Britain and the US can show the world what a free trade deal should like September 19, 2018 Now might seem an odd time to be considering new free trade deals with the US, when President Donald Trump has just escalated his trade war with China by imposing new tariffs on $200bn worth of goods. The UK, meanwhile, is still focused on resolving the uncertainty surrounding its future trading relationship with the EU. [...]
Ignore Michael Gove – there’ll be no chance to edit Chequers once the ink is dry September 19, 2018 Theresa May’s ambush of her own cabinet in July by presenting the fait accompli of the proposed Chequers deal, which the EU remains unconvinced about and which will be the subject of discussion among EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow, was for me the low point of the Brexit negotiations. That was until last Sunday, when [...]
The Bank of England’s own data negates Carney’s overhyped house price warning September 19, 2018 No one can tell them quite like Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England. He appears to have briefed the cabinet last week that house prices could fall by 35 per cent in the event of a no-deal Brexit. To be fair, the Bank did try to qualify this figure by saying that [...]
‘Wild West’ world of cryptocurrencies needs to be regulated, MPs warn Philip Hammond September 19, 2018 The "Wild West" world of cryptocurrencies needs to be independently regulated to protect customers and prevent money-laundering, a powerful group of MPs today demanded. A report from the Treasury Select Committee warns the current system of self-regulation is not fit for purpose, and adverts promoting digital currencies are often misleading. Among the problems facing cryptocurrency [...]
EU working to improve Irish border backstop proposal, Barnier says September 18, 2018 The European Union has softened its approach to the Irish border backstop "insurance policy" arrangement, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said this evening, in a push to effectively complete the Brexit deal within the next month. Speaking in Brussels ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Salzburg tomorrow and Thursday, Barnier confirmed that work was ongoing to improve the offer to Britain and said [...]
Time for the government to set out the details of its post-Brexit immigration policy September 18, 2018 Inch by inch, the government is creeping closer to a new immigration policy. With the publication yesterday of the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) report, there are no reasons left not to set out a vision for this complicated and contentious area of policy. The expectation is that Theresa May will use her speech to [...]
Tit-for-tat Trump tariffs to take trans-Pacific trade toll September 18, 2018 The trade war between the US and China escalated today as the world’s two largest economies imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on goods worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The Chinese commerce ministry said it had to retaliate against America's decision to levy 10 per cent tariffs on $200bn (£150bn) worth of Chinese goods from 24 September [...]
Boris Johnson’s flagship cycle superhighway costs £62,000 for every extra cyclist September 18, 2018 Boris Johnson’s controversial cycle superhighway, heralded as London’s “Crossrail of cycling”, is costing taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds for every new cyclist it attracts, according to new figures. Today’s new information from Transport for London (TfL) is likely to provide fresh ammunition to critics of the £47m project, which has come under fire from [...]
Fifty London streets to go car-free this week for World Car Free day September 18, 2018 London motorists have been told to ditch their cars this Saturday as parts of London take part in World Car Free day. Around 50 streets will be off limits to cars, including Greenwich Town Centre and Bermondsey Street, to allow communities to enjoy the traffic-free day. Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) will be supporting London [...]
Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to become Space X’s first private passenger in trip to the moon September 18, 2018 A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon is set to become the first private passenger to fly around the moon after revealing he will join Elon Musk’s SpaceX mission into orbit. Yusaku Maezawa, who owns fashion retailer Zozo, is expected to lift off on the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) in 2023 after being unveiled as [...]