CBI welcomes Prime Minister’s Brexit trade deal deadline December 17, 2019 The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has thrown its support behind Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans to leave the EU with or without a Brexit trade deal come December 2020. Often vocal in its opposition to the government’s stance on a no-deal Brexit, the CBI today welcomed Johnson’s decision to block any further Brexit delay, [...]
Friday marks the end of the beginning of the Brexit battle January 29, 2020 One of Winston Churchill’s many gifts was his ability to summon the force of his rhetoric as a means of divining the feeling of the British nation. His passionate invocations in the dark days of the summer of 1940, when the UK stood alone against the Nazi menace, were masterpieces of fighting spirit, helping to [...]
Can the UK pull off a Brexit trade deal? The key dates for 2020 January 9, 2020 After nearly four years, today will see the UK take its first real step towards leaving the EU before negotiating a tricky Brexit trade deal. The Commons is set to vote for Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) after the Prime Minister emerged victorious from the December election with an 80-seat majority. But what happens [...]
EU considers giving citizens explicit rights over facial recognition data August 22, 2019 The European Commission is considering introducing strict regulations governing the use of facial recognition technology that would give EU citizens explicit rights over the use of their facial recognition data. The Commission’s plans, which were first reported in the Financial Times, would be part of a wider overhaul into how the EU regulates artificial intelligence [...]
MEPs pick Italian as new European parliament president July 3, 2019 The European parliament named an Italian social democrat as its new president today to complete a raft of new appointments to fill the highest-ranking roles in the EU. Read more: Meet the neighbours: Christine Lagarde set to front new-look EU leadership David Sassoli, 63, beat three German, Spanish and Czech candidates to the role, which [...]
IMF chief Christine Lagarde among surprise picks for EU top jobs July 2, 2019 The heads of EU member last night confirmed their preferred candidates for a raft of top jobs, setting the potential future direction of the bloc for the next five years after weeks of frantic negotiations. Germany’s defence minister Ursula von der Leyen was nominated as the new EU commission president, replacing the outgoing Jean-Claude Juncker. [...]
Why Davos matters in the millennial world December 20, 2019 Davos. Even the word conjures up images of Alpine glamour, exclusivity, high society and power. This week we learned that Boris Johnson has banned his ministers from attending the 2020 World Economic Forum in the Swiss town, Downing Street stressing that the new government is focusing on “delivering for the people, not champagne with billionaires”. [...]
The EU’s new ‘dream team’ portends disaster for the failing bloc July 22, 2019 The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus put it perfectly: character is destiny. In the case of the European Union’s recent undemocratic appointment of a comically inept rogue’s gallery as its new Commission president, head of the European Central Bank (ECB), and foreign minister, there is little doubt that come the next crisis, these deeply mediocre individuals [...]
Philip Hammond ‘may quit Downing Street’ before new PM takes power if Boris wins July 18, 2019 Philip Hammond may be set to jump before he is pushed out of office by Boris Johnson, it is reported. The chancellor of the Exchequer could order removal vans to 11 Downing Street as early as today, according to the Daily Mail, which reported that Hammond has told friends he is set to quit. Read [...]
Why Vestager’s legacy is about to catch up with her September 14, 2019 It was a week full of surprises in the world of tech antitrust regulation. On Monday, Google found itself at the centre of a 50-state investigation by the US attorneys general into a range of anti-competitive practices. By the end of the week, publishers had hit out en masse at Google and Facebook for “unscrupulous [...]