Downing Street: Theresa May will rule out a customs union if no Brexit deal is reached October 12, 2018 Downing Street said today that Theresa May would never agree to a permanent customs union with the EU, as the Prime Minister attempts to set cabinet ministers at ease over the Brexit negotiations. “The Prime Minister would never agree to a deal which would trap the UK in a backstop permanently,” a spokeswoman told the [...]
Turkish court ends US pastor’s house arrest, allowing him to leave country October 12, 2018 A Turkish court has allowed US pastor Andrew Brunson to be freed from house arrest and leave the country, putting an end to two-year long case which saw the US impose heavy sanctions on Turkey. Brunson was freed from house arrest in Izmir, Turkey this afternoon, and is now able to leave the country immediately. A Turkish prosecutor had called [...]
London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey faces fresh wave of criticism over teenage pregnancy remarks October 12, 2018 Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has faced fresh criticism after comments he made about contraception and teenage pregnancy came to light this week. Bailey said that the act of giving young people access to condoms and abortion services "normalise[s] sex" and pushes them towards a life of crime. "You have had local authorities up and [...]
RBS shares jump as it prepares to pay shareholders its first dividend since the financial crisis October 12, 2018 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is set to pay its first dividend since the financial crisis, it said today. The dividend of 2p per share will be its first since 2008, when it nearly went bankrupt, forcing the government to buy up its stock. Read more: RBS introduces 1.5 per cent savings rate days after [...]
Hammond predicts economic boost from ‘Brexit deal dividend’ October 12, 2018 Chancellor Philip Hammond said today that securing a Brexit agreement with the EU will lift the economy. Speaking in the run up to the Budget later this month, Hammond told the BBC that there has been a “measurable change of pace” in the negotiations between the UK and the EU, adding that the UK could [...]
Richard Branson pulls out of $1bn investment talks with Saudi Arabia over missing journalist October 12, 2018 Virgin's Richard Branson said he had scrapped talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund about a $1bn (£755m) investment into its space ventures late last night, in light of the disappearance of a prominent Washington Post journalist. "What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change [...]
DEBATE: Has the Northern Powerhouse run out of steam? October 12, 2018 Has the Northern Powerhouse run out of steam? Emma Revell, communications officer at the Centre for Policy Studies, says YES. The Northern Powerhouse hasn’t quite run out of steam but it’s certainly not firing on all cylinders. Rail infrastructure improvements have been shelved, the architects of the Northern Powerhouse (most notably George Osborne and Jim O'Neill) [...]
Keep an eye on UN reform after the departure of Nikki Haley October 12, 2018 Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, this week resigned without warning as President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. Haley has not given a reason for her exit, and her replacement is yet to be named, but her departure is an opportunity to examine both the UN and her role within it. Donald Trump’s [...]
Nico Rosberg on his new life as a tech investor: “I struggle to invest in some boring s**t. For me it’s important that they’re cool.” October 11, 2018 His racing days might be behind him but the competitive fire still burns inside Nico Rosberg – only now the ex-Formula One world champion has an altogether different outlet. Since his sudden retirement in 2016, Rosberg has embarked on a second career as an investor, with a particular focus on tech-leaning companies such as Uber [...]
Mark Carney told to clarify dramatic house price fall warning in case of ‘no-deal’ Brexit October 11, 2018 Bank of England governor Mark Carney needs to clarify whether house prices would be slashed by a third in a 'no deal' Brexit, the chair of the Treasury select committee has insisted. Nicky Morgan has written to Carney asking him to clear up exactly what he told the Cabinet on September 13 during a presentation [...]