Ten reasons why true free trade is key to making Brexit a success August 24, 2017 Economists for Free Trade was re-launched this week by 16 of Britain’s leading economists to promote the case for true free trade, with zero tariff and non-tariff barriers (note this doesn’t mean zero standards) on imports, in the wake of Brexit. In the wake of the General Election result we feel there is a need [...]
American investment in London property is at an all time high due to the fall in sterling. But what are they buying and where? July 7, 2017 Earlier this week, US citizens all over the world were celebrating Independence Day, yet for the first time in a long time, many of them had one eye on the fireworks and another across the Atlantic on the bargains to be had back in the Old Country. Following the fall in the pound due to [...]
Pirate Bay case: EU court (CJEU) delivers unsurprising verdict that pirate video hosting platforms may be illegal June 14, 2017 An EU court may have won itself an eye roll and a slow-clap from non-lawyers today by declaring what seems obvious: that hosting platforms which share pirated videos are probably illegal. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) was looking into a case which concerned The Pirate Bay, an online platform which allowed [...]
The EU and Jean-Claude Juncker are scared of Brexit: It knows No Deal is better for Britain than a bad deal May 3, 2017 The leaks that have emerged from EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker since his dinner with Theresa May at Downing Street last week confirm what any realistic observer has known since last June. Juncker & Co are afraid. Very afraid. I can agree with the president that Theresa May inhabits a different galaxy, but he is [...]
Inside the Luxembourg bid to lure City firms after Brexit: How the Grand Duchy lines up against Frankfurt, Paris, Dublin and other rivals April 3, 2017 Alongside large and threatening Frankfurt, loud and opportunistic Paris and plucky Dublin, Luxembourg has kept a relatively low profile in the scramble to soak up some of London’s financial services power since the UK’s Brexit vote. But make no mistake, Luxembourg will be growing as a result of the UK’s decision. The city’s business area [...]
Financier Bill Browder, thorn in Putin’s side, is on the verge of securing a UK Magnitsky law after a five-year push March 20, 2017 Since Sergei Magnitsky was killed in a Russian jail in 2009, financier Bill Browder has campaigned vociferously to bring those responsible for his former lawyer’s death to justice. This high-profile activity has set him on a collision course with the Russian authorities and specifically Vladimir Putin. In apparent retaliation against his justice campaign, the Russian [...]
Why a red tape bonfire won’t help fintech: The FCA’s Christopher Woolard talks to City A.M. about regulation testing March 20, 2017 Regulation arguably doesn’t have the best reputation in the cutting-edge tech sector. Critics slam red tape for stifling creativity, while the regulators themselves get stick for failing to keep pace with ever-changing markets. This contempt creates dilemmas in the field of fintech, an industry which melds the fast-paced world of technology with the highly-regulated field [...]
A €50bn Brexit bill? Britain shouldn’t be quibbling over coughing up to the EU March 17, 2017 One of the more unfortunate aspects of the run-up to the UK-EU negotiations on a withdrawal treaty to allow a separation of Britain from Europe is the excessive focus on payment questions. Boris Johnson, in urging Theresa May to resist paying any substantial Brexit bill, made the fanciful analogy with Margaret Thatcher’s famous settlement at [...]
Fintechs have a solution post-Brexit – now we must embrace the uncertainty March 16, 2017 With Article 50 set to be triggered imminently, the process of Britain leaving the EU is finally about to begin, with all that entails. Theresa May has set out plans for a Brexit that looks on the harder side of “hard”, worrying bankers and entrepreneurs alike. While fintech firms don’t welcome the prospect of regulatory [...]
Now the legal eagles are urging the government to seek a bespoke Brexit agreement for the City, while warning a “no deal” situation would have serious consequences March 16, 2017 Legal eagles have today become the latest in a string of experts calling on the government to secure a bespoke deal for the financial sector in the Brexit negotiations. The report from the Bar Council warns London's status as a financial capital risks being "greatly diminished" if the country cannot find a suitable alternative for [...]