Government housing targets under fire from UK watchdog February 8, 2019 The government’s method used to assess the number of homes needed to fix Britain’s housing crisis is "flawed", according to the UK's public spending watchdog. In a damning new report published today, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said that the government’s planning system “is underperforming and cannot demonstrate that it is meeting housing demand [...]
Three themes for 2019 – and some black swans February 8, 2019 | City Talk 2018 was a challenging year for investors with US equity and government bond markets both returning less than cash. Two factors were instrumental in delivering this outcome: disappointment with global growth and less cash flowing through the global economy (tighter liquidity). These factors will continue to influence markets in the year ahead. We have identified [...]
Kamikaze Brexiteers may end up in a hell of their own making February 8, 2019 Hell hath no fury like a Brexiteer scorned. From the backlash this week, you would have thought that European Council president Donald Tusk had suggested that the EU get custody of the Queen in the Brexit divorce. “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a [...]
Donald Tusk talks up Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit plan February 7, 2019 Donald Tusk has backed Jeremy Corbyn’s call for the UK to stay in the EU’s customs union as Theresa May suffered a disappointing day in Brussels. In a letter to the PM, the Labour leader set out the terms on which he would support her on Brexit – including a permanent customs union with the [...]
Editor’s Notes: Corbyn’s short-lived romance with the darling of the US left February 7, 2019 The rising star of the US Democratic party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (or AOC, as she is known) said she had “a lovely and wide-reaching conversation” with Jeremy Corbyn earlier this week. For his part, the Labour leader said he wanted to “build a movement to take on the billionaires, polluters and migrant baiters.” On paper, these two [...]
Corbyn allies join protest at Bank of England demanding transfer of gold to Maduro regime February 7, 2019 Two of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's most prominent allies joined a protest outside the Bank of England today, demanding that it release over £1bn worth of gold to the regime of Venezuela’s socialist strongman Nicolas Maduro. Members of Maduro's regime have laid claim to the country's gold reserves held at the Bank. Former Mayor of [...]
Theresa May refuses to take no for an answer in Brexit backstop talks February 7, 2019 Theresa May has said she will continue to fight for changes to Brexit backstop protocol, despite being told by EU it is not up renegotiation. The Prime Minister travelled to Brussels on Thursday for a series of meetings designed at kick-starting a fresh round of talks to break the impasse in negotiations. Read more: Juncker [...]
Westminster council victorious as court rejects TfL appeal over blocked CS11 cycle superhighway February 7, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) will not be able to build its proposed CS11 cycle superhighway at Swiss Cottage after it lost an appeal against a decision by Westminster council to block its construction last year. The Court of Appeal yesterday upheld an earlier ruling that TfL could not proceed with the CS11 without considering traffic and [...]
Brexit latest: Juncker refuses to reopen Brexit negotiations in ‘robust’ talks with May February 7, 2019 Brexit cannot be renegotiated, insisted European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker today at a meeting with the Prime Minister described as “robust but constructive”. However, UK and EU negotiators will continue to search for a path through parliament for Theresa May’s Brexit deal as they seek to save the agreement, the leaders said today. Read more: [...]
Bank of England slashes UK growth forecasts amid Brexit uncertainties and global slowdown February 7, 2019 The Bank of England today decided to leave interest rates unchanged as expected, but slashed UK growth forecasts as Brexit uncertainties mount. The bank's monetary policy committee (MPC), which last raised rates to 0.75 per cent in August last year, unanimously voted to hold interest rates for a fourth consecutive meeting. Read more: How will the [...]