Row over Bank of England’s Venezuelan gold heats up as senior Tory MP writes to Carney January 28, 2019 The row over the Bank of England’s handling of Venezuelan gold escalated tonight after the former chair of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee revealed he had written to governor Mark Carney expressing his concerns over the arrangement. Senior Tory MP Crispin Blunt urged the governor to block President Nicolas Maduro’s attempts to take back the gold, [...]
Boris Johnson promises Theresa May ‘full-throated support’ if she beats Brexit backstop with a ‘freedom clause’ January 28, 2019 Boris Johnson today upped the pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May by calling on her to persuade the European Union to ditch the so-called Irish backstop. May’s widely unpopular Brexit deal – the result of two years of negotiations with the EU – was resoundingly rejected by parliament before Christmas, largely over concerns created by [...]
Imposing martial law in a no-deal Brexit is ‘on the statute book’, says Matt Hancock January 27, 2019 Health secretary Matt Hancock has said imposing martial law in the event of a no-deal Brexit was "on the statute book" and that the government was looking at "all possibilities". The UK is on the brink of declaring a state of emergency in case disorder breaks out if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond refuses to rule out resigning after a no-deal Brexit January 25, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond has refused to say that he would not resign if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal. Speaking at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos the chancellor said the government is looking for a deal with the European Union which will allow Britain to continue trading closely with [...]
‘No deal’ would be a betrayal of Leave voters’ hopes, warns Philip Hammond January 24, 2019 Leaving the EU without a deal would be a betrayal of the people who voted Leave in the hope of a better future, Chancellor Philip Hammond has warned as pressure grew on Theresa May to rule out exiting the bloc without an agreement. Just days before parliament resumes voting on Brexit, ministers, business leaders and trade [...]
Brexit: Minister dares May to sack him for calling no deal a ‘disaster’ January 24, 2019 A business minister has dared Theresa May to sack him as he publicly agreed with claims a ‘no deal’ Brexit would be a “disaster” for industry. Richard Harrington, minister for industry and energy, said he was “delighted” to read comments from Airbus chief Tom Enders on Thursday laying into the government’s handling of Brexit. Enders claimed [...]
Second referendum plan pulled by MPs as they blame Jeremy Corbyn for a lack of support January 24, 2019 MPs campaigning for another EU referendum have dropped plans to push for a Commons vote on the plan, blaming Jeremy Corbyn’s lack of support. A cross-party group, led by Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, used a press conference outside Parliament to announce a proposed amendment to Theresa May’s Brexit motion had been abandon. The amendment, which [...]
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier rules out time-limited Irish backstop in radio interview January 24, 2019 Michel Barnier has ruled out putting a time limit on the so-called Irish backstop as part of Britain’s revised withdrawal deal from the EU. The bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator said a time-limited backstop would defeat its purpose as a guarantee against a hard border in Ireland. “We have to maintain the credibility of this reassurance,” [...]
Davos: Philip Hammond declares Britain ‘great place to do business’ after Brexit January 24, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond is to make a pitch for the UK’s post-Brexit business credentials in Davos today, as he announces £100m investment for British innovation. Hammond will tell business leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum: “Britain is a great place to do business. And we are determined, as we leave the EU, to make [...]
Airbus chief blasts Brexit ‘disgrace,’ issues dire warning on no-deal scenario January 24, 2019 Airbus chief executive Tom Enders has issued yet another stark warning about the effect a no-deal Brexit would have on the aviation giant’s UK business. In a video message, Enders urged Britain’s politicians not to listen to “the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we [...]