Brexit bites: Tories and Labour suffer local election backlash amid deadlocked negotiations May 3, 2019 Voters expressed their frustration with Theresa May’s Conservative party and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour at the ballot box yesterday, it has emerged, as results continue to pour in across the UK. So far both major parties have accepted they have suffered a backlash over gridlocked Brexit negotiations, with representatives having made little progress in cross-party talks. [...]
The tangled Huawei web isn’t just about Gavin Williamson May 3, 2019 To say that Gavin Williamson was neither widely liked nor widely respected in Westminster would be an understatement. Often a figure of ridicule for the pet tarantula kept on his desk when he was chief whip, his former life as a fireplace salesman, and gaffes like saying Russia should “go away and shut up”, he [...]
Margaret Thatcher voted top Prime Minister on 40th anniversary of her first election win May 3, 2019 Margaret Thatcher has been ranked as the UK’s greatest post-war Prime Minister in a survey marking the 40th anniversary of her first election victory. Read more: CBI expresses 'deep concern' at prospect of Prime Minister Boris Johnson A Yougov poll placed Thatcher top of the pile, with 21 per cent of respondents saying she was [...]
London jumps to second in global ranking of best cities to invest in May 2, 2019 London has overtaken Hong Kong to take second place in a global ranking of cities with the most investment potential. London rose to second place in the index compiled by asset manager Schroders, up from third place in 2017 and eighth place in 2016. Its position in the table has been boosted by strong employment [...]
VCs delay funding for London’s tech startups after the latest Brexit delay May 2, 2019 The latest Brexit extension has struck hesitancy into the heart of London’s venture capitalist scene as funders delay investments in the UK tech sector. Read more: Tech sector activity gets a boost despite falling optimism Almost a quarter of the capital’s technology startups have suffered a drop in VC funding since the end of 2018 [...]
Bank of England upgrades UK growth forecast as household spending boosts economy May 2, 2019 The Bank of England once again voted to keep interest rates on hold today, as it painted a picture of an economy propped up by household spending as Brexit uncertainty continues. Read more: Morning Wire's shadow MPC votes to hold interest rates despite recent growth Threadneedle Street also upgraded Britain's 2019 economic growth forecast to 1.5 [...]
Want Britain to retain its entrepreneurial crown? Bring back the post-study visa May 2, 2019 Parliament is taking back control – and not just of Brexit. Conservative MP Jo Johnson and Labour MP Paul Blomfield have bridged the aisle to introduce an amendment to the Immigration Bill. The primary aim is to ensure that the number of international students cannot be capped by the government in order to comply with [...]
‘Fierce’ manufacturing downturn will act as major drag on Eurozone economy May 2, 2019 The Eurozone suffered its third straight month of contraction in its manufacturing sector in April, data revealed today. Germany continued to lead the downturn as the bloc’s manufacturing industry barely recovered from a six-year low in March, according to a closely-followed measure of activity. Read more: Construction industry bounces back in April amid housebuilding rush [...]
House building props up otherwise struggling construction industry as sector returns to growth May 2, 2019 Britain’s construction industry grew again in April after two months of contraction, driven by the fastest rise in house building so far in 2019. Read more: Eurozone construction sector bounces back in February after weak January The construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 50.5 in April, compared to 49.7 in March, bouncing back from [...]
From Bercow to Corbyn, Trump’s UK visit has exposed a nest of political hypocrites May 2, 2019 No sooner had the announcement been made that President Donald Trump would be making a state visit to the UK in June than a predictable flurry of criticism emerged from a group of the usual suspects. Leading this crowd of dissenters who have said that they will refuse to attend a state dinner with our [...]