A match made in blockchain? The case for bitmarriage February 12, 2018 “Are you married?” For most people this feels like an obvious question. But despite common acceptance of the definition of marriage, marital status can be highly complex. English marriage law comes from a mix of statutes from the last two centuries, which throw up bizarre lacunae: a marriage in a synagogue is automatically legally valid, [...]
Train fares are going up by an average of 3.4 per cent in January 2018 December 5, 2017 UK train fares are set to rise by an average of 3.4 per cent next year, above the rate of inflation, the rail industry has revealed. From 2 January 2018, all national rail fares will rise, including both regulated fares, like season tickets, and unregulated fares, including off-peak tickets. The Rail Delivery Group said the [...]
Industry leaders warn the City of London is poised to miss out on the UK’s biotech boom January 29, 2018 The UK's biotech industry was thrown into the spotlight last week with a series of reports boasting of the sector’s successes. The BioIndustry Association (BIA) on Thursday declared Britain’s 2017 pipeline of biotech treatments the strongest in Europe. Meanwhile the London Stock Exchange cheered the 20 per cent rise in funds raised for the wider [...]
Not your average City suits: The private equity leaders turned to philanthropy at Impetus PEF December 20, 2017 “For me, it’s personal.” Those were the words which headed Andy Ratcliffe’s CV when he applied to be chief executive of the Impetus Private Equity Foundation (PEF), and almost two years into the job they seem to have stood him in good stead. Impetus PEF is something of a novelty in the City. It relies [...]
Britain is leading the charge for a greener, re-energised future January 4, 2018 Tackling climate change is one of the most critical issues the globe faces. Britain has always led the world in facing these challenges head on, and this is no exception. The UK was the first country to introduce legally binding domestic climate change targets; we were instrumental in securing the historic Paris Agreement; and since [...]
Leaping into a decision on a new broadband Universal Service Obligation would be a mistake November 29, 2017 The government is currently offering a £1.1bn package of measures to support the market delivery of digital networks underpinned by full fibre broadband. A key pillar of that plan, under the Digital Economy Act 2017, is to create a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO), which is geared towards everyone in the UK having access [...]
Autumn Budget 2017: Reactions to the chancellor’s statement from business groups and experts November 22, 2017 THE BUSINESS GROUP Carolyn Fairbairn, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director-general “Against a sombre economic backdrop, the Chancellor today gripped the steering wheel on the UK economy. This is a budget that balances support for people on squeezed incomes with vital action to help grow the UK out of austerity. But delivery is everything.” She [...]
Stamp duty abolished for first-time buyers on purchases of up to £300,000 November 22, 2017 The government has used the Autumn Budget to abolish stamp duty for first-time buyers on purchases of up to £300,000. First-time buyers will also receive a stamp duty holiday for the first £300,000 on purchases up to £500,000. Read more: Come again? Two-thirds of Nimbys are worried about rising house prices Launching the policy, the [...]
Deficit hangs over Hammond: Chancellor facing new £20bn black hole says Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) | City A.M. October 30, 2017 Philip Hammond faces another £20bn hole in his deficit reduction plans, as the chancellor comes under political pressure to increase spending in the forthcoming Budget. Analysis by the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), published today, shows that a productivity forecast downgrade from the government’s Budget watchdog may leave the total deficit as high as [...]
Banks left outraged as government rules they must run illegal immigrant checks on all current accounts September 22, 2017 UK banks are quietly outraged about new legislation which will force all banks to run checks for illegal immigrants against their current account customers. Read more: New government rules will force UK banks to search bank accounts for illegal immigrants The government has brought in rules requiring all banks to check their customers against a [...]