London’s commercial courts hear record number of cases despite competition from overseas rivals May 7, 2019 London’s commercial courts heard a record 258 cases in 2018-19, up 63 per cent on the previous year. There was also a 54 per cent increase in the number of litigants using the courts in the year to March, with litigants coming from 78 countries, a report published today by Portland Communications shows. Read more: [...]
European elections will definitely go ahead, government confirms May 7, 2019 European parliament elections in the UK will definitely go ahead the government has confirmed as it announced there is not enough time to deliver Brexit before May 23. David Lidington, the de facto Deputy Prime Minster, made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, less than an hour before talks between the government and Labour over breaking the [...]
EU slashes its forecast for German growth as it predicts Eurozone slowdown May 7, 2019 The European Union yesterday halved its growth prediction for the German economy as it forecasted lower growth for the Eurozone as a whole, laying bare the extent of the bloc’s economic challenges before a leaders’ summit in Romania this week. Read more: ‘Wake-up call’: Germany downgrades 2019 growth forecast Official forecasts, released by the European Commission [...]
Theresa May to meet Tory committee chair amid calls to name departure date May 7, 2019 Theresa May is due to meet the chair of the Tories influential backbench committee today as she comes under renewed pressure to name her departure date. The Prime Minister will meet Sir Graham Brady to discuss her future after a number of local Tory associations confirmed they will hold a vote of no confidence in [...]
Investor confidence over Brexit picks up despite ongoing uncertainty May 7, 2019 The number of investors that believe Brexit will have a positive impact on the economy has overtaken those with a negative outlook. Despite the ongoing uncertainty over the UK’s departure from the European Union, 41 per cent of high net worth individuals said Brexit will be good for the UK’s economy compared to 35 per [...]
Lloyds Banking Group: Q1 results analysis May 7, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. After a stunning share price performance, do these 'hit and miss' results justify optimism? Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) investors, in need of a silver lining after an underwhelming earnings season from UK lenders, only have to look back 24 hours earlier to the surprise gift handed to the bank [...]
Car sales fall as removal of subsidies and Brexit take toll May 7, 2019 The number of new cars registered in the UK fell 4.1 per cent in April compared to the year before, as demand among consumers shrank, according to official figures released today. Read more: Brexit stockpiling slowdown hurts UK manufacturing growth Meanwhile, registration of new plug-in hybrids declined dramatically, falling 34.4 per cent year-on-year. The drop [...]
This series of UK politics feels suspiciously like daytime TV May 7, 2019 Last week’s local elections were a democratic amuse bouche. A mere mouthful of popular sentiment, sending a message to the political elite that an offering meant to delight the taste buds has fallen as flat as a soggy souffle. Like a daytime TV rerun of MasterChef, it involved lots of familiar names and tried but [...]
Britain’s low import costs could be hit by Brexit, new analysis shows May 7, 2019 The UK has far lower import costs in percentage terms than the US and China, analysis by accountancy firm UHY has shown, with Britain paying 0.5 per cent in duties on its imports in the 2017-18 financial year. Read more: Liam Fox: A post-Brexit customs union would be 'worst of all worlds' Meanwhile, the US [...]
Business confidence steadies on Brexit delay decision May 7, 2019 Business confidence has stayed steady for the first time in 12 months as the prospect of an imminent UK exit from the EU recedes. According to an index from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), business confidence stood at -16.6 per cent in the second quarter, similar to 16.4 per cent [...]