It’s Halloween: Beware the horror of an inescapable Brexit deadline October 31, 2019 By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. And, though it may not be the devilry and delight of a Halloween Brexit, the new horror of an Advent election should fill us all with dread. Of the many spooky things in this world, the deadline is perhaps the most tense, highly-strung genre [...]
Can Boris Johnson magic the most important rabbit of all from out of his hat? October 31, 2019 Dynamo and Derren Brown had better watch out, for there is a new challenger looking to break through and compete for the title of Britain’s finest practitioner of magical arts: Boris Johnson. For his first act, our putative contender conjured up a Brexit deal with the EU that had previously been described as impossible to [...]
Dataminr is helping to save local journalism October 31, 2019 Journalism is in a tough spot. For decades, money and jobs in the industry have been in decline. The government’s Cairncross review, released last year, revealed the scope of the problem. It found that total press industry revenues had declined by more than half over the previous 10 years, and that the number of full-time [...]
Treasury committee urges reform of ‘broken’ business rates system October 31, 2019 Calls for the government to rethink its business rates system are being made in the run-up to the general election, with politicians and businesses urging reform amid mounting pressure on Britain’s high streets. An influential group of MPs has asked the government to examine alternatives to the controversial property tax, which generated more than £30bn [...]
Keith Morgan to stand down as head of British Business Bank October 31, 2019 Keith Morgan, head of the state-owned British Business Bank (BBB) will stand down at the end of next year after eight years at the helm. Morgan, who has been chief executive of the UK’s development bank since its formation in 2013, will stand down at the end of 2020 to ensure an orderly transition to [...]
Citi chief political analyst Tina Fordham moves to new boutique law firm Avonhurst October 31, 2019 Investment bank Citi’s chief global political analyst Tina Fordham is moving to new boutique law firm Avonhurst as a partner and head of global political strategy, the firm announced today. The hire is an unusual one as law firms have not traditionally advised their clients on political risk. Speaking to City A.M. Fordham said: “It [...]
Car makers suffer ‘another bitterly disappointing month’ as Brexit uncertainty maintains grip October 31, 2019 The malaise that has gripped Britain’s car makers for the last year deepened in September, as the threat of a no-deal Brexit slammed the brakes on investment and caused production to stall. Car manufacturing, an industry which has felt the effects of Brexit uncertainty more sharply than most, fell 3.8 per cent last month to [...]
Exclusive: Tories tap up City donors for £30m general election war chest October 30, 2019 The Conservatives are tapping up donors for a £30m general election fund to counter Labour’s twin threat of donations from unions and grassroots activists, City A.M understands. The party has been spooked by Labour’s successful 2017 election fundraising effort, which saw record sums of £56m raised. Read more: Most Brits think a general election won’t [...]
Profit jumps at Facebook despite regulatory pressure October 30, 2019 Facebook has beaten third-quarter earnings forecasts despite the social media giant facing intense scrutiny from US lawmakers, sending shares up over five per cent in after-hours trading. Read more: Facebook abandons appeal against £500,000 Cambridge Analytica fine Profit at the world’s largest social media firm grew 19 per cent to $6.1bn (£4.7bn) in the three [...]
Government’s smoke-free aim threatened by ‘moral panic’ over vaping October 30, 2019 The health of an entire generation of young Brits could be under threat if the UK falls victim to a “moral panic” over vaping, a new report has warned. Free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) today urged the government to take a more liberal approach to e-cigarettes if it wants to achieve [...]