DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Britain’s Conservative Party suffered striking early setbacks on Friday in local elections that are viewed as a barometer for how the party will perform in a coming general election and a key test for the embattled prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Only a minority of the results had been announced by early Friday, but already the signs were ominous, if not unexpected, for Mr. Sunak’s Conservatives, who have trailed the opposition Labour Party by double digits in national polls for 18 months. The Conservatives have lost more than 120 seats so far, including six in Hartlepool, in northeast England, where the Conservatives had made inroads after Brexit but have more recently lost ground to the resurgent Labour Party. Labour also won a special election for a parliamentary seat in Blackpool South, a seaside district, in a huge swing of votes away from the Conservatives, who had held the seat but narrowly missed finishing third, behind Reform U.K., a small right-wing party. The previous Tory member of Parliament, Scott Benton, resigned in March after becoming embroiled in a lobbying scandal.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Scott Benton Organizations: Britain’s Conservative Party, Sunak’s Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservatives, Labour, Blackpool, Reform Locations: Hartlepool, England

New Labour Party MP for Blackpool South, Chris Webb (C) reacts as his win is announced at the count centre in Blackpool, north-west England on May 3, 2024, during the Blackpool South by-election. The opposition Labour Party won a Blackpool South by-election, taking the seat from the Conservatives. The Reform UK party, founded by Brexit proponent Nigel Farage, came in third. Labour leader Keir Starmer posted on the social media platform X that the "swing towards Labour in Blackpool South is historic." Angela Richardson, deputy chair of the Conservative Party, told the BBC the result "was not unexpected," especially given the circumstances that sparked the by-election.

Persons: Chris Webb, Rishi Sunak's, David Jones, Nigel Farage, Scott Benton's, Keir Starmer, Angela Richardson Organizations: New Labour Party, Blackpool South, Blackpool, LONDON, Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservatives, New Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Labour, Conservative Party Locations: Blackpool, England, Britain

☆ Brexit border checks: Britain braces for less choice and higher prices on food imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The new regime for food imports is perhaps the starkest example of the painful border bureaucracy that UK and EU businesses must contend with in the wake of Brexit. An additional cost of that scale will “significantly increase food prices and reduce choice,” the federation’s CEO Phil Pluck wrote in a letter to environment and food minister Steve Barclay earlier this month. But here too Brexit hasn’t helped, ending as it did the free movement of EU workers on whom British farmers had relied for decades. In addition to Brexit-related challenges, UK farmers have been squeezed by soaring input costs, including those of fertilizer, energy and labor. “I’m not hugely in favor of subsidies, I’m in favor of fair food prices,” Maddocks said.

Persons: Eddie Price, ”, Phil, Steve Barclay, Andrew Aitchison, Andrew Opie, “, Jack Bobo, “ It’s, Price, hasn’t, ” Tom Bradshaw, “ You’re, Chris Ratcliffe, Brexit, ” Philip Maddocks, I’m, ” Maddocks Organizations: London CNN, European Union, EU, Britain, Birmingham Wholesale, CNN, Chain Federation, British Retail Consortium, University of York, Food Systems, University of Nottingham, Birmingham Wholesale Market, Bank, National Farmers ’ Union, Bloomberg, Getty, PDM Locations: United Kingdom, Britain, France, Spain, artichokes, Italy, Birmingham, Dover, Port, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, North Africa, England, Sandwich, Australia, New Zealand, English, Shropshire

☆ Liz Truss, Britain’s Prime Minister, Wants to Break America - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Tanya Gold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Liz Truss was the prime minister of Britain for 49 days in 2022, an interregnum between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak that was so short it was outlasted by a lettuce. If this were the 19th century, Ms. Truss would have perhaps exiled herself to a country estate where peacocks roamed the grounds or fought her enemies with pistols. (In 1809 the foreign secretary, George Canning, was wounded in a duel with the war minister.) A. Disgrace” — but was never really considered a likely leader of the Conservative Party until her predecessor Mr. Johnson almost burned the party down. (Even Mr. Canning, who survived his wounds and eventually became prime minister, lasted longer.

Persons: Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Queen Elizabeth II, George Canning, Truss, Truss’s, Margaret Thatcher, ”, Johnson, Canning Organizations: Liberal, Liberal Democrats, European Union, Conservative Party, Bank of England Locations: Britain

☆ Rishi Sunak: Everything seems to be going wrong for British PM
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Life must seem bleak for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak these days. Sunak has said that he will hold a general election this year, but has yet to confirm its date. It was only voted through by MPs because it has the support of the opposition Labour Party. Anderson is a working-class former miner who is from a part of the country that traditionally votes for the opposition Labour Party. However, Anderson was suspended from the Conservative Party after making comments about the Muslim mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, that Sunak clearly believed were beyond the pale.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, –, Boris Johnson, Winston Churchill, It’s, ” Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Liz Truss, Lee Anderson, Anderson, Elon Musk, Tesla, Kirsty Wigglesworth, doesn’t, Sadiq Khan, Suella Braverman, Braverman, Johnson, Rishi, ” Sunak Organizations: CNN, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, ”, Conservatives, Allies, Labour, Sunak's, SpaceX, Reuters, Conservative, “, Adidas Samba Locations: Quebec, London, Rwanda

☆ British Chamber of Commerce in Germany: Brexit continues to have negative impact
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBritish Chamber of Commerce in Germany: Brexit continues to have negative impactMichael Schmidt, president of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany, discusses a report that found Brexit continues to negatively weigh on business and trade in the U.K. and European Union.

Persons: Brexit, Michael Schmidt Organizations: British, of Commerce, British Chamber of Commerce, Union Locations: Germany

☆ Why Scotland’s ‘ghost’ whisky distilleries are coming back to life
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Angus Mackinnon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Courtesy Port Ellen DistilleryAcross the courtyard, the new still room resembles a vast industrial greenhouse with four shiny new copper stills as its exotic plants. “It is important that we recreate that classic Port Ellen character that people love, but we also want to be doing things we’ve not done before,” says McDonald. Courtesy Port Ellen DistilleryA glimpse into that past comes in the musky surroundings of warehouse number two with a dram drawn straight from a cask filled in 1979. Port Ellen is hoping to attract upscale whisky fans to sample a by-appointment-only Atlas of Smoke Experience. “At the moment, Port Ellen is expensive because it is so old and so rare.

Persons: Carol Ann Duffy’s, ” “, Ellen, ”, attar, Port Ellen, Roy Duff, Dramface.com, Ardbeg, Hijiri, Alexander McDonald, McDonald, Port, Port Ellen Gemini, Ellens, There’s, Dramface’s Duff, ” Emily Burnham, “ Organizations: Scotland CNN, Port, Ellen, Diageo, North America —, Smoke Locations: Islay, Scotland, Isle of Islay, Wuyi, Port, Scottish, —, Highland, Brora, Falkirk, Scotland’s, Hong Kong, Kilnaughton Bay, Antrim, Northern Ireland, Mull, Kintyre, North, America, United States

☆ European diplomats in DC scramble to gain access to Trump allies for insights
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“We are not that nervous because we know that with Trump it is all about relationships,” said one veteran European diplomat who has been in DC since the Trump administration. “The logic of doing it at Heritage was not lost on us,” said Victoria Coates, a deputy national security advisor to former President Trump who is now a vice president at the think tank. The comments sent European diplomats into over-drive, eager to understand exactly what Trump meant. “If they are worried about how President Trump is going to react to them, they hold it in their hands to do something about it,” Coates said. But European diplomats are not only worried about NATO.

Persons: Donald Trump, jostle, Trump, of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Mike Pompeo, Robert O’Brien, Keith Kellogg, Mike Pence’s, Hillary Clinton, they’ve, ”, –, David Cameron, Antony Blinken, Cameron, Jens Stoltenberg, Jim Lo Scalzo, Stoltenberg’s, Victoria Coates, Stoltenberg, ” Coates, nodded, James Carafano, “, it’s, “ He’s, Mike Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, White, NATO, Ukraine, Trump, of National Intelligence, National, European Union, Republican, Russian Central Bank, EU, British, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, GOP, Putin Locations: Washington, Russia, European, Europe, Ukraine, Brussels, West, Russian, South Florida, Brexit, ”, Washington ,, “

☆ State-backed cyberattacks, AI deepfakes, and more: Experts reveal UK election cyber threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

State actors have since made routine attacks in various countries to manipulate the outcome of elections, according to cyber experts. "Right now, generative AI can be used for harm or for good and so we see both applications every day increasingly adopted," Meyers told CNBC. "This democratic process is extremely fragile," Meyers told CNBC. "You can train those voice AI models very easily ... through exposure to social [media]," Holmes told CNBC in an interview. It's just one example of many deepfakes that have cybersecurity experts worried about what's to come as the U.K. approaches elections later this year.

Persons: Andrew Brookes, Rishi Sunak, Todd McKinnon, Okta's McKinnon, We're, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike, Meyers, Dan Holmes, Holmes, Keir Starmer, what's Organizations: Getty, Britain, CNBC, British, U.S, APT, New Zealand, Labour Party, Local, Facebook, Meta, Google Locations: Russian, Moscow, London, Wuhan, U.S, Australia, New, China, cybersecurity, Russia, Iran

☆ Last-minute Brexit bill risks higher food prices, UK business groups warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —British business groups are warning that newly announced post-Brexit charges on plant and animal imports could push up food prices not long after food inflation came down from double-digit rates. The port and the undersea tunnel beneath the English Channel handle the majority of UK food imports. Annual UK food price inflation topped 19% in March 2023, the highest rate in 45 years, and stood at more than 10% as recently as in October. Some are already “deciding that it is too expensive or too much hassle to serve the UK,” he told CNN. A government spokesperson said the new charges “were at the bottom end of the range” discussed with UK businesses during a consultation period last summer.

Persons: Tom Southall, William Bain ,, ”, James Barnes, “ Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Department for Environment, Food, Rural Affairs, Channel, Chain Federation, Chambers of Commerce, ”, CNN, EU . Trade, Horticultural Trades Association Locations: British, Port, Dover, Eurotunnel, Southall

☆ Leader of Northern Ireland’s main pro-union party resigns after police charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Northern Ireland’s main pro-union party, is stepping down after he was charged with “allegations of an historical nature,” the DUP announced on Friday. “Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested and charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offences,” the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statement said. Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said Friday her “priority” was to “continue to provide the leadership the public expect and deserve” following Donaldson’s resignation. Under his leadership, the DUP refused to participate in Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government in protest over post-Brexit trading rules. The DUP announced on Friday it had unanimously appointed Gavin Robinson as interim party leader.

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Mr Donaldson, “, Donaldson, Michelle O’Neill, ”, O’Neill, Sinn Fein, Emma Little, ” Donaldson, Gavin Robinson Organizations: CNN, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Northern Ireland’s, Party, Party Officers, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Police Service of Northern, Facebook, Northern Irish, United, Ulster Unionist Party Locations: Northern, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Newry, Ireland, Northern Ireland

☆ Leo Varadkar: What was behind Irish PM’s shock resignation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Prime Minister Leo Varadkar sent shockwaves through Ireland when he candidly announced last week that he was “no longer the best person” to lead his country. Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray was given less than an hour’s notice of the surprise statement from the taoiseach on Wednesday. His successor, largely tipped to be Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, will need to lead the center-right political party, Fine Gael, against a fired-up opposition. The 37-year-old who rose to prominence during his spell as health minister during the pandemic is considered by many to be a “mirror image” to Varadkar, Murphy said. Mary Lou McDonald, president of opposition party Sinn Fein, which has been making steady gains since 2020.

Persons: Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s, Varadkar, Joe Biden, Jennifer Bray, Bray, ” Gary Murphy, ”, ” Murphy, “, Simon Harris, Murphy, Varadkar “, Boris Johnson “, resoundingly, Nick Bradshaw, Paschal Donohoe, Harris, Tik Tok, “ Simon Harris, ” Bray, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein, Charles McQuillan, Sinn Féin Organizations: CNN —, Israel, Irish Times, Wednesday, CNN, Dublin City University, Higher Education, Fine Gael, Irish, Catholic Church Locations: shockwaves, Ireland, Gaza, Irish, Brussels, United Kingdom, Bray, Varadkar

☆ Ireland set for youngest-ever PM after Simon Harris wins leadership of governing party
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ireland’s governing party Fine Gael has named Simon Harris as its new leader, paving the way for him to succeed former Prime Minister Leo Varadkar as the youngest Taoiseach in Irish history at age 37. “It’s the absolute honour of my life to formally be here with you today in Athlone to accept the leadership of this great party, of our great party,” said Harris in his acceptance speech at a Fine Gael party conference in the Irish county of West Meath on Sunday. Simon Harris embraces his family after being announced as the new leader of Fine Gael. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters“I want to thank every single person in this room and every single community you come from across Ireland. He also served as the country’s health minister from May 2016 to June 2020, according to Fine Gael’s website.

Persons: Simon Harris, Leo Varadkar, Varadkar, ”, “, Harris, Clodagh Kilcoyne Organizations: CNN, Fine Gael, West Meath, Reuters Locations: Athlone, Irish, West, Ireland

☆ How Irish business is winning in the US: It’s not all butter and cheese
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Irish companies have to think about being in an Irish domestic market which is frankly, really small, or just going global straightaway. The US is particularly strong for Irish companies; the US economy has held up well. I think Irish companies are very adept at pivoting into what other other countries need and being part of the story. It seems like Irish companies are increasingly becoming job creators in the US. Glanbia Foods, an Irish company that manufactures American-style cheese, now produces one in four slices of cheese consumed in the US.

Persons: Bell, Leo Clancy, Joe Biden, we’ve, it’s, that’s, That’s, We’re, It’s, We’ve, Tesla, Elon Musk’s Tesla, Wells, Colin Langan, ” Langan, Elisabeth Buchwald Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, European Union and International Monetary Fund, Enterprise Ireland, Patrick’s, Entrepreneurship, Federal Reserve, Companies, UBS, Tesla, NAR, National Association of Realtors Locations: New York, Ireland, United States, Jefferson , Wisconsin, America, Irish, Europe, Washington, We’re, automaking, Wells Fargo

☆ The UK is the 2nd-most miserable country in the world, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK is the second-most miserable country in the world, a new report said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe UK is the second-most miserable country in the world, a new global well-being index said. Only Uzbekistan came lower in the rankings, which were published in the US nonprofit Sapien Labs' Mental State of the World Report earlier this month. The World Happiness Report 2023 suggested the UK was the 19th happiest country in the world.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Bridge Lucy Organizations: Service, Sapien Labs, Mental State, Sapiens Labs, Britain, Labs, Bridge Locations: Uzbekistan, Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Ukraine, Yemen, Western

☆ After 11 years as a digital nomad, living in 60 countries, I'm settling in Mexico. It fits my lifestyle and business goals.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In 2021, I moved to Guanajuato, Mexico. Dixon posing in front of Grüner See, a lake in Styria, Austria Courtesy of Hannah DixonI'm American and British. Friends, who were fellow digital nomads, suggested we consider moving to Guanajuato, Mexico. Dixon and wife Kim Gorchs, on a colorful street in Guanajuato, Mexico. But I learned that renting a place to live in Mexico is a million times easier once you're on the ground.

Persons: —, Hannah Dixon, It's, Dixon, it's, who's, Hannah Dixon I'm, Brexit, I, Kim Gorchs, I'd, I've, Animales, we've, we'll Organizations: Service, Virtual Excellence Academy, Business, Kansas City, National Institute of Migration, Facebook, Sun Locations: Mexico, Bangkok, New York, France, Budapest, Hungary, Guanajuato, Austria, Graz, Styria, Mexican, Kansas City, Kansas, Teotihuacan, Mexico City

☆ Kate Middleton’s Story Is About More Than Kate Middleton - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Zeynep Tufekci | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Where Is Kate Middleton?” yet another headline blared on Monday. But the frenzy around Catherine, Princess of Wales, raises important questions that go well beyond the usual concerns of royal watchers. On the surface, the controversy over Catherine’s photo and her absence may have nothing to do with Meghan. Their supposed rivalry has been manipulated for years now to generate nostalgia for social hierarchies of an idealized past. In modern Britain, royalty has played a similar role of entertainment and distraction — a role that persisted during the country’s post-Brexit decline.

Persons: Kate Middleton, Catherine , Princess of, Catherine, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, Juvenal Locations: Catherine , Princess of Wales, Britain, Rome

☆ Former British PM Theresa May to stand down at next election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former British Prime Minister Theresa May will not stand for re-election to parliament, she said on Friday, becoming the latest member of the governing Conservative Party to signal their departure from frontline politics later this year. May became prime minister in 2016 after then-leader David Cameron quit in the wake of Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union. She was selected by her Conservative Party peers to implement the unprecedented decision, for which her predecessor had left no blueprint. May told her local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, that since stepping down as prime minister she had spent an increasing amount of time on global issues, such as seeking to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking. Since leaving office she has remained a member of parliament for her constituency in south-east England.

Persons: Theresa May, David Cameron, May's Organizations: British, Conservative Party, European Union, Maidenhead Advertiser, Brexit Locations: England

☆ TikTokers are enthusiastically joining the app's call to wage war on Congress over a potential ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The proposed bill would force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban. AdvertisementTikTokers have enthusiastically answered the app's call to bombard members of Congress with calls and messages in an effort to prevent the platform from being banned in the US. AdvertisementA TikTok spokesperson told Business Insider the legislation has a "predetermined outcome," which is a total ban of TikTok in the US. The state of Montana, for instance, banned TikTok entirely in 2023. An increasing number of states have also made the decision to ban TikTok on government-issued devices.

Persons: ByteDance, —, TikTokers, Mike Gallagher, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Trump, TikTok, Jamaal Bowman, Ben Stanley, Mary Miller, Shira, Meta Organizations: Service, Republican Rep, Democratic Rep, Energy, Commerce, New, YouTube, Centre for Digital Citizens, Northumbria University, Facebook, Universal Music Group Locations: Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana, Austin, China, Cambridge, Brexit

☆ I retired from Amazon at 34 and chose to settle in Canada, where I only need $1,000 a month to live well
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

He saved a lot of his paycheck and earned relocation bonuses for moving from city to city in the US. Lukin has moved to Quebec City, where his rent is about $500 a month and he can afford to go out. Basically, you don't necessarily have to be broke or be "frupid" — when you make stupid decisions just to save money and it backfires. I visited Quebec City to do some apartment hunting and just absolutely fell in love. When my lease in Toronto ended in September 2021, I packed everything up into a U-Haul trailer, sold my car, and moved to Quebec City.

Persons: Grigory Lukin, Lukin, —, It's, Tim Ferriss, Kia, it's Organizations: Quebec City, Service, FIRE, Amazon, Brexit — Locations: Quebec, Russia, Seattle, Lukin, California, Reno, Las Vegas, Fort Worth and Tampa, Fort Worth, Tampa, Brexit, Brexit — Poland, Canada, Australia, Toronto, Quebec City, United States, British Columbia

☆ How Victoria Beckham fell for Paris
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Alice Pfeiffer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: CNN Style is one of the official media partners of Paris Fashion Week. Paris CNN —Unscathed by the PETA protesters who disrupted her show, Victoria Beckham closed out the fifth day of Paris Fashion Week at the lavish Salomon de Rothschild Hotel on Friday night. At Carven, Louise Trotter, former creative director for Lacoste, presented her first collection for the French heritage house. Off-White creative director Ibrahim Kamara after the presentation of his debut collection for the brand. (British fashion houses including Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith also relocated to Paris at different stages of their careers.)

Persons: Victoria Beckham, Salomon de Rothschild, Simon Porte Jacquemus, Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld, Louise Trotter, Lacoste, Saint Martins, Seán McGirr, Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton, Ibrahim Kamara, Virgil Abloh’s, Kristy Sparow, Nina Ricci, Harris Reed —, —, ”, … I’ve, Karl Lagerfeld, Yohji Yamamoto, Charles Worth, “, Harris Reed, Victor Virgile, Stella McCartney, Chloé, Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Dior, Phoebe Philo, Kim Jones, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Serge Carreira, ” Carreira, Yanshan Zhang, Melody Thomas, Parsons Organizations: CNN, Paris, Paris CNN, PETA, French Vogue, Saint, Givenchy, Louis, Dior, Haute Couture, Fashion, Parsons Paris Locations: Paris, French, British, Carven, Central, London, Great Britain, Europe

☆ Problems mount for UK PM Rishi Sunak as his party suffers heavy defeat in two parliamentary elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing difficult questions after his governing Conservative Party lost two seats in parliament on Thursday. The Conservative Party traditionally beats Labour on issues like economics and immigration. Of particular concern to Conservatives is the rise of Reform UK, the new party of Nigel Farage. As leader of both the UK Independence Party and the Brexit Party, he forced the Conservatives into increasingly right-wing positions. He is honorary president of Reform UK but still has a habit of forcing issues onto the news agenda.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, –, Nigel Farage, Farage, David Cameron, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, isn’t Organizations: London CNN, British, Conservative Party, Labour, Reform UK, Conservatives, UK Independence Party, Brexit Party, UKIP, EU, Conservative, Reform, Sunak Locations: England, France, Israel

LONDON (AP) — Voters in two districts in England delivered new blows to beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, electing opposition-party lawmakers in seats that Sunak’s Conservatives had held for years. Labour Party candidate Damien Egan won the House of Commons seats of Kingswood in southwest England, and Labour's Gen Kitchen took Wellingborough in the country’s center, results announced Friday showed. The Conservatives won both by large margins at the last national election in 2019 but saw support collapse in Thursday's special elections. The hard-right Reform party — formerly known as the Brexit Party — came third, putting more pressure on the Conservatives. The Conservatives pointed to the low turnout — less than 40% of eligible voters cast ballots — as a sign British electors are not enthusiastic about Labour.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Damien Egan, Kitchen, —, Brexit Party —, Keir Starmer, Chris Skidmore, Peter Bone, Sunak, Liz Truss, Brexit, Boris Johnson, John Curtice, ” “, ” Organizations: —, Labour Party, Wellingborough, Conservatives, Brexit Party, Labour, Conservative, European Union, University of Strathclyde, BBC Locations: England, Kingswood, Wellingborough

☆ NatWest profit jumps 20% as Thwaite confirmed as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of NatWest, a retail unit of RBS, outside a bank branch in London, U.K., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. British bank NatWest confirmed Paul Thwaite as its permanent chief executive on Friday and reported forecast-beating profit for 2023, as it gears up for a crunch sale of state-owned stock in the company after a scandal-hit year. The taxpayer-backed lender reported pre-tax profit of 6.2 billion pounds ($7.81 billion) for the 12-month period, up 20% on 5.1 billion pounds the prior year and ahead of a 5.95 billion pounds average of analyst forecasts compiled by the bank. NatWest also announced a final dividend of 11.5 pence per share and a share buyback of 300 million pounds. NatWest set aside 578 million pounds for potential soured loans, up from 337 million pounds the prior year - but the figure came in below analyst forecasts.

Persons: Paul Thwaite, Thwaite, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage, Rose, Peter Flavel Organizations: NatWest, RBS, Brexit Party Locations: London

☆ Brexit Britain has 'significantly underperformed' other advanced economies, Goldman Sachs says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pro-EU demonstrators protest outside Parliament against Brexit on the fourth anniversary of Britain's official departure from the European Union in London, United Kingdom on January 31, 2024. LONDON — Post-Brexit Britain has "significantly underperformed" other advanced economies since the 2016 EU referendum, according to new analysis from Goldman Sachs, which aims to quantify the economic cost of the Leave vote. Goldman Sachs attributed the economic shortfall to three key factors: reduced trade; weaker business investment; and labor shortages as a result of lower immigration from the EU. The U.K. voted 52% to 48% to leave the EU on June 23, 2016, but officially exited the union on Jan. 31, 2020. Over that period until today, U.K. goods trade has underperformed other advanced economies by around 15% since the Leave vote, according to the bank's estimates, while business investment has fallen "notably short" of pre-referendum levels.

Persons: Goldman Sachs Organizations: EU, Brexit, European Union, LONDON Locations: London, United Kingdom, LONDON —

Search resuls for: "Brexit"

25 mentions found