealing historic trade pact December 29, 2020 The European Union and China are close to signing a trade and investment pact, according to multiple reports. The deal would be the first fissure in trade policy to develop post-Brexit between the UK and the continental trading bloc. The pact is said to open up China’s manufacturing and construction sectors to EU companies. Whilst [...]
Brexit: Boris Johnson hails ‘new starting point’ in UK-EU relationship December 28, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today hailed a “new starting point” for the UK’s relationship with the EU after the two sides agreed a post-Brexit trade deal. In a call with European Council president Charles Michel this afternoon, Johnson welcomed the agreement as a fresh start “between sovereign equals”. “We looked forward to the formal ratification [...]
Trump signs coronavirus relief and spending bill December 28, 2020 US President Donald Trump has signed into law a $2.3 trillion (£1.7 trillion) coronavirus aid and spending package, averting a partial government shutdown. The outgoing president plunged the government into chaos after refusing to sign the stimulus bill, which was approved by Congress last week. Trump criticised “wasteful spending” and called for payouts to struggling [...]
Brits warned of Brexit disruption despite trade deal December 28, 2020 Brits will face “some disruption” when the UK leaves the EU this week despite a last-minute trade deal, the government has warned. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said businesses and citizens must prepare for “practical and procedural changes”, warning that time to adapt to the new rules was very tight. Gove hailed the UK’s post-Brexit [...]
Mayor bids for developer levy to fund replacement cladding work December 27, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called on Whitehall to introduce a £3bn levy on private housing developers to fund replacement cladding work. Thousands of Londoners, both in the private and social housing sector, are still awaiting replacement cladding work on their properties after the Grenfell Tower disaster exposed serious safety issues. Read more: Mayor warns of toughest [...]
Gove: Free ports and smart regulation the prize of Brexit deal December 26, 2020 Michael Gove has said that free ports, business-friendly regulation and ‘smart’ interventions to support entrepreneurs are the benefits of leaving the European Union. Writing today, the Cabinet Office minister also says that businesses have the “certainty and the ability to plan for growth and investment.” Read more: Opinion – forget Brexit, the EU is circling [...]
The tragedy of America’s foreign policy establishment December 25, 2020 Anthony Blinken was a cut above the rest personally. Well-educated, good-looking, quietly ironical (and quite funny), absorbed in the work at hand, and keenly intelligent, Tony seemed to be in it for the Republic, rather than himself — a rarity in a town built on often unearned self-promotion. Read more: Joe Biden could favour Ireland [...]
PM: Brexit deal will allow the City to thrive like ‘never before’ December 24, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the Brexit deal signed today will allow the City to thrive “like never before.” Asked about how much financial services figured in the deal, Johnson said there was “good language on equivalence.” He hinted that the European Union had pushed back on closer integration in the sector. “It [...]