Demand for financial services drops for first time in five years and could fall further this quarter January 14, 2019 Demand for financial services has fallen for the first time in five years and business volumes could drop even further in the first quarter of 2019, firms have warned. A survey of 84 companies, carried out by the Confederation of British Industry and PwC, showed that business volumes and sentiment fell in the three months [...]
MPs seeking to relieve the government of its authority are playing a dangerous game January 13, 2019 Ahead of tomorrow's vote on Theresa May's proposed withdrawal agreement, it is worth reflecting on the legislative events that have brought us to this point. 554 MPs voted in favour of holding a referendum. It was presented, by the government of the day as well as leading Remain campaigners, as a once-in-a-lifetime event. Campaign material [...]
MPs plot to wrestle Brexit agenda away from Theresa May as vote on deal fast approaches January 13, 2019 A cross-party group of MPs is reportedly plotting to seize control of the Brexit negotiations as the countdown to vote on Theresa May's deal fast approaches. Senior backbenchers, including former minister Nick Boles and Labour MP Dominic Grieve, are reportedly spearheading efforts to shake up the Commons rulebook so that backbenchers' motions take precedence over [...]
Chris Grayling: Blocking Brexit could prompt surge in right-wing extremism January 12, 2019 The UK could see a huge surge in right-wing extremism if the government blocks or weakens Brexit, a cabinet minister has warned. Transport secretary Chris Grayling said any moves to block Theresa May’s Brexit deal would cause the 17m people who voted to leave the EU feel “cheated”. Grayling told the Daily Mail any intervention [...]
Tesco and M&S reveal stockpiling amid concerns of a ‘no deal’ Brexit January 12, 2019 Two of the UK’s biggest supermarkets have revealed they are stockpiling food in case of a “no deal” Brexit. Both Tesco and Marks & Spencer have confirmed they are stockpiling long-life food such as packets and tins ahead of the UK leaving the EU on March 29. M&S chief executive, Steve Rowe, admitted his company’s [...]
House sales fell in 85 per cent of London boroughs in 2018 January 11, 2019 House sales slumped in 85 per cent of London boroughs in 2018 amid a difficult time for the UK’s property market, new data revealed today. London fared worse than the rest of the country in terms of the number of transactions, with a 6.5 per cent overall year-on-year drop compared to a 4.9 per cent fall [...]
Heathrow breaks through 80m passenger mark as it plans for expansion January 11, 2019 A record-breaking 80m passengers travelled through Heathrow last year as the airport reaped the rewards of larger planes and an increase in bookings. Heathrow saw its passenger numbers rise 2.7 per cent in 2018 on the year before, becoming one of only seven airports in the world to surpass the 80m mark. December was a [...]
Facebook launches UK fact-checking programme to fight fake news January 11, 2019 Facebook today said it will roll out its fact-checking service in the UK to help deal with the fake news that has plagued its platform in recent years. The social media giant will work with fact-checking charity Full Fact to review and rate the accuracy of posts on its site. Facebook said the programme will [...]
Top Brexit donors Odey and Hargreaves say Britain will not leave the EU January 11, 2019 Two of the Leave campaign's biggest donors believe Brexit will not happen as time runs out for the government to finalise its plan for leaving the EU. Peter Hargreaves and Crispin Odey, who both donated vast sums to the Brexit campaign, told Reuters today that they now expect the UK’s referendum decision to be reversed. [...]
Christmas shoppers shunned the high street, but attacking Amazon won’t help January 11, 2019 Between the fierce renewal of the Brexit saga, parliamentary shenanigans, and a particularly chilling cold front (interpret that literally or metaphorically, as you will), the merriness of Christmas feels like a thing of the past. But for the high street, it feels like Christmas never came at all. Reports of retail sales, released yesterday by [...]