SNP manifesto: Nicola Sturgeon promises Scottish veto on Brexit, end to austerity and higher taxes April 20, 2015 Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to end austerity economics at the SNP's manifesto launch at a rock climbing centre in Edinburgh. Sturgeon said that under no circumstances would the SNP do a deal with the Tories in the event of a hung parliament but would act to embolden a minority Labour government and shift policy to [...]
Jean-Claude Juncker must wake up: Only Treaty change will keep Britain in the EU April 15, 2015 A common theme in all the party manifestos this week has been a commitment to EU reform – aside from Ukip, which would like Britain to leave immediately. And many of the reforms proposed are familiar: overhauling the disastrous Common Agricultural Policy, ending the EU Parliament’s travelling circus, and completing the Single Market have been [...]
General Election 2015: Could the threat of Brexit trigger a second Scottish independence referendum? April 10, 2015 A push toward Brexit could trigger the SNP to push for a second Scottish independence referendum. The suggestion was made by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon during the Scottish leaders' debate on Wednesday. Challenged over whether her party would push for a second independence referendum, Sturgeon said the SNP was not "planning or proposing another referendum". [...]
Moody’s warns Brexit is a bigger threat to UK credit rating than 2015 General Election April 8, 2015 The prospect of Britain leaving the European Union could cause more damage to the country’s credit rating than uncertainty over the outcome of May’s General Election, Moody’s warned yesterday. The ratings agency said a potential period of uncertainty if neither the Conservatives nor Labour wins an overall majority on 7 May was unlikely to affect [...]
General Election 2015: A Labour-SNP alliance could be a fillip for markets – but not for long April 7, 2015 Of all the possible outcomes of the General Election, one scenario in particular has concerned segments of the business and investor communities. A minority Labour government supported by SNP MPs is seen by some investment commentators as a challenging combination. Although Labour has ruled out a formal coalition, there may still be the possibility of [...]
Brexit: 61pc of small business owners agree with Tony Blair and would vote to stay in the EU April 7, 2015 Tony Blair delivered a strong attack on David Cameron's EU referendum promise this morning at his old Sedgefield constituency. The former Labour leader and three-time General Election winner warned voters that the possibility of Brexit would leave "unpredictability hanging over the British economy". Whether Blair's intervention will serve to sway voters in favour of the [...]
UK is the second largest contributer to EU budget through VAT April 7, 2015 Close to a fifth of VAT contributions that go into the European Union (EU) budget comes from UK taxpayers. This is the second highest of any EU member, according to new research by Business for Britain. The lobby group, which wants the UK to get what it believes would be a fairer deal from the [...]
TV leaders’ debate: Rise of smaller parties “unnerving development for the markets” April 3, 2015 The strong showing from the smaller parties in last night's leaders' debate could add to market jitters over the unpredictable result of the General Election. Markets could become increasingly anxious as the polls continue to indicate there will be no clear winner come polling day. Nick Beecroft, senior market analyst at Saxo Bank, explaining the consequences of [...]
Ignore Brexit scaremongers: We will thrive outside the EU if Britain embraces free trade March 30, 2015 Forget the scaremongering that so often accompanies debate about Britain’s EU membership. Leaving the European Union could be a win-win for the UK. We could have more international influence, create more trade and jobs, and regain sovereign control over our own laws and borders. These are the advantages that would flow from the Global Britain [...]
Brexit would be “disastrous” for UK, says Standard Life chairman March 24, 2015 The chairman of insurer Standard Life has told the CityWeek conference it would be "disastrous for London and the UK" if Britain were to leave the single market. Sir Gerry Grimstone said: Why on earth would we not want to be part of one of the biggest markets in the world? Our whole energy should [...]