Don’t bank on Hillary: Why a second President Clinton is far from inevitable April 19, 2015 I have been immersed in American presidential politics since at least 1992, when I briefly volunteered in New Hampshire (a pivotal early primary) for the whirlwind that is William Jefferson Clinton. I was present at the creation of his national legend, where – despite almost daily revelations of womanising and draft-dodging that would have sunk [...]
Mike Ashley funds purchase of Chelsea development worth £900m April 19, 2015 Mike Ashley has financed a deal for a lucrative development in Chelsea that could be worth around £900m according to reports. The Newcastle United owner and Sports Direct founder is said to have provided the £200m paid by Citygrove and McLaren Properties for a development site from John Lewis. According to The Sunday Times, the money [...]
ECB President Mario Draghi warns Greek bailout deal is “urgent” April 19, 2015 European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi has warned the negotiations around Greece's €240bn (£181bn) bailout program are "urgent" and a default by the cash-strapped country would push the region into "uncharted territory". "Much more work is needed now, and it's urgent," he said at the International Monetary Fund – World Bank spring meeting in Washington. [...]
Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood to appear in BBC election specials after Ed Miliband, David Cameron, and Nick Clegg get Question Time slots April 18, 2015 Nigel Farage is to be served up to a regional audiences as part of a several BBC specials ahead of the General Election. Farage will appear in a programme in England on 30 April, the same day Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood will appear in [...]
Would raising the minimum wage really attract too many immigrants, as Nigel Farage suggests? April 17, 2015 The arguments against raising the minimum wage are many and varied – but is Ukip leader Nigel Farage's assertion that an increase might attract Romanian immigrants fair? While businesses argue hiking the minimum wage could raise the unemployment rate and lead to more illegal labour, today Farage suggested it would cause "even more people [to] [...]
Greek debt deadline: Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis hits back at creditors April 16, 2015 Greece’s defiant finance minister lashed out at the country’s lenders last night, insisting that he will not back down during crunch talks despite impending debt deadlines. Yanis Varoufakis was speaking after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) all but ruled out the prospect of Greece being allowed to delay its repayments to the bailout provider. “Payment [...]
General Election 2015: Alliance Trust CEO Katherine Garrett-Cox wants a sustainable economy and flexible working April 16, 2015 ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 20 DAYS TO GO Every day until the final week of the election campaign, we ask a business leader to say what policies would entice them to vote for a particular party. KATHERINE GARRETT-COX: CEO, ALLIANCE TRUST ■ You commit to creating a healthy, sustainable economy which is so very [...]
Ed Miliband wins BBC challengers’ debate and Nicola Sturgeon comes second April 16, 2015 After an hour and half of intense debate between the General Election 'challengers' on the BBC, Ed Miliband has been declared the winner. A Survation poll for the Daily Mirror found 35 per cent thought the Labour leader had come out on top, with Nicola Sturgeon taking second place on 31 per cent and Nigel Farage [...]
BBC debate: Here’s what Twitter commentators made of Nigel Farage’s attack on left-wing audience April 16, 2015 The BBC leaders' debate had clashes on all sides, but Nigel Farage was very much everyone's favourite target. After Farage argued immigration was a driving factor in the rise of house prices, the other leaders piled in on him. However, Farage also turned to an interesting tactic of attacking the audience. The Ukip leader said [...]
BBC debate: Nicola Sturgeon throws her support behind Labour’s opponents to make Miliband bolder April 16, 2015 The BBC leaders' debate had hardly got underway and the fighting had already begun. Ed Miliband's biggest threat north of the border, Nicola Sturgeon, threw down the gauntlet to the Labour leader saying English voters should back other parties to make Miliband "bolder." The contest began with opening statements from each of the five leaders [...]