Britain's chancellor Philip Hammond sought to quell accusations from within his Conservative Party that he is taking too soft an approach to Brexit and said the European Union represented “the enemy” in the negotiations.
Hammond, who has come under increasingly hostile fire from supporters of a tough approach to splitting Britain from the EU, told Sky News television that it was time for the Conservatives to end their in-fighting over the Brexit talks.
“I understand that passions are high, I understand that people have very strong views about this, but we are all going to the same place, we all have the same agenda,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington.
“The enemy, the opponents, are out there on the other side of the table. Those are the people that we have to negotiate with. We have to negotiate hard to get the very best deal for Britain,” Hammond said.
He subsequently apologised for his comments on Twitter, admitting it was a "poor choice of words".
Hammond infuriated pro-Brexit newspapers this week and was criticised by some Conservatives including former chancellor Nigel Lawson for not agreeing to spend money now on preparations for the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.
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Read more:
Britain and EU clash over who takes next Brexit step
The EU's more pragmatic and sensible approach to Brexit is overdue and welcome
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Speaking to media in Washington on Friday, Hammond declined to say whether he would vote for Brexit if there were a second referendum. Hammond campaigned for Britain to remain part of the EU ahead of the June 2016 vote.
Echoing Prime Minister Theresa May’s own reticence on the issue, Hammond declined to say how he would vote if another referendum were held now. “We’ve had the referendum,” he told the BBC. “You know how I voted in it.”
Earlier this week May declined to answer a similar question, stoking concerns among Brexit supporters that she is not fully committed to taking Britain out of the EU.
On Thursday May’s spokeswoman said the Prime Minister had full confidence in Hammond.
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
