Pound jumps on signs a Brexit deal can still be done October 19, 2020 The pound surged as investors bet that Brexit talks would resume – despite the UK’s tough rhetoric – and eventually result in some kind of free-trade agreement. Sterling was up 0.7 per cent by mid-morning at $1.30. It had risen 0.5 per cent against the euro to stand at €1.107. Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck [...]
UK can be a ‘free agent’ in financial markets after Brexit, says think tank October 19, 2020 The UK can be a significant “free agent” in the global banking and financial markets once Brexit is over, a new report claims. As negotiations continue in the next few weeks and Bois Johnson steps up his no-deal rhetoric, the UK’s banking and finance industry is in for a seismic change. A report by think [...]
It’s up to the City to drive Britain’s economic recovery October 19, 2020 “The harder yards are ahead of us,” warned Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey recently, as Britain’s households and businesses brace themselves for a bitter winter in the midst of the pandemic. With the UK’s economic recovery already fragile, it is clear we need to identify the engines for growth that can weather the storm [...]
Coronavirus: Finance chiefs do not expect recovery until next summer October 19, 2020 Finance bosses do not expect business demand to recover to pre-pandemic levels until next summer at the earliest as the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and the looming Brexit deadline continue to hit confidence. A survey by Deloitte revealed that more than two-thirds of chief financial officers do not expect demand for their own businesses to bounce [...]
London financial services jobs rise after Covid-19 crash October 19, 2020 The number of available jobs in London’s financial services sector jumped in the third quarter as confidence began to return to the capital. Finance job vacancies rose 53 per cent in the three months to the end of September when compared to the previous quarter, according to recruitment agency Morgan McKinley. For London workers changing [...]
Retail giants urge Sunak to U-turn on abolishing VAT refund for tourists October 19, 2020 A group of 16 UK retail giants has urged Rishi Sunak to U-turn on his plan to abolish the VAT refund for international visitors from next year. The group – which includes the heads of Paul Smith, Ted Baker, The White Company, Fortnum and Mason and Charles Tyrwhitt – said abolishing the VAT refund would [...]
French buyers top London prime property purchases as Chinese investment slips October 19, 2020 French buyers have jumped to the top of the rankings for property purchases in prime central London as international investors cash in on the weak pound. Property purchasers from France made up the largest group of buyers for prime spots in the capital in the first nine months of the year accounting for 11 per [...]
Boris Johnson urges businesses to speed up Brexit preparations October 18, 2020 Boris Johnson will speak to business leaders this week to urge them to ramp up preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU single market and customs union next year as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit begins to look more likely. HM Revenue and Customs will contact 200,00 traders who deal with the EU [...]
Tech Nation taps Boris Johnson’s brother to join board October 18, 2020 Tech Nation has hired Boris Johnson’s brother to join its board, becoming the entrepreneur body’s fifth new director in recent weeks. Jo Johnson, who was handed a peerage in July, will become a non-executive director at the government-funded organisation. Tech Nation chair Stephen Kelly said: “I’m pleased to welcome Jo Johnson onto the Tech Nation [...]
Tony Blair accused of breaching Covid restrictions after not quarantining October 18, 2020 Tony Blair has been accused of breaking the UK’s Covid restrictions, after being seen out at a restaurant when he should have been quarantining. Photos have emerged today in the Sunday Telegraph of the former prime minister leaving a restaurant in Mayfair last month just 10 days after arriving back from the US. He had [...]