Boris Johnson backs Dominic Cummings over lockdown travel row May 24, 2020 Boris Johnson will not sack chief adviser Dominic Cummings for allegedly leaving London twice to travel to Durham during coronavirus lockdown. Speaking at today’s press briefing, the Prime Minister said Cummings acted “legally and reasonably” when he drove to Durham during the lockdown and that “his objective was to stop the spread of the virus”. [...]
Boris Johnson will lead daily press conference amidst Dominic Cummings saga May 24, 2020 Boris Johnson will lead today’s daily press briefing at 5pm as calls continue to grow for his chief adviser Dominic Cummings to resign. Johnson has so far stuck by Cummings despite mounting pressure from a group of Tory backbenchers for allegedly travelling from London to Durham twice during the coronavirus lockdown. A joint investigation by [...]
Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to resign May 24, 2020 A growing group of Conservative MPs are calling for Dominic Cummings to resign after he allegedly broke lockdown to travel to Durham twice. Steve Baker, Simon Hoare, Damian Collins, Sir Roger Gale, Peter Bone, Caroline Nokes and Craig Whittaker have all called for Boris Johnson’s chief aide to resign this morning after new evidence came [...]
PM defends Cummings as report says adviser ‘made second Durham trip’ during lockdown May 23, 2020 Dominic Cummings reportedly made a second trip to Durham during lockdown, it has emerged this evening, as Boris Johnson resisted calls to sack his top adviser. Cummings drove 250 miles from London to Durham while his wife exhibited coronavirus symptoms in early April. Downing Street has stood by the Prime Minister’s top adviser, saying he [...]
Markets live: FTSE 100 and US stocks slip on rising Hong Kong tensions May 22, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed in the red and US stocks fell as investors weighed up rising US-China tensions in the wake of Beijing’s move to assert its authority in Hong Kong. The UK’s blue-chip index fell around two per cent this morning but pared some of its losses throughout the day. It finished 0.3 per [...]
There remains plenty for London to be optimistic about May 22, 2020 Back in January, I wrote that the City of London has much to be optimistic about. As a Hong Kong-based investor with close ties to the UK, I could see that the British people’s decision to leave the EU would have little material impact on its future success. I believed that the foundations were strong [...]
City calls for financial services not to be overlooked in Brexit trade deal May 21, 2020 City figures have this week called for the UK and EU not to overlook financial services in the final Brexit trade agreement. The UK published its draft Brexit trade agreement this week which called for the UK and EU for treatment “no less favourable than that it accords to its own like financial services and [...]
TheCityUK appoints former MP to head up public affairs and policy May 21, 2020 Former MP Emma Reynolds will join industry body TheCityUK as its new managing director of public affairs, policy and research, as the industry grapples with the coronavirus crisis. The former Wolverhampton North East MP will join the organisation on 15 June, and will have to navigate the pandemic as well as Britain’s departure from the [...]
Protecting the UK from the flaws of the Eurozone May 21, 2020 The Eurozone is half-complete. Control over the euro currency is centralised, but member state financial arrangements are individualised, creating almost intolerable tensions. That much is well known. What is not so well known is how this set-up operates to the detriment of the UK in three crucial ways. First, the value of the euro is [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread taps investors for £1bn May 21, 2020 Premier Inn owner Whitbread will tap investors for £1bn to help it weather the coronavirus crisis while its hotels and restaurants are closed. Whitbread, which also owns Beefeater and pub chain Brewers Fayre, said the rights issue would help strengthen its balance sheet as the firm expects £80m of cash outflows a month while its [...]