Britain prepared to leave EU with no Brexit deal, says Andrea Leadsom February 15, 2019 The UK government is prepared to leave the EU without a Brexit deal in place, according to Andrea Leadsom. The government's leader in the House of Commons suggested it was increasingly unlikely that there would be any form of extension to Article 50. Read more: Theresa May to back down on backstop demands in Brexit deal [...]
Millennium & Copthorne warns of ‘challenging’ 2019 as profits plummet 28 per cent February 15, 2019 Millennium & Copthorne warned today that it anticipates a challenging 2019 as it revealed that profits fell 28 per cent last year. The figures In its full year results, the hotel company reported that profit before tax for 2018 fell 28 per cent to £106m in 2018, down from 2017's total of £147m. Revenue also slipped [...]
Better-than-expected January sales buck retail fears as discounts lure in shoppers February 15, 2019 Retail sales beat expectations in January, as shoppers seized on New-Year deals despite a wider slowdown in spending amid political uncertainty. According to new Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures which buck a recent trend of gloomy retail surveys, month-to-month sales volumes in the sector climbed one per cent during January, trumping consensus estimates of [...]
Theresa May to back down on Brexit backstop demands with EU February 15, 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May is reportedly set to compromise on demands for the Brexit deal to be renegotiated, with the UK government backing down on its requests for changes to the controversial Irish border "backstop" agreement. Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay told the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier that the government is not pursuing a reopening to [...]
RBS raises dividend on booming profits, but warns on cost of Brexit February 15, 2019 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) boosted its dividend today on the back of doubling profits, but warned that Brexit could hit the bank’s recovery. The bank said it would return £1.6bn to shareholders, including almost £1bn to the government, which holds a 62 per cent stake in RBS following its financial crisis bailout. Chairman Howard [...]
It’s time we called out the Home Office for its shameful attitude to refugees February 15, 2019 “There’s no place like home”, Dorothy says, as she taps her red heels together three times and returns to the place she loves. She’s right. Your home is your shelter, It’s your community, your friends, your local shops and landmarks. It’s dedication and love for your area. Building a home takes time and investment; familiarity does [...]
Editor’s Notes: The EU simply chooses which rules to enforce and which to ignore February 14, 2019 Allow me a moment away from our own Brexit turmoil and to focus instead on a nasty spot of rot right at the heart of the European Commission. While the Brexit process has made some of the EU’s top brass more recognisable to a British audience, it’s unlikely that many could identify one of its [...]
Theresa May defeated on Brexit again as anti-EU Tories desert her in Commons vote February 14, 2019 Theresa May suffered a Valentine’s Day massacre on Thursday when Conservative Brexiters helped inflict a heavy Commons defeat on the government. The Prime Minister lost the support of the European Research Group of Tories after she tried to force her party to back a plan ruling out a ‘no deal’ Brexit. While the motion was [...]
Competition watchdog warns of casework impact in event of no-deal Brexit February 14, 2019 The UK’s competition regulator warned it would have to take “tough decisions” on its casework in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said investigations into markets and price fixing could be impacted if it is forced to take on additional work after the UK leaves the EU. All antitrust [...]
Housebuilder MJ Gleeson chief executive: ‘Our customers do not give a damn about Brexit’ February 14, 2019 MJ Gleeson’s profits have surged while other housebuilders are struggling to break even because its customer base is unfazed by the Brexit uncertainty gripping some buyers, according to its chief executive. Speaking to City A.M., CEO Jolyon Harrison said the firm’s profits had risen 62.8 per cent because “our customers do not give a damn [...]