HMRC boss received death threats after revealing £20bn cost of Brexiters’ customs plan October 11, 2018 The UK's chief taxman received death threats after revealing it would cost £20bn to put in place the hard-Brexiters' customs plan, he revealed today. Jon Thompson, chief executive of HMRC, told MPs the figure in May as he gave evidence on a range of post-Brexit systems. The system, dubbed maximum facilitation, or 'max fac', would see [...]
Watchdog asked to look into hedge funds use of polling companies October 10, 2018 The financial conduct watchdog will be asked to investigate the relationship between polling companies and hedge funds by the chair of Parliament's influential Treasury Committee. Tory MP Nicky Morgan made the announcement after receiving a "disappointing" response from the British Polling Council (BPC) over concerns about the use of private survey data by financial institutions. [...]
Michel Barnier tells UK to abandon free trade plans to get Brexit deal October 10, 2018 Theresa May must abandon her plans for free trade deals with the rest of the world in order to get a Brexit deal, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said yesterday. Speaking in Brussels, Barnier said a full customs union between the UK and the EU would solve the controversial Irish backstop issue as no [...]
Business will pay a ‘heavy price’ for lack of Brexit communication from ministers, warns spending watchdog October 10, 2018 Businesses have paid a "heavy price" for ministers not speaking to them more about the government's Brexit plans, the head of Parliament's spending watchdog has told MPs. Sir Amyas Morse accused ministers of underestimating how well the business community would have coped with planning for different outcomes of the talks with Brussels, leaving many in [...]
DUP will vote down Budget if Theresa May compromises in Brexit talks October 10, 2018 DUP MPs are prepared to vote down this month's Budget if Theresa May breaks any of the party's red lines in the Brexit talks, it has been reported. The Northern Ireland party's 10 MPs keep May in power thanks a to a 'confidence and supply' deal agreed after the 2017 General Election. But as time [...]
Dominic Raab slams David Davis’ Brexit plan as a ‘shortcut to no deal’ October 9, 2018 Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has dubbed his predecessor's negotiating strategy "a shortcut to no deal" as the Tory war of words over Europe escalated. Raab made the comments after former Brexit secretary David Davis sent a letter to every Tory MP urging them to back a Canada-style free trade agreement with the EU, or face [...]
Conservatives will lose next election unless Theresa May chucks Chequers, David Davis tells MPs October 9, 2018 The Conservatives will lose the next election if Theresa May doesn't change her Brexit policy, ex-cabinet minister David Davis has warned in a stinging letter to Tory MPs. The former Brexit Secretary has written to his colleagues predicting a "dire" result for the Conservatives unless the Prime Minister ditches her so-called Chequers proposal, which would [...]
DUP says ‘no compromise’ on Brexit redlines after meeting with EU’s chief negotiator October 9, 2018 DUP leader Arlene Foster refused to compromise on her Brexit redline today as she shot down the EU's proposal for the Irish backstop. The EU wants Northern Ireland to stay in its customs union and Single Market after Brexit if no other solution can be found to keep the border with Ireland invisible. That suggestion [...]
Give businesses a tax-break to encourage investment, CBI tells Chancellor ahead of Budget October 9, 2018 Philip Hammond is under growing pressure to hand businesses a tax-break in the upcoming Budget to boost competitiveness. The CBI today echoed calls from the British Chamber of Commerce to increase the amount firms can invest without being taxed. The Annual Investment Allowance currently stands at £200,000 a year, but the CBI is calling for [...]
Education secretary Damian Hinds blasted by statistics watchdog for ‘serious’ concerns over use of figures October 8, 2018 Education secretary Damian Hinds has been given a public dressing down by the statistics watchdog after his department made misleading and incorrect claims about England's schools. Sir David Norgrove, chair of the UK Statistics Authority, has written to Hinds urging him to hire analysts to check before future information is given out in speeches and [...]
