Brecon by-election reaction: Brexit Party could damage Tory vote in face of Remain alliance August 2, 2019 The Liberal Democrat victory in yesterday’s Brecon and Radnorshire by-election has raised the spectre of an alliance of Remain-supporting parties and highlighted the threat the Brexit party poses to the Conservatives. Remain-supporting parties Plaid Cymru and the Greens agreed not to field candidates yesterday to avoid splitting the pro-European vote. Read more: Boris Johnson’s majority [...]
FTSE 100 sinks into red on Trump’s threat to impose fresh China tariffs August 2, 2019 The FTSE 100 has slumped 1.7 per cent this morning, putting it on course for its worst day in more than four months after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose more tariffs on China. Trump’s threatened escalation in the trade war, plus tumbling shares in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) on the back of [...]
UK to create up to 10 freeports to boost trade after Brexit August 2, 2019 The UK is planning to create up to 10 freeports to boost trade after Brexit, it said today. New Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is committed to taking the UK out of the EU by 31 October, floated the idea during his campaign for the Conservative leadership. The government said ports and airports around the [...]
UK construction sector suffers ‘disastrous’ blow as downturn deepens August 2, 2019 The UK’s construction industry activity sank for the fifth time in six months in July as economists all but ruled out a swift turnaround, a closely-followed measure of sector activity revealed today. Output fell for the third month in a row in July, according to IHS Markit’s UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), leaving the [...]
Mark Carney warns no-deal Brexit shock would be ‘instantaneous’ August 2, 2019 Bank of England governor Mark Carney has hit back at accusations that he is stirring fear about Brexit, warning that the UK would be hit by an “instantaneous” economic shockwave if it cannot strike a deal with the EU. Carney said this morning it is “not helpful” to deny the challenges that a no-deal scenario [...]
A truly radical and pragmatic Prime Minister would let parliament get a cat August 2, 2019 Parliament is infested with vermin. According to an internal report seen by the MailOnline, the Westminster war on mice is being lost, despite £111,498 spent on pest control last year. As political conundrums go, this one has an obvious solution: allow cats on the parliamentary estate. Lots of them. Practical, inexpensive, and ruthlessly effective, this [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland ‘returns from the wilderness’ with £1.7bn dividend August 2, 2019 Royal Bank of Scotland scored a bumper £1.3bn profit for its second quarter, it revealed today, as well as offering a special 12p per share dividend to investors. But it warned that tough economic conditions would hit profitability into 2020, sending its share price down almost five per cent. Read more: Barclays boosts first half [...]
Boris Johnson’s majority cut to one after Liberal Democrats win Brecon and Radnorshire by-election August 2, 2019 The Liberal Democrats have won the seat of Brecon and Radnorshire from the Tories in a by-election, leaving Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new government with a majority of one. Lib Dem candidate Jane Dodds beat incumbent Conservative Chris Davies by 1,425 votes, overturning a majority of 8,038. Read more: Boris Johnson at odds with Leo [...]
With Boris onside, we can boost connectivity across the country August 2, 2019 The successful economies of the future will be those that effectively seize the potential of digital technology. It is particularly important that we in the UK take heed of this message, as businesses face ongoing uncertainty in the approach to the government’s Halloween Brexit deadline. So what progress is being made to realise this potential? [...]
Bailey’s FCA is in need of a remit reboot August 2, 2019 Several months ago it felt as if the top job in Britain’s banking system was Andrew Bailey’s to lose. A veteran of Threadneedle Street who is at ease among top City bosses, the head of the City watchdog has been the bookies’ favourite to replace Mark Carney as governor of the Bank of England as [...]