Which way for markets? It’s all about the midterms November 6, 2018 Americans will cast their vote in the US midterm elections today, and the results will set the tone for stock markets around the world. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, while 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be on offer too. The big picture result will centre around [...]
Work should pay – for both high and low earners November 6, 2018 In a tense standoff with Labour MP Wes Streeting last night, chancellor Philip Hammond defended his decision to reduce the burden of income tax in the autumn Budget. The argument, played out in front of the Treasury Select Committee, was classic Tory v Labour fare. Streeting demanded to know why Hammond was cutting taxes instead of [...]
Hammond spies end of UK’s deficit despite Budget spending increase November 5, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond has said he believes the government’s target of eliminating the UK’s deficit is “within touching distance”, despite ramping up public spending and tax cuts in the Budget. Appearing before the Treasury Select Committee this evening, Hammond denied his 2016 plans to reach a budget surplus by the mid-2020s had been abandoned. However, he [...]
Putin critic Bill Browder slams ‘prostitution’ of UK firms working for Russian regime November 5, 2018 UK hedge fund boss and prominent critic of the Russian government Bill Browder today slammed UK firms that work for the Russian regime and its cronies. Speaking to City A.M. Browder said: “The most significant issue on Russian intelligence is not the official spies or even unofficial informants, but the British enablers to this process. [...]
Varadkar expresses ‘openness’ to Irish backstop review, but rules out British withdrawal November 5, 2018 Ireland Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said today he is open to the idea of a review of any so-called Irish backstop arrangement, as long as Britain could not decide to kill off the temporary measure. A way of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland is widely considered the biggest obstacle to the UK and [...]
Business confidence hits lowest level since the financial crisis November 5, 2018 Confidence among UK businesses has fallen to its lowest level since 2008 amid a lack of progress in Brexit negotiations, according to new figures published today. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales' (ICAEW's) Business Confidence Monitor index showed a sharp fall in confidence since last quarter from -0.2 to -12.3, lower than after both the [...]
Londongrad: Explosion in number of Russian spies in UK November 5, 2018 The number of Russian spies in the UK has exploded in recent years with up to five times as many Russian case offices in the UK as there were in 2010, a new report says. The report from think tank the Henry Jackson Society says there are 200 Russian case offices in the UK handling [...]
The US midterms show that mixing politics and advertising makes a volatile concoction November 5, 2018 The US midterm elections tomorrow are set to be a significant milestone. With record voter attendance expected and the structural balance of Congress at stake, these midterms will either reduce Donald Trump’s power, or give him a mandate to pursue his political goals. It is of no surprise then, with so much on the line, [...]
Governmental failure has left millions of Nigerians in the dark November 5, 2018 Government is, as former President Barack Obama pointed out, just that name for what we do together. Unfortunately, in some of the poorer parts of the world, it’s really the name for what does not get done at all. Nigeria is a prime example. It is a large oil producer with plentiful resources. It is [...]
US imposes ‘toughest ever’ sanctions on Iran hitting key oil sector November 5, 2018 The US has imposed its “toughest ever” round of sanctions on Iran hitting the nation's key oil export sector. Major parts of the Iranian economy including oil exports, shipping and banking will be affected, as President Donald Trump reintroduces sanctions that were scrapped under the Iran nuclear deal. Crowds gathered in Tehran yesterday evening with [...]