Chancellor Philip Hammond’s planned visit to China next week is called off February 16, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond's trip to China has been called off after reports that a speech the UK defence secretary made has angered the Chinese government. Hammond was set to hold trade talks with senior officials in Beijing during a brief visit next week, but a spokesperson for the Treasury has said: ""No trip was ever announced [...]
Investment banks in London may need ‘chaperones’ for EU clients in event of no-deal Brexit February 16, 2019 Banks such as Credit Suisse and Nomura have said they would have to loop in EU colleagues when talking to customers in Europe about specific advisory work and regulated products like loans or bonds. In the event of a no deal Brexit, even the cold-calling of company executives to pitch for new business out of [...]
US President Donald Trump declares national emergency to fund Mexico border wall February 15, 2019 Donald Trump has declared a national emergency following a fresh row over funding for the President's pledged wall on the US-Mexico border. During a statement in the White House’s Rose Garden this afternoon, Trump said that he was making the move "not because it is a campaign promise, which it is", but as a result [...]
Parliament Square brought to standstill in climate change protest February 15, 2019 Nearly 50 school strikes took place across the country today as a coalition of youth climate change organisations led walkouts, leaving London's Parliament Square in gridlock. Thousands of young people gathered in Parliament Square between 11am and 2pm, holding signs and chanting messages that called attention to climate change and the environment. The protest brought traffic to a [...]
Britain prepared to leave EU with no Brexit deal, says Andrea Leadsom February 15, 2019 The UK government is prepared to leave the EU without a Brexit deal in place, according to Andrea Leadsom. The government's leader in the House of Commons suggested it was increasingly unlikely that there would be any form of extension to Article 50. Read more: Theresa May to back down on backstop demands in Brexit deal [...]
Stobart battle: Judge finds former boss Andrew Tinkler breached duties as a director February 15, 2019 The judge in the bitter court battle between the Stobart Group and former chief executive Andrew Tinkler ruled today that Tinkler had made four “serious” breaches of his duty as a director. His Honour Judge Russen QC said Tinkler breached his contractual and fiduciary duties in four ways: by agitating for the removal of the [...]
US-China trade talks end, but we still have no official outcome February 15, 2019 High levels trade talks between the US and China ended today with no official statement from either side. Earlier this week it was reported that US President Donald Trump was considering pushing back a 1 March deadline for US tariffs on China to ramp up by 60 days. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are [...]
Theresa May to back down on Brexit backstop demands with EU February 15, 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May is reportedly set to compromise on demands for the Brexit deal to be renegotiated, with the UK government backing down on its requests for changes to the controversial Irish border "backstop" agreement. Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay told the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier that the government is not pursuing a reopening to [...]
RBS raises dividend on booming profits, but warns on cost of Brexit February 15, 2019 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) boosted its dividend today on the back of doubling profits, but warned that Brexit could hit the bank’s recovery. The bank said it would return £1.6bn to shareholders, including almost £1bn to the government, which holds a 62 per cent stake in RBS following its financial crisis bailout. Chairman Howard [...]
Still feeling entitled? Britain is facing a crisis of intergenerational inequality February 15, 2019 This week, I was audacious enough to suggest that free TV licences for pensioners should not be a public spending priority. The backlash was fierce. “I have paid taxes all my life,” came the outraged cries on social media. This is mostly true, as long as you take “all my life” to mean “until I [...]