UK banking’s falling competitiveness should worry the whole of the country May 14, 2015 Contrary to most expectations, we have a government. And although David Cameron might have felt he had it difficult in his first term as Prime Minister – dealing with a huge budget deficit while in coalition – this term also has its challenges. His majority is slim, there is the far from little matter of [...]
Labour made a strategic error in opposing an EU vote: It must reverse course May 14, 2015 Now that the stoor is settling, Labour might want to consider some of the blunders Ed Miliband made that helped drive voters towards the Conservatives – or even Ukip. The first is that Labour made a strategic error by not offering an in/out EU referendum. This misjudgement delivered four outcomes that Miliband could have avoided: [...]
Can Labour win in 2020? The tectonic plates are shifting in the Tories’ favour May 13, 2015 Deja vu about 1992 is back. In the immediate aftermath of the 1992 election, speculation was rife that the Labour Party would be out of power for a generation. Five years later, Tony Blair won in a landslide. Will we see the same political cycle over the coming years, with Labour gradually re-establishing itself and [...]
George Osborne starts his EU reform push with ministers in Brussels May 12, 2015 Britain’s EU renegotiation process is officially underway, as chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne made his first post-General Election trip to Brussels yesterday. Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU finance ministers, Osborne said he went to Brussels “with a very clear mandate to improve Britain’s relationship with the rest of the European Union, and to [...]
EU referendum: German finance minister says Europe won’t be rushed on UK’s demands May 12, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron has only just formed his new all-tory new cabinet, but already he's trying to get the ball rolling on Europe. In fact, earlier today it was reported that he wants to bring the referendum on EU membership forward to next year. First of all, he wants to try and get a [...]
David Cameron might bring the EU referendum forward to next year May 12, 2015 David Cameron could bring the referendum on EU membership forward to next year – a year earlier than was originally promised. The Prime Minister is drawing up the plans in order to avoid coinciding with the German and French elections in 2017, which could end up creating a crash. One source told The Guardian [...]
Business wish lists for Sajid Javid from day one May 11, 2015 Industry groups sent their requests to the new business secretary just hours after David Cameron told him he got the job yesterday, with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the EEF all contacting Sajid Javid. CBI Director-General John Cridland said Javid was “an excellent Treasury minister and will be [...]
Bring forward the EU referendum: The UK’s tech sector can’t wait two years May 11, 2015 As the dust settles on one of the most extraordinary General Election campaigns in generations, a new battle looms on the horizon for Tech City. The nation now faces a war over “Brexit”. David Cameron’s promise to hold a referendum by 2017 on the UK’s EU membership will have major repercussions for the economy and, [...]
David Cameron to act quickly on EU renegotiations and in-out referendum May 11, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron is facing increased pressure to fast-track his plans to reform Britain’s relationship with the European Union. Cameron is widely expected to introduce legislation for an in-out referendum during the early days of the new parliament, as well as ramp up discussions about reform within the EU ahead of the next [...]
Referendum opponents must now get behind the push for EU reform May 10, 2015 Not many people predicted Thursday’s monumental shift in the political tectonics, least of all the people paid to make the predictions, the pollsters. But there was one politician who foresaw the total collapse of the Liberal Democrats that contributed so largely to the Tory majority we have today. The result means that very same politician [...]