Brexit deal agreed by cabinet after ‘impassioned’ five-hour meeting November 14, 2018 Theresa May squeaked her Brexit deal through a divided Cabinet on Wednesday in an historic moment for the UK. After a five-hour meeting the Prime Minister emerged from Downing Street at just after 7pm to declare her ministers had backed her controversial proposals on how to withdraw the UK from the EU. The marathon meeting [...]
New Crossrail boss to be paid £45,000 more than predecessor Simon Wright amid ongoing project troubles November 14, 2018 Incoming Crossrail boss Mark Wild is set to earn £415,000 – a £45,000 increase on the earnings of his predecessor, Simon Wright. Wild, the current managing director of the London Underground, will retain his Transport for London (TfL) salary of £285,000 on top a non-consolidated allowance of £130,000 for his role as Crossrail CEO. He [...]
Fairytale economics will not enchant markets November 14, 2018 In a remarkable break with the economic prudence of the past decade, policymakers in the west are taking their feet off the spending brakes. During the recent midterm elections in the US, President Trump hailed the continuing stream of positive economic data and Democrats’ warnings about the cost of tax cuts failed to cut through. Meanwhile the [...]
US midterm elections: Is gridlock good? November 14, 2018 | City Talk Further tax cuts unlikely but will Trump strike a deal on trade? Keith Wade, Chief Economist, says: “The midterm elections restored some faith in opinion polls with the Democrats taking the House of Representatives and the Republicans holding the Senate. Conventional wisdom has it that a gridlocked Congress is good for markets as it prevents [...]
Government caves on fixed-odds betting terminal reform in face of parliamentary backlash November 14, 2018 The government has U-turned on delayed changes to fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), bringing forward a widely called-for cap on stakes to April, after the sports minister resigned over the issue. Shares in gambling companies rallied sharply on the news with GVC up 8.1 per cent, Paddy Power Betfair up 7.5 per cent, William Hill up 2.1 [...]
Sports Direct confirms closures of four more House of Fraser stores around the UK November 14, 2018 Four more House of Fraser branches are set to close under new owner Sports Direct as negotiations with a landlord broke down. House of Fraser said today that its Intu-owned sites in Norwich and Nottingham, as well as shopping centre stores in Lakeside in Essex and Metrocentre in Gateshead, will close in early 2019. The [...]
Brexit: Theresa May warned she will lose support of her party over draft deal November 14, 2018 Theresa May was today warned she will lose the support of Conservative MPs if a draft Brexit agreement could see the UK being kept in a customs union with the EU. Veteran Brexit supporter Peter Bone issued the stark warning to the Prime Minister less than two hours before a meeting of the cabinet to [...]
Here are the six (yes, six) reviews the audit sector is currently facing November 14, 2018 As 2018 continues to be the annus horribilis of audit, bean counters are finding that sector reviews are, as the saying goes, like buses. With news this week that MPs are going to launch their own super-inquiry, the sector now faces six reviews. If that seems like more than you’ve got to grips with, here’s a [...]
TfL to lose £200m from Crossrail delay next year November 14, 2018 The delay to Crossrail will cost Transport for London (TfL) nearly £200m in lost passenger fares and advertising revenue next year, the London Assembly has found. Cash-strapped TfL, which is facing a £1bn operational deficit this year, was relying on the £15.4bn Elizabeth Line to shore up its balance sheet. After months of assurances, the project [...]
Central banks could issue state-backed digital currencies, says IMF November 14, 2018 Central banks could issue digital currency, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde said today. Speaking at an event in Singapore, Lagarde mooted a state-backed digital token, or an account held at the central bank for consumers and firms to use for retail payments. As the demand for cashless payments increases, digital currency could provide security [...]