Osborne’s dreams of new affordable housing could crumble if the construction sector cannot recruit at least a million more workers November 26, 2015 The construction industry will need to recruit at least a million more workers over the next five years if George Osborne’s hopes of new homes are to be realised. According to specialist recruiter Randstad CPE, the UK housebuilding sector needs a workforce of nearly 2m to keep up with housing demands. Owen Goodhead, managing director [...]
Law firm Slater and Gordon considers closing two of its UK offices, with potential job losses for staff January 27, 2016 Law firm Slater and Gordon is considering shutting two of its UK office, putting 51 jobs at risk. A spokesperson for Slater and Gordon confirmed to City A.M. today: As part of a review of our property portfolio Slater and Gordon has begun assessing the feasibility of closing two of our offices, Failsworth and Derby. [...]
UK pensions: Flat rate pensions tax relief would be “fairer” and encourage people to save more for their retirement, but pensions ISA would be a bad idea, says industry body January 24, 2016 A single rate of pensions tax relief would make the system simpler, fairer and more sustainable, according to a statement made by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) over the weekend. The ABI, which has been calling for reform to higher rate pension tax relief since 2013, has urged government to consider introducing what it [...]
For what it’s worth, Southern Rail has restored 63 services to its timetable October 20, 2016 Southern Rail, the company currently locked in a battle with unions over who gets to close the doors on its trains, has said it is restoring 63 more services to its ravaged timetable. In a statement today the company said its West London Line timetable will go back to full capacity on Monday, while it [...]
ICAEW: Weak business optimism is a bad sign for chancellor George Osborne February 1, 2016 Business confidence has dropped to a three-year low, signalling lower growth and posing a threat to chancellor George Osborne’s budget targets. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ (ICAEW) confidence index dipped to a score of 11.4 for the start of 2016 – the lowest since early 2013. Lower economic growth can impact [...]
Landlords make last minute dash to beat buy-to-let stamp duty hike deadline March 31, 2016 Landlords and agents were scrambling to complete last-minute purchases of second home and buy-to-let properties today ahead of stamp duty hike which comes into effect at midnight. George Osborne's clampdown on buy-to-let properties was announced in November's Autumn Statement as part of a raft measures designed to tackle the housing crisis and help more first-time buyers on the property [...]
Autumn Budget 2017: Government to investigate tax on single-use plastics November 22, 2017 Plastics are set to come under scrutiny as the chancellor today announced plans to investigate charges on single-use plastic items. Philip Hammond said he would work with environment secretary Michael Gove to look into how the tax system and charges on single-use plastics could reduce waste. “The UK led the world on climate change agreements [...]
Banking data to become open by the end of the year as industry and regulators work on ambitious banking standards and open API plans February 9, 2016 Banking could be made simpler for customers – from comparing mortgages to switching accounts – with ambitious plans for banks and regulators to streamline the sharing of data as soon as the end of the year that would establish the UK as a world leader in financial technology and banking innovation. A group of leading experts appointed by the Treasury [...]
Sales of £10m-plus London homes drop by a third as George Osborne’s stamp duty tax changes bite February 12, 2016 Sales of London's priciest homes slumped by a third last year as even the wealthiest investors balked at paying the higher rate of stamp duty introduced by George Osborne's tax reforms. The number of super prime properties – those costing £10m or more – fell from 195 in 2014 to 130 last year, down 32 per cent, according to [...]
Impending tax increase sparks buy-to-let rush – Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors January 21, 2016 A higher tax rate on house purchases due to start in April has caused a surge in demand from buy-to-let investors, new figures show this morning. From April, buy-to-let investors will have to pay three per cent more in stamp duty land tax (SDLT) than residential buyers. In December, 10 per cent more chartered surveyors in [...]