Nicola Sturgeon’s EU mischief-making is a taste of the political blackmail to come April 29, 2015 Both Sinn Fein and the SNP launched their General Election manifestos last week, demanding that, in any future referendum, all four nations of the UK must agree to leave the European Union before it can happen. If ever there was a policy that claims to be about unity when it is all about fomenting division, [...]
Brexit washout: The majority of the finance sector wants the UK to stay in Europe April 29, 2015 Most of the finance sector doesn't think leaving Europe would be good for the economy, a new study has found. Some 55 per cent of finance workers said a Brexit would be a bad idea – while 20 per cent didn't know, and 14 per cent wanted a "third way". The study, by recruiter Marks [...]
Brexit and the City: Business and Brussels – to stay or split? April 27, 2015 HSBC chairman Douglas Flint entered a political firestorm last week when he said Britain’s biggest bank was considering moving its headquarters out of the UK. Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in London on Friday, Flint said the bank was looking to relocate in part due to uncertainty over the UK’s relationship [...]
Brexit: City workers would vote to stay in the EU despite Brussels hostility to financial services April 21, 2015 The vast majority of finance executives working in the City of London would vote to stay in the EU despite believing Brussels is actively hostile toward the financial services industry. The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) found that 73 per cent of City executives and economists in the City's financial industry would [...]
SNP manifesto: Nicola Sturgeon promises Scottish veto on Brexit, end to austerity and higher taxes April 20, 2015 Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to end austerity economics at the SNP's manifesto launch at a rock climbing centre in Edinburgh. Sturgeon said that under no circumstances would the SNP do a deal with the Tories in the event of a hung parliament but would act to embolden a minority Labour government and shift policy to [...]
Jean-Claude Juncker must wake up: Only Treaty change will keep Britain in the EU April 15, 2015 A common theme in all the party manifestos this week has been a commitment to EU reform – aside from Ukip, which would like Britain to leave immediately. And many of the reforms proposed are familiar: overhauling the disastrous Common Agricultural Policy, ending the EU Parliament’s travelling circus, and completing the Single Market have been [...]
General Election 2015: Could the threat of Brexit trigger a second Scottish independence referendum? April 10, 2015 A push toward Brexit could trigger the SNP to push for a second Scottish independence referendum. The suggestion was made by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon during the Scottish leaders' debate on Wednesday. Challenged over whether her party would push for a second independence referendum, Sturgeon said the SNP was not "planning or proposing another referendum". [...]
Moody’s warns Brexit is a bigger threat to UK credit rating than 2015 General Election April 8, 2015 The prospect of Britain leaving the European Union could cause more damage to the country’s credit rating than uncertainty over the outcome of May’s General Election, Moody’s warned yesterday. The ratings agency said a potential period of uncertainty if neither the Conservatives nor Labour wins an overall majority on 7 May was unlikely to affect [...]
General Election 2015: A Labour-SNP alliance could be a fillip for markets – but not for long April 7, 2015 Of all the possible outcomes of the General Election, one scenario in particular has concerned segments of the business and investor communities. A minority Labour government supported by SNP MPs is seen by some investment commentators as a challenging combination. Although Labour has ruled out a formal coalition, there may still be the possibility of [...]
Brexit: 61pc of small business owners agree with Tony Blair and would vote to stay in the EU April 7, 2015 Tony Blair delivered a strong attack on David Cameron's EU referendum promise this morning at his old Sedgefield constituency. The former Labour leader and three-time General Election winner warned voters that the possibility of Brexit would leave "unpredictability hanging over the British economy". Whether Blair's intervention will serve to sway voters in favour of the [...]