David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon talk Scottish devolution as PM bids to save the union May 14, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon will meet face-to-face for the first time today since last week’s General Election. The election ushered in big victories for both Cameron’s Conservatives and Sturgeon’s SNP, with the Prime Minister’s party securing an outright national majority and the Scottish nationalists winning 56 of Scotland’s [...]
Mario Draghi: Beware risks from surge in money printing May 14, 2015 Printing money can cause turbulence in financial markets, and could cause wealth inequalities to rise, European Central Bank (ECB) boss Mario Draghi warned yesterday. But the ECB President said that failing to act could be even more dangerous, and promised to carry on with ultra-low interest rates and quantitative easing “as long as needed for [...]
It’s time for David Cameron to make unpopular decisions – Editor’s Letter May 14, 2015 Today the hard work begins. After a few days where the Conservatives still seemed to be in full campaign mode, setting out their blue collar pitch for 2020, David Cameron’s speech in Scotland brings the hard decisions he faces in this Parliament back to the forefront. Rightly so. This government has a once-in-a-generation chance to [...]
George Osborne gives Goldman Sachs alum Jim O’Neill top Treasury job May 14, 2015 Former Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill has been given a peerage and a top job in George Osborne’s treasury. The chancellor of the exchequer tweeted yesterday afternoon: “I am delighted to confirm Jim O’Neill as the new commercial secretary to the treasury to make devolution and the Northern Powerhouse happen.” https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/598855150640472064 Lord O’Neill, [...]
Alliance Trust unit pays £14m for Brewin Dolphin platform May 14, 2015 Alliance Trust’s savings division yesterday bought smaller stockbroking platform rival Stocktrade from Brewin Dolphin for £14m. Alliance Trust Savings (ATS), which has £7.2bn in assets, will add Stocktrade’s 48,000 customers, boosting its customer base to 105,000. Assets will also rise to £11.5bn after the deal completes. The group said the acquisition would allow it to [...]
Sadiq Khan is the active mayor London needs to drive sustainable growth May 14, 2015 Sadiq Khan’s story is the story of London at its best. The son of a bus driver, he became the first ever Asian to attend Cabinet. From growing up in a council house in Tooting, he took his law firm from just two partners to employing over 50 people. If many more are to be [...]
Nigel Farage says he won’t quit as Ukip leader, despite calls to resign May 14, 2015 He resigned, he unresigned, and now some Ukip members want him to resign again. But that won't happen, Nigel Farage revealed during Question Time this evening. As leader of the party, he said the level of support shown to him was “phenomenal”, and that leaving just as David Cameron starts to negotiate Britain's EU membership [...]
Ukip crisis: The best reactions so far to the Nigel Farage infighting – and that BBC c**t slip up May 14, 2015 Ukip is in turmoil as some very public in-fighting grabs the headlines. We all love a real-life political drama, but this is no House of Cards and that means there may be some ridicule of the embattled party which appears to be imploding. Of course, photoshop (which surely must have become the thing most feared [...]
Devolution bill: George Osborne gives English cities the option to break away from London May 14, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne is giving English cities the chance to become more independent from London under a new devolution bill. During a speech in Manchester, his first since the Conservatives' victory at the General Election, he said things should no longer be run just from the capital, and that this “old model” had unbalanced the [...]
Ukip crisis: Party’s biggest donor Stuart Wheeler wants Nigel Farage to resign as aide Matthew Richardson offers his resignation May 14, 2015 Ukip has been sent spiraling into crisis after the party's campaign chief attacked leader Nigel Farage, calling him "snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive". Now Ukip's biggest donor Stuart Wheeler, a millionaire who gave the party £500,000, has called for Farage to resign – again – telling the BBC "If he wants to put himself up in an election [...]