George Osborne has missed every target he’s set himself, says Labour MP Helen Goodman November 26, 2015 "The fact is the chancellor has missed every target that he’s set himself,” according to Labour MP Helen Goodman on George Osborne’s Autumn Statement. “He can’t keep banging on about what happened eight years ago because he’s been in charge now for nearly six years – it’s his fault he hasn’t met his targets,” Goodman, who [...]
Four London Wahaca branches remain shut due to norovirus outbreak after hundreds were taken ill November 3, 2016 Mexican food chain Wahaca has had to close nine restaurants – five in London – after a suspected outbreak of norovirus. UPDATE: Wahaca has now reopened all its restaurants. Read more here. Public Health England (PHE) said it had launched an investigation after 205 staff and 160 members of the public fell ill. Most of [...]
Government to force councils to reveal empty properties as part of housing push February 3, 2016 Local authorities are to be forced to publicly disclose all the properties they own as part of government plans to make better use of public sector land and build more homes. Speaking at the Government Property Conference this morning, Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock said that through the Housing and Planning Bill councils will be [...]
George Osborne must liberate business from burdensome red tape if he wants to bolster UK growth March 16, 2016 The rumour mill is churning. Will George Osborne ease up on businesses in today’s Budget? Companies have shouldered a lot of responsibility for his plans so far. The chancellor justified giveaways in the last Autumn Statement with better-than-expected economic growth and, crucially, a series of levies on firms. A raft of new measures have been announced [...]
Chancellor George Osborne facing Budget squeeze after postponing Lloyds share sell-off January 28, 2016 George Osborne was dealt a double blow yesterday, as Britain’s economic growth slowed and the government was forced to postpone the sell-off of Lloyds, with economists warning that taxes could be raised to make up for a shortfall in the public finances. The sale of the final chunk of Lloyds shares – which was expected to [...]
Landlords threaten to sell up 500,000 rental homes after stamp duty hike February 2, 2016 Landlords are so tired of being persecuted by the government, they're threatening to flog half a million rental properties in the next 12 months – meaning the UK's rental sector could be about to shrink dramatically. And as we have learned today – the UK needs more rental properties… Research by the National Landlords Associations [...]
UK economy on track for growth despite global turmoil, EY Item Club forecasts January 17, 2016 Consumer spending will help fuel UK economic growth in 2016, according to new forecasts, painting a more positive picture amid global market turmoil which has wiped trillions from global equities this year. The economy is expected to grow at an accelerated rate of 2.6 per cent in 2016, up from 2.2 per cent last year and previous forecasts [...]
Chancellor George Osborne should remember that making savings is the only feasible option to balance the nation’s books February 15, 2016 Whether or not George Osborne’s fiscal rules make sense, he’s stuck with them. His credibility hinges on whether or not the deficit is eliminated by 2019-20 and surpluses are recorded in “normal” times thereafter. At the last Autumn Statement doubts were cast over the “£27bn windfall” the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had forecast the chancellor [...]
Treasury is saddling British businesses with £29bn in extra costs from National Living Wage (NLW), apprenticeship levy and business rates – Confederation of British Industry (CBI) February 15, 2016 British businesses will be hit with a bill for almost £30bn in additional costs as a result of government policies including the National Living Wage (NLW) and the apprenticeship levy. The flagship schemes, along with the existing business rates regime, will cost British businesses around £9bn every year by 2020-21, according to new analysis out [...]
UK pensions: Industry reacts to hints flat rate pensions tax relief could be introduced by government at the March budget January 18, 2016 The tax relief available on pensions for higher rate taxpayers could be about to be slashed, as the government looks set to introduce a flat rate relief. The Financial Times has reported that chancellor George Osborne could announce in the upcoming March Budget that pensions tax relief, which is currently applied at the same rate [...]