Exclusive: Cabinet ministers poised to back max fac customs option as Irish border solution breaks Brexit deadlock May 31, 2018 Ministers charged with determining the UK’s position on post-Brexit customs are poised to argue for a modified version of the “max fac” option, after making a breakthrough on the Irish border issue, City A.M. understands. For nearly a month, Cabinet ministers have been analysing the two options – the new customs partnership, or NCP, initially [...]
Liberal Democrat Vince Cable slammed for “white faces” Brexit slur | City A.M. March 11, 2018 Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable has been slammed for saying the Brexit vote was driven by a nostalgia for a time “when faces were white”. Speaking at his party’s spring conference today, Cable said young people had been disappointed by the outcome of the EU referendum and that the vote had plunged the country into [...]
The classical liberal Millicent Fawcett would be outraged at today’s feminism April 27, 2018 This week, a woman took up her rightful place in Parliament Square. A statue of Millicent Fawcett has been erected in Westminster, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of (some) women gaining the right to vote. Fawcett was a prominent and effective campaigner for women’s suffrage, and played a large role in helping British women secure [...]
Opec output cuts are in a “probation period” as the market tightens, IEA says January 19, 2017 Demand for oil is rising while investors await news of whether Opec's agreed production cuts will take shape, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. A report today by the IEA said the cuts agreed on by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and 11 non-Opec producers are in a "probation period" as the market tightens. Opec said it would cut oil [...]
Oil and commodities prices: Mining firms drag the FTSE down as commodity prices drop November 15, 2017 Commodity prices tumbled this morning, dragging miners and oil firms down and causing Britain’s blue-chip index to dip. Metals including copper, nickel, zinc and aluminium came under pressure as concerns mounted over weaker economic data in China. Chinese industrial production fell to 6.2 per cent in October, missing estimates of 6.3 per cent growth and [...]
Brexit: Ireland promises to “play tough”on Brexit as border issue looms – EU commissioner Phil Hogan November 26, 2017 The UK or Northern Ireland remaining in the customs union or Single Market would solve the Irish border issue in Brexit talks, according to the Republic of Ireland’s European commissioner Phil Hogan. Speaking to the Observer, Hogan has warned the country would “continue to play tough to the end” in its threats to veto talks [...]
No deal? No problem. Institute of Economic Affairs report urges UK to turn down “bad deal” with EU August 18, 2017 A failure to strike a trade deal with the EU would not be a “disaster” for the UK, according to a report out today. While an EU agreement would be “desirable” it is judged to be “not essential” by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). Instead, Britain should focus on securing a policy that would [...]
Abolishing these 20 taxes will help the poor, says the IEA November 2, 2016 A radical free-market Westminster think thank is claiming it can maintain welfare support and improve the lot of the low-income workers while scrapping nearly every mainstream tax that the government currently imposes. The Institute of Economic Affairs says the controversial plan would see the poorest 10 per cent of the UK enjoying tax cuts worth [...]
Pious attacks on the finance sector are socially destructive February 28, 2018 Attacks on the financial sector are commonplace. The Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Jeremy Corbyn have all been critical of modern finance while demanding a financial sector that serves the “real economy”. Of course, religion and finance have always been uncomfortable bedfellows, and the extreme left now has a clear preference for a centrally [...]
What could make oil prices hit $100? January 25, 2018 If anyone thought the latest oil market outlooks of the EIA and the IEA are upbeat, here’s an even more upbeat one from Energy Aspects: The consultancy expects crude demand this year to grow by 1.7 million bpd, and says Brent could touch above $100 a barrel in 2019. According to Energy Aspects, the reason [...]