Deutsche Boerse steps up clearing battle with London October 25, 2018 Deutsche Boerse has stepped up its challenge to the Square Mile by expanding its clearing house partnership, as rival cities bid to replace London as Europe’s financial capital after Brexit. The London Stock Exchange Group’s LCH is currently Europe’s hub for clearing euro-denominated derivatives – used by firms to balance risk – and has become [...]
Small firms must prepare for no-deal Brexit, City governing body warns October 25, 2018 Small firms must speed up plans for a no-deal Brexit, the Square Mile’s governing body has warned, as negotiations with the EU faltered with five months to go until Britain’s leave date. There is no guarantee that a withdrawal agreement will be reached, the City of London Corporation (CLC) said today, and small and medium [...]
What entrepreneurs want Philip Hammond to announce in the Autumn Budget October 25, 2018 At the Conservative party conference earlier this month, chancellor Philip Hammond announced £20m of investment in business networks “to enable small businesses to learn from each other and from world-leading firms”. He also recognised the need for mentoring and management training for small and medium-sized enterprises, pledging another £11m to help 10,000 businesses by 2025, [...]
The FCA cannot afford to focus on Brexit alone October 25, 2018 It has been a mixed few months for the City's watchdog. On the one hand, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has delivered long-awaited reforms to the asset management industry, while its chief Andrew Bailey has made several strong interventions in the Brexit debate, such as pointing out the absurdity of EU negotiators attempting to rule [...]
Calls for a second referendum are unwise, undemocratic, and playing with dynamite October 25, 2018 “I want to be absolutely clear, this government will never accept a second referendum.” This statement from the Prime Minister in September should have been the end of the matter. Alas, it wasn’t. The so-called “people’s vote” scenario runs something like this. Enough Conservative MPs vote with Labour against any final EU agreement, defeating it [...]
DEBATE: Has the EU overstepped the mark by rejecting Italy’s budget? October 25, 2018 Has the EU overstepped the mark by rejecting Italy’s budget? Matthew Elliott, senior political adviser to Shore Capital, says YES. From the moment Britain’s Brexit referendum was announced in 2013, the EU started to moderate its most overt interventionist instincts, minimising Eurozone problems through quantitative easing, and restricting its tendency to meddle in the affairs [...]
Theresa May does little to reassure her Brexit critics at crunch backbenchers meeting October 24, 2018 Theresa May faced down her fractious party this evening but offered no new reassurances to the many critics of her beleaguered Brexit policy. The Prime Minister spoke to a meeting of backbench Conservative MPs – known as the 1922 committee – for just under an hour in a bid to win support for her negotiating stance with the [...]
Finncap brushes off market negativity to launch surprise takeover of Cavendish October 24, 2018 City broker Finncap, chaired by veteran venture capitalist Jon Moulton, today confirmed it was taking over M&A sell-side advisory firm Cavendish. Finncap plans to raise £6m by floating the combined group on London's junior alternative investment market (Aim) in early December in a listing that will value it at £46m. Lord Leigh, former Conservative Party treasurer [...]
Dominic Raab accused of ‘unacceptable’ behaviour for dodging parliament Brexit committee October 24, 2018 Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has been accused of keeping parliament in the dark by refusing to give evidence to a committee on the UK’s negotiations with Brussels. Raab told the Lords committee on the EU on Tuesday he would not be able to appear before them until after the Brexit deal has been finalised. Lord [...]
No-deal Brexit would hit house prices – but not as hard as the financial crisis, says Moody’s October 24, 2018 UK house prices could tumble in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but would not fall as far they did during the financial crisis a decade ago, rating agency Moody’s said. There would be “outright declines in house prices nationally” if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal next March, analysts said. [...]