Brexit confusion gives foreign firms “God-given opportunity” to steal UK business says Trump commerce secretary December 26, 2016 Brexit offers a “God-given opportunity” for foreign businesses to take market share from the UK, according to comments attributed to US President-elect Donald Trump’s new trade chief. Veteran distressed debt billionaire Wilbur Ross made the comments to finance executives in Cyprus in the period after the referendum – before his appointment by Trump as US [...]
The UK must leave the EU Single Market if it is to realise Brexit opportunities says Mervyn King December 26, 2016 Leaving the European Union offers “real opportunities” for the UK – as long as it is outside the Single Market – according to former Bank of England governor Mervyn King. Lord King also said the UK should be more “self-confident” in its approach to leaving, while saying that immigration controls were non-negotiable. “There are many [...]
Millions of Brits spend holidays at work on Christmas and Boxing Day – with Londoners most likely to have their feet up December 26, 2016 Millions of Brits are spending Christmas and Boxing Day at work, in a growing trend – although Londoners are most likely to have their feet up. Almost six per cent of UK employees work on Boxing Day, while 3.3 per cent work on Christmas Day itself, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, employees [...]
British businesses shrug off post-Brexit vote gloom as confidence hits highest level since June – although skills shortages are now a concern, says IoD December 26, 2016 British businesses are positive about the outlook for 2017, with confidence for the year ahead reaching its highest level since the vote to leave the European Union, according to a new survey. However, concerns remain, with the country’s economic situation and and a tightening labour market casting a pall, according to the poll by the [...]
US GDP grows at fastest pace in two years in the third quarter, although durable goods orders disappoint December 22, 2016 The US economy grew faster than previously thought in the third quarter of 2016, to post the fastest rate of quarterly growth in two years. The annualised GDP growth rate was 3.5 per cent in the third quarter, according to revised data from the US Department of Commerce. The upgrade in the measure was driven [...]
Influential German business group the BDI calls for UK Single Market access – but says migration controls are a no-go area December 22, 2016 An influential German business group has called for the UK to retain Single Market access – but has warned it can't be exchanged for free movement. The BDI – Germany’s equivalent of the CBI – has called for a continuation of a close relationship between the UK and EU, but has strongly warned against a bespoke [...]
Investor $2m visa applications rise post-Brexit vote as investors take advantage of weaker sterling and avoid immigration limits December 22, 2016 Investor visa applications rose sharply after the Brexit vote, as wealthy foreigners scrambled to take advantage of special immigration rules and a weaker pound. Applications rose by 61 per cent year on year in the three months after the referendum in anticipation of stricter rules on limiting immigration. This also represented a rise compared to [...]
Sadiq Khan announces business representatives for 40,000 job Royal Docks development December 22, 2016 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has unveiled the strategy leaders for a major business enterprise zone in east London’s Royal Docks. Business representatives will include executives from Deloitte and Land Securities in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone as part of the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP). The development is planned to create 40,000 jobs and [...]
Monte dei Paschi shares swing wildly as bailout fails but FTSE 100 and Europe shares flat December 22, 2016 Shares in Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) were swinging wildly on Thursday as investors digested the news that the Italian bank is set for a government bailout. Shares were suspended after steep falls. They closed at €16.30 on Wednesday, but traded at lows of €14.71 after opening at €15.00. However, they then recovered quickly [...]
Does ultra-loose monetary policy work? The Treasury Committee wants to find out December 22, 2016 The Bank of England’s (BoE) post-financial crisis loose monetary policy may have had “unintended consequences”, according to the head of the Treasury Select Committee (TSC). TSC chair and Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie is set to launch a new inquiry into post-2008 central bank policy, which will investigate how effective low interest rates and accommodative instruments such [...]
