Arriva joins Stagecoach in taking government to court over East Midlands franchise award May 12, 2019 The government is facing a double-whammy of legal action over its decision to award the East Midlands franchise to Abellio after Arriva Rail joined Stagecoach in taking it to court. Arriva Rail, which is owned by German rail giant Deutsche Bahn, said it was "seeking to obtain more information relating to how the bids for [...]
Liz Truss wants to build on Green Belt land to fight of ‘tsunami’ of Farage and Corbyn, as Cabinet minister drops leadership hint May 12, 2019 Senior Cabinet Minister Liz Truss has called for 1m homes to be built on Green Belt land to protect against the Tories being “annihilated by the tsunami of Corbyn and Farage”. The Treasury chief secretary took aim at the policy of protecting the land – a favourite among Conservative grassroots activists – saying: “We need [...]
Cabinet allies begin to abandon Theresa May as Tories languish in EU election polls May 12, 2019 Previously loyal Cabinet ministers believe Theresa May has no chance at passing her Brexit deal through parliament and has just weeks left as Prime Minister, it has been reported. Ministers including her de facto deputy, David Lidington, and transport secretary, Chris Grayling, are said to be among those who have given up hope that May's [...]
US made ‘fundamental misjudgement’ over tariff increases, says Chinese state newspaper May 12, 2019 The US made “a fundamental misjudgement” by ratcheting up tariffs on $200bn (£154bn) of Chinese goods and has “seriously underestimated China's endurance,” according to an editorial article published today by the Global Times, a government-aligned Chinese tabloid newspaper. Read more: China threatens retaliation as Trump rolls out $200bn tariff hike China’s size means that the [...]
Boost minimum wage for young workers, Labour says May 11, 2019 The Labour Party has revealed plans to abolish the lower minimum wage for those under 18 as it aims to hike the salaries of all of the lowest paid to at least £10 an hour. The new hike would more than double what employers have to pay to their under-18 employees, who currently get a [...]
France will not tolerate multiple extensions to Brexit deadline May 11, 2019 France will push against repeatedly extending the Brexit deadline, a top adviser said yesterday with one eye on 31 October when Britain is set to leave the EU. “We must not get sucked into repeated extensions, that’s for sure,” an unnamed presidential adviser told Reuters. “Our message is clear: a solution must have been found [...]
Labour might ban London-listed companies from stock exchange over climate change targets May 10, 2019 London-listed companies could be thrown off the stock exchange for not doing enough on climate change under new plans which are being drawn up by Britain’s Labour party, it was revealed today. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said today his party would delist companies which do not have plans to combat climate change. Read more: Britain [...]
Poll: Economists split over Halloween Brexit date May 10, 2019 Economists are divided over whether the UK will leave the EU before the new deadline of 31 October, according to a new poll commissioned by Reuters. Read more: UK economy bounces back, but is growth just a ‘flash in the pan’? While the vast majority of economists polled believed the UK will eventually leave the [...]
Mr Congeniality: Trump says $200bn China tariffs are better than a ‘phenomenal’ trade deal May 10, 2019 US President Donald Trump has issued an impassioned defence of his tariff hike on $200bn worth of Chinese goods, saying they will bring in more wealth than “even a phenomenal” trade deal. Read more: China threatens retaliation as Trump rolls out $200bn tariff hike In a series of tweets, Trump said talks with China were [...]
Thomas Cook shares gain altitude as Virgin Atlantic joins bidding war May 10, 2019 Travel agent Thomas Cook soared on the markets this morning amid reports that Virgin is joining the race to take over the business. Richard Branson’s Virgin entered the battle to acquire the struggling tour operator’s UK long-haul operations by lodging a preliminary offer, Sky News reported after the bell yesterday. Read more: Thomas Cook shares [...]