Housebuilder Barratt expects record profits despite Brexit blues July 10, 2019 Housebuilder Barratt Developments has forecasted a record rise in annual profits this morning, as it presses ahead with a plan to withdraw itself from Central London’s subdued property market. The FTSE 100 developer, which said today it has been making good progress on its strategy to exit Central London, is set to report pre-tax profits [...]
Page Group warns of lower profits amid economic uncertainty July 10, 2019 Recruiter Page Group today warned that global economic uncertainty will hurt profits this year, sending shares 10 per cent lower in early trading. Challenging macro-economic conditions will send 2019 operating profit down to £161.1m, with the company previously hoping to hit as high as £168m. Read more: Page Group CEO takes leave of absence after [...]
Boris Johnson can deliver a bolder economic vision for Britain July 10, 2019 Brexit Britain is at an impasse. Half-in, half-out, with our politics gridlocked, we are now in serious danger of undermining our traditional attractiveness as a magnet for global investment. This week’s quarterly survey of FTSE CFOs by Deloitte shows that 83 per cent expect the UK’s economic prospects to worsen as a result of Brexit [...]
We need a man in Washington who can walk the Trump tightrope July 10, 2019 Diplomats are a curious bunch. Usually to be found currying favour by whispering quietly in foreign capitals, their role is largely an unseen one, providing information back home, and intervening subtly to promote their nation’s interests. So when a diplomat becomes the news story, as opposed to providing commentary on a news story, it is [...]
Watchdog warns of ‘real risk’ of repeat to no-deal Brexit ferry fiasco July 10, 2019 The government could waste even more taxpayer money due to its lack of preparation for a no-deal Brexit, a top watchdog has warned, after the Department for Transport (DfT) blew £85m on botched ferry contracts. The DfT’s lack of preparation risks cornering the government into further high-risk procurement contracts, parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said [...]
Labour should be riding high, instead they’re drowning in scandal and incompetence July 9, 2019 With the Tory party engaged in a civil war (albeit one tempered by the Queensbury Rules) a competent opposition could expect to spend the summer shoring up a lead in the polls and presenting itself as a government in waiting. Unfortunately for the Labour party, competence eludes them. Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn was finally forced off [...]
Sterling trades at two-year lows as recession worries mount July 9, 2019 The pound was trading at two-year lows against the dollar today as investors become increasingly gloomy about the UK economy’s second-quarter performance. Read more: Brexit uncertainty plagues business investment Sterling had fallen 0.5 per cent by 4.30pm UK time to buy $1.246, a price not traded at since mid-2017. Against the euro it had dropped [...]
BMW reveals it will build electric Mini in Oxford in boost for UK’s car industry July 9, 2019 In the summer of 1959, the first Mini rolled off the production line in Oxford and hit Britain’s streets. While initially a response to the Suez crisis fuel shortage, its diminutive size made it a style icon, helped it symbolise the swinging sixties and shook up Britain’s car industry for good. Fast forward 60 years, [...]
Donald Trump slams ‘wacky’ UK ambassador and ‘foolish’ Prime Minister July 9, 2019 Donald Trump has branded the UK’s ambassador to the US “wacky” and “stupid” in another highly personal attack on Sir Kim Darroch. Read more: Trump says he won’t talk to UK’s ambassador after email leaks In a series of tweets, the US President also hit out at Theresa May’s “failed Brexit negotiation”, labelling her as [...]
Investor enthusiasm for UK commercial property slumps July 9, 2019 Investor enthusiasm for commercial property in the UK has slumped further as sentiment swings towards France and Germany. Only 27 per cent of international professional real estate investors said the UK is their preferred market, down four per cent in the last 12 months as Brexit uncertainty continues to weigh on investor sentiment. Read more: [...]