Top ONS economist: Brexit recession still possible August 19, 2016 The top economist at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has warned it is too early to rule out the prospect of a recession, despite a flurry of strong post-referendum indicators. Joe Grice, ONS chief economist told Bloomberg this morning there were still too many pieces of the puzzle to put together and would not like to [...]
Sadiq Khan and Theresa May are both making supportive noises about an Olympic victory parade August 19, 2016 Sadiq Khan has come out in favour of an Olympic victory parade after the Rio games, while Downing Street is also hinting at support, despite rumours that a celebration of British athletes had been "binned". Team GB currently sits second in the medal table in Rio, but former Olympic rower Sir Matthew Pinsent has suggested that despite parades [...]
Southern Rail could be hit by yet another strike as union members hold ballot over ticket office closures August 19, 2016 And so it continues. Ticket office and platform staff at Southern Rail's parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), are voting again on whether to go on strike. This time the ballot is around a dispute over ticket office closures and job losses, the TSSA rail union said today. Read more: Talks between Southern Rail and RMT break down [...]
Quiz: How much do you know about the Night Tube? August 19, 2016 It's Night Tube day: everyone is gearing up for the long-awaited arrival of the best moment in London's history since Boris Johnson got stuck on a zipwire. It may seem like a simple concept (Tubes, all the time), but its inception was a political and logistical nightmare. So how much do you actually know about the Night Tube? [...]
Here’s why now is not a great time to try and sell your home August 19, 2016 If you're trying to sell your home, now is probably a bad time to do it – demand has dropped by a third over the past year. In July, the number of house hunters registered fell to an average 298 per estate agent branch, a drop of 35 per cent year-on-year, according to the National Association of [...]
British Airways set to gain access to Chinese domestic market August 19, 2016 British Airways is gearing up for access to China's domestic market as it launches a new partnership with China Eastern Airlines. Through the partnership with the Shanghai-based carrier, customers in the UK will be able to fly to regional Chinese destinations. Read more: Yep, a weaker pound has hit British Airlines owner IAG Alex Cruz, [...]
Public finances falter following EU referendum August 19, 2016 Government income shrunk in July with tax receipts missing expectations in the first sign of a post-referendum hit to the public finances. The government ran a surplus of £977m in July, according to figures published this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), though this was down on predictions for a £1.9bn windfall and [...]
William Hill shares shoot up after Rank and 888 deal falters August 19, 2016 William Hill's share price has shot up the day after Rank Group and 888 Holdings gave up on their pursuit of the bookmaker. Shares are currently up by 3.1 per cent to 312.5p per share, after having risen as much as 5.1 per cent as trading opened. And more good news: 888 Holdings' share price [...]
Oil bulls spooked as Brent Crude touches $51 a barrel August 19, 2016 The black stuff bull run has edged back in early morning trading, after oil prices hit a two-month high at the end of an impressive winning streak for the commodity. Brent Crude, the international benchmark, tipped past $51 a barrel overnight, before easing back to stand at $50.56 as the London markets opened and profit-taking kicked in. The [...]
Should the UK automatically defend Nato allies? Jeremy Corbyn isn’t convinced August 19, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has suggested the UK should not automatically come to the aid of Nato allies facing aggression. Speaking at last night's Labour leadership hustings against Owen Smith, Corbyn said he will seek to use diplomacy, rather than use armed force. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made similar suggestions on the US' Nato [...]