Labour antisemitism row is reaching crisis point as talk of a split intensifies September 2, 2018 Labour's antisemitism row has dragged on all summer. The party had hoped it would be over by now. Instead, over the weekend, things notched up a level. A former chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, said British Jews were considering leaving the country over a new threat posed by the Labour party "within living memory of the [...]
Liam Fox says Treasury’s no-deal Brexit forecasts are ‘hard to swallow’ September 2, 2018 International trade secretary Liam Fox has said Treasury forecasts over a no-deal Brexit are 'hard to swallow', highlighting critical divisions in the Tory party over Brexit. Last month Philip Hammond, the chancellor, warned there would be "large fiscal consequences" if the UK crashed out of the European Union, including that Britain could end up borrowing an [...]
Theresa May vows no compromises on Brexit plan as Tory party conference looms September 2, 2018 Theresa May has said she will stick to her guns over Brexit and not "give in" to demands for a second referendum. The Prime Minister said she will "not be pushed" into compromises on her Chequers agreement that are "not in the national interest". The deal, thrashed out over the summer, would seek to impose close [...]
Britain unable to protect waters after Brexit, claims ex-Royal Navy chief September 1, 2018 Britain will not have enough ships to patrol its waters after leaving the European Union, according to the former head of the UK's naval staff. Ex-First Sea Lord, Labour peer Lord West of Spithead, warned that the country has "insufficient ships" to protect its Exclusive Economic zone days after a "scallop war" broke out between [...]
Dominic Raab ‘stubbornly optimistic’ a Brexit deal can be done August 31, 2018 Dominic Raab is "stubbornly optimistic" that a Brexit deal is within reach, he said today at the end of another week of negotiations with the EU. But Michel Barnier warned that a Brexit deal will not be possible if the two parties cannot reach a backstop agreement for the border with Northern Ireland. "With no [...]
Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson mulls Westminster move August 31, 2018 Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson is mulling a move to Westminster as part of wider ambitions for a bid to become the head of the party. According to The Sun, the popular politician has told friends she may accept a peerage in London and become a Cabinet minister, in order to be taken seriously for a [...]
Red tape for Red Bull: The ban-happy nanny state is coming for energy drinks August 31, 2018 I don’t remember the last time I saw a six-year-old queuing for a cappuccino in Pret. Nor have I ever noticed one standing in line, with their own cash, paying for their fizzy drink of choice over the counter at corner shop. That’s because realistically these instances cannot happen without the assistance of an adult, who [...]
DEBATE: Is Entrepreneurs’ Relief worth the cost to the government? August 31, 2018 Is Entrepreneurs’ Relief worth the cost to the government? Chris Chapple, tax partner at BDO, says YES. Entrepreneurs’ Relief (ER) is a generous tax relief for business owners – but let’s remember why it was created. Tax law has long offered reliefs to entrepreneurs who sell all or part of their business, of which ER [...]
It’s not rocket science – if we want more maths teachers, we should pay them more August 31, 2018 Britain faces a teaching crisis: half of new maths and physics teachers quit within five years. Just 47 per cent of those teaching these subjects at GCSE level have a relevant degree, and in the most deprived schools, it’s as low as one in five. Thursday’s report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) paints a [...]
Editor’s Notes: Time for some forward guidance on the next Bank of England governor, Labour loses a man of principle and Warren Buffett’s lunch date August 31, 2018 Mark Carney’s first speech as governor of the Bank of England was on 28 August 2013, at a lunch co-hosted by the CBI and the Institute of Directors. I was working for the latter at the time, and was leaning against the back wall with a glass of warm white wine in my hand as [...]