General Election 2015: How will it affect the City? While a Conservative government is welcomed the Brexit risk looms large May 8, 2015 Investors cheered as it was revealed Britain would be governed by a Tory government for the next five years. While this brings greater stability, as well as more business friendly policies a number of challenges lie ahead. Here's what the City had to say: The economists: Economists think a Tory government without a formal coalition [...]
Should Britain leave the EU? Why the economics are still far from settled on Brexit question May 6, 2015 From an Empire where the sun never set, to an EU where the economic sun doesn’t shine; that’s Britain’s geopolitical journey over the past century. So which way now? Can we re-discover the entrepreneurial vision that took a small island to global pre-eminence, or will we remain tied down by a collective loss of confidence? [...]
Why some foreign investors think an EU referendum would be worth the pain May 5, 2015 The General Election campaign has featured numerous statements from politicians, business leaders and think tanks on the benefits and risks of holding an In/Out referendum so that the people of Britain can decide whether they want to remain in the EU. If we take the potential impact on foreign investment as a guide, EY’s research [...]
Nick Clegg suggests no deal with the Tories if Brexit is government policy May 5, 2015 Nick Clegg has suggested that the Lib Dems would not enter a coalition if British withdrawal from the EU were government policy. Speaking on the campaign trail the Lib Dem leader said: “I would never, of course, accept being part of a government that advocated withdrawal from the European Union”. He reiterated the Lib Dem [...]
Brexit: Voters back EU membership as support for a referendum falls May 4, 2015 As things stand, Britain is more likely than not to vote to stay in the EU than support Brexit if there is a referendum following the General Election. A new poll for the Times' Red Box showed 34 per cent of people said they would definitely vote for Britain to remain in the EU compared [...]
Majority of Europe’s business leaders fear Brexit will harm the Eurozone economy more than Grexit April 30, 2015 The majority of European business leaders are more fearful about the impact of Brexit on the Eurozone than Greece dropping out of the single currency. In a survey of 2,600 chief executives conducted by Grant Thornton, nearly two thirds – 64 per cent – said Brexit would have a negative impact on Europe. On the question of [...]
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 [...]