Theresa May is delusional if she thinks she can win over Labour MPs March 6, 2019 Has the Prime Minister been reading “How to win friends and influence people”, by Dale Carnegie? It would make a change from “The bluffer’s guide to negotiating”. The thought came to mind when I read of Theresa May’s latest attempt to get Labour MPs to support her withdrawal agreement in the vote next week – [...]
Britain’s future is about more than its departure from the EU March 6, 2019 It will not come as news to readers of this newspaper that Brexit has exposed (if not exacerbated) certain rifts in British society: young versus old, metropolitan versus rural, graduates versus non-graduates. In fact, according to a poll by Opinium, 69 per cent of us feel that Britain has become more divided since the referendum. Today, [...]
‘Department wrecking ball’: Chris Grayling refuses to resign over £33m Eurotunnel fiasco despite fresh pressure from MPs March 5, 2019 Embattled transport secretary Chris Grayling has been hit with fresh calls to resign in the wake of the no-deal ferry contract fiasco that resulted in a £33m payout to the Channel tunnel operator. Read more: Grayling accused of 'misleading' parliament over Brexit ferry contracts In an emergency debate in the Commons, shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald [...]
Buckle your seatbelts for the next global recession – the world is not prepared March 5, 2019 A decade on from the global financial crisis, the world economy is not in good health. Britain is paralysed by Brexit uncertainty, the Eurozone – including its seemingly invincible German powerhouse – is stuttering, and China is experiencing its slowest economic growth since 1990. Read more: Eurozone economic confidence falls to fresh two-year low Even [...]
BMW warns production of iconic Mini could move out of Oxford in event of no-deal Brexit March 5, 2019 German car maker BMW has warned that production of its iconic Mini could be moved out of Britain if it leaves the EU without a deal. Peter Schwarzenbauer, who sits on the company board and is responsible for Mini and Rolls-Royce cars, told Sky News that the car giant would "need to consider" a production move [...]
Domestic M&A deal value reaches decade high in 2018 despite Brexit uncertainty March 5, 2019 Domestic merger and acquisition (M&A) value hit a ten-year high in 2018 despite Brexit uncertainty, according to the latest data. Acquisitions of UK companies by other UK firms rose from £18.8bn in 2017 to £26.5bn last year, the highest value since deals reached £36.5bn in 2008, research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found. [...]
Green shoots: British new car registrations up for first time in five months March 5, 2019 February brought signs of hope for Britain’s embattled car manufacturing industry, with new car registrations rising for the first time in five months. New car registrations in the UK rose 1.4 per cent to 81,969 vehicles after five straight months of decline, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read [...]
Brexit: Geoffrey Cox and Stephen Barclay head to Brussels for final backstop push March 5, 2019 Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay and attorney general Geoffrey Cox will today head to Brussels in a bid to win changes to the Irish backstop in the run-up to another crunch Commons vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal. The two ministers are hoping EU officials will agree to a time limit to the backstop – the [...]
Bumper Persimmon fails to shake off uncertainty March 5, 2019 | City Talk Despite the housebuilder's £1 billion profit and generous dividend, Persimmon shares are under a cloud. Just when investors thought it was safe to go back into mortar, the government's reported review of the Help to Buy scheme has dealt another blow to the sector. Persimmon (LSE:PSN) 6% share price decline represented the brunt of the blow, [...]
Direct Line operating profits slip as it warns on impact of no-deal Brexit March 5, 2019 Direct Line posted a fall in full-year earnings this morning, with the blue-chip insurer striking a cautious tone over threats of a "disruptive Brexit". In outgoing boss Paul Geddes’ final annual results statement for Britain's largest motor insurer, operating profits dipped during the 12 months and the total dividend payout was slashed. "The increased focus on [...]