Brexit requires Westminster to demonstrate clarity, compromise and collaboration February 14, 2019 Fewer than 50 days separate us from 29 March, the date that Britain is formally due to leave the European Union. It has been 22 months since Article 50 was triggered, and Brexit strategising and negotiations with Brussels have taken the nation on a journey that few could have predicted. Politically, Britain is currently locked [...]
Housing market endures sluggish start to the year as buyer and seller confidence dwindles February 13, 2019 The UK housing market has endured a slow start to the year as key activity measures for both buyers and sellers fell further in January. Enquiries, sales and new instructions all declined in January as uncertainty continues to wear away at confidence, according to research by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). Read more: [...]
Theresa May set for another showdown with Brexiter Tories in Commons vote February 13, 2019 Theresa May is set for another showdown with the pro-Brexit wing of her party on Thursday in a vote on the government’s negotiating strategy. The Prime Minister will ask MPs to vote in favour of a motion supporting the plan for reopening talks with Brussels, agreed to by parliament last month. While that involves backing the so-called [...]
‘We want a ladder to climb down’; MPs who voted down May’s deal are getting nervous February 13, 2019 Politicians arriving for work in Parliament these days are confronted with a less than perfect view of the Palace of Westminster. The iconic Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben, is sheathed in scaffolding as renovation work is carried out. Workers scurry up and down ladders, being careful not to get themselves trapped in positions from [...]
The EU should offer the UK Brexit concessions to protect its economy, German think tank says February 13, 2019 The EU should offer the UK concessions in the Brexit negotiations to avoid damaging its economy, a German think tank said. Gabriel Felbermayr, head of the IFO Institute, said “businesses are suffering already”. He said German exports to the UK had fallen about 10 per cent in real terms since the 2016 referendum and predicted [...]
Sadiq Khan to warn that leaving the single market will damage London ‘for decades to come’ February 13, 2019 London mayor Sadiq Khan will today warn that leaving the single market will damage London and the UK “for decades to come” as the exit date for leaving the bloc draws ever closer. Khan, a staunch Remainer, will say that leaving the single market and customs union would lead to a “lost decade” in which 87,000 [...]
UK house price growth slows to lowest level since 2013 as uncertainty rattles market February 13, 2019 House price growth fell to its slowest pace in almost six years in December as uncertainty continues to weigh on the housing market. UK house prices rose just 2.5 per cent year-on-year, marking the slowest annual growth since July 2013, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Land Registry. [...]
Brexit minister denies that delaying Article 50 is government’s strategy February 13, 2019 Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay has pushed back against claims that the UK faces a choice between Theresa May's withdrawal agreement or a delay to Brexit. Last night, ITV reported that the Prime Minister’s chief negotiator, Olly Robbins, said MPs would be forced into a last-minute choice between May’s deal or a delay to Article 50, in [...]
Galliford Try profits rise despite loss-making Aberdeen bypass project February 13, 2019 Construction firm Galliford Try’s shares grew 4.8 per cent in early morning trading today as it announced rising pre-tax profit, but warned a no-deal Brexit could hurt its supply chain. The FTSE 250 firm, known for carrying out the redevelopment of Wimbledon Tennis Club, also said in its interim results it was still trying to break free from [...]
DEBATE: Should Theresa May push for a compromise with Labour to get her Brexit deal passed? February 13, 2019 Should Theresa May push for a compromise with Labour to get her Brexit deal passed? Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of London First, says YES. Theresa May’s primary goal must be to avoid leaving the EU with no deal. That means that the government must stop behaving as if it has a rock-solid parliamentary majority, and [...]