UK calls for ECJ to loosen grip on Northern Ireland trade rules October 24, 2021 The UK has said that post-Brexit talks with the EU over Northern Ireland trade rules are constructive, but substantial differences remain. Goods sent between Britain and Northern Ireland have to undergo customs checks as part of a protocol agreed before Brexit to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland which is an EU [...]
Laura Kuenssberg to step down as BBC’s political editor October 22, 2021 The BBC has refused to speculate on reports Laura Kuenssberg is stepping down as its political editor to join the Today programme. The Guardian says Kuenssberg is negotiating stepping away from her role of the past six years as part of a major reshuffle of the BBC’s on-air staff. Her departure would leave open the [...]
Editorial: Beware our drift into a high-tax economy October 22, 2021 Over the past few years, Emmanuel Macron and other French leaders have gone to great lengths to tempt international businesses across the channel onto French soil. This has verged from the sublime (investment dinners at Versailles) to the ridiculous (adverts from ‘The Normandy Times’ in British papers looking for ‘hot entrepreneurs… allergic to post-Brexit tariffs). [...]
Britain’s foreign policy rests on a new incarnation of the ‘Anglosphere’ October 22, 2021 Exactly twenty years ago I was one of a very small group of people to formulate the concept of the Anglosphere in international relations. It found that seven out of 10 of the world’s freest economies were former colonies of an eighth. For better or for worse, Bahrain, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, [...]
Hiring ex-convicts to fill shortages could fight prejudice in the workforce October 22, 2021 Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab delighted us with some rare wisdom yesterday. To fill in the pressing labour shortages that have been dominating the news agenda recently, Raab suggested employing ex-convicts. The haulage and food factory sectors are only some of the industries affected by shortages that could welcome ex-offenders as part of their workforce. [...]
Boris Johnson says ‘we need to move pretty fast’ on fixing Northern Ireland Protocol October 21, 2021 Boris Johnson has today underlined the urgency needed to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol, saying “we need to move pretty fast” to strike a deal with the EU. Johnson, on a visit to Northern Ireland, labelled the post-Brexit treaty as “not coherent with the Belfast Good Friday Agreement”. Negotiations over the implementation of the protocol [...]
Letters: The cost (and profit) of going green October 21, 2021 Re: Green Revolution, costs apply, October 19] The front page “ Green Revolution * Costs apply “ missed out one main point . Opportunities apply too. The City and business globally have been working on the step change required for decades. Many of these innovations are being led by UK plc. This will create and [...]
Calls to protect farmers from Kiwi meat and dairy products after post-Brexit trade deal with New Zealand October 21, 2021 The impact of the post-Brexit trade deal the government has struck with New Zealand will be felt by farmers in such a way that they require protection, the Scottish Government has said. Responding to the deal struck between Boris Johnson and Jacinda Ardern, the Scottish Government said it would not offset the effects of Brexit. [...]
UK seal post-Brexit New Zealand trade deal in stepping stone to CPTPP ascension October 20, 2021 The UK has agreed to a free trade deal with New Zealand in what is another key stepping stone to joining the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trading bloc. Boris Johnson announced today that the deal would see UK markets opened up to New Zealand agricultural products as tariffs are slashed [...]
Temporary Brexit? Half of young British business owners expect UK will apply to rejoin EU October 20, 2021 A third of SME business owners are convinced that the UK will apply to rejoin the EU in the future, according to new research shared exclusively with City A.M. this afternoon. Younger business owners are significantly more likely to believe that the UK will re-apply in the future. Nearly half (47 per cent) of 18-34-year-olds [...]