PwC slammed for ‘inadequate’ checks on BHS August 15, 2018 Auditing giant PwC has been slammed for multiple failings in its checks on BHS in the days before it was sold for a pound, only a year before the retailer collapse into administration. The firm carried out “inadequate” work on the business, with individuals being “too close to the management”, the Financial Reporting Council has [...]
Tory MPs hit back over rail fare hike August 14, 2018 The government has come under fire from Tory MPs for hiking train fares amid a growing dispute over the measure used to determine price rises. Transport secretary Chris Grayling said tonight the government will “freeze regulated fares in line with inflation” for the sixth year running, a move that will potentially add hundreds of pounds to [...]
Emergency COBRA meeting to be held after terror attack August 14, 2018 An emergency COBRA meeting is being convened this afternoon, following a terror attack outside Parliament this morning. Armed police officers arrested the man, who drove a silver Ford Fiesta into the security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament shortly after 7:30am, on suspicion of terror offences. He is not believed to be known to police, [...]
Jeremy Corbyn’s approval ratings reach lowest level in a year – but Don’t Know is still the most popular option for PM August 10, 2018 Jeremy Corbyn's approval rating has fallen to the lowest level since May 2017, as the Labour leader fails to grapple with the antisemitism claims dogging his party. A new YouGov poll found just 22 per cent would support him as Prime Minister, compared with 36 per cent of people backing Theresa May. Neither of those [...]
Russia hits out at ‘unacceptable’ US sanctions and warns of retaliation August 9, 2018 Russia is planning retaliatory measures against sanctions imposed by the US over the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal, which caused the rouble to fall to its lowest level since November 2016 today. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today that Moscow was starting to work on measures following Washington’s decision to impose sanctions, which [...]
EU27 mull trade-off over Single Market for goods August 9, 2018 Leaders of the EU27 are considering a deal in which the UK could remain in the Single Market for goods without having to compromise on freedom of movement. The Times reports that member states are willing to abandon one of the four freedoms – said to be indivisible – if Theres May accepts more concessions [...]
It’s time for a grown-up conversation about immigration August 9, 2018 Business has been well served by immigration, but even before the word Brexit had worked its way into daily use, it was clear the wider public has a less rosy view of untrammelled free movement. As negotiations have progressed, sectors as varied as healthcare, fruit-picking, hospitality and banking have pressed their own special cases, to [...]
Capital gains: London shrugs off Brexit blues with jobs boom August 8, 2018 London's economy has remained buoyant, with first quarter job numbers reaching an all-time high, a major new report has found. Job numbers in the capital reached 5.9m at the end of June, up 1.9 per cent on last year and the highest since records began. It compares favourably to the rest of the UK, where the [...]
Brexit: City vents at EU’s failure to reciprocate on no deal regime August 8, 2018 The City has vented its frustration at the EU’s apparent failure to grapple with the regulatory challenges posed by a no deal Brexit. Work in the UK has begun on a ‘temporary permissions regime’, allowing EU firms to continue passporting into the country in the event of a hard Brexit, in which scenario there would [...]
Exclusive: Tory members plot Brexit rebellion at party conference August 8, 2018 Theresa May is facing outright rebellion at this year’s Conservative party conference, as aggrieved party members plot tactics to force her hand on Brexit. Activists are thought to be plotting protests against both the Prime Minister and Chequers-backing MPs at the conference in early October, just weeks before the crunch European Council to discuss Brexit. [...]
