Politics

Whitbread Plc said on Wednesday its first-quarter room revenue was hit by tough market competition and ongoing Brexit uncertainty, and the company was cautious about near-term conditions as it tries to build out its Premier Inn brand. Whitbread, which was originally a brewer, has focused on its hotel business after it sold Costa Coffee to Coca-Cola Co for 3.9 billion pounds ($4.90 billion) in a cash deal completed in early January. The company said total like-for-like revenue per available room...

 British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn will back a move on Wednesday for the Labour Party to change its Brexit policy and support a second referendum in all circumstances, The Times reported, citing a senior Labour source. A paper by Corbyn's head of policy, Andrew Fisher, recommends that Labour support a second referendum on any deal negotiated with Brussels, the newspaper reported, adding that most shadow cabinet members are yet to see the paper. The shadow cabinet will on Wednesday discuss...

Boris Johnson has cemented his lead in the collossal waste of time that is the Tory Party leadership contest. Remember when the EU warned the UK not to waste any time before the Brexit deadline they agreed to put back to the end of October? The plea appears to have fallen on deaf ears among the Conservative Party keen to drag out a sure coronation of Boris Johnson until MPs break up on holiday for the summer. In the second...

A man who threw a milkshake over Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain's Brexit Party, has been ordered to pay him compensation to cover his suit-cleaning bill after pleading guilty to common assault and criminal damage. Paul Crowther, 32, threw the milkshake over Farage, one of the leading figures in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, at an event in the northern English city of Newcastle before the European elections last month. Crowther, who lost his job...

The majority of Conservative members would countenance the destruction of their own party if it meant Brexit was delivered. A new poll has revealed that exiting the European Union has become a priority for members, subverting traditional loyalties and reshaping political priorities. The majority (54 per cent) said they would see the destruction of their own party if necessary, with only 36 per cent putting the party’s preservation above steering Britain out of the EU. The lion’s share would also...

Britain's government is committed to doing whatever it can to keep its financial sector globally competitive after Brexit, financial services minister John Glen said on Tuesday. Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 but it has yet to secure a divorce settlement with the bloc, the UK financial sector's single biggest customer. Uncertainty for finance has increased as a new British prime minister is being selected. Glen said there must be a "clear plan" to maintain...

Signs that arch-Brexiteer Boris Johnson may be a step closer to becoming Britain's next prime minister sent the pound tumbling to a five-month low versus the euro on Tuesday as investors worried about the risks of a hard exit from the European Union. The pound dived to 89.66 pence versus the euro, its lowest level since mid-January, before the outcome of a second round of voting in the Tory leadership contest that might cement Johnson's pole position among rivals. "Fears...

Conservative MP Dame Caroline Spelman says she will back Rory Stewart in the next round of votes, crediting him for his “realistic and positive vision for Britain”. Stewart has gained ground today after Paul Masterton, MP for East Renfrewshire, announced he was supporting the International Development Secretary just hours after creative industries minister Margot James backed him. Defence minister Tobias Ellwood also publicly supported Mr Stewart yesterday ahead of his lauded performance on the Channel 4 leadership debate in which...

Boris Johnson has boosted his campaign to replace Theresa May after former rival and EU supporter Matt Hancock backed him saying he was "almost certain to win the contest". Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign secretary, is way out in front in the race to become leader of the Conservative Party and despite so far deciding to steer clear of debates with his rivals, his popularity has yet to be dented. Most of the other five hopefuls concede that...