Mark Kleinman’s big predictions for the Square Mile in 2019 January 11, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP exit, Unilever’s HQ U-turn, Melrose’s swoop for GKN: 2018 was a year full of surprises in the City. And while forecasting might be a fool’s errand, here are 10 predictions for the year ahead. •Theresa May will decisively lose next week’s “meaningful vote” on Brexit: that’s not a punt that will [...]
Editor’s Notes: Brexit: An Uncivil War was a five-star blockbuster for Channel 4 January 11, 2019 Brexit drama may be playing out all around us but it had its own silver screen moment earlier this week when Channel 4 aired its much-hyped drama, Brexit – The Uncivil War, by acclaimed writer James Graham. The drama drew heavily on the masterful account of the referendum campaign, All Out War, by Tim Shipman. [...]
City firms draft in extra staff for crunch Brexit deal vote in preparation for market volatility and investor calls January 11, 2019 The City is bracing itself for next week’s crunch vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal with banks drafting in extra staff to work through the night responding to market volatility and investor calls. MPs will finally vote on the Prime Minister’s withdrawal agreement on Tuesday after a month's delay, with traders, investors and analysts on [...]
City of London Corporation warns against second Brexit vote January 10, 2019 City of London Corporation councillors have voted overwhelmingly against supporting a second referendum on Brexit, as the House of Commons wrangles over how to proceed in the likely event it votes against the Prime Minister’s deal next week. The court of common council, the Square Mile's historic legislative body, today debated a motion by councillor [...]
Insurer Axa to shift jobs to Dublin in Brexit move January 10, 2019 Insurer Axa is moving staff to Ireland in the light of the UK’s impending exit from the EU. Chief executive of the French insurer Thomas Buberl told reporters today that Axa’s recently acquired XL unit had already made plans to move staff to Ireland from the UK before its takeover by Axa last year. Buberl [...]
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe says the ‘whole world’ wants to avoid a ‘no deal’ Brexit January 10, 2019 The “whole world” wants to see a ‘no deal’ Brexit avoided, according the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Flanking Theresa May at a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday evening, Abe dialled up the pressure on MPs planning to vote down the Brexit agreement. Around 1,000 companies in the UK are funded with Japanese [...]
Theresa May’s Brexit deal threatens the UK’s national security, warns former spy chief January 10, 2019 Theresa May’s Brexit deal will “threaten the national security of this country in fundamental ways”, the former head of MI6 and ex-Chief of Defence Staff have warned in a letter to grassroots Tories. Sir Richard Dearlove and Lord Guthrie claims the withdrawal agreement will put aspects of UK security “in foreign hands” in a devastating letter [...]
Tesco works on stockpiling arrangements in Brexit contingency plans January 10, 2019 Tesco is making arrangements to stockpile goods as part of the supermarket’s Brexit contingency planning, the UK's biggest supermarket confirmed today. The UK’s biggest retailer is working with suppliers to devise plans to hold stock closer to the market, and said that sensible contingency plans are in place. Read more: Tesco sees like-for-like sales boost in [...]
Jeremy Corbyn: Labour would consider delaying Brexit if it was in power January 10, 2019 Jeremy Corbyn today suggested a Labour government would look to delay Brexit to allow time for further negotiations with Brussels. Speaking in Wakefield, the Labour leader said if his party were in power before March 29 – when the UK is set to leave the EU – there would need to be time to reopen [...]
Outflows from UK funds hit highest level since the EU referendum January 10, 2019 Outflows from UK funds in November hit the highest level since the EU referendum. Net retail sales were negative, with outflows totalling £2.1bn – the most since the 2016 Brexit vote – as investor caution increased due to international trade tensions, Brexit and market volatility, according to the latest figures from the Investment Association. Fixed income [...]