Gloomy UK drags down economic confidence in the EU May 28, 2019 Economic sentiment in the UK fell dramatically in May as confidence in the industry sector hit its lowest level in 11 months, according to figures from the European Commission. Read more: UK business confidence lowest since 2012, says BDO British gloom held down sentiment in the European Union as a whole, with the Commission’s economic [...]
Italy could face €3bn fine over high levels of public debt May 28, 2019 The European Union could slap Italy with a €3bn (£2.7bn) fine for breaking the bloc’s rules on public debt, the country’s deputy prime minister said today. Read more: Italy escapes recession but still lags behind rest of Europe Matteo Salvini said he expected a fine to soon arrive in a letter from the EU over [...]
UK mortgage approvals hit two-year high following Brexit extension May 28, 2019 The number of mortgage approvals for house purchases in the UK reached a two-year high in April, a survey showed today, suggesting the country’s housing market may be recovering from a recent slowdown. Read more: Mortgage approvals fall as lending to businesses also drops UK banks approved 42,989 mortgages in April, the highest figure since [...]
Farewell to Theresa May, the most ineffectual Prime Minister in modern history May 28, 2019 When Theresa May departs from Number 10 for the final time, her portrait will be added to the collection which snakes down the main staircase. It is the ritualised ending for all Prime Ministers, good, bad or indifferent. It will be hard for her to walk down those stairs without thinking of her legacy, and [...]
As Brexit rages, the European project unravels before our eyes May 28, 2019 While the London foreign policy commentariat obsesses over the pathetic soap opera that is Brexit, it almost entirely misses the obvious and strategically vital point next door: the European project is in irretrievable decline, becoming increasingly peripheral to any serious global geopolitical discussion. The just-concluded European elections, which have underlined the rise of populism and [...]
Sluggish economic growth to continue as demand for lending falls May 28, 2019 The UK economy’s sluggish growth shows no signs of letting up, with all three major lending classes set to grow less than two per cent this year, new figures have revealed. Despite an uptick in real incomes, demand for consumer credit is forecast to grow just 1.6 per cent this year and two per cent [...]
EU stocks open up positive after election results allay investor fears May 27, 2019 The European stock market enjoyed a positive open this morning after EU election results failed to show a surge in populist right-wing parties. Euro Stoxx is up 0.30 per cent at the time of writing, while the FTSE has enjoyed a 0.65 per cent bounce. The French Cac and German Dax are up 0.17 per [...]
Goldman Sachs ramp up no deal Brexit chances after Theresa May resigns May 26, 2019 US investment bank Goldman Sachs has ramped up its probability of a no-deal Brexit as leading Conservatives put themselves forward to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister. Goldman Sachs analysts raised the chances of the UK leaving the EU without a deal from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, citing the emergence of hardline [...]
‘Escalation scenario’ increasingly likely in US-China trade war, warn Barclays analysts May 24, 2019 An “escalation scenario” is becoming “increasingly likely” in the US-China trade war, analysts at Barclays have warned, as China mulls its options for retaliation against US tariffs. Read more: China warns of trade repercussions after Huawei ban The Barclays note came after tough talk from China on the trade conflict, with President Xi Jinping this week [...]
We must learn from past mistakes to mitigate the impact of the next financial crisis May 24, 2019 It’s sometimes hard to believe that the global financial crisis happened more than a decade ago, and that back in 2008 the world of banking and finance was headline news on a daily basis. Read more: Jury discharged in fraud trial of senior Barclays executives Political and technological developments have changed the world immeasurably since [...]