Editor’s Notes: The Bank of England must protect its independence December 7, 2018 Former chair of the US Federal Reserve Janet Yellen once said “the principle that a central bank should be independent from the government is unassailable.” Donald Trump probably thinks unassailable means you can’t sell it, but even if he understood Yellan’s point he seems determined to ignore it. His broadsides against Fed policy are quite [...]
Bank of England slammed over secret Venezuelan gold summit December 6, 2018 The Bank of England (BoE) has come under fire following reports of a clandestine meeting with senior representatives of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. The BoE is due to meet high-ranking Venezuelan officials in London tomorrow to discuss the return of gold worth $550m stored in the bank’s vaults, according to sources. Today it emerged MP [...]
Tony Blair: There’s no point in May pressing forward with parliament vote on ‘half in, half out’ Brexit deal December 6, 2018 Tony Blair believes Theresa May should scrap next week’s vote on her Brexit deal as she is about to hit a “brick wall at speed”. The former Prime Minister told journalists on Thursday afternoon May needs to begin finding a compromise that will pass through the Commons instead of pushing ahead with her “half in, [...]
Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd resigns party whip to vote for Theresa May’s Brexit deal December 6, 2018 Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Lloyd has resigned the party whip in order to vote for Theresa May's Brexit deal. Lloyd, the MP for Eastbourne, told the Eastbourne Herald: "It is with great regret that I am today resigning the Liberal Democrat party whip in parliament. "I have come to the conclusion that I cannot honestly uphold [...]
Brexit may shake up the jobs market, so get your CV in shape now December 6, 2018 We are less than four months away from when the UK is officially meant to leave the EU, but there’s still confusion and much negotiation to be done before we find out exactly what impact Brexit will have on the City. Jobs are already crossing the Channel – JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds and more [...]
Culture and creativity will drive a new golden era for the UK and China December 6, 2018 The strength of Britain’s technological and creative industries, combined with the longstanding value of its archetypal brands, has given rise to a growing desire among Chinese companies to invest in the UK. This follows on from the strong trade ties between the two nations. The UK exported £22bn worth of goods and services to China [...]
Theresa May: Parliament risks no-deal Brexit if it does not vote for withdrawal agreement December 6, 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May today said if parliament does not vote for her deal next Tuesday it either risked a no-deal Brexit or no Brexit at all. She said the agreement she negotiated with the EU was “a good deal and one that delivers on the referendum.” She said she understood there were concerns from [...]
European Court to rule on Brexit reversal case before MPs vote on deal December 6, 2018 The European Court of Justice will decide if the UK can reverse Brexit alone next week, a day before MPs vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal. The ruling, on a case brought by Scottish politicians, is being pushed through at breakneck speed in time for Tuesday’s vote. Earlier this week a top adviser to the court said [...]
CBI: May must secure support for Brexit deal for UK economy to post moderate growth December 6, 2018 The UK economy will have a tough time posting even moderate growth next year without an orderly Brexit, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned today. The CBI’s forecast of 1.3 per cent growth in 2018, 1.4 per cent in 2019 and 1.6 per cent in 2020, a slightly lower set of predictions than the [...]
Scrap the migration target and open the doors to global talent December 6, 2018 As the Brexit debate rages on, the government is gearing up to confirm new immigration rules, including the end to freedom of movement for people from the EU. The warning light should be flashing for businesses, particularly in the capital. If immigration is curtailed, who will do the jobs? We are at full employment, and [...]