Government to unveil new set of no deal Brexit papers today September 13, 2018 Brexit secretary Dominic Raab is poised to unveil a further 28 ‘technical notices’ advising the country how to prepare for a no deal scenario. The notices, due to be published this afternoon after a special "no deal" Cabinet meeting which Bank of England governor Mark Carney was seen joining, will offer detail on a number of critical [...]
Mayor power: Devolution is giving Britain a brighter future September 13, 2018 With the distraction of Brexit, one could be forgiven for believing that devolution policy has been dormant since 2016. Indeed, as Westminster negotiates feverishly for optimal European and international status come 30 March, it can seem that domestic policy has been effectively on hold since the referendum. But in that time, a quiet revolution has [...]
The EU needs dynamic new thinking, not lectures on unity September 13, 2018 Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. This should be adopted as the personal motto of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, or at least as the tagline for his final State of the Union address yesterday. “There is no applause when EU law dictates that Europeans have to change the clocks twice a [...]
Calls for Brexit deal to protect UK asset management industry September 13, 2018 Analysts have called for the final Brexit deal to protect the asset management industry as it emerged that the value of investments managed in the UK for European clients increased by 30 per cent last year. A total of £3.2 trillion is managed in the UK for overseas clients, of which £1.8 trillion is assets from European [...]
Raab: Stop blaming Brexit for poor business performance September 13, 2018 Brexit secretary Dominic Raab today told businesses to stop blaming Brexit for poor performance and “take responsibility”. His comments come in the wake of John Lewis posting a 99 per cent drop in profits in its half-year results this morning, which it partly attributed to Brexit. Read more: Bank of England: Hold fire until there [...]
Britain’s hostility to international students puts trade deals at risk September 13, 2018 Some 11 years ago, in parliament, I personally spearheaded the change in rules to allow international students to automatically stay on in Britain and work for two years after graduation. Sadly, this was removed by the government in 2012, under the then home secretary Theresa May. Today, that inward-looking attitude hasn’t changed. This week, the [...]
Brexit secretary Dominic Raab clashes with John Lewis as profits tumble 99 per cent September 13, 2018 Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has clashed with John Lewis after its chairman Charlie Mayfield suggested the store’s 99 per cent plunge in profits was partly due to Brexit. Profits at John Lewis plummeted to just £1.2m in the first half of this year amid what Mayfield called “challenging times” for retail. He also warned that [...]
Bank of England: Hold fire until there is Brexit certainty says the shadow MPC September 13, 2018 City economists are all but certain that the Bank of England will hold interest rates steady today, only six weeks after raising interest rates and with the Brexit endgame fast approaching. The Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) will announce its latest decision at midday, with all eyes on any tweaks to guidance around the [...]
Boss of private bank Coutts says impact of Brexit negligible September 12, 2018 The chief executive of private bank Coutts said today that Brexit would have little impact on the bank or its customers. Coutts boss Peter Flavel said “the impact on us as a business [of Brexit] is not great,” in an interview on Bloomberg TV. He said the majority of the bank’s wealthy clients were UK-based, with [...]
Spirits in the sky: JD Wetherspoon axes Jägermeister and French brandy in post-Brexit plan September 12, 2018 JD Wetherspoon is ditching European spirits such as Jägermeister for non-EU equivalents in a bid to lower prices across its 880 UK pubs. Replacing the ousted continental brands, which also include French brandies Courvoisier VS and Hennessy Fine de Cognac, will be US drink E&J Brandy, Australia’s Black Bottle and Strika, a herbal liqueur produced [...]