IMF: UK economy to shrink more than 10 per cent amid second wave October 29, 2020 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) slashed its growth forecasts for the UK economy today, and urged the government to keep spending record amounts to support a recovery. UK GDP will shrink by 10.4 per cent in 2020, the Fund said. The new figure was a considerable from the prediction of a 9.6 per cent fall [...]
Liz Truss: NHS ‘off the table’ in Brexit talks with US October 29, 2020 International trade secretary Liz Truss has insisted the NHS remains “off the table” in post-Brexit trade talks with the US, as the government scrambles to shore up relations with presidential hopeful Joe Biden ahead of next week’s election. In a Chatham House address this afternoon, Truss said the UK will seek a “values-driven free trade [...]
Boris Johnson: UK stands ‘steadfast’ with France after Nice terror attack October 29, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Britain stands “steadfast” with the people of France, after a terror attack in Nice this morning left at least three dead. One woman was decapitated and two others were killed in a knife attack in the Notre Dame Basilica in the centre of the French city at around 9am [...]
London Tories slam Mayor Sadiq Khan over housing pledge and say he’ll miss home completion targets October 29, 2020 New figures reveal less than a third of the homes London's mayor started building in his first term have been completed.
UK car production hits lowest level since 1995 as industry calls for ‘vital Brexit deal’ October 29, 2020 UK car production in September slumped to its lowest level since 1995, as the automotive industry urged ministers to strike a “vital Brexit deal” to secure jobs across the sector. According to new figures from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), factories produced just 114,732 cars in September, marking a five [...]
Can Boris Johnson forge a special relationship with Joe Biden? October 29, 2020 Boris Johnson’s victory in the Tory party leadership contest on 24 July last year was immediately hailed by Donald Trump as a great step forward for Britain. The US President was effusive in his praise for the Brexit pin-up boy, calling him “tough and smart”. “They’re saying ‘Britain Trump’, they call him ‘Britain Trump’ – [...]
Golden age of tech: Value of European tech firms soar to €618bn October 29, 2020 The value of Europe’s tech firms has soared in the past five years signalling the start of a golden age of tech entrepreneurship on the continent. Technology has become somewhat of a safe haven for investors during the pandemic but figures from Dealroom indicate it is part of a longer trend. European tech companies are [...]
Facebook sued over Cambridge Analytica data scandal October 28, 2020 Facebook is being sued over its misuse of data during the Cambridge Analytica breach, opening the social media firm up to further fines for its role in the scandal. A group action lawsuit representing 1m users in England and Wales was filed today to gain “redress and compensation for the persistent mass misuse of personal [...]
Joe Biden White House will work closely with Boris Johnson, says potential Biden appointee October 28, 2020 Joe Biden will work closely with Boris Johnson and the UK government if elected President despite concerns from Downing Street, according to a potential administration appointee. Former Bernie Sanders adviser Robert Hockett – who has been tipped in some Democratic circles to be appointed to a government position by Biden as a standard bearer of [...]
Pantechnicon: The perfect place to avoid Tier 2 restrictions October 28, 2020 It has been some time since City A.M. put together a Working Lunch column, because the very idea of a working lunch has for much of this year seemed like a quaint artefact of the distant past, like promenading down a pier or engaging in courtly gossip with the King’s favourites. But thanks to a [...]