In the rush to get an EU trade deal, the needs of the City must not be forgotten January 20, 2020 With 31 January less than two weeks away, after various twists and turns, the first chapter of Brexit is finally coming to a close. Although it has performed with resilience and strength in the face of a challenging economic climate, the City has been crying out for certainty and clarity for too long. And even [...]
London job-seekers optimistic after election January 20, 2020 The number of people looking for jobs in the City surged between November and December, according to a new report, suggesting that Boris Johnson’s emphatic election victory could prove a turning point for the Square Mile’s jobs market. However, the rise was not enough to outweigh the bruising effects of a year of Brexit uncertainty, [...]
London firms now more pessimistic about Brexit than rest of country January 19, 2020 London firms are now more pessimistic about the effect Brexit will have on the economy than the UK as a whole, new analysis has shown, despite being less daunted than the rest of the country by the prospect a year ago. However, the capital’s businesses remain more confident about their trading prospects, hiring intentions and [...]
Chancellor Sajid Javid warns business ‘there will be no alignment’ with EU on regulations January 18, 2020 The Chancellor has warned businesses that “there will not be alignment” with the EU on regulations following Brexit. Sajid Javid said firms will have to “adjust” to new regulations. The automotive and pharmaceutical industries were among those that warned the government last year of the damage that not aligning with the EU could do. Javid [...]
Brexiters raise £150,000 for Big Ben Brexit bongs – but it could all be for nothing January 17, 2020 Brexiters have funnelled over £150,000 into a fundraising campaign to ring Big Ben to mark Brexit Day on 31 January – but the cash could not be enough, the Prime Minister has warned. The “Big Ben must bong for Brexit” campaign, set up by Stand Up 4 Brexit, is seeking to raise the £500,000 required [...]
Sadiq Khan warns against Westminster ‘anti-London agenda’ January 17, 2020 Sadiq Khan urged Labour and the Conservatives to ditch their “anti-London agenda” in a speech to City grandees last night. The speech, at Canada Corporation’s London government dinner, hit out at Boris Johnson’s plans for “re-balancing spending away from London and towards other parts of the country”. However, the Tories weren’t the [...]
DEBATE: Should Big Ben bong on 31 January to mark Britain’s exit from the EU? January 17, 2020 Should Big Ben bong on 31 January to mark Britain’s exit from the EU? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. Whether a bell rings at a certain time is a trivial thing. But it is symbolic, and symbols matter — to people, and to nations. Stymieing the ringing of a bell that rang two [...]
Crossrail 2 may already be facing delays, says Sadiq Khan January 16, 2020 Crossrail 2 may have been delayed before government approval has even been given, according to Sadiq Khan. The £41.3bn rail project – a new Tube line running from North to South London – is in limbo as it awaits for the Department for Transport (DfT) to deliberate on its business plan. Under the current funding [...]
City Hall’s 300 per cent rise in office spending under Sadiq Khan queried January 16, 2020 A threefold increase in City Hall office spending under Sadiq Khan has come under question, with one London Assembly member suggesting it could be “uncontrolled”. The assembly’s Budget Committee today released its first response to the mayor’s 2020-21 budget, which details £17bn of public expenditure. Read more: Sadiq Khan has increased press office spending by [...]
Nigel Farage’s Westminster Brexit bash granted planning approval January 15, 2020 Nigel Farage has been granted permission to throw a Brexit day party at Wesminster’s Parliament Square. The Brexit bash is set for 31 January to coincide with the date Britain leaves the EU, and is expected to cost £100,000 and attract 10,000 people. Read more: Planning uncertainty over Nigel Farage Brexit night party Farage tweeted [...]