As Gordon Brown warns that a UK outside the EU would be Europe’s North Korea, is he right? March 10, 2015 Roland Rudd, the founding chairman of Business for New Europe, says Yes Brown is absolutely right to highlight the dangers of leaving the EU, and the potential impact on Britain’s standing in the world. We won’t be like North Korea, but we would certainly be more isolated in an increasingly uncertain world. As Brown says, [...]
London’s top chefs take aim at EU regulations March 10, 2015 Some of London's top chefs and restaurateurs have spoken out against EU regulations that are being branded a "bureaucratic nightmare". Legendary chefs Albert Roux and Prue Leith are just two of 100 who put their names to a letter, organised by the eurosceptic group Business for Britain (BfB), opposing the EU's Food Information for Consumers [...]
Brexit is biggest risk to financial services and City of London March 10, 2015 The financial services industry is the sector most in danger if Britain pulls out of the EU, a study has suggested. A report by Open Europe examining how the UK's key export sectors would fare after British withdrawal found that while all sectors would face some disruption, a divorce from the EU poses a particular [...]
We can protect the City’s interests in Europe – and we now have the proof March 4, 2015 Wednesday 4 March 2015 could come to be seen as a defining moment in Britain’s relationship with the rest of the EU, and for the City of London in particular. This is because of a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) yesterday, which upheld a vital British claim protecting the City from Eurozone [...]
Ford’s European chief Jim Farley says UK is better off without a Brexit March 4, 2015 Car manufacturing behemoth Ford has thrown its weight behind the campaign to keep the UK in the European Union. Jim Farley, the president of Ford’s European operation, said the company “really hopes” the UK remains part of the EU. He called the UK’s continued membership “critical”. During his slot on Radio 4's Today programme, Farley underlined [...]
Denis MacShane in comeback bid as author of Brexit book March 2, 2015 What might we see if Britain left the EU? Planes falling out of the sky? Excessively bendy bananas? Global economic carnage? Maybe not. Yet the prospect has been sufficient to prompt warnings from financial giants HSBC and Goldman Sachs already this year. “Having the UK be part of Europe is the best thing for all of [...]
What’s in store for London’s financial services sector? March 2, 2015 Going into this year, a general election in May, as well as the possibility of a "Brexit" all loom over the City's future. So what are some of the biggest risks facing London's financial services industry? It's an important question. Financial and related professional services contributed £174bn to the UK economy in 2012, or 12.6% of the total. [...]
Two cheers for Jean-Claude Juncker: The process of EU reform is already underway March 1, 2015 The business view of Britain’s membership of the European Union is clear: the UK needs to be in the EU and to be fully engaged. While this view is not unanimous – there are those businesses that legitimately have a different perspective, either because of the nature of the business or the priorities of the [...]
What is the likelihood of Brexit? 17 per cent according to top think tank February 27, 2015 One of Britain's leading think tanks has revealed its preidction of the likelihood a British exit from the EU. Open Europe, which launched its "Brexit barometer" last night, estimated Britain had a 17 per cent chance of leaving the EU. The estimate will dash the hopes of Eurosceptics who are banking on public dissatisfaction with [...]
Celebrity historians launch campaign for EU referendum and claim there is no “European Demos” February 26, 2015 Some of Britain's leading historians have pledged their support for a new campaign to fight for a referendum on Britain's EU membership. Historians for Britain (HfB) is the sister organisation of Business for Britain (BfB), led by the distinguished campaigner Matthew Elliot. While BfB has sought to make the case for a different relationship with [...]