Cable drops as UK economy contracts August 9, 2019 | City Talk The UK economy contracted by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of the year, its worst performance since 2012. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the surprise contraction, which was significantly lower than the flatline economists expected. It also follows strong growth of 1.8 per cent seen in Q1. “PMI data had [...]
Michael Gove says government will spend ‘whatever it takes’ to prepare for no-deal Brexit August 9, 2019 The government is prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to ensure Britain is prepared for a no-deal Brexit, Michael Gove has said. Read more: Boris Johnson warns civil servants against ‘complacency’ over no-deal Brexit “The government has done a lot to prepare but there is still a lot to do,” Gove – who is responsible [...]
Tories outspend all their political rivals combined on Facebook advertising August 9, 2019 The Conservative Party has spent more money than any of its political rivals on Facebook advertising over the last month, within which time Boris Johnson has taken over from Theresa May as Prime Minister. The Tories have spent £51,719 on Facebook Ads during that period, almost three times more than the Labour Party, according to [...]
Boris Johnson warns civil servants against ‘complacency’ over no-deal Brexit August 9, 2019 Boris Johnson has warned the civil service that there are “no grounds for complacency” as the UK rushes to prepare itself for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. The Prime Minister sent a letter to all civil servants today telling them that “preparing urgently and rapidly for the possibility of an exit without a deal [...]
Brexit panic ‘not justified’, says former Trump trade adviser August 9, 2019 The current levels of panic around Brexit are “not justified”, according to a former top trade adviser to the US President Donald Trump. The former general counsel on trade, Stephen Vaughn, believes the UK has “enormous leverage” in any trade deal agreed with the US, he told the BBC. Read more: End of austerity? Chancellor [...]
Boris bounce continues as poll finds PM Johnson twice as popular as Corbyn August 8, 2019 Boris Johnson is twice as popular as Jeremy Corbyn among UK voters, the latest YouGov polls show – even in Labour’s traditional heartlands. The Prime Minister, who was mayor of London from 2008 to 2016, came ahead of the Islington North MP in every region including the capital (30 per cent versus 24), the South [...]
Labour government would cause sterling to plunge 10 per cent: report August 8, 2019 A Labour government would cause an “immediate” 10 per cent drop in sterling, or more if it followed a no-deal Brexit, a report has today warned. Amid growing reports that an autumn general election could be on the cards, Oxford Economics claims a Labour government would cause significant damage to the UK’s economy. It argues [...]
Property investment plummets in first half as Brexit uncertainty hampers market August 8, 2019 British commercial property investment plunged by a third in the first half of the year because of Brexit-related uncertainty, while residential transactions were at their lowest since the global financial crisis, according to real estate giant Savills. Investment activity in greater London commercial property fell 31 per cent in the first half of 2019, while [...]
Food industry calls for competition laws to be lifted for no-deal Brexit August 7, 2019 The UK’s food industry has called on Boris Johnson to ditch parts of competition law, allowing firms to work together in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned that leaving on 31 October without a transition in place could cause widespread supply issues, leaving British consumers either going [...]
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab pledges to take UK’s relationship with Canada ‘to next level’ after Brexit August 6, 2019 The UK’s foreign secretary has said he wants to “take our friendship with Canada to the next level” after Brexit, during his first international trip as part of the new government. Dominic Raab, who served briefly as Brexit secretary under Theresa May, used the meeting with his counterpart Chrystia Freeland to stress that the UK [...]