EU’s top court lands major blow to UK’s chances of post-Brexit data deal October 6, 2020 The EU’s top court has ruled that unrestrained mass surveillance of phone and internet data is unlawful, in the latest blow to the UK’s chances of securing a post-Brexit data-sharing agreement with the EU. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) today handed out its much-anticipated verdict on government surveillance, ruling that the indiscriminate retention of [...]
In full: PM Boris Johnson’s Tory conference speech in full October 6, 2020 Boris Johnson took the stage Tuesday for the Tories’ virtual party conference, announcing policies on 1:1 teaching and low-deposit mortgages, but also promising to unleash the private sector. Here’s the text in full. Good morning conference, I want to begin by thanking you for everything you did at the election, pounding the streets in the [...]
Boris Johnson reveals plans to cut deposits in bid to boost home ownership October 6, 2020 The Prime Minister has announced plans to help millions of Britons onto the housing ladder by allowing home-hunters to buy a property with a smaller deposit. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference today Boris Johnson said he wants to turn “generation rent” into “generation buy” by reforming the UK’s planning system. The government is planning [...]
FTSE 100 slips after Donald Trump leaves hospital October 6, 2020 The FTSE 100 slipped and European markets struggled for direction as US President Donald Trump returned to the White House after being hospitalised with coronavirus. The blue-chip index started the morning with modest gains, edging 0.1 per cent higher in early trading. Yet it slipped into the red to stand 0.2 per cent lower shortly [...]
Japanese auto giants to ‘demand payback’ in event of no-deal Brexit October 6, 2020 Two of Japan’s auto giants will ask the UK to pay them back for any additional custom charges levelled against their cars if it fails to agree a free trade deal with the EU. The Nikkei reported that Toyota and Nissan will want payments to cover the extra 10 per cent of tax that will [...]
City urges government to rip up ‘fundamentally unfair’ immigration system October 6, 2020 The City of London Corporation has urged the government to shake up its “fundamentally unfair” immigration system to boost the UK economy’s post-pandemic recovery ahead of the Brexit transition period deadline. In a report released today in collaboration with EY, the City body called on the Home Office to “rip up the red tape” and [...]
JP Morgan to offer lucrative investment banking jobs to school leavers October 6, 2020 Investment bank J.P. Morgan will soon offer school leavers a fast-track route to a lucrative investment banking job, namely via one of its UK apprenticeships. The bank’s so-called four-year Level 6 Financial Services Apprenticeship programme will enable individuals to ‘earn as they learn’, provided they complete a degree in Applied Finance at the University of [...]
Name your price: How better carbon pricing can help the fight towards net zero October 6, 2020 As the old joke goes, if you get three economists together, you are likely to get at least half a dozen different opinions. But there is one thing that economists do agree on: you need to price carbon effectively if you are to shift economic activity towards a lower carbon future. About 40 countries around [...]
Coronavirus: Tory MP slams local lockdowns as ‘devastating’ October 5, 2020 A prominent Tory backbencher has slammed the government’s introduction of local lockdowns across the UK as “devastating”, claiming they infringe on the public’s freedom and should be swapped for a “risk-based” approach. Tory MP and former Brexit minister Steve Baker told the Conservative party conference today that local lockdowns “aren’t working”, while dwindling hopes for [...]
UK eyeing closer financial services regulation alignment with non-EU countries, says Sunak October 5, 2020 The UK is looking to align its financial services regulation with major economic powers outside the EU, according to Rishi Sunak. The chancellor said today at a fringe event at the Conservative conference that the government will “review our regulatory framework” on financial services and that “not being inside the EU more generally gives us [...]