Budget pledge to help North Sea oil industry January 20, 2015 CHANCELLOR George Osborne told the Treasury Select Committee yesterday that he will take action in the upcoming Budget to support industry in the North Sea, in the face of falling oil prices. Answering questions on devolution, Osborne said: “I took decisions in the Autumn Statement to reduce taxes on North Sea oil… and I’m sure [...]
Balls calls for tax breaks for North Sea Oil January 19, 2015 SHADOW chancellor Ed Balls has called for immediate tax breaks to help the North Sea oil industry. “The plummeting global oil price has given some respite to motorists and has been good for the UK economy overall, but there is no doubt that it has also had a negative impact here in the North East [...]
The chancellor’s balancing act has set the tone for tight fiscal restraint in the next Parliament December 3, 2014 DESPITE higher short-term borrowing, the chancellor presented an Autumn Statement in which the deficit is back on track over the medium term and a surplus is achieved by the end of the next Parliament. At the same time, he announced some selective tax reductions aimed at helping individuals and smaller businesses, while making commitments earlier [...]
TfL London Night Tube start date: Transport for London delays Night Tube’s 12 September launch August 27, 2015 Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed London's new 24-hour Tube service will not launch on 12 September as planned. In a statement today, the organisation said that while practical arrangements to run the Night Tube were in place, ongoing talks with trade unions meant it won't be possible to agree rosters and communicate them to [...]
Triumph for Trumpets as orchestras to benefit from theatre ruling December 3, 2014 YESTERDAY’S statement was music to the ears of the UK’s orchestras. The Theatre Tax Relief, which came into effect on 1 September, in a bid to boost the live performing arts economy, was extended to orchestras as part of the Autumn Statement.
London housing estates to get overhaul in £150m pledge with Aylesbury and Blackwall Reach expected to be named December 1, 2014 A shortlist of London housing estates in the running for regeneration is to be announced by ministers today, as part of a £150m scheme. The estates will be named ahead of the Autumn Statement as part of a pledge first announced in the Budget earlier this year. The Aylesbury estate in Southwark is expected to [...]
Stamp duty cut boosts house buyer deposits January 20, 2015 HOUSE buyers have redirected their stamp duty payments into bigger deposits after the Autumn Statement tax cut, the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) said today. The mortgage broker said deposits reached their highest level in 14 months in December. Average buyers’ deposits stood at 30.7 per cent of the total price paid in December, up from a [...]
Why the public finances may improve even faster than the Budget forecasts March 18, 2015 The chancellor delivered an astute Budget yesterday. Some politically safe revenue raising measures (a raid on the banks, a further crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion, and a reduction in the lifetime allowance for pensions) raised enough money to pay for some politically popular giveaways: an increase in personal income tax allowances, a new tax [...]
What colour was George Osborne’s tie? Ladbrokes pays out on green, grey and black odds December 3, 2014 George Osborne confounded consensus in his Autumn Statement today, choosing to wear a magical colour-changing tie. The odds were naturally on Tory blue neckwear in the lead-up to the general election, but Osborne this year took inspiration from a magical Mr Benn (the cartoon character, not Tony), digging deep in the back of the wardrobe [...]
London barometer January 29, 2015 Sales Director, Douglas & Gordon At the end of 2014, more offers were agreed than the same time last year despite a 20 per cent reduction in applicants. Pragmatic purchasers seized the opportunity to secure good value for money and, interestingly, fall-throughs were at a 12 month low. As a direct impact of stamp duty [...]