Chancellor pledges shift on capitalism but promises not to ‘abandon ship’ January 23, 2020 Chancellor Sajid Javid has said a new “balance” between capitalism and people is needed in the UK, but promised that the government is not “abandoning ship”. Speaking at the CBI lunch in Davos today, Javid told business leaders there was a “new chapter” opening under Boris Johnson’s majority government, which yesterday finally passed the key [...]
Brexit bill granted royal assent and signed into law January 23, 2020 The Brexit bill has been granted royal assent and has now been signed into law, paving the way for the UK’s exit from the European Union next week. Deputy speaker Nigel Evans today announced in the Commons that the bill, dubbed the EU Withdrawal Agreement Act, has been approved by the Queen after passing parliament. [...]
Watchdog tells financial firms to be ready in case of no-deal Brexit January 23, 2020 Financial firms in the UK should be ready in case Britain does not reach a trade deal with the European Union by December, according to a senior regulator. Britain leaves the EU next week, with “business as usual” transition period in place until December. Formal trade talks are set to begin in the coming weeks. [...]
Former Speaker John Bercow faces bullying complaint from top aide January 23, 2020 John Bercow’s chances of bagging a peerage could be in tatters following reports his most senior former official has filed a formal bullying complaint. Lord Lisvane, who was chief clerk of the House of Commons at the beginning of Bercow’s stint as Speaker, has handed a dossier of allegations to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, [...]
Johnson’s reshuffle is about more than just jobs – the party is looking for the PM’s philosophy January 23, 2020 As Labour continues the post-election round of self-flagellation in search of a new leader and direction, most returning Tory MPs have only one thing on their mind: the impending reshuffle. Tipped to happen in the first two weeks of February, the only questions are who is likely to get the heave-ho, and whether Dom Cummings’ [...]
For businesses relying on EU tax directives, what happens after Brexit? January 23, 2020 Businesses are currently eager to know what shape any post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU will take and what tariffs or other barriers might apply to goods and services. However, when considering financing operations and investment abroad, businesses also need to look at the EU tax directives that facilitate cross-border financing flows. A repeated question [...]
Don’t underestimate the politics of infrastructure January 23, 2020 The Conservative election campaign slogan may have been “Get Brexit Done”, but the fate of this government will ultimately hinge on what it does here at home — specifically regarding infrastructure. It is widely accepted, including by the Prime Minister himself and his chief aide Dominic Cummings, that the Conservatives need to do more than [...]
Tighten scrutiny of City regulators after Brexit, major report says January 23, 2020 The government should increase the scrutiny of financial regulators once Britain leaves the EU and ensure UK rules take into account international finance standards, a major report into post-Brexit regulation has said. The report, from the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG) and law firm Linklaters, said that after Brexit the UK’s financial regulation system will [...]
UK retail sector sheds 57,000 jobs after tough year for high street January 23, 2020 The retail sector shed 57,000 jobs in the fourth quarter of last year following the “worst year on record” for the UK high street. The total number of retail employees fell 1.8 per cent year on year, in the 16th consecutive quarter of decline, the latest research found. The job loss figures come after it [...]
‘We’ve done it’ says Boris Johnson, as Brexit bill finally passes parliament January 22, 2020 Boris Johnson has urged the country to put “the rancour and division of the last three years” behind it and “move forwards as one”, following the passage of his Brexit bill. The Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which was blocked repeatedly by the Commons prior to December’s election, last night finally finished its parliamentary stages and will [...]