On Saturday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected Trump’s latest shutdown deal before he had even announced it. The president offered temporary concessions on the status of threatened migrant groups in exchange for $5.7 billion for a wall on the…
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There were reports that the Polish foreign minister has proposed a five-year time limit on the Irish backstop. In theory, this could boost the chances of a Brexit bill getting through Parliament, but it would certainly require more…
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Theresa May delivered her Brexit plan B announcement yesterday, but in truth very little has changed since before Christmas. The prime minister assured the Commons that she would seek assurances from the EU regarding the backstop, but that…
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Yesterday, Theresa May announced her plan B for Brexit following last week’s Commons defeat. During the speech, the Prime Minister said she expects MPs to reject calls for a second referendum, saying it would undermine trust in politics.…
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On Friday, we learned that UK retail sales in December were even worse than expected, particularly if you take fuel out of the equation. Last month, they dropped to -0.9% against an expectation of -0.8%, but excluding fuel,…
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There was some exciting news from the US on Friday morning, as Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, is reported to be considering lifting some of the trade tariffs imposed on China. His thinking is that by offering Beijing something,…
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Trump is never far from controversy and Friday was yet another example. However, the latest report from BuzzFeed is particularly explosive, as it claims Robert Mueller’s investigators have learned Trump told his former fixed, Michael Cohen, to lie…
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Following reports that the US was considering throwing China a bone in the form of a lift of some trade tariffs, European stock markets rallied. Investors are looking for any cause for optimism at present and the possibility…
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