Moody’s downgrades UK credit rating outlook to ‘negative’ November 9, 2019 Moody’s has signalled there is a possibility it will downgrade the credit rating on government debt amid an “erosion in institutional strength” caused by Brexit. The ratings agency has changed the outlook on its Aa2 rating of the UK’s debt from “stable” to “negative”, implying a rating cut could be imminent. Read more: Sajid Javid [...]
If you were chancellor, what would be in your Budget? November 6, 2019 Today was scheduled to be the first Budget of Boris Johnson’s premiership. The chancellor announced the Budget last month, saying: “This is the right and responsible thing to do – we must get on with governing.” Unfortunately, to misquote a phrase, the best-laid plans of chancellors and Prime Ministers often go awry. The Budget has [...]
Chancellor Sajid Javid admits 31 October Brexit deadline ‘can’t be met’ as government tables election vote October 25, 2019 Sajid Javid has admitted that the 31 October Brexit deadline is all but dead. It is the first time the government has publicly accepted it is unlikely the UK will leave the EU before the end of the month, despite Boris Johnson’s “do or die” pledge. The Chancellor said it is likely the EU will [...]
Sajid Javid: Why politics can learn from City meritocracy October 4, 2019 Sajid Javid retains a great affection for the City, describing it as a true meritocracy where all that really matters is how good you are at your job. Westminster, he adds, could learn a thing or two from the City’s efforts to promote and increase diversity. Read more: Sajid Javid pledges to raise National Living [...]
The chancellor should deliver tax cuts, not more spending October 1, 2019 Sajid Javid used his major conference speech yesterday to announce a raft of new spending pledges. The chancellor’s focus was infrastructure and rural areas, with money promised for bus networks, roads, and the rollout of 5G. This sits alongside the strapline of this year’s Conservative party conference itself, which focuses on spending more on the [...]
Chancellor to announce £400m funding for further education August 31, 2019 Sajid Javid will announce an additional £400m of funding for further education in England in his spending review next week. The chancellor said the money would support the introduction of new T-level qualifications. Read more: Chancellor in row with Boris johnson over sacking of his special advisor Writing in the Guardian, he also promised to [...]
Sajid Javid in ‘row’ with Boris Johnson over advisor sacking August 31, 2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid has “voiced his anger” to Boris Johnson after one of his special advisors was sacked. Sonia Khan was escorted from Downing Street on Thursday by police following a meeting with the Prime Minister’s aide Dominic Cummings concerning government leaks. Read more: BrexitBrexit preparation has cut productivity of UK business says Bank of [...]
Sajid Javid favourite to be axed from Conservative leadership race June 19, 2019 Home secretary Sajid Javid is the favourite to be eliminated from the Conservative leadership contest when MPs vote in the next ballot on Wednesday afternoon. Javid scraped into the third round of voting when he picked up the minimum 33 backers required in a ballot on Tuesday. The last of all the candidates to launch [...]
Business groups should be happy with Javid’s infrastructure plan June 3, 2019 This newspaper applauded the Tory leadership contest's emerging battle of ideas last week, a trend that happily continued over the weekend with candidates launching a range of new policy proposals. Former City banker Sajid Javid grabbed headlines by revealing that he could scrap the top rate of income tax, and this morning bulks up his [...]
Tory leadership hopeful Sajid Javid vows to renegotiate the backstop with ‘grand offer’ to Ireland June 2, 2019 Home secretary Sajid Javid has set out a "grand offer" to avoid the need for the backstop by paying all the costs necessary to create a digitised border on the island of Ireland. The Tory leadership hopeful said it was still possible to renegotiate the Irish backstop – the insurance policy designed to prevent a hard border [...]