Will the waiting never end?

UK inflation rate holds steady at 0.6%

The average cost of everyday household goods and services went up by 0.6% in the year to August. The UK inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), was unchanged from July. Rising food prices and air fares pushed prices higher, the Office for National Statistics said, partly offset by cheaper prices for hotel rooms. Economists had forecast inflation would rise to 0.7%, predicting the cheaper pound would push prices higher. ONS statistician Mike Prestwood said raw material costs had "risen for the second month running, partly due to the falling value of the pound". But he added there was "little sign of this feeding through to consumer prices yet". The Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation, which includes mortgage interest payments, dropped to 1.8% in August from 1.9% in July. Separate figures from the ONS suggest inflationary pressures are building for businesses bringing in materials from abroad. Materials and fuels bought by UK manufacturers rose by 7.6% in price. That was the fastest rise since December 2011, and compared with a rise of 4.1% in the year to July.

UK house price inflation falls to 8.3% in July, says ONS.

House price inflation across the UK fell to 8.3% in the year to July, down from 9.7% in June, according to official statistics. The figures - from the Office for National Statistics - are for the first full month after the Brexit vote. They show that he average house price across the UK in July rose to £217,000. The eastern region of England remains the area with the fastest growing prices. The annual rate of inflation there was 13.2%. Prices in London grew at 12.3%, although they fell in parts of Central London, like Hammersmith and Fulham. Earlier this month the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said that the UK housing market had settled down after the Brexit vote.

Brexit deal needed before 2019 elections - EU's Verhofstadt.

The European Parliament's lead negotiator on Brexit, Guy Verhofstadt, says the EU needs to have an agreement on UK withdrawal before the next European elections in May or June 2019. In a tweet he said: "Brexit should be delivered before 2019, when EU politics enters into new cycle & the @Europarl_EN starts new mandate." He will participate in the talks along with negotiators from the European Commission and the ministerial Council. The talks are likely to start in 2017. UK Prime Minister Theresa May says she will not trigger the Brexit mechanism - the EU's Article 50 - before next year, because detailed preparations are necessary. Mr Verhofstadt, previously prime minister of Belgium, told journalists in Strasbourg that the European Parliament would "have to give consent to the agreement as stated in Article 50 so it's wise the parliament is involved from the start of this process." I want the UK to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible, so we can finalise these negotiations by 2019. I can't imagine we start the next legislative cycle without agreement over UK withdrawal."

Bosses more cautious on jobs after Brexit, survey finds.

Employers in six out of nine sectors are less optimistic about adding jobs in the wake of the Brexit vote, a survey has found. Financial services, construction and utilities reported the biggest falls in confidence, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. The survey was conducted in the weeks after the referendum was held. Although UK job prospects have held firm, Manpower said that "cracks in the ice are appearing". The survey asked about 2,100 UK employers whether they plan to hire more workers, or cut jobs, in the last three months of this year. Mark Cahill, ManpowerGroup UK managing director, said Britain was entering a new phase of prolonged economic uncertainty following the referendum on EU membership. "Many finance operations in the City of London depend on the EU 'banking passport' and the fall in hiring intentions could reflect pessimism over the future of this agreement," he said. "The future of freedom of movement across the EU is of particular concern. As UK businesses are reliant on European talent to help fill the skills gap, we urge the government to prioritise maintaining the free movement of people across the EU during its negotiations." There had been an 800% rise in applications for finance jobs in Dublin since the Brexit vote, Manpower said.

Juncker proposes EU military headquarters.

The European Union needs a military headquarters to work towards a common military force, the Commission president has told MEPs in Strasbourg. Jean-Claude Juncker said the lack of a "permanent structure" resulted in money being wasted on missions. Part of his annual state of the union address was devoted to the UK's unexpected vote to leave the EU. He insisted that the bloc was not at risk but called for Brexit negotiations to take place as quickly as possible. Modelled on the state of the union address by the US president, the Commission president's annual speech was introduced in 2010 to detail the state of the EU and future legislative plans. The Brexit vote has given added impetus to plans for greater defence co-operation, because the UK has always objected to the potential conflict of interest with Nato. But Mr Juncker said a common military force "should be in complement to Nato". "More defence in Europe doesn't mean less transatlantic solidarity." A European Defence Fund would stimulate military research and development, he said.

Brexit risk to equal pay laws, Women and Equalities Committee told.

Equal pay laws in the UK could be put at risk by the country's exit from the European Union, MPs have heard. Prof Aileen McColgan said although the UK was a "leader" in areas of equality law, developments on equal pay had been "profoundly driven" by Europe. Prof Catherine Barnard said that without minimum EU standards to abide by, the government could in future try to "lower" the bar. The government says Parliament would have to vote to repeal equality laws. The two professors were giving evidence to the Commons Women and Equalities Committee. Asked what Brexit could mean for UK equality laws, Aileen McColgan, human rights professor at Kings College London, said "it would depend on the government of the day". She said on one level "nothing need change" after the UK left the EU, as most directives had been implemented into UK law. "But on another level it means there would be no underpinning or demand for maintenance of the current provisions, so... it is very troubling as the whole thing could be knocked away", she told MPs.

All details above from BBC News website.

[Despite the fact that I think the Brexit vote and the rather inevitable leaving of the EU is probably the worst (and stupidest) thing this country has done to itself in the last 100 years I do find it endlessly fascinating. I know a lot of people don’t of course and those who just want the whole thing to go away so that they can get on with their lives. Well, unfortunately it won’t and can’t. It’s likely to be a continuing topic of conversation (and argument) for at least the next two years and probably long after that. I think we’re going to have first-hand experience of what it feels like to stand on the wrong side of history and I have a feeling that the experience won’t be a pleasant one.]