No change to Theresa May’s plan to stay as Prime Minister until Brexit deal passed, Downing Street confirms May 8, 2019 Theresa May will not quit as Prime Minister until the Brexit deal is passed by MPs, Downing Street confirmed today amid growing pressure for her to step down. The Prime Minister told her MPs in March she would resign as party leader once phase one of the Brexit negotiations are completed, leaving her successor to thrash [...]
Sterling slips as UK prepares to take part in European elections May 8, 2019 The pound slipped 0.23 per cent this morning from $1.307 to $1.304 following yesterday's confirmation that the UK will take part in the EU elections. The 0.23 per cent drop comes after the government repeatedly said it did not want the UK to take part in the elections to the European Parliament later this month. [...]
UK house prices: Experts warn of ‘volatile’ UK housing market after sharp April growth May 8, 2019 Experts today warned that volatility is affecting the UK housing market as Halifax recorded a sharp annual jump in house prices in April. Read more: UK house prices suffer fifth month of Brexit-hit growth UK homes are now worth an average £236,619 following the stark five per cent rise for the three months to April, [...]
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to issue Huawei warning during UK visit May 8, 2019 US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is expected to warn Prime Minister Theresa May against allowing Huawei to build the UK’s 5G network during a meeting in London today. Pompeo is holding talks with May and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, and will make a speech on foreign policy ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state [...]
Warm-weather pub trips boost tepid consumer spending growth in April May 8, 2019 Consumer spending growth slowed in April but was boosted by last month’s sunshine, resulting in double-digit growth in the amount spent at restaurants and pubs, according to the latest data from Barclaycard. Read more: Confidence hits new low but spending climbs amid sunny weather Overall consumer spending grew 2.5 per cent in April compared to [...]
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 [...]