The UK’s EU referendum was the biggest nationwide vote since John Major was elected in 1992 September 13, 2016 June's Brexit referendum saw a higher turnout than any UK-wide vote for more than 20 years, the Electoral Commission has revealed. The figures confirmed that a massive 72.2 per cent of voters showed up to vote on 23 June, with almost 26.3m votes cast at polling stations. It means the referendum dwarfed every election since John [...]
European Parliament’s Brexit point man Guy Verhofstadt calls for speedy negotiation process September 13, 2016 The man appointed to lead the European Parliament's role in Brexit negotiations with Britain, Guy Verhofstadt, has called for a speedy conclusion to the process. Verhofstadt, an influential MEP who was Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008, said on Twitter today that Brexit should be delivered by 2019, when EU politics enters into [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could see his constituency scrapped under new boundary proposals September 13, 2016 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing another blow as he enters his second year as Labour leader, with the Boundary Commission revealed plans to scrap his constituency, even as polls show a yawning divide between his party and the government. Figures from pollster ICM yesterday showed his party trailing the Conservatives by 13 points at [...]
Last ever British EU commissioner pledges allegiance to Brussels September 12, 2016 The man set to become the UK's last ever European commissioner has pledged to work solely for Europe's best interests in a "marathon" hearing before members of the European Parliament. Julian King, currently the UK's ambassador to France, was announced as successor to Lord Jonathan Hill, who resigned straight after the EU referendum, having been in [...]
As Cameron steps down, Osborne plots a way to protect his own political legacy September 12, 2016 Former chancellor George Osborne is close to launching a new think tank to keep alive one of his flagship policies, Morning Wire can exclusively reveal. Osborne is said to be in the final stages of establishing a project focused on his Northern Powerhouse agenda, a central tenet of his economic and political thinking, designed to boost [...]
Hammond highlights growing importance of non-EU trade September 12, 2016 Discussions between chancellor Philip Hammond and some of the UK’s biggest exporters focused yesterday on the growing importance of trade with non-EU countries. Hammond hosted representatives from Honda, GlaxoSmithKline, Airbus, and Scotch Whisky Association at Downing Street. UK exports have more than doubled over the last 17 years, with over half of total, making up [...]
Top EU referendum campaigners launch new lobbying firm September 12, 2016 David Cameron’s former director of strategy has teamed up with Vote Leave rivals to launch a new public affairs agency. Ameet Gill, a long-time Cameron advisor, and Paul Stephenson, head of PR for Vote Leave have today unveiled Hanbury Strategy, claiming to offer clients the best of both worlds, with voices from both sides of the referendum [...]
As Hillary Clinton recovers from pneumonia, should markets worry about the state of her health? September 12, 2016 Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, says Yes. Markets are right to be concerned about the health of the US Democratic presidential nominee. First, they had increasingly been pricing in her beating Republican rival Donald Trump, who could be disruptive for the economy, and this health scare calls that into question. Everyone [...]
A truly meritocratic society would be an intrusive and cruel dystopia September 12, 2016 Meritocracy. It’s a term beloved by Conservatives, who say they want a “fair” society where people’s outcomes are determined purely by a combination of hard work and talent. This was Theresa May’s rallying cry last week as she turned Tory education policy on its head by outlining the case for a new generation of grammar [...]
Britain’s struggling Border Force is in no state to manage a post-Brexit migration crackdown September 12, 2016 When we leave the EU, we may bring in work permits or some other way of controlling immigration from Europe. The home secretary confirmed that this was on the table this weekend. To do this, however, we will need to overhaul our Border Force. In a new report released this week, I outline the deep [...]