Donald Tusk’s message to MPs: UK cannot renegotiate Brexit deal November 30, 2018 European Council president Donald Tusk ruled out renegotiating Theresa May’s Brexit deal today, saying if parliament rejects the agreement then Britain must either crash out of the EU with no deal or abandon Brexit altogether. “A few days before the vote in the House of Commons, it is becoming more and more clear that this [...]
UK banks can pat themselves on the back, but the system is still feeling the stress November 30, 2018 Breathe a sigh of relief: once again, all financial institutions have passed the Bank of England’s annual stress tests. But look beneath the surface, and suddenly the various allowances made this week start to undermine the good news. First, if the impact of the new accounting standard IFRS 9 that came into force in January was [...]
International trade secretary Liam Fox backs Theresa May’s Brexit deal November 30, 2018 International trade secretary Liam Fox this morning backed Theresa May’s Brexit deal as the prime minister ruled out a plan B. Leading Brexiteer Fox said he believed members of the cabinet would back the deal, despite a deeply divided parliament. Fox told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: “It is very difficult to get a deal [...]
Editor’s Notes: Check back in with the forecasters in 2033 November 30, 2018 The Treasury’s Brexit scenarios, released this week, boiled down to a claim – made with pinpoint accuracy – that the Prime Minister’s deal will leave the UK economy 3.9 per cent smaller in 15 years, compared with staying in the EU. In other news, PwC estimates that artificial intelligence will increase UK GDP by 10.3 [...]
Big ambitions and grand challenges: How the industrial strategy fares one year on November 29, 2018 It’s now a year since the industrial strategy was launched. Encompassing a 255-page tome, it laid five foundations for productivity: ideas, people, infrastructure, places and the business environment. It promised waves of sector deals between government and industry to de-risk investment and improve workers’ skills. Six such deals were announced in the first year, from automotive [...]
Trump lawyer admits lying to Congress over president’s Russian affairs November 29, 2018 The former lawyer of US President Donald Trump has admitted he lied to Congress amid an investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election. Michael Cohen, who served as then-businessman Trump’s personal lawyer for several years, pleaded guilty following charges filed by special counsel Robert Mueller last night. Cohen said that he had included false [...]
Trump cancels meeting with Putin over Ukraine crisis November 29, 2018 US President Donald Trump has cancelled a meeting with Russian leader Vladmir Putin after the Russian navy seized two Ukranian vessels. The leaders were due to meet at the G20 in Argentina over the weekend, and the meeting was confirmed earlier today by the Kremlin. However, this afternoon Trump cancelled the meeting, citing Russian aggression [...]
Ford’s Europe president says a no-deal Brexit would be an ‘absolute disaster’ for the car industry November 29, 2018 Ford's Europe, Middle East and Africa president has said a no-deal Brexit would be an "absolute disaster" for the auto industry. Speaking at a conference in London, Steven Armstrong said Ford was already "spending money on no-deal plans that we may never need" to avoid a cliff edge in which the UK leaves the EU without a [...]
A new Brexit referendum could be held on 30 May, says Justine Greening November 29, 2018 A new Brexit referendum could be held within six months, according to former Conservative cabinet minister Justine Greening. The Putney MP said today that if parliament defeats Theresa May’s Brexit deal on 11 December, wheels could be put in motion for another country-wide poll on 30 May. Such a move would see the Article 50 process [...]
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn at loggerheads over whether to appear on BBC or ITV for Brexit live debate November 29, 2018 Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are to battle it out in a live head-to-head TV debate – although it is unclear whether it will take place on BBC or ITV. The Prime Minister has accepted the BBC’s offer to take part in a Brexit debate on 9 December, two days before MPs are to vote [...]