Politics

Ireland's fast growing economy could suddenly contract if Britain crashes out of the European Union without a deal, a prospect that has become more likely, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday. Ireland's finance ministry reiterated its forecasts on Tuesday that gross domestic product growth would fall to anywhere between zero and 1% in 2020 if Britain crashes out of the bloc later this year, rather than growing by the forecast 3.3 percent if its neighbour secures an orderly Brexit....

Banks in Britain are showing signs of restarting preparations for a no-deal Brexit after a lull in the shift of financial services jobs and capital from Britain to the European Union in the past few months, consultants EY said on Wednesday. EY's Brexit Tracker of public announcements from 222 of the largest financial services firms in the three months ending May 31 found that the 7,000 planned job and a trillion pounds in capital relocation to new EU hubs was...

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has dismissed a claim the UK will be able to continue trading with the EU tariff-free for 10 years. Boris Johnson has been slapped down by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox over his claim Britain could use international trade rules to continue tariff-free trade with the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Mr Johnson has argued that a provision under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade – known as Gatt 24 –...

The former foreign secretary also said he rarely loses his temper, despite police being called after row with girlfriend Carrie Symonds

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, has met hedge fund and private equity executives to raise donations for his leadership campaign, according to sources familiar with the matter.     Johnson, who on Tuesday reaffirmed his determination to take Britain out of the European Union on Oct 31, is seeking to build up a war chest for his campaign and rebuild ties with executives, which were strained last year by his expletive four-letter-word attack on...

The ex-Labour leader said the union is more at risk now than at any time in the past 300 years, including during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Tax cuts planned by Boris Johnson, the leading candidate to become Britain's next prime minister, could cost as much as 20 billion pounds a year, according to calculations from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank. Johnson, who is vying for the votes of Conservative Party members in a run-off against foreign minister Jeremy Hunt, has proposed raising the threshold at which higher-rate income tax is payable to 80,000 pounds a year from 50,000 pounds. Cutting tax on these earnings...

It would be bizarre for the European Union to impose tariffs on British goods flowing into the bloc after Brexit rather than agree a standstill agreement on trade, Boris Johnson, the leading candidate to be Britain's next prime minister said. "I think it would be very bizarre if the EU should decide on their own ... if they decided to impose tariffs on goods coming from the UK it would be ... a return to Napoleon's continental system," Johnson told...

British fashion chain New Look reported a bigger annual pretax loss, hurt by a large charge, while Brexit woes and rainy weather kept shoppers out of its stores. New Look, owned by South African investment firm Brait, reported statutory loss before tax of 522.2 million pounds for the year ended March, compared with a loss of 190.2 million pounds a year earlier. The loss was mainly driven by a 423.3 million pound non-cash goodwill and brand impairment charge after a...