Why is Britain becoming less productive? Economists blame everyone from government to investors to statisticians April 7, 2016 The UK’s productivity has been trundling along at a less than spectacular pace for a number of years. This morning, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed it actually fell 1.2 per cent in the final quarter of 2015, raising concerns about the general state of the UK economy. But what is productivity, why [...]
Think tank Respublica: Tax rich foreign buyers more than Brits – to boost UK manufacturing December 1, 2015 How to sort out the UK’s ailing manufacturing industry? Think tank Respublica has an unorthodox solution: Start taxing wealthy foreign property buyers more. The think tank is calling for foreign property purchases to be taxed higher than British ones in a report released today, arguing that foreign investors are “skewing” the property market. The government [...]
Champagne maker Taittinger buys Kent vineyard to make British sparkling wine December 9, 2015 Renowned Champagne maker Taittinger has added some fizz to the British wine business with a major investment, snapping up land in Kent to produce sparkling wine. Along with fellow unnamed investors, Taittinger has bought 40 hectares of farmland to grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, a "multi-million pound" investment over the next decade, it said. The vineyards will [...]
Why does the UK have a productivity puzzle? The skills gap is one factor – but there are many more issues at play here December 1, 2015 Classical economic theory talks about three “factors of production”, land, labour and capital – the ingredients required to produce things. In a speech last month Ben Broadbent, deputy governor for monetary policy at the Bank of England, correctly identified changes to the labour market as one of the causes of weakness in productivity growth [...]
Say what? It turns out the London doesn’t have the world’s most unaffordable homes – Hong Kong does January 26, 2016 First-time buyers across the London may be struggling to get their hands on a property – but it turns out we don't have the world's most unaffordable homes. That dubious accolade belongs to Hong Kong, where the average home is 19 times people's annual incomes – compared to just 8.5 times in London. Pah. The figures were [...]
British Airways flight BA49 from London Heathrow to Seattle lands safely after it declares mid-air emergency March 6, 2015 A British Airways flight from London to Seattle was forced to turn around after it declared a mid-air emergency. The flight was just under two hours into an eight-hour flight to the city, in the North West of the US. UPDATE EMERGENCY #BA49 Boeing 777 is continuing to London LHR. Live: http://t.co/mzKkQjjfiX pic.twitter.com/PVZ5nFG6RU — AIRLIVE [...]
British Land warns politics a risk to recovery May 14, 2014 BRITISH Land warned that upcoming political events such as the general election posed “increasing risks” for the property market as the FTSE 100 landlord posted a jump in profits. Chief executive Chris Grigg said yesterday that uncertainty over the outcome of the 2015 elections could put off businesses and investors from investing in the sector. [...]
Discover the twin islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, where peckish golfers can tuck into local flora February 8, 2016 With its hazy azure waters lazily lapping the white-sand beaches, and sun seekers pondering which rum-based cocktail to slurp next in the penumbra of a palm tree, the West Indies remains an alluring destination to escape London’s dreary winter. But why stick with one Caribbean island when you can easily fit a couple into the [...]
The Brexit I love versus the Brexit I fear: A British renaissance or a missed opportunity January 19, 2017 What will the UK economy look like outside the EU, 10 years from now? Nobody knows the precise answer to this question but we can generate likely potential scenarios. What follows are two scenarios, the Brexit I love and the Brexit I fear. The Brexit I love is where the UK is open to the [...]
London airport expansion: CBI president says UK can’t “pass the buck” to the next generation November 23, 2015 Britons can’t “pass the buck” to the next generation when it comes to building another runway, the president of Britain’s biggest business group has said. Speaking at the Airport Operators’ Association Conference earlier today, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) president Paul Drechsler said the “window of opportunity is closing fast” for more airport capacity. “Every [...]