Government issues £10m in ‘Brexit readiness’ grants to business organisations October 11, 2019 The government is to issue £10.1m in grants to 124 business organisations to help them prepare the firms they represent for the UK’s departure from the European Union on 31 October. The grants will be issued by the Business Readiness Fund, which was launched to support trade associations and other business organisations in helping firms [...]
‘Nest Egg’ policy proposal wins £50,000 IEA Breakthrough Prize October 10, 2019 A £50,000 free market prize has been awarded to the authors of a new report which has proposed allowing universities, rather than government, to lend to their students. Read more: Johnson and Varadkar hold talks Researcher Peter Ainsworth and academic economist Dr Tom McKenzie have been named the winners of the Institute of Economic Affair’s [...]
Exclusive: Outsourcers told Michael Gove no-deal Brexit planning is stalling industry October 10, 2019 Whitehall has come under pressure from some of its most prominent public service providers for slow decision-making, as time and resources are increasingly directed towards no-deal Brexit planning. Three sources with knowledge of the matter told City A.M. that de facto no-deal Brexit secretary Michael Gove has been urged to “get a move on” so [...]
No-deal Brexit tariffs would jeopardise our Europe business model, says Nissan October 10, 2019 Tariffs introduced in the wake of a no-deal Brexit would make Nissan’s business model in Europe unsustainable and put the future of its Sunderland plant in jeopardy, the carmaker has warned. Nissan’s European chairman, Gianluca de Ficchy, said the imposition of WTO tariffs of 10 per cent on vehicles would threaten “the entire business model [...]
Dyson pulls plug on electric car project October 10, 2019 Sir James Dyson has abandoned his £1bn electric vehicle project after deciding the scheme is not commercially viable. Patents for the electric car, which the company hoped would compete with the likes of Tesla, were unveiled earlier this year. Read more: First details of Dyson electric car released At the time Dyson said the car would [...]
Business rates and Brexit eat up Pret a Manger profits October 10, 2019 Sandwich chain Pret a Manger suffered a slump in profit last year due to business rate increases and the threat of a no-deal Brexit. Turnover increased from £636.9m to £710m, but operating profit dropped from £57.9m to £19.6m in 2018. Earnings slumped to £91.38m from £97.79m. Read more: Parliament sees law to prevent allergy deaths [...]
Brexit: Johnson and Varadkar see ‘pathway to possible deal’ October 10, 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have issued a joint statement saying they both see “a pathway to a possible deal”. The two will now consult with their respective negotiating teams, including the EU’s Taskforce 50, ahead of further talks. Sterling climbed 0.5 per cent to $1.2267 on the back of the [...]
Government criticised for refusal to extend financial watchdog’s remit October 10, 2019 The government has been criticised for refusing to back a policy that would allow the financial regulator to recommend changes to its remit after the chair of the watchdog warned that regulatory loopholes were being exploited by “bad people”. In a report released in August, the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) had recommended the Financial Conduct [...]
Boris Johnson holds Brexit talks with Irish PM Leo Varadkar October 10, 2019 Boris Johnson is holding talks with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this afternoon to discuss the UK’s latest Brexit proposal. Number 10 said the pair will meet in North East England to “have detailed discussions” about the government’s proposal for a post-Brexit agreement on the island of Ireland. Read more: Brexit extension beyond halloween now priced [...]
National Grid: Britain’s power supplies will see out the winter despite Brexit October 10, 2019 Britain will have enough power and gas to see out the winter even with Brexit, but could need regular supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The UK is set to leave the EU at the end of this month but the terms are still unclear. Read more: National Grid calls for security review following massive [...]