The Conservative party needs to rediscover its economic way March 12, 2019 For most people, the Conservative’s 2015 “long-term economic plan” is now a distant memory. But as someone who was deeply immersed in that election campaign, I still sometimes wake up at night reciting its contents. Though much mocked for its repetition, the plan was more than just a catchphrase. From deficit reduction and tax cuts [...]
May prepares to face MPs after last-minute talks with EU March 12, 2019 Prime Minister Theresa May claimed victory in a last-minute round of negotiations with the EU last night, as she set out new legal guarantees over the controversial Irish backstop protocol. Speaking in Strasbourg after a late-night meeting with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, May claimed a new, legally-binding agreement would sit alongside her withdrawal deal [...]
Forget Brexit, corporate debt is a bigger issue March 11, 2019 As a few of you might have been told many times already, today is the latest Brexit D-Day for the UK, and for Theresa May in particular. Now, despite the fact that I am – at the moment that you are reading this – down on a chilly College Green in Westminster reporting on the latest [...]
Sterling falls as Downing Street admits Brexit talks are ‘deadlocked’ ahead of meaningful vote March 11, 2019 Downing Street has admitted that Brexit talks with the EU have reached a stalemate before Theresa May puts her deal to MPs in another meaningful vote tomorrow, sending sterling to a three-week low. The Prime Minister spent her Sunday night in talks with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker after a last-ditch visit to Brussels by the [...]
Senior Tory MPs urge Theresa May to cancel Brexit vote March 11, 2019 Senior Tory MPs have urged Prime Minister Theresa May to cancel tomorrow’s vote on her Brexit deal amid fears she faces another heavy defeat, the Times has reported. Leading Conservatives have told May she should pull the meaningful vote unless she secures major concessions from the EU. Read more: Brexiters dismiss reports they could swing [...]
Brexiters slap down reports they could swing behind Theresa May’s deal if she quits by June March 10, 2019 The Tory party opened up a new front in its ongoing civil war tonight after senior Brexiters slapped down reports that they could get behind Theresa May’s Brexit deal if she offers her resignation by June. Brexiters told City A.M. the reports were part of a disinformation campaign by Downing Street to swing MPs behind [...]
Theresa May faces ‘inevitable’ defeat in parliament unless her deal changes, Brexiters warn March 10, 2019 Two leading Brexiters have warned Theresa May that she faces an "inevitable" defeat in the parliament unless she wins significant changes to the withdrawal agreement. Nigel Dodds, the Westminster leader of the DUP which props up Theresa May's minority government, and Tory MP Steve Baker also warned that a delay to UK's departure from the EU [...]
Billions of pounds available by backing Theresa May’s deal, says Philip Hammond March 9, 2019 Chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond has said getting behind Theresa May's Brexit deal would free up billions of pounds in extra public spending or tax cuts. Hammond also dismissed the importance being placed on the Irish backstop, which could force the UK into an EU customs union in order to avoid a hard Irish border, claiming they are "not [...]
EU negotiator Michel Barnier offers UK unilateral customs union exit March 8, 2019 The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK will have the option to withdraw unilaterally from the customs union element of the backstop agreement. Barnier today briefed EU ambassadors on the ongoing talks with Prime Minister Theresa May and outlined the proposals it will offer. Read more: Barnier rules out time limit on Irish [...]
Tories would win snap election if called tomorrow, according to latest polling data March 8, 2019 The Conservative party would win a snap general election if it were called tomorrow, according to the latest Yougov poll. Yougov’s latest voter intention survey found 40 per cent of people would vote for the Conservatives, while just 31 per cent would vote for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party. Read more: May presses EU to commit [...]