Labour has faced crises before, but this is uncharted territory September 18, 2018 After a summer of turbulence, the Labour party conference will get underway in Liverpool next week. The stories swirling around the run-up centre on the current maelstrom of fanatical support for Jeremy Corbyn, the increasing despondence of moderate MPs, accusations of antisemitism at the heart of the party, all against a backdrop of online discussion [...]
Honda Europe presses for frictionless trading post-Brexit but vows to keep Swindon plant September 18, 2018 Honda Europe today said a no-deal Brexit would hurt its competitiveness at its plant in Swindon, but that it has no plans to relocate from the UK. Speaking to Radio 5 Live, senior vice president of Honda Europe, Ian Howells, said: "Really it hasn't come up that we would actually have to look at putting Swindon [...]
If Chequers falters, the answer to Brexit is the EEA, not no-deal September 18, 2018 The Prime Minister has come out fighting this week, announcing both to the Conservative party and to the country that it is her Chequers deal for Brexit, or no deal at all. Her efforts should be supported. Brexit requires a pragmatic, economically realistic, and constitutionally secure solution, so I support the government’s endeavours to reach [...]
Crispin Odey makes hurried correction to report he wants to enter British politics September 17, 2018 Prominent hedge fund manager Crispin Odey today issued a hurried denial that he intends to swap the world of high finance for front-line politics after a report that he was considering trying for public office. Odey, founder of Odey Asset Management, was reported by Financial News to have expressed an interest in entering political life, [...]
Brexit: EU has let ‘cat out of the bag’ over Irish border solution, claims Theresa Villiers September 17, 2018 The EU has been accused of letting the "cat out of the bag" after a leaked Brussels document suggested technology could solve the Irish backstop issue in the Brexit talks. It has been reported the EU chief's negotiator Michel Barnier is prepared to accept technology could be used to monitor goods moving between Northern Ireland and mainland [...]
Brexit means… businesses are desperate for multilinguists September 17, 2018 News that Chinese has overtaken German among A-Level students seems to make sense on paper. With Brexit on the cards and the UK looking to the global stage, Chinese – the most spoken language in the world – seems like the most sensible option for young linguists with ambitions for an international career. But our [...]
Jaguar Land Rover moves factory to three-day week amid industry ‘headwinds’ September 17, 2018 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has opted to move one of its factories to a three-day week, citing industry headwinds caused by Brexit and the transition away from diesel. The car maker said its decision to reduce output at its Castle Bromwich facility in Birmingham would last until Christmas after paring production to match market demand. Read [...]
IMF warns time has run out for no-deal Brexit preparations September 17, 2018 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today warned that the government has run out of time to prepare fully for a no-deal Brexit, saying it would impose “substantial costs”on the British economy. Christine Lagarde, the IMF's managing director, said that a no-deal Brexit risks a "reduction of the size of the UK economy", with a larger [...]
There’s a bright, collaborative future ahead for the City and Northern Ireland September 17, 2018 Last week, I embarked on a visit to Northern Ireland to engage with its financial and professional services sector. With fewer than 200 days until the UK leaves the EU, and the Irish border proving to be one of the more contentious issues surrounding negotiations, this was an excellent opportunity to hear the views of [...]
Why settle? Britain can learn from copying international competitors September 17, 2018 From the record number of business startups to historically low unemployment, there are many things that the UK gets right. Indeed, a report by Forbes late last year declared that Britain would be the best country for business this year, citing technological readiness and the size and education of our workforce as key factors. But [...]