Osborne’s plan to cut fuel bills December 2, 2013 CHANCELLOR George Osborne has pledged that the government will waive the cost of some green levies currently paid for through energy bills, in a bid to ease political pressure and save the public money. The move is expected to cut energy bills by £50 a year per household, with the cost now met instead through [...]
Everything revealed in the Budget March 19, 2014 Apparently this a budget for makers, doers, and savers. But enough of the buzzwords, onto the substance. GrowthThe UK grew by three times as much as the OBR predicted at the budget last year. Now the OBR has revised its growth forecasts up. 2014 should see growth of 2.7 per cent, up from the 2.4 [...]
Big six energy firms hit back at Ofgem report November 25, 2013 THE BIG six energy companies defended themselves yesterday against allegations of hefty profits, after a report from regulator Ofgem showed that the generation parts of their businesses had an average profit margin of 20 per cent last year. Energy UK, which represents the interests of the big six firms, lambasted the report’s findings and asked [...]
Letters to the Editor – 20/11 – Stamp duty, India rising, Best of Twitter November 19, 2013 Stamp duty [Re: Calls grow for tax cut policies, Monday] The call from the Free Enterprise Group to scrap stamp duty on homes worth less than £500,000 highlights the growing frustration with Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). Previously, it was simply an admin charge; now, it is a revenue-generating tax. This changed emphasis has a [...]
It’s time to break the Whitehall silo and put startup discipline into government December 3, 2013 THE CURSE of Norman Lamont makes politicians wary of mentioning the “green shoots” of recovery. But when the data show growth of 0.4 per cent, 0.7 per cent and 0.8 per cent in the first three quarters of 2013, it’s clear. The UK is off life support. Sure, the recovery is heavily consumption-led, with exports [...]
Why Asos shares have shrugged off warehouse fire damage news June 23, 2014 Despite slumping by around three per cent in early trading, Asos shares have seen a recovery after Friday's warehouse fire. Traders have been waiting until today to respond to a fire at the company's Barnsley distribution centre, where around 70 per cent of the company's total stock is held. South Yorkshire Police are treating the [...]
Housebuilders pledge to end advance sales of homes overseas December 18, 2013 A TOTAL of 11 housing developers have signed a pledge to market their properties to UK buyers first, or at the same time, as marketing abroad. Concerns about properties being sold to foreign investors who then choose not to live in them have led to claims that many London streets are unoccupied while demand in [...]
What the autumn statement means for property players December 20, 2012 Chancellor OF the exchequer George Osborne’s autumn statement, released last month, included a £5.5bn infrastructure package, bringing infrastructure investment to £33bn a year. The funding includes support for long-term private investment in new roads, science, free schools and academies. Osborne also opted to keep property taxes and the rate of stamp duty unchanged, something some [...]
Calls grow for tax cut policies November 18, 2013 CALLS for tax cuts are building as the British economy finally starts to recover from years of stagnation, with politicians and business groups arguing that the time is now right to trim back the tax system. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said yesterday morning that he wants to push the coalition government’s income tax cuts [...]
Davey plans criminal laws for energy price-fixing October 31, 2013 ENERGY firms found guilty of manipulating the markets could face criminal prosecution, according to new government reforms proposed by Ed Davey yesterday. In his annual statement, the energy secretary also confirmed plans for a yearly competition review “to make sure the energy market is operating properly” and said he wanted to make it easier for [...]