High street and high finance tell two different stories about the EU divorce

If British Prime Minister Theresa May thought a new year might bring some new luck, so far, she has been sorely disappointed.

A traumatic 2018 ended with her postponing a parliamentary vote on her Brexit proposals, and facing a leadership challenge. The new year has been no more friendly.

If, as widely expected, the prime minister suffers a heavy defeat in Tuesday's postponed vote, it will be a third major blow to her authority this month.

Twice, members of her own government have voted against her, condemning her to defeat. Once in support of a motion restricting any future taxation measures to fund a no-deal Brexit, and secondly to limit the time the government will have to provide an alternative solution if, as expected, her plan is thrown out.

The economic outlook is hardly any better. High streets had their worst Christmas for a decade, with such popular favorites as Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis all feeling the pinch. Only the Tesco supermarket chain seems to have escaped the seasonal economic chill, reporting "strong" sales.

The UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reports that registrations of new cars in 2018 fell by 6.8 percent, a second consecutive annual fall, and the message from Britain's housing market is far from clear.

Major mortgage lender Halifax says prices in December 2018 defied predictions to rise faster than at any time in almost two years, but on an annual basis, the rise for the three months up until December meant it was the weakest year since 2012.

Another report from Nationwide gave contradictory messages, highlighting the slowest annual increase in prices since February 2013, a sign that the Brexit-inspired climate of uncertainty is putting consumers off making major investments.

The pound continues to struggle. On April 16, 2018 it was worth 1.16 ($1.49) against the euro, down to 1.12 on Jan 9. Having been worth 1.43 against the US dollar on that same date in April, by the same date in January, sterling was down to 1.28. And all of this before the country knows what Brexit will even look like.