‘We want a ladder to climb down’; MPs who voted down May’s deal are getting nervous February 13, 2019 Politicians arriving for work in Parliament these days are confronted with a less than perfect view of the Palace of Westminster. The iconic Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben, is sheathed in scaffolding as renovation work is carried out. Workers scurry up and down ladders, being careful not to get themselves trapped in positions from [...]
Brexit minister denies that delaying Article 50 is government’s strategy February 13, 2019 Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay has pushed back against claims that the UK faces a choice between Theresa May's withdrawal agreement or a delay to Brexit. Last night, ITV reported that the Prime Minister’s chief negotiator, Olly Robbins, said MPs would be forced into a last-minute choice between May’s deal or a delay to Article 50, in [...]
DEBATE: Should Theresa May push for a compromise with Labour to get her Brexit deal passed? February 13, 2019 Should Theresa May push for a compromise with Labour to get her Brexit deal passed? Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of London First, says YES. Theresa May’s primary goal must be to avoid leaving the EU with no deal. That means that the government must stop behaving as if it has a rock-solid parliamentary majority, and [...]
May to give MPs vote on Labour workers’ rights plans after Brexit February 12, 2019 Theresa May today pledged to give MPs the power to decide whether the UK should follow EU rules on workers’ rights after Brexit in a bid to win Labour support for her plan. Speaking in the Commons, the Prime Minister doubled down on her commitment to keep high standards relating to employment law, environmental protections and [...]
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro calls for gold held in Bank of England to be returned February 12, 2019 Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro said yesterday that the Bank of England should repatriate the Venezuelan gold it holds in its vaults. “They have sequestered billions of dollars in gold in London that are ours – that is money to buy supplies, raw materials, food, medicines. They have sequestered $1.4bn [£1.09bn] for many months, that we [...]
May sets deadline for EU negotiations over Brexit backstop changes February 12, 2019 Theresa May today told MPs that they would get another vote on the next steps in the Brexit process later this month if she fails to secure changes from the EU. Parliament will get to vote on the path forward on 27 February – a month before the UK’s scheduled departure from the bloc – if [...]
Theresa May to tell MPs to hold their nerve over Brexit February 12, 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to tell MPs today to hold their nerve in the UK’s game of brinksmanship with the EU over Brexit. May is due to make a statement to MPs at 12.30pm ahead of a debate on Thursday on the next steps for Brexit. “We now all need to hold our nerve,” [...]
Philip Hammond’s ‘Brexit deal dividend’ claim under attack from MPs February 12, 2019 Philip Hammond’s promise of a Brexit dividend has been called into question amid signs of sluggish economic growth and warnings of a knock-on effect for the public finances. Figures released on Monday showed the UK economy grew by just 1.4 per cent in 2018 – its slowest rate for six years – while growth in the [...]
Record stockpiling not enough to hide manufacturing slump as cliff-edge Brexit fears heighten February 11, 2019 Output in the manufacturing sector has plunged to its lowest point since October 2017 despite firms ramping up preparations for a no-deal Brexit, according to an industry barometer. BDO’s manufacturing index fell 0.23 points from December to a score of 98.37 in January, its lowest level in 15 months. Read more: UK car industry on [...]
Despite Brexit uncertainty, City links across the Irish Sea continue to flourish February 11, 2019 Amid the ongoing debate about the Irish border and the Brexit backstop, it would be easy to lose sight of the City’s flourishing links across the Irish Sea. Both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland share a long history with the Square Mile. These ties have grown in recent years as the City Corporation [...]