“No plan” Brexit memo: Companies will “point a gun at the government’s head” November 15, 2016 A leaked memo, claiming the government has no plan on Brexit, warned that companies can be expected to “point a gun at the government’s head”, with the actions of Nissan a “prime example”. The memo, prepared for the Cabinet Office, also noted that the business world has come to two “unpleasant realisations”: First, that the government’s [...]
Mapped: This is the route HS2 will take north of Birmingham November 15, 2016 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed the majority of the preferred HS2 route from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds. It is expected that Phase Two will begin operating trains around 2033 as part of the HS2 network, with part of the route (between West Midlands and Crewe) to open in 2027 [...]
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin want to “normalise US-Russia ties” November 15, 2016 The election of Donald Trump can help “normalise US-Russia ties”, the Kremlin has said. President-elect Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared their first phone conversation on Monday night after last week’s election. Read more: Global leaders react to Trump victory: Putin offers his congratulations The Kremlin said the pair had agreed that the current [...]
Britain needs a culture shift if it’s going to lead the world on free trade November 15, 2016 In her most pro-business speech since she came to power, Theresa May last night made a grown-up argument for Britain to promote free trade. This is excellent. But as the Prime Minister knows, it will take a lot more than pro-trade rhetoric to make things happen. Britain will have to take concrete steps at home and [...]
Downing Street wants to spend £1 in every £3 on small businesses by 2020 November 15, 2016 Downing Street has recruited 24 bosses from across the UK to help boost public spending with the UK's small businesses. A new small firm panel will help drive the government's new target of 33 per cent of public spending going on businesses with fewer than 250 staff. Last year, small businesses took 27 per cent, [...]
Optimism on the future of the UK economy has plummeted among bosses according to a new survey November 15, 2016 Business leaders are pleading with the government to restore faith in the wider economy next week after a survey showed confidence amongst bosses plummeting through October. While optimism had been growing in the aftermath the summer referendum, new figures from the Institute of Directors show expectations fell dramatically last month. An IoD survey of over [...]
Bosses are demanding a radical shake-up of tax laws to prevent firms facing avoidance charges November 15, 2016 Some of the country's top bosses are demanding a radical shake-up of the UK's tax rules to prevent businesses from being hauled up on charges of avoidance. In a submission to the Treasury ahead of next week's Autumn Statement, the Institute of Directors is calling on the government to create a "white list" for authentic [...]
Prime Minister Theresa May warns weight needs to be given to globalisation worries November 14, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May warned tonight that political "change is in the air" throughout western democracies, telling an audience in the City: "globalisation in its current form has left too many people behind". Speaking at the Lord Mayor's banquet at the Guildhall, May accepted that liberalism and globalisation continue to have "an overwhelmingly positive impact [...]
The Trump-Hammond-Keynesian consensus is wrong: Higher infrastructure spending does not equal greater growth November 14, 2016 To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Or when it comes to the UK economy: to an economist who believed in fiscal stimulus in 2011, every period of time looks like an opportunity for more government spending. In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory last week, even his most vociferous left-leaning economic critics [...]
Have you been pleasantly surprised by Donald Trump’s performance since the election? November 14, 2016 Tim Worstall, senior fellow of the Adam Smith Institute, says Yes. Pleasantly surprised is to put it mildly. The sight of special snowflake heads exploding in outrage all around has been hugely enjoyable. According to them, threats to deport 3m illegal immigrants seem to be different from the 3m deported under the Obama administration. The [...]