Osborne hits back at Labour in Pfizer row May 6, 2014 CHANCELLOR George Osborne yesterday launched a scathing attack on Labour’s track record, in an increasingly bitter political row over the proposed takeover of UK drugs giant Astrazeneca. Using language that flirted closely with protectionism, which he has so far avoided, Osborne attacked Labour’s free trade approach to foreign takeovers during its 13 years in office. When [...]
Any Other Business – 21/03 March 21, 2014 THE BUDGET-related gags still hadn’t run out of steam when the Taxpayers’ Alliance held a briefing on Tufton Street yesterday. Lib Dem MP Jeremy Browne kicked things off: “We can go and celebrate, buy 350 beers get one free,” he chortled. Lord McFall wasn’t far behind though, likening the chancellor to game show legend Noel Edmonds. [...]
UK diplomat says Brexit can boost UK’s GDP April 8, 2014 THE UK could boost its GDP by £1.3bn if the country left the EU and negotiated a looser relationship with Brussels, according to the winner of a competition to design a “Brexit” plan. The Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) announced a competition last year to plan a potential exit from the EU for the UK, [...]
City Matters: The UK has fallen behind in the global export race: Here’s how we catch up March 24, 2014 AS A SMALL island nation, the United Kingdom has a long history of punching above its weight when it comes to trade and commerce across the world. Exports have been a major driver of our economy since before the time of the Romans – even though commodities such as pottery have been replaced by professional [...]
Osborne blow to Scottish bid for currency union February 11, 2014 CHANCELLOR George Osborne is set to deliver a severe blow to Scottish hopes of a currency union if the nation votes for independence later this year. In a speech tomorrow Osborne will set out his hardest line yet on the future of the pound if the United Kingdom splits, the Prime Minister signalled at a [...]
Osborne says US and emerging market risks still threaten recovery February 4, 2014 Chancellor George Osborne has described recent US economic data as a "little soft", after two important surveys of US manufacturing failed to meet expectations yesterday. Markit and ISM purchasing managers' index results suggested that manufacturing growth in the US is starting to slow down. With PMIs coming in at 53.7 and 51.3 respectively for [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 14 May 2014 May 13, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Danone in talks over medical sale Danone is in talks with Nestle and other potential buyers over the disposal of most of its medical nutrition division, as it eyes an expansion of its baby food business. The French group, which is being advised by JP Morgan, stands to raise up to €5bn (£4.07bn) [...]
Chancellor: Workable monetary union unlikely if Scotland splits February 4, 2014 A WORKABLE monetary policy between an independent Scotland and England would be unlikely, the chancellor has told a committee. George Osborne told a Lords committee yesterday: “You have heard now from the governor of the Bank of England, from myself and from a number of other people about the fact that the assertions the SNP make [...]
New HS2 boss calls for major changes to plan March 17, 2014 THE NEW head of the controversial High Speed 2 railway has today urged the government to speed up work on the route and build a new northern hub by 2027, six years earlier than the scheduled completion date. After several months reviewing the entire project, HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins has set out his proposals [...]
Diplomat wins €100,000 prize for Brexit plot April 8, 2014 THE UK could boost its GDP by £1.3bn if the country left the EU and negotiated a looser relationship with Brussels, according to the winner of a competition to design a “Brexit” plan. The Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) announced a competition last year to plan a potential exit from the EU for the UK, [...]