UK core inflation drops to a four-year low in October November 12, 2013 The inflation rate fell to 2.2 per cent in the year to October, down from 2.7 per cent last month – its lowest level since 2009. Consensus had been that it would fall to 2.5 per cent. UK core inflation fell to 1.7 per cent year-on-year in October. The other main consumer price indices moved [...]
How to plan for the Autumn Statement December 2, 2012 WITH so much focus on tax in the past few months, it would be no surprise if this week’s Autumn Statement sets taxpayers up for a long and cold winter. Its contents are as yet unknown, and George Osborne has vowed to keep his silence ahead of Wednesday’s Statement. That, however, should not prevent taxpayers [...]
How regenerating failed high rises can gift London thousands of extra homes January 20, 2014 A QUIET announcement, with potentially significant implications for London’s housing crisis, lay hidden in the detail of last year’s Autumn Statement: the government will “explore options for kick-starting the regeneration of some of the worst housing estates through repayable loans.” Is this just another excuse to spend taxpayers’ money? I hope not. It could be [...]
Britain could become a social investment hub – if the chancellor provides the right incentives December 4, 2013 LONDON is fast emerging as a global centre for social investing. All of the ingredients are here: a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, a strong ethos of charitable giving and investing for good, a supportive government, and organisations whose aim is to grow the world of social impact investing. In the last few months, London has hosted [...]
London Report: New borrowing figures likely a boost for Britain November 17, 2013 CHANCELLOR George Osborne is likely to get a boost this week with October public borrowing figures predicted to show the economic recovery gaining strength. Corporation payments and profits from the Royal Mail share sale have helped boost the government coffers and the final set of figures before Osborne’s Autumn Statement are expected to be strong. [...]
Power bills will soar until 2030 November 12, 2013 A REPORT out today from the National Audit Office (NAO) predicts government spending on new nuclear and green initiatives will send household energy bills soaring above inflation for the next 17 years as the public stumps up two thirds of the cost. The projection adds to alarm over energy prices as the big six suppliers [...]
Insurers’ £25bn growth pledge December 3, 2013 SIX CITY insurers have today announced a major investment into UK infrastructure projects, committing £25bn over the next five years. The money, which does not include finance for existing schemes, signals a commitment to new large-scale projects, following the successful negotiation of changes to EU insurance regulation that had been holding back investment. Changes to [...]
Why we need to re-think welfare – and it’s about more than saving money December 16, 2013 “IT IS getting to the stage where our government is doing welfare and little else”. That was the verdict of the Institute for Fiscal Studies’s Paul Johnson at a post-Autumn Statement briefing. You wouldn’t think it from media reports, but the welfare state is becoming more significant in scope, if not in absolute size. Although [...]
Private Finance Initiative to be replaced in Autumn Statement December 3, 2012 THE CONTROVERSIAL Private Finance Initiative (PFI) will be replaced with a new programme designed to be cheaper and faster, chancellor George Osborne will say in tomorrow’s Autumn Statement. PFI, which sees the public sector partner with private companies to fund and operate long-term infrastructure projects, will be replaced with Private Finance 2 (PF2). The new scheme will include [...]
More ticket woe as Rugby World Cup early seat sale postponed May 15, 2014 TODAY’S planned sale of Rugby World Cup tickets has been postponed after Ticketmaster said it needed extra time to prepare its website, just days after their Commonwealth Games sale process was plunged into chaos. The first 500,000 seats for next autumn’s showpiece were due to be available to members of the Rugby Community Ticketing Programme [...]