15 socially responsible investing ideas for your ISA February 8, 2021 Sustainable investment funds have exploded in popularity in the last few years, now holding more than $1 trillion of investors’ cash as the ‘Blue Planet effect’ made people rethink the impact of their choices on the planet. These funds have also proven themselves against their rivals – over the last 15 years, ethical funds have [...]
What are the UK-EU memorandum of understanding talks on financial services about? February 8, 2021 Last month the UK Treasury began talks with the EU to put in a place a memorandum of understanding for future financial services regulation on each side of the Channel. Much of the media discourse about these talks revolve around whether they will yield extended EU market access for the City of London, however any [...]
Here comes Govtech: It’s time to digitise government and the public sector February 8, 2021 Boris Johnson’s first telephone call with Joe Biden in the White House reportedly included some joshing over which of them had first used the phrase ‘Build Back Better’. Whether it was the Prime Minister or the President, it is set to be the leitmotif of the global post-Covid recovery. Economies have been devastated, individuals have [...]
Bring your own pen: England’s local elections to go ahead in May February 5, 2021 England will go ahead with local elections on 6 May despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the government confirmed on Friday. A range of additional measures will be put in place to safeguard voters and make the process more flexible. The elections, which decide hundreds of local government positions across England, had been under review due to [...]
Rightmove toasts record-breaking January but deals begin to crumble ahead of stamp duty deadline February 5, 2021 Rightmove enjoyed its busiest January on record as visits to the property platform jumped nearly 40 per cent with many buyers seemingly undeterred by the approaching end of the stamp duty holiday. However, the firm said there had been a seven per cent increase in sale fall-throughs as buyers realised they do not have the [...]
Blockchain will bring trust back into capital markets February 5, 2021 If recent events have revealed anything, it’s that trust in the traditional financial infrastructure powering our global capital markets has been eroding – especially among retail investors. The GameStop (GME) short-squeeze¹, driven by individuals who came together online, is a testament to what can happen when power is pushed to the edges. Huge volumes, unexpected [...]
UK house prices dip in January as market boom begins to ‘run out of steam’ February 5, 2021 UK house prices dipped last month, the latest data showed, in the first indication that the property market boom could be running out of steam. Average house prices across the UK fell 0.3 per cent in January compared to December, dropping to £251,968. Experts said the month-on-month drop – the steepest since the first lockdown [...]
Stamp duty holiday costs government more than £500m in lost taxes February 3, 2021 The government lost out on more than half a billion pounds in taxes due to the stamp duty holiday, according to the latest figures. Data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) showed that overall stamp duty land tax receipts fell 16 per cent to £2.76bn in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to £3.29bn [...]
City Moves for 3 February: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? February 3, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. New head of UK business for BNP Paribas REIM French firm BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management (BNP Paribas REIM) has appointed a new UK business head to manage its multi-billion-pound real estate [...]
Half of medium-sized businesses on the brink as lockdown restrictions continue February 3, 2021 Nearly half (49 per cent) of medium-sized businesses have warned they could cease trading in less than two months if coronavirus restrictions do not ease. The national lockdown is taking a major toll on businesses, with many fearing the worst if the restrictions continue. If the current national lockdown lasts until April, more than eight [...]