Brexit uncertainty puts small businesses at risk, warns FSB October 18, 2018 Tens of thousands of small businesses would be put at risk from a no-deal Brexit, the Federation of Small Businesses claimed today. The business campaigner added that the lack of progress in negotiations between the UK and EU is increasing uncertainty among firms, forcing them to consider putting business decisions on hold and even cutting [...]
Brexit: Theresa May is losing the confidence of colleagues as negotiations stall, says ex-minister October 18, 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May is losing Cabinet members’ trust in her ability to reach a Brexit agreement, a former minister claimed today, accusing both the UK and EU of secretly hoping for a no-deal scenario. May and her EU counterparts are running down the clock towards a no-deal Brexit, said Tory MP Nick Boles, who [...]
Theresa May to hold conference call with 150 business leaders October 17, 2018 Theresa May will hold a conference call with 150 CEOs on Friday to brief them on the state of the Brexit talks. The call is part of a charm offensive of the business community following a fractious period – summed up by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson claiming “f*** business” when it came to the [...]
It’s time for Theresa May to use her secret Brexit weapon: business October 17, 2018 Two weeks ago, I was in Birmingham among my fellow Conservatives awaiting Theresa May’s closing conference speech. I expected her to take a strong stance on the Chequers-based plan for Brexit and finally call upon her most valuable and underused supporters – business leaders – to champion her vision, not least because I and my [...]
Chomping at the bit: The race is on to be the next Tory leader October 17, 2018 There will be no deal this week. It was intended, then hoped for, but a Brexit deal is now as far away as it has ever been. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that there will be a late capitulation, the mother-of-all-compromises by Downing Street, presented as a victory for all [...]
Donald Tusk: No grounds for optimism on Brexit deal October 16, 2018 There are no grounds for optimism that a Brexit deal can be struck this week, European Council president Donald Tusk has warned just a day before a crunch summit. Speaking on the eve of EU leaders gathering in Brussels, Tusk called on Theresa May to put forward “concrete proposals” on how to break the deadlock [...]
Why a Canada-style Brexit deal is unlikely October 16, 2018 Brexit is now less than six months away. Yet somehow, a deal feels further away than it did just a few weeks ago. The stakes are fairly high. Models estimate that GDP will shrink by much as eight per cent. Some of the damage has already been done via the corrosive effects of uncertainty and anticipation of a [...]
Theresa May tells Cabinet to ‘stand together’ over her Brexit plan October 16, 2018 Theresa May told her Cabinet to “stand together” in order to get a Brexit deal with the EU today during an extended meeting of her top team. Ministers debated the PM’s negotiating stance for two and a half hours on Tuesday morning, just a day before May will once again try to sell her plans [...]
Theresa May’s new merger powers would be a hostile takeover by the state October 16, 2018 Back in July 2016, Theresa May launched her campaign for leadership of the Conservative party by promising radical action on foreign takeovers of British businesses. In the wake of Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury and Pfizer’s failed bid for AstraZeneca, May promised to defend workers and local communities from transient shareholders who, she said, were more [...]
Ignore the chancellor, we don’t need Chequers to end austerity October 16, 2018 I generally presume cynicism in politicians’ arguments. But Philip Hammond implying a Chequers-style relationship with the EU is needed to “end austerity” was shocking in its brazenness. Ahead of the October Budget, the chancellor has echoed Theresa May in suggesting that looser government spending is just around the corner. Their calculation seems to be that [...]