Brexit exclusive: UK-Norway trade deal close to collapsing as Christian-Democrats block pact to protect farmers from British beef and cheese May 24, 2021 A comprehensive free trade deal between the UK and Norway is at risk of collapsing as the Christian Democrat party fears such a pact would hit farmers in Scandinavia’s richest country too hard. The Christian Democrats party (Krf), part of the current coalition government, plans to block opening up the Norwegian market to British beef [...]
Snooze you lose: London sleep tech firm Simba sees sales s-leap 295 per cent May 20, 2021 London-based sleep technology company Simba has not slept on sales this year as it posted a 295 per cent leap, in its highest-ever first-quarter sales and profits. The record year-on-year UK sales jump suggests consumers have invested heavily in their sleep after a tough 12 months while online shopping has seen a surge in interest. [...]
English farmers to be offered £100k to call it a day May 19, 2021 Older farmers in England will be paid to retire under a government scheme aimed at attracting new, younger, entrants into the industry. The plans, which are still subject to consultation, are part of a post-Brexit shift to a subsidy system and an overhaul of farm grants to encourage farmers to protect the environment. Environment Secretary [...]
Boris Johnson backs Australia free trade deal despite farmers’ fears May 19, 2021 Boris Johnson believes Australia should be offered a free trade deal with the UK, despite fears domestic farmers could be hit by price competition from overseas. Johnson will back plans to offer Australian agricultural exporters the same zero-tariff, zero-quota terms as those enjoyed by the European Union. There has been backlash from the UK’s National [...]
Brexit post-mortem for the City: London’s ‘Golden Age’ is over, warns NatWest chair Howard Davies May 18, 2021 The City of London’s will remain a global financial centre but may not see the ‘golden age’ again, according to NatWest bank chairman Howard Davies. “Almost five years after the Brexit referendum, and five months after Britain’s exit from the European Union, the future of London as a global financial centre seems secure,” the City [...]
‘Ferocious’ row blazing in Whitehall over Australia trade deal May 18, 2021 Ministers are divided over whether to sign off a trade deal with Australia after the department of agriculture and the department of internal trade could not come to an agreement on the terms. Ministers were battling over whether to grant tariff-free access to Australian farmers, the Financial Times reported, a move that could spark backlash [...]
Some post-Brexit EU jobseekers end up in detention upon arrival May 13, 2021 A small number of jobseekers arriving into the UK have been sent to immigration removal centres, held in airport detention rooms or expelled. Among them are EU citizens with job interviews in the UK, The Guardian reports. When it comes to EU citizens looking for work in the UK, some rules since Brexit are straightforward [...]
The City is the global gateway for financial flows post-Brexit, says Africa’s rising finance star May 13, 2021 With the focus of Brexit being on the relationship between the UK and EU, some in the City and beyond argue that not enough attention is given to the international impact of Brexit, specifically on Africa. With the removal of European market caps, there has been an increase in trade between the UK and Africa, [...]
Brexit hit: City of London suffers £2.3 trillion derivatives loss in a single month May 11, 2021 The City of London suffered a loss of £2.3 trillion in a single month in its lucrative derivatives trading market, with Wall Street trading platforms the ones that benefitted. U.S. swap-execution facilities pulled in more trades across euros, pounds and dollars in March while London experienced an exodus compared to last July, while venues in [...]
Collision of Covid-19 and Brexit fuels a £700bn blow to economic output May 11, 2021 The UK economy has been forecast to suffer an over £700bn blow to output due to the collision of Covid-19 and Brexit, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned today. The bruising figure was made worse by the government’s “poor Covid-19 response”, the think tank said, adding that it has left the UK [...]