Government’s analysis of Brexit no help to MPs, Treasury committee finds December 11, 2018 The government’s own analysis of Brexit is effectively meaningless as it doesn’t scrutinise the implications of the backstop or the most likely trade deal outcomes, according to MPs. The Treasury Select Committee claim analysis of the withdrawal agreement and political declaration secured by Theresa May last month should not be used by MPs to help [...]
Parliament will get a vote on May’s Brexit deal by 21 January December 11, 2018 The Prime Minister will hold parliament’s delayed vote on her Brexit deal by 21 January, Downing Street confirmed today, according to media reports. Theresa May yesterday postponed MPs’ so-called “meaningful vote” on her draft withdrawal agreement, which was scheduled for today, without offering a new date. But Downing Street said she will stick to the [...]
In comes the king: M&S hires Sainsbury’s veteran Justin King as non-exec director December 11, 2018 Retail chief Justin King has re-joined the Marks and Spencer board as a non-executive director. The former Sainsbury's boss, who is the fourth new hire for the M&S boardroom in the last year, will continue to serve as vice chairman of Terra Firma as he takes on the new role in January. King has built [...]
Nearly 300,000 homes could be built in Greater London above rail tracks, says new research December 11, 2018 Untapped space above London’s railways tracks could pave the way for as many as 280,000 new homes, according to new data that comes amid growing calls to tackle the capital’s housing shortage woes. Almost 2,500 hectares of land on top of Greater London’s train, overground and Tube lines could be freed up, a report by [...]
‘No room for renegotiation’: EU slaps down UK hopes for a new Brexit deal as May attempts to woo European leaders December 11, 2018 The EU will not renegotiate Theresa May’s Brexit deal after the Prime Minister was forced into a humiliating parliamentary climbdown yesterday, Jean-Claude Juncker said this morning. The European Commission president said: “I remain convinced that the Brexit deal we have is the best – and only – deal possible. There is no room for renegotiation, but further [...]
WPP to slash 3,500 jobs as it launches new streamlining strategy December 11, 2018 Advertising group WPP is cutting 3,500 jobs as it restructures the business and shifts its focus to technology in a bid to stave off competition from tech giants. WPP today said it will spend £300m over the next three years as it simplifies the business, aiming to make annual savings of £275m by 2021. The [...]
May’s Brexit failure has hit the economy December 11, 2018 Tear your eyes away from Westminster for a moment, and consider Morgan McKinley’s London Employment Monitor. Today’s report is not good. Available financial services jobs in the capital in November were down four per cent month-on-month, and 39 per cent on the previous year. Job-seeker numbers are also down. This is particularly worrying as yesterday’s [...]
DEBATE: Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? December 11, 2018 Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. When Theresa May became Prime Minister, she promised to be all things to all people. To Remainers, the pragmatist who would keep Brexit damage to a minimum; to Leavers, the leader who would [...]
Bored of Brexit? How the B-word went from advertiser’s dream to branding disaster December 11, 2018 The word “Brexit” is unavoidable. When we pick up a newspaper, turn on the TV, or log in to social media, the B-word follows us everywhere. For many of the world’s largest brands, this would be a dream. The likes of Nike, Coca-Cola and Amazon spend billions of pounds for the kind of ubiquity that [...]
The government must resist micro-managing our EU exit December 10, 2018 Unlike many commentators, I believe that a no-deal Brexit still very possible. It is the default as the clock ticks, and parliament must vote for government-backed legislation to change path. For all the threats about a second referendum, the Conservatives would implode if they rowed back on delivering Brexit. And as regrettable as a no-deal [...]