Trump or Biden: Who would be better for the UK? November 3, 2020 Trump or Biden: Who would be better for the UK? JOIN THE DEBATE Sarah Elliott, chair of Republicans Overseas UK, says TRUMP When I turn the radio tomorrow morning, I hope that the BBC will announce a victory for President Donald J. Trump — and not just for America, but for the sake of the [...]
Crest Nicholson shares soar after housebuilder hikes profit expectations November 3, 2020 Shares in Crest Nicholson soared this morning after the housebuilder hiked its profit forecast following strong sales after coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted. The FTSE 250 firm said adjusted profit before tax is expected to be significantly ahead of the previous forecast of £37.9m, at around £45m. The London-listed developer’s share price surged more than [...]
‘Trumpism is here to stay’: The future of the Republican Party November 3, 2020 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Factional infighting is the political battleground that is most commonly associated with parties of the left. Labour’s intermittent factional psychodramas are a constant fixture of the UK’s political landscape, often to the detriment of its electoral success. America’s Democrats are also well versed in intra-party warfare, with the last four years providing [...]
Weekly outlook, 2-6 November: FTSE heavyweights in spotlight as election day arrives November 2, 2020 It’s election day at last, and while the outcome of Tuesday’s vote in the US will drive the headlines for much of this week and beyond, there’s still a full slate of results and economic updates in store for UK markets. With coronavirus cases now surging at an alarming rate, Boris Johnson has announced a [...]
UK house price growth rises to highest rate in five years October 30, 2020 UK house price growth jumped to the highest rate in five years this month, as the market continued to experience a post-lockdown bounce. Annual UK house price growth rose to 5.8 per cent in October, the highest level since January 2015. Property prices were up 0.8 per cent month-on-month compared to growth of 0.9 per [...]
Natwest returns to profit as virus loan charges fall October 30, 2020 Natwest returned to profit during the third quarter, reporting forecast-beating earnings after setting aside a smaller-than-expected sum to deal with bad loans due to the coronavirus pandemic. Natwest posted an operating profit before tax of £355m for the three months to September on an income of £1.9bn. The figure beat the bank-compiled analyst estimates of [...]
Liz Truss: NHS ‘off the table’ in Brexit talks with US October 29, 2020 International trade secretary Liz Truss has insisted the NHS remains “off the table” in post-Brexit trade talks with the US, as the government scrambles to shore up relations with presidential hopeful Joe Biden ahead of next week’s election. In a Chatham House address this afternoon, Truss said the UK will seek a “values-driven free trade [...]
Mortgage approvals soar to 13-year high as UK housing market booms October 29, 2020 Mortgage approvals jumped again in September to hit a 13-year high as pent-up demand and the stamp duty holiday fuelled the housing market despite the economy’s fragile state. Approvals of mortgages for house purchase rose sharply to 91,500 in September from 85,500 in August, the Bank of England said today. Analysts had expected the number [...]
Lloyds profit beats forecasts on pandemic mortgage boom October 29, 2020 Lloyds posted a forecast-beating profit for the third quarter as Britain’s biggest domestic lender cashed in booming demand for mortgages and set aside a smaller amount to cover bad loans. The bank returned to profitability in the three months to September after posting an unexpected loss in the first half. Lloyds reported a pre-tax profit [...]
Second lockdown ‘not inevitable’, says Robert Jenrick October 29, 2020 Ministers are doing “everything we can to avoid a full national lockdown”, housing secretary Robert Jenrick said this morning. Speaking to Sky News after France and Germany both ordered new coronavirus lockdowns last night, Jenrick said that a second set of full restrictions was not “inevitable”. He added that the government believes it can control [...]