Robert Walters UK profits tumble amid Brexit and political uncertainty
Recruitment firm Robert Walters has seen shares dive lower after revealing its UK profits plunged 23% amid Brexit and political uncertainty. Shares dropped 7%, having slumped as much as 14% at one stage, as the firm reported UK net fee income tumbling to £20.7 million in the final three months of 2019 from £26.8 million a year earlier. It said client and candidate confidence “deteriorated, across both recruitment and recruitment process outsourcing, due to the political uncertainty related to Brexit and the general election”.
2019 was the worst year ever for UK retail sales thanks to Brexit
Overall UK retail sales declined compared with the previous year for the first time ever in 2019, making it the worst year on record for the retail sector, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Total sales fell by 0.1% last year compared with growth of 1.2% in 2018, the BRC said, blaming Brexit and political uncertainty for a huge drop-off in consumer confidence. The figures reflect a tough year for retailers — tens of thousands of employees in the sector lost their jobs, while behemoths like Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group underwent restructuring and closed stores across the country. “2019 was the worst year on record and the first year to show an overall decline in retail sales,” said Helen Dickinson, the CEO of the BRC.
Brexit: UK public wants to remain in EU, new poll finds weeks before withdrawal date Remain backed by highly symbolic 52-48 margin
Participants also expected Brexit to be bad for the economy, the NHS, the unity of the UK and Britain’s place in the world over the next two years. Almost three in 10 (29 per cent) expected to be personally worse off as a result of EU withdrawal, while just 15 per cent expected their finances to be improved.
And more than four out of 10 want the chance to vote on rejoining the EU within the next decade – 18 per cent saying a second referendum should be held within a year, 15 per cent in one to five years and 9 per cent in six to 10 years. Ten per cent said no new referendum should be held for 11 years or more, and 28 per cent said there should never be another one, while 20 per cent did not know.
Boris Johnson news – live: Tory plan for £120m ‘Festival of Brexit’ ridiculed as waste of money, as Labour candidates scramble for support ahead of deadline
Key Points 'Festival of Brexit' boss vows to overcome cynicism Cummings 'wants Cobra-style teams' to replace cabinet committees Thornberry and Lewis struggling for nominations from Labour MPs Public backs action to cut out carbon by 2030 Tory MP blames 'certain communities' for crime
Boris Johnson's Brexit trade deal will end frictionless trade, EU says
Boris Johnson's plan for a weak free trade agreement with the EU will create a "customs border" and end "frictionless trade" with Britain, the EU has said. An internal slide presentation drawn up by the European Commission for member states ahead of the start of talks says market opening will be "limited" under the plan and that new customs checks will be implemented on British goods.
The reality is bad news for UK industries like car manufacturers and supermarkets, which rely on moving parts and goods quickly across the channel without bureaucracy and time-consuming checks.
Crucially, the EU emphatically rules out any "mutual recognition" of regulations between the UK and EU, an idea previously toyed with in Westminster to give Britain a continued advantage of the single market despite having left it.
UK could trade its fishing rights for financial services access after Brexit, EU trade chief suggests Fishing is a sensitive issue for Brexiteers
Some Brexiteers have made grand promises about the effect of leaving the EU on Britian's fishing industry. Tory MP Peter Aldous told the BBC's Today programme only this week that there would be a "sevenfold" increase in the amount of fish that could be caught by UK fishermen.
Former Speaker John Bercow claimed £1,000 taxi fare
Former Commons Speaker John Bercow spent £1,000 on a taxi fare and £12,000 on leaving parties for staff in the run-up to his retirement. Mr Bercow, who stood down before the election, also spent £7,000 on a US visit in his final months in the job.
Boris Johnson news – live: Tory plan for £120m ‘Festival of Brexit’ ridiculed as waste of money, as Labour candidates scramble for support ahead of deadline
Key Points 'Festival of Brexit' boss vows to overcome cynicism Cummings 'wants Cobra-style teams' to replace cabinet committees Thornberry and Lewis struggling for nominations from Labour MPs Public backs action to cut out carbon by 2030 Tory MP blames 'certain communities' for crime
EU confirms there will be border checks inside UK under Brexit deal, contradicting Boris Johnson’s false claim Michel Barnier says there will be ‘checks and controls’ on GB-NI trade after keeping quiet during election campaign
There will be border checks on trade inside the UK under the Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson, the EU’s chief negotiator has said. Michel Barnier confirmed there would be “checks and controls” between Britain and Northern Ireland under the agreement that will govern the UK’s exit from the EU.
Boris Johnson falsely claimed several times during the general election campaign that there would be no checks on the Irish sea, and was accused by the opposition of lying.
Whether the prime minister had misunderstood the agreement he had signed or was indeed lying to the public, the text of the deal signed in November is clear that there will indeed be checks.
“The implementation of this foresees checks and controls entering the island of Ireland,” Mr Barnier said during a sitting of the European Parliament.
But his analysis does not accurately reflect what is in the Brexit deal he signed.
The government’s own internal analysis, leaked during the general election campaign, said there would be checks on goods in both directions between the two parts of the UK. It also said there would be a devastating impact on the Northern Irish economy and claimed 98 per cent of Northern Ireland export businesses would be “likely to struggle to bear this cost” of customs declarations and documentary and physical checks on goods within the UK.
Comments
Recruitment firm Robert Walters has seen shares dive lower after revealing its UK profits plunged 23% amid Brexit and political uncertainty.
Shares dropped 7%, having slumped as much as 14% at one stage, as the firm reported UK net fee income tumbling to £20.7 million in the final three months of 2019 from £26.8 million a year earlier.
It said client and candidate confidence “deteriorated, across both recruitment and recruitment process outsourcing, due to the political uncertainty related to Brexit and the general election”.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/robert-walters-uk-profits-tumble-142736748.html
Overall UK retail sales declined compared with the previous year for the first time ever in 2019, making it the worst year on record for the retail sector, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Total sales fell by 0.1% last year compared with growth of 1.2% in 2018, the BRC said, blaming Brexit and political uncertainty for a huge drop-off in consumer confidence.
The figures reflect a tough year for retailers — tens of thousands of employees in the sector lost their jobs, while behemoths like Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group underwent restructuring and closed stores across the country.
“2019 was the worst year on record and the first year to show an overall decline in retail sales,” said Helen Dickinson, the CEO of the BRC.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/2019-was-the-worst-year-ever-for-uk-retail-sales-thanks-to-brexit-high-street-political-uncertainty-000153265.html
Remain backed by highly symbolic 52-48 margin
Participants also expected Brexit to be bad for the economy, the NHS, the unity of the UK and Britain’s place in the world over the next two years. Almost three in 10 (29 per cent) expected to be personally worse off as a result of EU withdrawal, while just 15 per cent expected their finances to be improved.
And more than four out of 10 want the chance to vote on rejoining the EU within the next decade – 18 per cent saying a second referendum should be held within a year, 15 per cent in one to five years and 9 per cent in six to 10 years. Ten per cent said no new referendum should be held for 11 years or more, and 28 per cent said there should never be another one, while 20 per cent did not know.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-poll-remain-eu-boris-johnson-leave-bmg-poll-a9279996.html
Move on mate.... lol
Boris Johnson news – live: Tory plan for £120m ‘Festival of Brexit’ ridiculed as waste of money, as Labour candidates scramble for support ahead of deadline
Key Points
'Festival of Brexit' boss vows to overcome cynicism
Cummings 'wants Cobra-style teams' to replace cabinet committees
Thornberry and Lewis struggling for nominations from Labour MPs
Public backs action to cut out carbon by 2030
Tory MP blames 'certain communities' for crime
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-news-live-latest-labour-leadership-nominations-festival-brexit-a9281111.html
Boris Johnson's plan for a weak free trade agreement with the EU will create a "customs border" and end "frictionless trade" with Britain, the EU has said.
An internal slide presentation drawn up by the European Commission for member states ahead of the start of talks says market opening will be "limited" under the plan and that new customs checks will be implemented on British goods.
The reality is bad news for UK industries like car manufacturers and supermarkets, which rely on moving parts and goods quickly across the channel without bureaucracy and time-consuming checks.
Crucially, the EU emphatically rules out any "mutual recognition" of regulations between the UK and EU, an idea previously toyed with in Westminster to give Britain a continued advantage of the single market despite having left it.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-trade-deal-eu-leave-talks-a9282206.html
Fishing is a sensitive issue for Brexiteers
Some Brexiteers have made grand promises about the effect of leaving the EU on Britian's fishing industry. Tory MP Peter Aldous told the BBC's Today programme only this week that there would be a "sevenfold" increase in the amount of fish that could be caught by UK fishermen.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-fishing-rights-uk-eu-city-trade-deal-agreement-france-a9282991.html
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/total-moves-finance-department-back-093532293.html
Former Commons Speaker John Bercow spent £1,000 on a taxi fare and £12,000 on leaving parties for staff in the run-up to his retirement.
Mr Bercow, who stood down before the election, also spent £7,000 on a US visit in his final months in the job.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51109296
They will have to choose a female or there will be h ell to pay. P C and all that.
Michel Barnier says there will be ‘checks and controls’ on GB-NI trade after keeping quiet during election campaign
There will be border checks on trade inside the UK under the Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson, the EU’s chief negotiator has said.
Michel Barnier confirmed there would be “checks and controls” between Britain and Northern Ireland under the agreement that will govern the UK’s exit from the EU.
Boris Johnson falsely claimed several times during the general election campaign that there would be no checks on the Irish sea, and was accused by the opposition of lying.
Whether the prime minister had misunderstood the agreement he had signed or was indeed lying to the public, the text of the deal signed in November is clear that there will indeed be checks.
“The implementation of this foresees checks and controls entering the island of Ireland,” Mr Barnier said during a sitting of the European Parliament.
But his analysis does not accurately reflect what is in the Brexit deal he signed.
The government’s own internal analysis, leaked during the general election campaign, said there would be checks on goods in both directions between the two parts of the UK.
It also said there would be a devastating impact on the Northern Irish economy and claimed 98 per cent of Northern Ireland export businesses would be “likely to struggle to bear this cost” of customs declarations and documentary and physical checks on goods within the UK.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-deal-border-check-boris-johnson-uk-eu-barnier-northern-ireland-goods-a9283686.html