Theresa May and David Davis will make a surprise visit to Brussels for a private dinner with the European commission chief, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the EU’s top Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, in a diplomacy blitz before a crucial summit this week. May and Davis will visit Juncker and Barnier in the Belgian capital on Monday evening, where they are expected to make the case for EU leaders to agree to move on negotiations, to pave the way for discussions of Britain’s future relationship with the EU. Though Downing Street insisted the dinner had long been in May’s diary, EU sources suggested it may have been more last-minute, but were not able to provide confirmation. The EU, led by Germany and France, has sought to harden its position towards the prospect of trade talks beginning before Christmas. The UK has been unable to break the EU wall of unity that insists the talks about future relations cannot start until talks on the terms of departure are settled. … [Read more...] about May and Davis to travel to Brussels for urgent Brexit talks
Brexit
Brexit comes to Pooh Corner as Terri May demands Chistopher Grayling replaces Remainer Christopher Robin
The Scene: Pooh Corner. It’s a cold winter’s day and the inhabitants are sat together under the branches of a tree, trying to ward off the chill. Winnie-the-Pooh is absent and there is no sign of Tigger or Kanga. They look a trifle perplexed when instead of the youthful Christopher a balding bloke in a suit gambols up to them with a sunny smile. Piglet: “Who are you? And where’s Christopher Robin?” The balding bloke: “What ho chums! I’m Christopher Grayling. Terri May sent me down here to replace that other Christopher because he’s not being sufficiently positive about Brexit.” Piglet: “Well that’s you screwed Eeyore. You’re the biggest Remoaner of the lot of us.” Eeyore, sighing heavily: “Is that any wonder? What’s there to be positive about. Poor Pooh’s spent the last two days sleeping outside Sainsbury’s in an attempt to buy honey.” Christopher Grayling, still … [Read more...] about Brexit comes to Pooh Corner as Terri May demands Chistopher Grayling replaces Remainer Christopher Robin
Who is Michael Fish, what did the weatherman say about the Great Storm of 1987?
FORMER BBC weatherman Michael Fish became synonymous with wrong British forecasts after the Great Storm of 1987. The presenter famously said there would definitely not be a hurricane in 1987, the night before the storm. But what has Mr Fish said about the blunder? Michael Fish was born in Eastbourne, Sussex in 1938 and studied at City University in London. He joined the Met Office in 1962 and started doing broadcasting for BBC Radio nine years later even though he wasn't actually working for the corporation. He begun weather forecasting for the broadcaster in 1974 and for 30 years he was a familiar face on BBC Weather news, gracing viewers with his chequered two-piece suits in varying shades of beige. The married dad-of-two who is also an author and keen actor, was awarded an MBE in 2014, for services to broadcasting. During his final forecast before he retired in 2004, his colleague Ian McCaskill called him the "the last of the true weatherman you will ever see". In an … [Read more...] about Who is Michael Fish, what did the weatherman say about the Great Storm of 1987?
Stronger commodity prices drive FTSE 100 higher; markets await Catalonia deadline
Stronger commodity prices drive FTSE 100 higher; miners lead the UK's blue-chip index early on Bloomberg Commodity Index hits six month high; Brent crude touches over $58 per barrel Medical products manufacturer ConvaTec plunges 14pc on lower growth guidance 9am (BST) deadline for Catalonia to clarify declaration of independence in focus on the markets; IBEX 35 retreats 0.9pc ahead of the announcement Auto update On Off 8:53AM ConvaTec plunges 16pc as supply issues hamper third quarter performance ConvaTec's products are used in acute wound care and critical care Blue-chip medical products manufacturer ConvaTec doesn't make many headlines compared to its FTSE 100 peers but it's near the top of the agenda this morning after plunging 16pc. Investors dumped the stock after it said that it expects to deliver full-year organic revenue growth of between 1pc to 2pc compared to its 4pc estimate in May. The company, which only floated a … [Read more...] about Stronger commodity prices drive FTSE 100 higher; markets await Catalonia deadline
Pound to euro exchange rate – sterling bounces back after Pound to euro exchange rate – sterling bounces back after dramatically plummeting upon Michel Barnier’s Brexit ‘deadlock’ comments on Friday
THE pound has continued to make a strong comeback against the euro. Sterling is currently trading at €1.1284 at the start of play this morning – a 0.43 per cent increase since markets closed. But that comparison doesn’t tell the whole tale. The pound dramatically plummeted at around midday on Friday after EU negotiator Michel Barnier said the latest round of Brexit talks had ended in “deadlock”. He told reporters: "On this basis I am not able in the current circumstances to propose next week to the European Council that we should start discussions on the future relationship." Sterling fell from €1.116 to €1.109 within the first hour of the press conference. But the pound rallied later in the day after it was reported Barnier was willing to offer the UK to a two-year transition period. Its value against the euro shot back up – surpassing its value yesterday morning which stood at €1.1165. The pound has seen a decline … [Read more...] about Pound to euro exchange rate – sterling bounces back after Pound to euro exchange rate – sterling bounces back after dramatically plummeting upon Michel Barnier’s Brexit ‘deadlock’ comments on Friday
The private sector has failed. Only councils can be trusted to build the homes we need
There is only one way more affordable homes will get built in this country and that is if local authorities like my own borough are given the resources to build them. As we move into the Brexit era, Britain must be far more visionary and build homes that become national assets. Private developers build the bare minimum of affordable homes; their real focus is on profits from luxury developments. Only when public institutions take the lead in housing models will we see the kind of homes being built that begin to address our housing crisis. In my local area, even within the existing restrictive system, we have demonstrated that it is possible to build affordable homes, particularly on disused railway land. in 2012, I negotiated the development of land owned by Network Rail at Royal Mint Street. There are significant pockets of disused railway land across the whole of London and I can see the potential for other railway villages. But councils can’t tackle this crisis alone. I would … [Read more...] about The private sector has failed. Only councils can be trusted to build the homes we need
Brexit, Trump, sexual harassment – all are united by the same chauvinism
“Looking at the Brexit vote now, it was a precursor to some extent of what happened to us in the United States,” Hillary Clinton told the BBC’s Andrew Marr. When President Barack Obama came over just before the referendum to plead with our better natures and warn of an outcome which he elegantly understated the catastrophe of, it felt a little shaming, like a grownup arriving in the middle of a food fight. Clinton, partly because she isn’t president, mainly because those Brexit and Trump ships have sailed, appears less like an authority and more like a coroner at an inquest. Her third argument is to remind us how extraordinary it is, how unprecedented, how eerie, that they “just elected someone who admitted sexual assault to the presidency”. Arguments belonging to the middle of the last century resurface. Are women fit for public office? Leaving the EU, voting for an aggressive and unstable reality TV star, holding women in contempt: … [Read more...] about Brexit, Trump, sexual harassment – all are united by the same chauvinism
Remoaner Philip Hammond is trying to make Brexit seem like the apocalypse
ANOTHER day, another slapdown for Philip Hammond. His apocalyptic warning that planes would be grounded when we leave the EU was clearly nonsense, as the Transport Secretary confirmed yesterday. It’s no wonder the Cabinet seem to be sick of his Remoaner-in-Chief act. The effort he puts into his glass-half-empty predictions on Brexit should instead be going into pulling together his November Budget. His first attempt last year was a disaster, with a planned raid on the self-employed binned after a campaign by The Sun and backbench MPs. He can’t afford mistakes like that this time if he wants to keep his job. He needs a bombproof, bold Budget, as does the country. We need a proper plan to get desperately needed homes built, not the tinkering we’ve seen so far. And the Chancellor needs to resist the temptation to raise a few extra quid by squeezing the “just about managing” at the petrol pump or in their pay packet. Hammond is never going to win over the … [Read more...] about Remoaner Philip Hammond is trying to make Brexit seem like the apocalypse
We are half a trillion poorer due to no reserve of net foreign assets
BRITAIN is half a trillion pounds poorer than thought, according to official figures. The country has no reserve of net foreign assets to guard against any damage Brexit might cause. The Office of National Statistics announced that the UK’s net international investment position has collapsed from a surplus of £469 billion to a net deficit of £22 billion. The figures show that the country has overestimated its international assets and owes more to foreign investors than initially thought. UK rates strategist at Bank of America, Mark Capleton, told The Telegraph: “Half a trillion pounds has gone missing.” The news come as crucial Brexit talks are due to take place in Brussels. 'Ethical' £19 Corbyn T-shirts made by workers earning just 55p an hour Michel Barnier 'to push Britain into hard Brexit in punishment for leaving EU' Philip Hammond plans bold tax proposals in daring Budget designed to boost Brexit Government denies plans to BAN people from … [Read more...] about We are half a trillion poorer due to no reserve of net foreign assets
Labour may agree to continue paying into EU coffers to trade after Brexit
LABOUR may agree to continue paying into EU coffers to trade indefinitely after Brexit, its Shadow Brexit Secretary admitted yesterday. Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would consider getting out their chequebook for continued payments for access to the single market. He told ITV’s Peston on Sunday Britain’s exit bill should be kept “as low as possible”. But he repeated Labour’s demand on equivalent access to the single market post-Brexit as a sign of the deal’s success. Asked by presenter Robert Peston whether Jeremy Corbyn’s party was prepared to keep paying in indefinitely, he said: “We’ll have to see, subject to negotiations, obviously, ideally no or keep it low. “In the end it’s a very simple thing, if economically it’s better off to have an arrangement that works for our businesses and secures our economy then we’d do it. “I mean anybody who says I would rather an arrangement that actually damages our … [Read more...] about Labour may agree to continue paying into EU coffers to trade after Brexit
Share of European Union staff leaving NHS rises following Brexit
Image copyright sturti Image caption Experts say England does not yet produce enough home-grown staff for the NHS to meet requirements without workers from abroad The proportion of EU nationals leaving jobs in the NHS is rising, while the share of those joining is shrinking.The BBC analysed NHS Digital figures, which showed the trend in England over the past two-and-a-half years. Health experts say the UK's decision to leave the European Union in June 2016 was behind the trend.The Department of Health says new language requirements for EU nurses may have played a part.The analysis comes days after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the health system was "straining at the seams" and faced a "precarious" future, highlighting staff shortages and rising vacancy rates. What do the figures show?In … [Read more...] about Share of European Union staff leaving NHS rises following Brexit
Theresa May to fly to Brussels for emergency Brexit talks
Theresa May is heading to Brussels for talks with European Union chiefs in a push to break the deadlock over Brexit. The Prime Minister will meet chief negotiator Michel Barnier and Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker just days after they said exit negotiations were deadlocked. Downing Street sources insisted the meeting had "been in the diary for weeks" but the announcement caused surprise in Westminster and comes after last week's negotiations ended with little movement. Ms May, who will be joined by Brexit Secretary David Davis, is expected to have discussions with European counterparts over the coming days ahead of a meeting of all EU leaders later in the week. No 10 said the PM and German chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed the "importance of continued constructive progress" in the UK's exit negotiations in an early morning telephone call on Sunday. Over dinner, the PM will hope to end the stalemate over the divorce settlement that is stopping post-Brexit trading … [Read more...] about Theresa May to fly to Brussels for emergency Brexit talks
Theresa May to dine in Brussels with Juncker and Barnier to break deadlock
THERESA May will dine in Brussels on Monday with European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker and his chief negotiator Michel Barnier in a bid to break Brexit deadlock ahead of this week's crucial EU summit. No10 sources said last night the unusual move - which has raised eyebrows - was long planned. But prime ministers usually only travel to meet heads of state. It followed a tense phone call yesterday afternoon with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mrs May was bidding to try and break the current impasse after Germany and France took a harder line than other countries and rejected proposed transitional arrangements. Paris and Berlin want Britain's divorce bill settled before they move onto a transitional deal and trade talks. 'Ethical' £19 Corbyn T-shirts made by workers earning just 55p an hour Michel Barnier 'to push Britain into hard Brexit in punishment for leaving EU' Philip Hammond plans bold tax proposals in daring Budget designed to boost Brexit Government … [Read more...] about Theresa May to dine in Brussels with Juncker and Barnier to break deadlock
Theresa May flies to Brussels for emergency talks to rescue Brexit
Theresa May will travel to Brussels for talks with European Union leaders amid reports that she has personally urged Angela Merkel to end the Brexit stand-off. The meeting on Monday comes days after Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the EU Commission, and Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator said talks about Britain leaving the EU in March 2019 were deadlocked. Mrs May is taking Oliver Robbins, the civil servant leading the Brexit talks, with her for the dinner - the first since a frosty meal in Downing Street in April. Mr Juncker was reported to have launched a scathing attack on Mrs May during the April dinner, saying that Brexit “cannot be a success". Downing Street sources insisted Monday's meeting had "been in the diary for weeks" but the announcement caused surprise in Westminster, and comes after last week's negotiations ended with little movement. Mr Barnier said after the fifth round of discussions had … [Read more...] about Theresa May flies to Brussels for emergency talks to rescue Brexit
Ministers warned of constitutional crisis risk over EU withdrawal bill
Ministers have been warned they must amend the EU withdrawal bill to curtail any possibility of a power grab away from the Scottish and Welsh devolved administrations or risk a constitutional crisis. The first secretary of state, Damian Green, is to meet senior figures in the Welsh assembly and Scottish government on Monday at the joint ministerial committee. They will warn that the devolved administrations will not give legislative consent unless the bill is significantly amended. The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, said he would recommend the Welsh assembly block the bill unless changes were made. “We do not accept the bill in its current form and have recommended that the assembly does not grant its consent unless changes are made,” he said. The SNP’s Brexit minister, Mike Russell, has also previously told the Scottish parliament there was no consent for the bill in its current form. The Scottish and Welsh administrations have demanded additional changes to … [Read more...] about Ministers warned of constitutional crisis risk over EU withdrawal bill
Transport Secretary blasts Philip Hammond warning that no-deal Brexit would mean grounded UK-EU flights
PHILIP Hammond was issued with a further slapdown by the Transport Secretary yesterday as he was blasted for saying flights could be grounded in the event of a No Deal Brexit. On the BBC’s Marr show Chris Grayling lambasted his Cabinet colleague for warning last week a failure to agree a Brexit transition could mean the suspension of all flights between the UK and Europe. He insisted flights “will carry on” even if the negotiations fail. And in a jibe to Mr Hammond – an unenthusiastic supporter of Brexit – he said ministers must be “upbeat” about the future. But he dismissed suggestions Chancellor Philip Hammond was personally sabotaging Brexit. And asked if he should be sacked, Mr Grayling said: “In a month’s time the Chancellor is going to deliver a very important budget for this country and I’m working with him and we are all behind him in delivering that.” It came as former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan claimed … [Read more...] about Transport Secretary blasts Philip Hammond warning that no-deal Brexit would mean grounded UK-EU flights
Now‘s the time for Philip Hammond to put some oomph into the UK‘s finances
THE woman who leads the country has given her Chancellor a brutal ultimatum: “Tear up your useless Budget and start again or . . . you get the chop.” The date is March 1981. The Prime Minister is Margaret Thatcher. Her Chancellor is Sir Geoffrey Howe. Only four people were present at this terse, late-night exchange in the PM’s Downing Street flat. Happily for me, one of them broke his code of silence and revealed the historic moment Britain’s battered economy spectacularly took flight. The now-famous 1981 Budget unleashed two decades of unbroken growth, set the agenda for the rest of the world and laid to rest Britain’s image as “The Sick Man of Europe”. We can only hope history is replayed today as battered Phil Hammond rips up his dry-as-dust Autumn Budget and puts some pre-Brexit oomph into the nation’s finances. For that to happen, he needs to stop moaning, start batting for Britain, not Brussels, and let rip … [Read more...] about Now‘s the time for Philip Hammond to put some oomph into the UK‘s finances
Philip Hammond mulling new ‘age tax’ raid on older workers in Budget to tackle generational unfairness
Philip Hammond is planning a Budget raid on older workers to pay for tax breaks for younger people as he battles to save his job. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is understood to be examining ways to link tax to age to promote “intergenerational fairness” in next month’s Budget. Tax breaks would be offered to workers in their 20s and 30s, paid for by cutting reliefs for older and better off workers. One Whitehall source said the Budget, to be unveiled on November 22, would be a “bold” attempt to “restack the deck for the next generation”. The policy, already dubbed a "tax on age", will be controversial because it will target voters who are more likely to vote Conservative. The Tories' disastrous election result in June was blamed on a poorly-thought through "dementia tax". It comes as Mr Hammond is fighting for his job amid fears that he could be the first Chancellor since Norman Lamont in... … [Read more...] about Philip Hammond mulling new ‘age tax’ raid on older workers in Budget to tackle generational unfairness
No deal Brexit could place £500m a year added strain on NHS, health chiefs warn
A no deal Brexit could place up to a £500 million a year added strain on the NHS, health bosses have warned. A report backed by the NHS Confederation suggests that tens of thousands of British pensioners living in Europe could be forced to return home if the Government is unable to strike a deal with the EU to continue existing healthcare arrangements. It warns that patients could suffer dramatically if reciprocal rights to healthcare were scrapped because they could face huge medical bills if they fall ill while travelling abroad while the cost of travel insurance could prove prohibitive for people with existing conditions. Brussels and the UK are currently negotiating on what will happen to those rights after Britain’s point of withdrawal in March 2019. A report compiled by the Brexit Health Alliance suggests a no agreement outcome would potentially put the future of some 190,000 UK pensioners... … [Read more...] about No deal Brexit could place £500m a year added strain on NHS, health chiefs warn
Government launches £25m competition for ideas to put Britain at forefront of 5G technology
The Government is attempting to ensure Britain will be among the first countries to benefit from faster and more reliable 5G mobile networks with a £25m competition for ideas on how the technology can boost the economy. The funding is part of a £740m pot for 5G research and infrastructure announced in last year’s autumn statement. Ministers aim for the UK to race ahead of European rivals after Brexit, backed by claims that 5G could add £173bn to Britain’s GDP in the 2020s. Now, Whitehall has invited companies, universities and other organisations to bid for the cash to become test beds for 5G systems and Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership is working with QinetiQ, Worcester Bosch, Yamazaki Mazak and the University of Surrey on trials of how 5G networks can be used to automate manufacturing. The new mobile signalling standard, due to be rolled out in around three years’ time, offers much faster connections and higher capacity. … [Read more...] about Government launches £25m competition for ideas to put Britain at forefront of 5G technology
