Politics

RBS has warned of the harm of Brexit on the UK economy, even after posting some huge profit figures. Brexit threatens RBS’s ability to clear more than £44.08 billion pounds per day in cross-border payments, if they are not granted licences to clear fees via its Frankfurt operations. The bank reported profits of £1.62bn for 2018, more than double the £752m it achieved the previous year. RBS was bailed out by the government in 2008 as the financial crisis hit...

Theresa May received a dose of her own medicine last night after suffering yet another defeat at the hands of a hostile parliament. With a threatening Home Office tweet sent out on her watch making the rounds on Twitter the former Home Secretary went into hiding as her motion urging MPs to back attempts to strike a new withdrawal agreement with the EU was beaten by 303 votes to 258. Many hard-line Brexiteers abstained from the vote, which highlighted the...

A Romanian airline has cancelled flights due to Brexit uncertainty. Blue Air made the decision to halt their flights from Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. Many passengers were left fuming after they were not able to board their scheduled flights to Alicante and Rome. Blue Air flights between Luton and Turin are also expected to be affected. The airline will continue to fly to Romania and UK, but from the UK to any other nation in trouble if the UK exits...

Almost all councils in England are set to ramp up council tax with services also due to be slashed in many areas, according to research conducted by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU). Three-quarters of local authorities are set to increase tax by more than 2.5 per cent from April, with essential services cut on top. The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils had "little choice" but to take action, with eight in ten councils saying the current funding system is "unsustainable"....

Proposals for a Germany+ agreement with the EU has garnered widespread support on social media after the proposal was put forward by LBC presenter James O'Brien. The Brexit policy, which would be popular with both Leavers and Remainers and could even pass through Parliament, would give Britain the same deal that Germany has but with added benefits. Britain would keep control of its borders by opting out of the Schengen agreement on free movement. That means we could send people from other countries...

Liam Fox is struggling to sign off trade agreements in time for Brexit and he hasn't got long left. Fox faced some heavy criticism today in the Commons over the issue, as the EU departure date approaches. The International Trade Secretary had previously promised that his department would have 40 free trade agreements ready to sign “one minute after midnight” on the day the UK leaves the EU. However, a leaked document from his department, handed to The Sun, showed that just...

Ford Motor Co have stepped up preparations to move production out of Britain due to Brexit uncertainty. The automaker told the prime minister during a private call with business leaders that it is preparing alternative sites abroad, The Times has reported. The company's representative said on the call: "This isn’t about contingencies any more - we are taking steps because of the uncertainty. It’s real." Ford, which operates two engine plants in Britain, last month said that it faces a bill...

MPs could be faced with a choice between backing Theresa May's deal or facing a lengthy delay, the Prime Minister's chief EU negotiator was overheard saying last night. Olly Robbins is reported to have told colleagues that the government's strategy is to offer MPs a choice in March between a deal and a delay. His conversation was picked up by ITV News Correspondent Angus Walker and his cameraman in a hotel bar in Brussels. Walker said: "During the conversation, there were suggestions...

An empty homes tax has the potential to generate income for local councils, reduce demand from foreign investors and increase housing affordability, according to a new study