Big tech firms like Google, Amazon and Facebook spent a record amount on political lobbying last year January 24, 2019 Google, Amazon and Facebook's bill for lobbying the US government hit record highs last year, as life under the Trump administration put big tech firms in the spotlight. Google parent firm Alphabet said it spent $21.2m (£16.3m) on political lobbying costs in the US last year, topping its previous all-time high of $18.2m achieved in 2012. It [...]
DEBATE: Following reports of the Dyson relocation, is Singapore the new go-to place for tech? January 24, 2019 Following reports of the Dyson relocation, is Singapore the new go-to place for tech? Elsa Hu, director of Asia at GP Bullhound, says YES. Singapore has long been the headquarters of choice for Southeast Asian tech startups, due to its mature business ecosystem, proximity to two of the world’s booming economies, huge talent pool, and attitude [...]
The Franco-German push for EU integration may backfire January 24, 2019 Amid the turmoil of the Brexit process, it is perhaps understandable that British eyes have not been focused much on recent developments within the European Union. After all, nobody is particularly interested in changes in a club when their membership is about to lapse. But just as we are preparing to set the seal on our [...]
The US government shutdown drags on, but London never closes for business January 24, 2019 As the longest government shutdown in US history rumbles on – sparked by Donald Trump’s insistence to build a border wall that Democrats in Congress have refused to grant funding for – Wall Street and Silicon Valley have been left in serious IPO limbo. Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have not worked [...]
Davos: Philip Hammond declares Britain ‘great place to do business’ after Brexit January 24, 2019 Chancellor Philip Hammond is to make a pitch for the UK’s post-Brexit business credentials in Davos today, as he announces £100m investment for British innovation. Hammond will tell business leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum: “Britain is a great place to do business. And we are determined, as we leave the EU, to make [...]
Airbus chief blasts Brexit ‘disgrace,’ issues dire warning on no-deal scenario January 24, 2019 Airbus chief executive Tom Enders has issued yet another stark warning about the effect a no-deal Brexit would have on the aviation giant’s UK business. In a video message, Enders urged Britain’s politicians not to listen to “the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we [...]
Sterling rises as traders buy into soft Brexit noises January 23, 2019 Traders banked on the likelihood of a ‘no deal’ Brexit diminishing as sterling leapt to a two month high against the dollar on Wednesday The pound peaked at 1.3079 against the US currency as noises from both Westminster and Davos suggested a softer Brexit was likely. In London, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held a meeting with [...]
Suspend parliament if it tries to block no-deal Brexit, says Jacob Rees-Mogg January 23, 2019 Leading Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg has called on Theresa May to suspend parliament if tries to block a no-deal Brexit. Labour MP Yvette Cooper is leading a cross-party move to get it written into law that the UK cannot leave the EU without an agreement. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is meeting with Cooper to discuss whether Labour will [...]
Pound rises to 10-week high as fears of a no-deal Brexit recede January 23, 2019 Sterling rose to above $1.30 today reaching a 10-week high as fears of a no-deal Brexit eased. The pound also rose against the Euro to its highest level in a month, rising to near €1.15. Sterling’s rise was helped by hopes that the Labour Party would move to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Labour MP Yvette [...]
Neil Woodford increases stake in construction giant Kier after chief executive’s departure January 23, 2019 Neil Woodford has upped his stake in troubled construction outsourcer Kier Group by millions of pounds in the wake of the firm’s chief executive resigning yesterday. The veteran investor, a leading stakeholder in the firm, had been pressing for changes at executive level in the company after a botched rights issue drove its value to [...]
