Government must ‘level up’ foreign investment across Britain, urges select committee September 23, 2021 An influential commons select committee has criticised the government for failing to map out its plan for spreading foreign investment more evenly across the UK to achieve its “levelling up agenda”. The International Trade Committee (ITC) slammed the government in a report published today for promoting foreign investment’s role in boosting economic prosperity in forgotten [...]
Biden dashes hopes of quick post-Brexit trade deal with UK during Johnson visit September 22, 2021 US President Joe Biden last night downplayed prospects of brokering a post-Brexit trade deal with Boris Johnson, as ministers resorted to considering downgrading their efforts to join an existing pact. Meeting the Prime Minister in the White House, the US President issued a fresh warning for the UK not to damage the peace process in [...]
Not before French elections in 2022: EU-Australia trade deal to be pushed back due to £48bn submarine row September 21, 2021 It will take more time to agree a trade deal between the European Union and Australia as Australia’s decision to cancel a French submarine contract does complicate and delay negotiations, a European trade official has said. Australia’s decision to end the £48bn deal was “kind of an attack against European interests”, said Bernd Lange, a [...]
Labour plots crackdown on private equity tax loophole September 20, 2021 Labour will crack down on private equity bosses by closing tax loopholes on their bonuses if victorious at the next election. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will today say that by ending the carried interest loophole, the government could raise another £440m in tax revenues. Carried interest payments are given as bonuses to private equity bosses [...]
Morrisons moves into pub sector supply with marketplace partnership September 20, 2021 Supermarket Morrisons has made a move into the hospitality arena after teaming up with StarStock, an online marketplace for the on-trade. StarStock, which allows brands to sell direct to operators through its e-commerce platform, has partnered with the supermarket to allow it to supply pubs and restaurants. Restaurant operators will be able to have “direct, [...]
Liz Truss ignores security spat with France as she says UK is simply ‘hard-headed’ September 19, 2021 New Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has launched a strong defence of the UK’s security pact with the US and Australia amid a deepening diplomatic row with France.Truss said the agreement – which will see the UK and US co-operate to develop a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian navy – showed Britain’s readiness [...]
Mon dieu! France recalls US and Australia ambassadors as £30bn submarine row heats up September 18, 2021 France has taken the dramatic step of recalling its ambassadors to the United States and Australia in the worsening row over their nuclear submarine deal. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the “exceptional decision” was justified by the “exceptional gravity” of the actions of the two Western allies. It followed the announcement earlier this [...]
Big Tobacco’s takeover of Vectura shows the holes on our Companies Act September 17, 2021 There’s little dispute that companies ought to aim to return money to shareholders. Dividends sustain our pension pots and are vital to keep our economy growing. But when this pursuit becomes single minded it fails even by its own logic. PMI’s takeover of Vectura will generate the greatest shareholder value in the short term, but [...]
The pact between Australia, UK and the US is a historic face-off with China and proof of Global Britain September 17, 2021 In a joint speech by Boris Johnson, Scott Morrison and Joe Biden, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States announced a historical pact dubbed AUKUS. It will allow the Royal Australian Navy to construct and operate nuclear-powered attack submarines. But AUKUS is about more than just what powers Australia’s submarines. The agreement also covers [...]
Johnson: UK, US and Australia nuclear submarine deal creates ‘inseparable’ partnership September 16, 2021 Boris Johnson has hailed the newly signed UK and US agreement to build Australian nuclear submarines as creating an “inseparable” partnership, which will “accelerate” the creation of a range of cyber and AI-based defence systems. Johnson told MPs today that the agreement will enhance “security” and ensure “regional stability” in the Indo-Pacific in thinly veiled [...]