David Cameron: Let us block migrant benefits or we’ll leave EU November 27, 2014 David Cameron will today fire a warning shot over EU negotiations by revealing plans to dramatically tighten benefits allowances for immigrants from within the Union. The Prime Minister will toughen his stance by insisting that he is ready for Britain to leave the EU unless benefits for migrants can be severely restricted. His speech comes in [...]
Mario Draghi: Eurozone’s future at risk if prosperity does not spread November 27, 2014 Eurozone countries could start to consider leaving the currency union if prosperity does not spread across the area, European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi said yesterday. If countries such as Greece remain permanently less competitive than those like Finland, with higher unemployment and lower growth, “this threatens the essential cohesion of the union”, he said. Draghi [...]
Boris Johnson leads London FinTech delegation to Singapore in push to expose City startups and entrepreneurs November 27, 2014 London’s financial technology (FinTech) sector has received more than half of all European FinTech venture capital (VC) investments made so far this year, a record $539m (£342.6m) and triple the amount raised in 2013. The new figures from London & Partners come as London Mayor Boris Johnson leads a FinTech trade delegation in Singapore today [...]
UK immigration: David Cameron to call for end to EU migrant tax credits November 27, 2014 David Cameron is to call for measures aimed at making the UK a less attractive option for European Union immigrants, in a move that will see more claims he is imitating UKIP. In a speech on Friday the Prime Minister will say that the UK’s continued membership of the EU is dependent on the UK [...]
Jean-Claude Juncker says he should have changed Luxembourg’s tax laws November 27, 2014 Jean Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, has responded to criticisms of Luxembourg’s tax system while he was in government. The former Prime Minister said he wished his government had legislated to to give it more control of tax deals by international companies. He said the tax structure was a way to diversify [...]
Mario Draghi makes case for for economic union November 27, 2014 Mario Draghi has upped the rhetoric and made the strongest statement yet about creating economic union in the single currency zone. Speaking in Helsinki, the European Central Bank (ECB) president said existing powers, under the Stability and Growth Pact, do not go far enough. Draghi wants certain decisions about fiscal reform to be taken [...]
Stagecoach share price jumps on East Coast mainline rail franchise win with Richard Branson’s Virgin November 27, 2014 Stagecoach and Virgin are the joint winners of a bid to run the East Coast mainline route, netting the government £3.3bn over the next eight years. The route between London and Edinburgh has been publicly run since 2009 after previous operator National Express ran into difficulties and gave up the contract. Stagecoach and Virgin, which [...]
City will snub Juncker’s masterplan, MEP warns November 26, 2014 A LONDON MEP has warned European president Jean-Claude Juncker that the City will snub his £250bn investment plan because investors are wary of government infrastructure projects. The claim follow’s Juncker’s announcement yesterday that the £250bn fund will be used to generate 15 times more investment from private companies, in a bid to kick-start Europe’s flagging [...]
Labour’s VAT jibe is political hot air, George Osborne won’t bite November 26, 2014 It’s that time of year again folks. The Christmas adverts have taken root on our TV screens and Marks and Spencer has its “tastefully festive” album playing in store. That’s right, the Autumn Statement is just around the corner and boy what a stocking full of goodies the chancellor is preparing to give away this [...]
Economists are pessimistic over ECB purchases November 26, 2014 A EUROPEAN official yesterday hinted that controversial government bond purchases could begin early in 2015. However, economists remain pessimistic with regard to the size and scope of any future purchases. European Central Bank (ECB) vice president Vitor Constancio said policy makers would wait and see if current policies had any success in the first three [...]